Anyone here live in Massachussetts?

[rad]

I got a job interview in Mass. next week. A town just south of Boston. What's it like there? Any rural areas nearby? I won't have too much time to scout the surrounding area so any insight here would be helpful.

[chagrin]

Have you ever seen "Cheers"??

Or maybe a Sox game on TV?

Not much different than that...Get used to the term "Chowd"

:p

[rad]

Have you ever seen "Cheers"??

Or maybe a Sox game on TV?

:p
ROFL
I think they call them the "Sowx"

[ChiefsfaninPA]

Not me sorry can't help. But I have seen pictures...........Nice.

[BucEyedPea]

I'm from there but live in Florida currently.
Nearly whole family is still there and I am from the South Shore.

Whadya' wanna know?

It is one of the most expensive areas to live in the US.
Real estate and rent are quite pricey. But if you're not too far from city you can have the best of four worlds. City life, suburbs, coastal and rural. Trains and other public transportation are available even into the suburbs.

Pretty area...LOTS of history, and culture but also a good sports town, including lots of sailing all over. Newburyport is a nice quaint town that's historical and also has sailing, races and all. Windsurfing is all over as well. Whale watching trips are lots of fun too. These are leave out of Boston and Provincetown. I think also the north shore area as well.

South shore has nice beaches and you're not that far from Cape Cod where the warm water is on its south side. At least 60 or 70 degrees in summer. Crowded in the summer though. There are also the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket for day trips. Nantucket is quaint. It's more remote. I like it more than the Vineyard.

Then you have the White Mountains and lakes in NH which is a few hours drive but not too bad as the NE area is small. You can ski in the winter. Or in the Green Mts of Vermont. Killington is a good spot. You can also go hang-gliding, gliding, hiking and rock climbing in the warmer months. Gliding is great in the Fall during the foliage. Drive through the Kangamangus Highway for terrific scenery during fall in the mountains. Breathtaking!

Or you can take a drive through the more rugged coast of Maine...dotted with fishing hamlets. Very pretty. Acadia National Park is also nice. But it also has some of the best whitewater rafting in the country up in the wilderness areas on the Penobscot and Kennebec River near the foot of Mt Katahdin with moose watching you. I'm talkin 5.5 whitewater. Give it a try, it's Exilarating...cliff drops too. Kyaking is available too and of course camping. So there are a lot of things in that area, beaches, ocean, mountains.

People are highly educated. Lots of universities in the area and jobs pay well too. Natives can be reserved and that can be interpreted as snobby but they're really not. Hard to break in with some or so I have heard from outsiders coming in. You'll have to put up with a lot of liberals, including Kennedy love, but if you're one then you'll fit right in.

[HemiEd]

I was stationed in Rhode Island in the Navy and go back every year to Boston for a week. The New England states are very small, about the size of a county in the Mid-West. Rhode Island is a Southern Suberb of Boston.
One driving tip, do not, I repeat, do not use your turn signals. You do not want to alert anyone what you plan to do, just do it or the rude sobs will prevent you from it. That is how they drive in Boston, I call it offensive driving. You will soon notice most of them drive beaters out there, because they make regular contact.
Oh, and do not pronounce "r"s in a word like PARK. It is pronounced PAWK.
The food is great, especially if you like Seafood. The fall time of year is also beautiful. I would recommend almost any town South on 95 to live, all the way to Providence.

[BucEyedPea]

One driving tip, do not, I repeat, do not use your turn signals. You do not want to alert anyone what you plan to do, just do it or the rude sobs will prevent you from it. That is how they drive in Boston, I call it offensive driving. You will soon notice most of them drive beaters out there, because they make regular contact.


Bwhaaaa!

You won't survive unless you join 'em though...and soon enough each person changes into that kinda drivah.

Oh, and do not pronounce "r"s in a word like PARK. It is pronounced PAWK.

No, no, no, no no. It's "pahk" Not "aw" as in "au!" LOL!

The food is great, especially if you like Seafood. The fall time of year is also beautiful. I would recommend almost any town South on 95 to live, all the way to Providence.

Best seafood in this country no doubt about that!
I've been on both coasts and in the south to be able to say that.


Yes, you mentioned RI...more blue collar....but Newport is just fabulous. Quaint old NE fishing village with culture and New England blueblood mansions. Terrific sailing!

