Moving from the netherlands to MA vicinity Boston NEED HELP!!!! (Malden: sale, apartment)

[micky]

Thanks everybody for your help

airedaly you ask why do we want to live in a city we live in a city now. And to much green makes me sick no a joke. And don't want everybody living my bussnis, what happens in small places.

Were we live now my daughters school is 2 min by car and 5 min walk. Everything is very close by if I like I can bycicle to town. In holland it doesn't matter how big a town is we do have a town centers with shops.
I know that I will have to get acostum that I will have to sit longer in the car to get something when we move to the states. We are very spoiled here that everything is close by but our gouverment do stimulate to take the bycicle for the enviroment.

We are thinking of Concord and Lexington this two towns at the moment. And we do want to stay in that area. But I have to talk to the realtor give him or her our specifics and we will hear of this is all possible what we want.

All suggestion are welcome as notting is set yet in stone.
Thanks Micky

[ontheroad]

mikey,

I'm sorry I haven't been on line. I am not familiar with the Leominster area well enough to advise you about neighbouring towns. However, you will find US-living and Holland-living rather different. Yes, there are wonderful towns and villages, but many do not have walkable shopping areas or biking as you have in Holland. Many of the big shopping areas are outside of the towns, and are what American's often call box stores: super super markets with food and supplies.

It is probably best to make a list of the most important things you want, and have a good real estate broker point in you the right direction.

West of Worcester are some lovely towns, but they may be too long a drive on a daily basis to her man's work. Sometimes the secondary roads may indicate a short distance, but it most often takes twice as long to drive--because of speed limits, traffic build-up and stop signs and lights.

Good luck, and again if you have specific questions about difference, don't hesitate to ask me.

[micky]

Thanks ontheroad we will be going for lexington or concord. In july we will be 5 days in the states this week we will have the name of the realtor we will be working with.
Micky

[katzenfreund]

Micky,
I just moved to MA from Maryland 2 months ago, so don't know too much yet about MA in general, other than my more immediate area. However, I am a german citizen (husband is american) and even though I have lived in the US for 15 years now, it is just VERY different. Unless you live in a major city, there is no "walkability" like we are used to in Europe. When I first came to MD 15 years ago, I had no drivers license... always walked, biked or took the train or bus, even though I lived in a town of 50.000, not a major city. Unless you live in a big city, such as Boston, you can pretty much forget about that here. You have to have a car. I can walk to a grocery store here and the post office, so I am lucky, but that's it. The houses are also built quite different (thin walls) and while it can be tempting to want to move to a center of town, be prepared for lots of noise, car noise! I couldn't believe how many people here drive SUV's and pick up trucks, quite noisy and annoying. So, if you move to a town or city center, make sure it is a dead end road ;-), otherwise you have never ending traffic noise. Good luck to you!!!!

[ontheroad]

It's interesting how US towns and European towns developed differently, katzenfreund. I did a research on Amsterdam's development, and know a little about Northeastern towns (on the Ocean) but as you go inland, towns are like you describe them. Pity!

[ontheroad]

micky, here is a list of the towns/cities in MA with Montessori schools. It might help you with your search:

Montessori Schools in Massachusetts

[micky]

Thanks katzenfreund no I will be having a car because I have to bring my daughter to school and I want to be mobile.
Here everything is littarly around the corner. So it will be different. But are the houses inside in the winter warm enough if the walls are thin. Mayor heating than.
Ontheroad thanks for the site is helpfull
Micky

[katzenfreund]

Micky,
I think the heating/cooling bills will be higher than in Europe. The walls are thin and especially in the summer, the houses heat up really quick, compared to the european houses (in Germany anyway... my mom's house has walls that are solid walls, at least 1 1/2 foot thick.) Another thing that really bugs me how you can hear everything through those thin walls ... but that's just me. I like the old houses (they were build sturdier, IMO), not the new ones that tend to be built from particle wood board with some siding slapped on it. Winters in MA are long and it gets pretty darn cold, so heating a home will be a major expense. That's why we didn't want a house bigger than we really need. Good luck to you!

[NY'er lost in MA]

In searching for a home Micky you might give priority to homes with natural gas heat vs. oil systems. Gas is cheaper.

[micky]

Thanks NY'er lost in MA I will add it to our list. Our list keeps growing. This week we will have contact with the relocating office.

Thanks Micky