Is MA worth the high COL?

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I left Mass over the high cost of living, and I have never really understood why it has to be so high. New England sure as hell is not know for its pleasant climate like Calif is. All in all though I think Mass and New England for that matter are a much more desireable area to live in. When one lives in other states they sure find that out fast.

What you said makes tons of sense. You have to be other places to know what you had in MA. I had to see ****ty PA and FL to know that I was wrong when I was badmouthing much of MA when I lived there and when I couldnt wait to leave MA to go to the country in PA etc..
Biggest mistake that could have ever happened. New England after all is a top place in the country along with the Pac NW.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by meltinjohn

What you said makes tons of sense. You have to be other places to know what you had in MA.

See it just shows that people have different views of life. I look at the other way...there are so many things that you don't realize exist until you get out of New England. You also see the wacky liberals for who and what they are when you don't have it staring you in the face.

To a good part of the country, Massachusetts isn't something they look up to or wish to emulate, from the weather, to the politics, to the high cost of living, it's usually only the locals who think that everyone else wants to be like them.

[smarty]

Can some one define cost of living? Who and what are we comparing to....

Are we comparing city living? People living 30 miles from downtown? 50 miles from downtown?

[holden125]

Originally Posted by neil0311

See it just shows that people have different views of life. I look at the other way...there are so many things that you don't realize exist until you get out of New England. You also see the wacky liberals for who and what they are when you don't have it staring you in the face.

To a good part of the country, Massachusetts isn't something they look up to or wish to emulate, from the weather, to the politics, to the high cost of living, it's usually only the locals who think that everyone else wants to be like them.

As you say, people look at things differently. I couldn't care less what this good part of the country wants to emulate. I sure don't want to emulate them. I prefer it here, despite the cost of living, precisely because of the politics, as well as the culture generally and the aesthetics. I'd take the "wacky liberals" any day over the nutjobs running around in far too many states. And the weather just isn't a factor. Snow is fun, leaves are beautiful, having cool ocean breezes in July instead of 100 degrees is pleasant.

[MacheteJames]

It's debatable. If you are from the state and have friends/family there, then yes, of course it is worth it to stay if you can because those connections are priceless. On the other hand, young people are probably wise to leave New England for greener pastures. The rough climate, cold and aloof cultural mores, lack of ethnic diversity outside of a handful of cities, lack of economic opportunity unless you work in higher ed or the Route 128 tech industries, lack of good public transportation outside of Boston and the inner ring suburbs, and absurd 1 acre lot zoning in the outer suburbs make it less than a desirable place to start off in life in many ways. It's still home and I love it but I see it with different eyes after moving away.

[FinkieMcGee]

Originally Posted by smarty

I'm not sure which part of San Diego you live... But, I had a friend who used to live in Wellesley and they have to pay 40% more to get the same house.

He should've waited for housing prices to crash before buying then There are some pretty good deals out there.

I also have no interest in buying a house, so my situation reflects that. Renting in Boston is more expensive (for me) than it is to rent out here.

[TomDot]

Originally Posted by neil0311

See it just shows that people have different views of life. I look at the other way...there are so many things that you don't realize exist until you get out of New England. You also see the wacky liberals for who and what they are when you don't have it staring you in the face.

To a good part of the country, Massachusetts isn't something they look up to or wish to emulate, from the weather, to the politics, to the high cost of living, it's usually only the locals who think that everyone else wants to be like them.

Who were you hanging out with when you were here? There certainly is a wrongheaded attitude here of "we're so progressive" but I have never heard, in my forty plus years of living here, anyone say that everyone else wants to be like us.
BTW, How exactly would they emulate our beautiful weather?

[Xenos]

People from the Hub, with their various reformist and mugwumpy social projects, usually think that other people ought to be like them. That is why it is the Hub, after all.

Nobody here claims that the rest of the country wants to be like them - that is just evidence of the rest of the country's inferiority.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by TomDot

Who were you hanging out with when you were here? There certainly is a wrongheaded attitude here of "we're so progressive" but I have never heard, in my forty plus years of living here, anyone say that everyone else wants to be like us.
BTW, How exactly would they emulate our beautiful weather?

Well, you have to admit that most New Englanders and especially the liberals think that the world begins at the Hudson River and ends at the Atlantic Ocean. Liberals in general think that anyone who disagrees with them is uneducated, ignorant, a racist, a xenophobe, or a combination of some or all of these.

The liberal attitude is usually that unwashed masss would and should aspire to be like them, if only the masses could escape the grasp of the evil corporations who have brain washed them, along with their own ignorance. Many New Englanders feel the same disdain for anyone who doesn't drop the letter "r" from the end of words.

[TomDot]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Well, you have to admit that most New Englanders and especially the liberals think that the world begins at the Hudson River and ends at the Atlantic Ocean. Liberals in general think that anyone who disagrees with them is uneducated, ignorant, a racist, a xenophobe, or a combination of some or all of these.

The liberal attitude is usually that unwashed masss would and should aspire to be like them, if only the masses could escape the grasp of the evil corporations who have brain washed them, along with their own ignorance. Many New Englanders feel the same disdain for anyone who doesn't drop the letter "r" from the end of words.

You have to be fair here. conservatives feel the same way. I look down on my liberal friends as panty wearing, emotional pinheads who tend to think with their hearts instead of their brains.
I now live in Dorchester because my wife (liberal) couldn't stand the idea of living amongst (perish the thought) mostly white people. She yearned for diversity. Now we live in an area of high crime and high auto insurance rates.
You have to be a loony liberal to think like that in the first place.