[rad]

I'm from there but live in Florida currently.
Nearly whole family is still there and I am from the South Shore.

Whadya' wanna know?

It is one of the most expensive areas to live in the US.
Real estate and rent are quite pricey. But if you're not too far from city you can have the best of four worlds. City life, suburbs, coastal and rural. Trains and other public transportation are available even into the suburbs.

Pretty area...LOTS of history, and culture but also a good sports town, including lots of sailing all over. Newburyport is a nice quaint town that's historical and also has sailing, races and all. Windsurfing is all over as well. Whale watching trips are lots of fun too. These are leave out of Boston and Provincetown. I think also the north shore area as well.

South shore has nice beaches and you're not that far from Cape Cod where the warm water is on its south side. At least 60 or 70 degrees in summer. Crowded in the summer though. There are also the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket for day trips. Nantucket is quaint. It's more remote. I like it more than the Vineyard.

Then you have the White Mountains and lakes in NH which is a few hours drive but not too bad as the NE area is small. You can ski in the winter. Or in the Green Mts of Vermont. Killington is a good spot. You can also go hang-gliding, gliding, hiking and rock climbing in the warmer months. Gliding is great in the Fall during the foliage. Drive through the Kangamangus Highway for terrific scenery during fall in the mountains. Breathtaking!

Or you can take a drive through the more rugged coast of Maine...dotted with fishing hamlets. Very pretty. Acadia National Park is also nice. But it also has some of the best whitewater rafting in the country up in the wilderness areas on the Penobscot and Kennebec River near the foot of Mt Katahdin with moose watching you. I'm talkin 5.5 whitewater. Give it a try, it's Exilarating...cliff drops too. Kyaking is available too and of course camping. So there are a lot of things in that area, beaches, ocean, mountains.

People are highly educated. Lots of universities in the area and jobs pay well too. Natives can be reserved and that can be interpreted as snobby but they're really not. Hard to break in with some or so I have heard from outsiders coming in. You'll have to put up with a lot of liberals, including Kennedy love, but if you're one then you'll fit right in.
Wow. That's alot of info. Thanks. I live in NY state right now so it's not too far from here, but I just hoped to get some info from people that actually lived there. Appreciate it.

[rad]

I was stationed in Rhode Island in the Navy and go back every year to Boston for a week. The New England states are very small, about the size of a county in the Mid-West. Rhode Island is a Southern Suberb of Boston.
One driving tip, do not, I repeat, do not use your turn signals. You do not want to alert anyone what you plan to do, just do it or the rude sobs will prevent you from it. That is how they drive in Boston, I call it offensive driving. You will soon notice most of them drive beaters out there, because they make regular contact.
Oh, and do not pronounce "r"s in a word like PARK. It is pronounced PAWK.
The food is great, especially if you like Seafood. The fall time of year is also beautiful. I would recommend almost any town South on 95 to live, all the way to Providence.

This town is called Taunton. South of BAHston and NE of Providence, RI.

[BucEyedPea]

Wow. That's alot of info. Thanks. I live in NY state right now so it's not too far from here, but I just hoped to get some info from people that actually lived there. Appreciate it.


You're welcome. If you know the town names I can tell more too.
I noticed you're in printing. Interesting...I'm a graphic designer. I still know a lot of the printers up there. Has a great graphic arts industry and some of the highest quality printing in the country.

[BucEyedPea]

Ah Taunton...that's a good hours drive to Boston. You are closer to Providence. But you're also not far from Horseneck beach which is about another half hour south of you. Careful, it has a strong undertow but is a very nice beach.


http://www.mass.info/images/maps/293.gif

[rad]

Any towns within 30 mi. or so that are kinda small?

It would save me alot of scouting if I knew what was what in that area.

[BucEyedPea]

Any towns within 30 mi. or so that are kinda small?

It would save me alot of scouting if I knew what was what in that area.
Scouting for what? Apartments?

It's a more rural area, not near the city. But more people have had to live further out. It's more blue collar that way...but things may have changed over past 7 years. I wouldn't deem it in the Boston orbit though. So it's cheaper than outside the Boston area even if NE ain't cheap overall.

If I know what you're looking for I can ask family/friends and post it tommorrow. Or pm ya.' I've never lived that far south in Mass.


