Massachusetts - what's it like ?

[Shannow]

Our couple of trips over there, we haven't been in that area.

Meaning to get to Pennsylvania at some stage (better half wants to catch up with Gary's wife one day, after we met them both in NY).

But back on topic...Massachusets...what's it like, culture, climate, cost of living ?

 

[Finz]

I'm in NJ and, although you weren't specific, Boston is my favorite city. Great bars, great restaurants, lots of history

It's an expensive place though and, even now, I get lost every single time I drive up there

Climate is on par with NY.

 

[andrewp1998]

a tad bit colder than NY and last few winters they got hammered with snow.. Expensive but not as bad as Chi, NY or Frisco. Sales tax in Boston is 6.25%.. Newengland has a lot of culture and a wide variety of outdoor activties such as skiing, ocean , Mnts, great seafood and the pizza. Folks are a bit mouthy but they are fairy open minded in the Boston area. The foliage in the fall in Mass and in the region is breathtaking. I will be moving back after the 1st of the year.. The women are more assertive than in MN , but not as attractive! The women here in the twin cities are SNOBS!

 

[sxg6]

I lived in western Massachusetts for about 3-4 years so I'm most familiar with that region, but I have been to Boston and Cape Cod a handful of times.

I would say the cost of living in Massachusetts is high, but obviously that varies a bit. When I lived in western MA about 5-10 years ago, I was paying around $1000 for a 1 bedroom apartment, but this has gone up to around $1100-$1200. I was in the five college area of Northampton/Hadley/Amherst, and apartments/condos/houses are more expensive in that area.

Culture is all over the place in my opinion. I'm not sure what specifics you are looking for as far as culture goes. The five college area I was in was very, very liberal, very eclectic, and just very unique.

The link below has a pretty interesting chart on average temperatures for Boston. When you go more inland towards central/western Massachusetts, I think average temps are probably +5F/+3C.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?unit=F&location=USMA0046

 

[leaves and lawns]

I have lived in mass all my life (47 years) stay where you are.... you are better off......

 

[Trav]

I am moving to NH and as soon as my mother passes i am out of the US permanently.
MA is the most corrupt, neglected, over taxed, welfare state run by naked socialist in the country, bar none. The roads suck, the infrastructure sucks, and the people suck (in general of course).
In plain English it is a [censored] hole that should be burned to the ground and started over.

 

[linkbelt]

Rich in History, but poor in most everything else. (I have been there many, many times).

 

[Nayov]

OP, stay away because according to the above posts, Massachusetts and America suck!

 

[Pablo]

Great higher schools, some good chow, cool US history, fun sports and pub areas

Rude people, dirty, crowded, cold, expensive

My one word impressions relative to the PNW formed from 25 or so business trips from 1985ish to present.

 

[CourierDriver]

Been in the New England states many times, was ok, but it took about 2 weeks to learn to speak southern again.lol

 

[CourierDriver]

Lets be nice, at least they stay up north, they love snow and autos rusting out .

 

[eljefino]

Grew up in Framingham. Actually quite diverse.

There was an oldsmobile factory that made cutlass cieras in the 1980s. We'd see trains of them going by. This factory attracted a lot of Brazilians (somehow?) and there's a decent population of 'em.

The suburbs were, at the latest, put together in the 1950's. Lots of tall trees and narrow roads. The sights and population are dense and you can cover a lot of ground in a non-rush hour. The 495/128 beltways are tech centers and there's no typical commute-- just folks going to some other random corner. Perpetual chaos.

I learned to drive there and can say proudly I can drive anywhere. You get used to the "manners".

 

[andyd]

I can't argue with previous posts. I am born and raised in Marshfield, 30 miles down the coast from Boston. It was a small fishing town with a winter population of 5000. With the building of the divided highway, it became a suburb of Boston. When the Berkshires are getting snow, I get rain. The infrastructure was allowed to crumble while attention was focused on the Big Dig. All over the area of southeastern MA and the Cape I see improvements made to roads, bridges, and electric utilities. Cost of living is high.Taxes are high. But the schools are generally good,libraries abound. Intellectual stimulation abounds in the 'burbs. At 63, I'm gainfully employed and enjoying life with my grandsons. A good deal of Cape Cod economy is derived from tourism. There is a reason why. It is pretty. It is a similar vibe to what I got from a week in Ireland. Only different. The contours of the land are worn smooth by the ocean and past glaciation It is a coastal barrier formation. I live close enough to the water to hear the breakers and smell the salt. And far enough away so I not in fear of washing away

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: Trav
I am moving to NH and as soon as my mother passes i am out of the US permanently.
MA is the most corrupt, neglected, over taxed, welfare state run by naked socialist in the country, bar none. The roads suck, the infrastructure sucks, and the people suck (in general of course).
In plain English it is a [censored] hole that should be burned to the ground and started over.


NY has to be right up there with Taxachusetts in all the categories you mention....It says a lot when the former Senator from Mass (now Sec of State) docks his boat in a neighboring state to avoid the high taxes.

Having said that, as a NYC born and bred guy, I always found Boston nicer....it's size is far more manageable than NYC.

 

[simple_gifts]

Generally, you might want to consider New England as one geographical region, although the rivalries between states is pretty strong. Any interest in this area should include Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine as well.

The area is pretty diverse; one can sail the Atlantic in the summer and in the winter ski areas are < 1 hour away. As mentioned costs of living are quite high, but for many careers, so are the salaries.

There are over 60 colleges and universities in the Boston area alone. The area has a very rich manufacturing and maritime history. Whale watching doesn't mean going to Walmart.

