Oklahoma to (likely Western) Massachusetts - Beginning Research (Boston, Springfield: apartment complex, lease)

[swake]

Have you considered Lawrence, KS?

Kansas is much more liberal than Oklahoma. The state even has a Democrat as governor.

While Lawrence is not very large (about 100k people), as a college town it has excellent bus service and it is the most liberal place in Kansas. Also as a college town it has a good amount of cultural events and if you want more, Kansas City is just 40 miles away. Lastly, it's going to be a cheaper place to live than most of the places listed here and it's far closer to your family.

[bostongymjunkie]

And.....as an added bonus.... you don't have to leave tornado alley!

[in_newengland]

Yes, try other states. It doesn't HAVE to be New England. I'm still wonderful about RI though. The area down by by the south coast has the University of RI, gorgeous beaches, small towns, but you can easily get to Providence by interstate. There would be cultural things to do and liberal minds. Along the coast it is probably expensive, but inland would probably be more affordable. Just an idea, I haven't been down there in a long time.

AND, get some job skills. New England values education. With no job skills you'll be working at fast food or something else low paying and dead end.

[WoodwindsRock]

With all due respect, a blue area in a red state is not enough. I've been to Lawrence many times, I do like it up there, but not in terms of climate or politics (the state dictates rights, not the town of Lawrence).


Plus, bostongymjunkie spells it out: It's in tornado alley, which I want to get as far away from as I can.


I'm afraid moving to Lawrence I'd just run into all of the same issues I hate living down here, just being in a blue town. But as I said, a blue town in a red state doesn't have much power.


My parents almost considered moving there. My close family has a history of attending the University of Kansas.



Bizcuit: I totally want to visit and would like to within the next year or so. But the problem with that idea is that I would need to narrow down locations to visit, because it's not like I'm going to be able to take a grand tour of New England and New York.



I could see visiting Boston and Providence, but then I'd probably not be able to see Western MA, Vermont and upstate NY. Not unless my family decided to take a road trip with our trailer, but... nope. The days for that opportunity are over as I now have a full time job and can't just leave for that long.

[bostongymjunkie]

Dont even think about Vermont. The only thing close to a metropolitan area is way out of your price range.

[mdovell]

To be frank given the discussion I might just be better off if you took a long vacation say a week or two then just drove around the region preferably during the summer because it will be much harder.

You have to consider what you want for a lifestyle and I'd also recommend thinking going forward Movie 5 10 15 years what you want your life to be. For example it doesn't make that much sense to tell you to live in a place that has no public transit if you really do want to take a bus or a train. I live in a place that's relatively cheap but public transit is extremely Limited.

Last time I moved I was crunching numbers on everything. This is where I'm going to work this is my nearest grocery store, nearest hospital, near shopping center, entertainment etc

Are there any seasonal issues in the winter or the fall or the summer that you need to know about? Are you looking to have a pet? Where do you go for your Veterinary Services. Do you have a hobby that might require other things. Let's say you like gardening and there's a garden show or if you like to play music is there a band Nirvana by are there music stores nearby. If you plan on having kids what's the quality of the school district? Then of course there's how much you might pay for insurance how much crime is in the area would you feel personally safe walking around. Can you even walk around? is there public lighting are there parts are there sidewalks there's a whole bunch of factors into play here.

Some places might have everything but they might be isolated. For example in Vermont the Burlington area is actually a very nice area but it takes hours upon hours to get to and it's pretty much isolated from most of the state if not region

[missionhill]

Originally Posted by mdovell

To be frank given the discussion I might just be better off if you took a long vacation say a week or two then just drove around the region preferably during the summer because it will be much harder.

Woodwinds doesn’t drive, that’s why she’s interested in Providence and maybe West Springfield—because manageable without car. She can visit Boston and Prov easily, and take the Peter Pan to Spfld or Amtrak (once a day). Or the commuter rail to Worcester with connecting bus over Route 9 to Amherst — pretty sure that’s a thing and a would be a scenic ride through town and country). Then the local PVTA buses to Northampton, West Springfield.

[HunterGraccus]

I've lived in Chicopee, Springfield, West Springfield, and now am in another town nearby. Chicopee is a really well run city. It uses the old mill canal system water power to generate a good portion of the town's electricity at a considerable discount to your energy bill. I loved Springfield. I rented the top half of a house for reasonable rent in Pine Point which is packed with small houses from the 50's. I then moved to West Springfield and lived off of Route 5. It was really urban, but it was incredibly convenient to live. Busses run on Route 5 from Holyoke, through West Springfield and over the bridge to Springfield. West Springfield cries poor, but is well run and an economic powerhouse on the junction of I-91 and I-90.

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has excellent ADA services. My friend would have to reserve a ride 24 hours ahead and would be picked up by a mini van and brought to his destination at reasonable cost. You can schedule them daily for a job if need be. There is allot of money in MA. All cities and towns have poverty issues, but after working in a poor area of Boston, it is nothing compared to big city poverty. People put down Western Mass which if fine with me as it keeps this jewel of an area off the radar. Look up what services you can get under ADA for any place you are considering.

As for the politics, my neighbor is displaying a glorious "TRUMP WON" flag while pulling in massive amounts of government assistance. There is no escape from political discord in the US.

[charolastra00]

Given the concerns around cost of living and the need for excellent public transit, I think the best places in the country for you would be Minneapolis or Milwaukee. Both are in very blue cities in reliably blue states, the cost of living is very very reasonable, and there is great public transit. Either has better transit options than Springfield or Worcester, and is likely more affordable as well.

[WoodwindsRock]

@mdovell I know, there's a lot of factors to take in. However, some of these are smaller details and I'm trying to just even get an idea of what is manageable to begin with.



@HunterGraccus Thank you for your insight! It's nice to hear from someone who has lived in all of these areas. My research and what I saw people saying on other sites like Reddit tended to point toward Chicopee not being such a bad place, but obviously, my situation is very specific.


Yeah, I know that I could probably get some help with the government based off of my disabilities, but IDK.


I think it's important to clarify that the region I live in isn't great for public transportation either. If for some reason I lost my family, I'd be in trouble here. It's likely a reality I'm going to have to face someday, unless I end up finding a partner that stays with me (yeah...right.) who is willing to put up with me not being completely independent.


@charolastra00 Your opinions are appreciated.



I have concerns, though, which is why I haven't much considered those areas:


While MN is a fairly solid blue state, WI is a swing state that voted for Trump in 2016, and voted for Biden by only razor thin margins in 2020. This is not the kind of state I can trust with my rights. Much like Michigan, which I was considering for quite some time.



Climate-wise, both of those areas are of concern to me, in that they get a lot of tornado outbreaks just like down here.



The raw cost of living calculator shows Minneapolis just as expensive if not more than Northampton. Milwaukee is cheaper, but, yeah. I know that calculator isn't showing me the whole picture, but I don't know.