Try this...
http://www.mass.info/taunton.ma/location.htm

[BucEyedPea]

Oh yeah! Before I forget...that state has an income tax and a sales tax! It's a high tax state.

[rad]

Scouting for what? Apartments?


Try this...
http://www.mass.info/taunton.ma/location.htm

Pretty much. Real Estate mkt, schools, etc.

Yeah, I saw that the other day digging around the net.

There's only so much you can learn from those websites though.

I was trying to find the no-shitter here.

[rad]

Oh yeah! Before I forget...that state has an income tax and a sales tax! It's a high tax state.

So is NY

The county I live in it's 8.75

[RealSNR]

My best friend in high school ended up going to Harvard for his undergrad studies. He turned into an assholish prick. We're still friends, but man, that guy no longer sees society past what's on the east coast.

That's not to say what the entire area is like, though. I've performed concerts in Boston and have some family in Concord, NH. Very beautiful area of the country if you get out of the city.

[Amnorix]

Oh yeah! Before I forget...that state has an income tax and a sales tax! It's a high tax state.

No, actually, it's not, although that myth won't die. I've seen a number of studies and when you add the income, sales, and real estate taxes together, it's a little better than average in the US.

[Amnorix]

Taunton -- you're pretty far out into the sticks from a Bostonian's point of view, but in reality, you're like a half hour or 45 minute drive to either Boston or Providence, in a pretty good spot.

Lots of quiet, New England towns right in that area. You're fairly close to Foxboro, home of the Patriots.

Boston: The Good:

1. culture

2. sports

3. skiing in winter, hiking, parks, beaches, sailing and whatever else you want the rest of the time. There's plenty to do.

4. Good food. Plenty of terrific restaurants. Seafood is great from what I hear (I don't like it personally, I"m a misplaced Mid-Westerner when it comes to my preferred foods).

5. Lots of job opportunities. Very diverse economy. High tech, low tech, middle tech, whatever.

6. Most people are pretty smaht. College education is probably higher per capita here than most areas of the country.

the BAD:

1. The weather. It's farging cold in the winter, and can be hot/humid in the summer. In between there's too much rain. Maybe 1 out of every 3 years, we get enough snow to make Mr. Freeze-Meiser very happy.

2. Drivers/traffic. It's not really our fault. Take alot of people, stuff them into a city that is really puny, make sure the roads were designed 300 years ago by wandering cows, make the streets really narrow, and then give them all cars. How do you think that's gonna work?

3. New Englanders are rumored to be standoff'ish and cold to outsiders. That said, I haven't seen it be much different in other parts of the country.

4. Did I mention the damn weather.

5. Price of real estate. I can't overstate this. A three bedroom cap with 1,500 square feet, 10 miles outside of Boston, will still run you probably a quarter of a million dollars. A one bedroom condo in Boston proper is probably near half a million. It's crazy.

[BucEyedPea]

No, actually, it's not, although that myth won't die. I've seen a number of studies and when you add the income, sales, and real estate taxes together, it's a little better than average in the US.

Or maybe the rest of the country caught up! :(

I pay less property tax here for a LOT more real estate and no income tax!
Of course electric is higher here.

[Amnorix]

So is NY

The county I live in it's 8.75

Mass is much lower tax rate than NY City, which is nuts.

Sales tax is 5%, but not applicable to staples such as food and clothing.

Income tax is 5.25%, with a fair number of exemptions, deductions etc.

[Amnorix]

Or maybe the rest of the country caught up! :(

I pay less property tax here for a LOT more real estate and no income tax!
Of course electric is higher here.

Nope, we came down. Or maybe the rest of the states met us halfway. After Dukakis, we elected a string of fiscally prudent Republican governors, and the legislature also got the hint.

I had friends move to Florida -- they built a GORGEOUS house for a quarter million that's alot nicer than the one I built for a fair bit more. And I'm not that close to the city either.

There's no doubt that unless you live in Silicon Valley, or perhaps New York City, you can get more bang for your buck in real estate ANYWHERE ELSE in the US than here.

[BucEyedPea]

Nope, we came down. Or maybe the rest of the states met us halfway. After Dukakis, we elected a string of fiscally prudent Republican governors, and the legislature also got the hint.