As with any area, you can enjoy it, or not, based on your personal tastes. People harping on taxes aren't really looking @ the big picture.

 

[AandPDan]

It's not "that" bad. Except for the crooked politics part.

We have everything from the mountains to the sea shore. Cape Cod is over rated and pricey. It's becoming one big strip mall. Traffic around Boston is very heavy during the morning and afternoon commutes but there is a fairly good transit system - the "T" that can get you about everywhere. People are rude and move fast.

Once you get out of "metro west" it settles down. The prices are more reasonable and the people are much friendlier.

A good deal of that tourism economy on the Cape is on welfare all winter. Almost everything will be boarded up come Columbus Day - except the liquor stores.

Housing prices and taxes are all over the place. Unlike most states there is just a real estate tax and no separate "school" tax.

It really just varies as to where you go. Some parts of the state have great infrastructure - especially near the Governors home in Western MA. They even paved the road before Obama visited a year or so ago. The rest of the state, forget it. The roads are poor, there is limited high speed internet available, and limited public transportation.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Our couple of trips over there, we haven't been in that area.

Meaning to get to Pennsylvania at some stage (better half wants to catch up with Gary's wife one day, after we met them both in NY).

But back on topic...Massachusets...what's it like, culture, climate, cost of living ?


There are a couple of sides to MASS. The west (Pittsfield), Boston, Springfield. MASS is where democracy began in the US.

I live in NY across the border from Pittsfield. The Berkshire mountains are God's country in my view.

 

[HerrStig]

ALL hope abandon....... The one party Massachusetts legislature added an automatic "inflation based" increase in the gas tax a year ago which allowed them to avoid (they thought) responsibility for THAT tax increase forever after. The voters, using their referendum power, REPEALED it in November. They also voted in a governor from the OTHER party. The folks are restive.
Lors of history in Boston, Lots of Starbucks, and lots of "Progressives" . Rhode Island, where the wealthy by marriage Secretary of State keeps his 7 million dollar biult in New Zealand boat is a very nice place if you like a pretty shore line, good food and some history of its own. I would suggest you visit Newport, RI, rather than hanging around Boston too long. I hang out in RI summers. Let us know when you'll be around.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: Shannow

But back on topic...Massachusets...what's it like, culture, climate, cost of living ?


Granted it's been a decade or so since I've traveled to the east coast, but overall I found it to be an interesting place to visit. However it's not an area where I'd ever want to stay for more than a week or two. Compared to what we're accustomed to out here it was cramped, crowded and extremely expensive. Even what passed for "countryside" was overrun with people.

The history was always interesting to see, the villages on the coast were quaint, and it's worth it as a tourist destination.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Our couple of trips over there, we haven't been in that area.

Meaning to get to Pennsylvania at some stage (better half wants to catch up with Gary's wife one day, after we met them both in NY).

But back on topic...Massachusets...what's it like, culture, climate, cost of living ?


Disclaimer for the Mod's - I am not making this about politics. I am answering a specific question from the OP about the state and some things require mentioning the local politics of the area. That is all I am doing.

Extremely high tax burden. I mean really high. It is nicknamed "Taxachusetts" for a reason. Very left leaning state politically as well, right up there with California( we call it little CA around here ). If your core values fall more on the conservative side Massachusetts on the whole is not for you.

Lots of big, overcrowded, cities I wouldn't want to( and don't if I can avoid it )visit let alone live in BUT also a lot of nice rural areas good for a family. Be cautious of the school system( early grades through high school )if you have kids though. The school system is a major negative in many areas of the state( my Sister couldn't find a good public school locally for her kids so had to pay for private school ). They have very good colleges however. You can live in Massachusetts somewhere other than heavily developed urban areas. My Sister actually lives in MA. She leans heavily to left in her politics though so she fits in there whereas the rest of my family who are right leaning politically wouldn't. She has however picked an area to live in that is more like our area of NH( rural, woods, nice neighborhoods, etc... ).

Massachusetts has a big anti gun climate and their gun laws are very harsh and restrictive. Hunting there can be challenging as well. It offers a lot of good opportunities but there are also a lot of challenges due to politics in many areas. Massachusetts is not where I would say a sportsman who likes guns and hunting should think of as a 1st option when relocating to a new home. Ok to live next to it like I do in New Hampshire and travel into the state to hunt but I would never live in Massachusetts unless there were major changes there just because the outdoors and gun ownership is so important to me.

Climate is typical New England which means long, cold, winters with a lot of snow and ice( a few spots like out on the Cape get more rain and are a little warmer - still NE winter though ). Summers are hazy, HOT, and humid. Massachusetts has a lot of seacoast area as well so if you like the coast and saltwater it is a good fit. It is very expensive to live in those areas however so you need to be well off financially to do so.

Massachusetts is one of the SCARIEST places to drive you will ever be. Especially in and around the major cities but it seems to afflict the entire state. They speed, tailgate, pass in the breakdown lane, suffer from extreme cases of road rage, etc... If you don't like to be around crazy, scary, drivers avoid Massachusetts roads. New Hampshire is getting bad now due to all the transplants and commuters from that state. It is scary out there dude!

The roads is Massachusetts flat out suck as well!

Massachusetts has quite a history with 4 very famous major sports franchises in the state. The Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots( Foxboro, MA ), Boston Bruins, and the Boston Celtics. If you like American sports Massachusetts( and the surrounding few states )is a good place to be. They even have a pro soccer team( Revolution located in Foxboro too )if that is more to your liking. They lost in the championship this year but did get to the MLS Cup. Soccer is not big here in the States as you probably know but FWIW the area does have a team in our pro league.

Hope this helps.