You're right. I was checking it out while you were posting. Sales Tax is 5% and income tax is 5.3% but it's flat. I guess I was thinkin' you had both a sales tax and an income tax more. Of the high tax states with both sales and income taxes NY sales tax is only 4% and it's income tax highest amount is 7.7%. CA is outof site sales tax at 7.7% and income tax as hight as 9.3% even on an income of $41 K. I don't know how property tax is assessed there.

I had friends move to Florida -- they built a GORGEOUS house for a quarter million that's alot nicer than the one I built for a fair bit more. And I'm not that close to the city either.

There's no doubt that unless you live in Silicon Valley, or perhaps New York City, you can get more bang for your buck in real estate ANYWHERE ELSE in the US than here.

Yeah...I know my sister lives in Westwood in a three bedroom ranch that's worth close $900k. My Mom 15 sq ft cape in Norwood sold for $430k two years ago. It's bad!

[rad]

Mass is much lower tax rate than NY City, which is nuts.

Sales tax is 5%, but not applicable to staples such as food and clothing.

Income tax is 5.25%, with a fair number of exemptions, deductions etc.

I'm not in the city, I live upstate, kinda in the sticks.

I checked online, and the real estate mkt is a hair higher than here. Take my house. 3 BR, 1 BA, 1000 sq. ft, paid 90,000 4 yrs ago.
Now I'm told I could fetch 150,000+ for it.

[BucEyedPea]

2. Drivers/traffic. It's not really our fault. Take alot of people, stuff them into a city that is really puny, make sure the roads were designed 300 years ago by wandering cows, make the streets really narrow, and then give them all cars. How do you think that's gonna work?

:thumb: ROFL ROFL That's a good way to put it.

Not really "our" fault...yep you've become one!

3. New Englanders are rumored to be standoff'ish and cold to outsiders. That said, I haven't seen it be much different in other parts of the country.

Well maybe the midwest...perhaps, but not compared to the south talkin Atlanta Georgia area. The south are almost too friendly. I was put off by that at first.

BTW I was married to a midwesterner.

[BucEyedPea]

I'm not in the city, I live upstate, kinda in the sticks.

I checked online, and the real estate mkt is a hair higher than here. Take my house. 3 BR, 1 BA, 1000 sq. ft, paid 90,000 4 yrs ago.
Now I'm told I could fetch 150,000+ for it.


That won't getcha' far in NE I'm afraid.

[rad]

That won't getcha' far in NE I'm afraid.

I was asked about Virginia and California by this prospective new employer.

Cali- No way

I'll look further into Va., although this area (Winchester) looks only a little less expensive than Mass.

[BucEyedPea]

Virginia also has that colonial charm...very pretty with with a southern touch. More stone on some of the colonial farms it seems for a different touch. I almost picked Virginia myself. Be careful though because anything around the DC area is inflated due to the govt. But then the pay should be higher too. And it's even hotter and muggier there in the summer than NE. That's true for many places in the summer. But winters would be milder there.

[rad]

Virginia also has that colonial charm...very pretty with with a southern touch. More stone on some of the colonial farms it seems for a different touch. I almost picked Virginia myself. Be careful though because anything around the DC area is inflated due to the govt. But then the pay should be higher too. And it's even hotter and muggier there in the summer than NE. That's true for many places in the summer. But winters would be milder there.

My daughter has a mild form of asthma so living near the ocean is why I was first attracted to Mass., but not if I have to buy a trailer to live in.

I'll inquire about Va. while in Mass. for my interview. I don't know how that would work, though. Maybe I'd have to go interview in Va. as well.

[BucEyedPea]

My daughter has a mild form of asthma so living near the ocean is why I was first attracted to Mass., but not if I have to buy a trailer to live in.

I'll inquire about Va. while in Mass. for my interview. I don't know how that would work, though. Maybe I'd have to go interview in Va. as well.

Well, there is a lot of coast in Massachusetts and Taunton is not far from the coast. Maybe, if you have time, you may visit with a realtor and/or also ask around those hiring you what you could expect to get for a home. It's definitely part of a relocation decision. It was part of mine but I made a killing on my original property in NE, came to a cheaper area so it worked well. What I miscalculated was that the pay was not just a 30% cut...it was more than 50%!! Not enough large corporations where I am now. Most are both cheap and dumb with shlock taste. But in many other ways I did better. I actually like snow though and I actually miss it. The persistent grey skies of NE I could do without.