I can’t speak to Boston,* but I moved from the midwest to upstate New York almost a year ago. I like it a lot, because the attitudes out here are more in-line with my approach (more liberal, more drugs). The things I ended up missing most were local restaurants. Nobody here can fry chicken or make an authentic taco to save their life. But I got over it.
Also, the hills suck, but that may not apply to you. I miss my flat commute and longer brake life!
*other than the standing obligation to call you a Masshole, which is more sibling rivalry than anything serious
The people I have met from upstate New York always seemed like a different species of bird altogether, very interesting folks all the ones I was acquainted with. The ones I knew adapted just fine to Philadelphia. They have a sort of subtle accent I can usually pick up on now; I’m totally serious about this.
…Where it will meet the sprawl coming up from Hampton Roads, and then what? One of those matter/anti-matter reactions? The whole east coast implodes from Kitty Hawk to Pwotlyn, Maine (trying for some dialect, there)? Stay tuned to this station.
I’m here to testify. I actually did that on a 3-day walk for breast cancer once. . .
OP: Practice this mantra - “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate gear.”
And you will need more different kinds of clothing and gear than you ever thought possible. If your kids are young and walking to school they’ll need snow pants. You’ll want at least two pair of boots for each so they have time to dry in between. The rain is colder than you’ve experienced before and raincoats/umbrellas are not just for the vain or weak. You can save yourself a lot of money by learning about layering. Invest in good fleece, it’s lighter and more comfortable. You don’t want to feel like a sausage all day.
You will also spend more than you can imagine on heating your house. Don’t get stuck in a rental agreement that costs more than you can afford with utilities. Ask landlords to give you examples of January/February heating bills for the unit if possible. The ultimate choice would be a place where utilities are included.
Autumn is gorgeous. Spring is incredible. The variety of of plants and flowers and trees and resulting molds and pollens etc. will uncover an allergy in almost everybody. Get some handkerchiefs.
If you are going to drive in Boston you need a narrow car. The streets are just incredibly narrow and don’t even get me started on the “Trolley Squeeze Zones.”
Some people are clannish, yes, but certainly no worse than a CA gang neighborhood. If you smile at people and say “hello” they’ll mostly say “hello” back. Invite your neighbors over for BBQ as soon as possible after you get settled. Don’t wait for them to come to you.
I’m from the West Coast and I’m interested in moving East. Actually, I want to move to Canada but right now it’s out of the question so I’m considering the eastern US instead.
Anyway I’ve noticed a lot of West Coasters are snobby about back east or anywhere but the West and I’ve got discouragement for the idea of living anywhere but the chill/laid-back/oh-so-freaking-awesome West Coast. I feel like life is short and there’s no good in living in the same place your whole life, unless you’re just really family centric and I’m personally not.
I lived in Boston for over a decade and enjoyed most of my time there. I do think people in the NorthEast in general are a lot angrier than in the rest of the country. While I was there one of the radio stations held a contest for a new motto for Boston. The winner was, “Welcome to Boston! Come join the argument!”
Californian here. I lived in The Hub for about 7 years back in the late 90s-early 00s.
Stuff I liked: The small scale and walkability of Boston and environs. Fall and Spring (although they are both way too short!). Public Transportation. The history. Being a sports fanatic (Yankees Suck!). Great restaurants. Great museums and cultural events. WBZ radio.
Stuff I disliked: Many Bostonians think that Boston and/or Massachusetts is perfect and anything different is categorically wrong. It’s very parochial. I met a lot of people who had lived there all their lives and weren’t interested in making new friends because they hung out with their family and childhood friends so why would they want more friends? Winter and Summer. Too much snow in the winter. Too hot and humid in the summer. 89 degrees and 95% humidity at 11pm? Ugh. Driving, although I have to say I became a much better driver because you really have to be paying attention all the time. A couple of driving tips: don’t ever use your turn signals because that’s giving information away to the enemy…and use the “pedestrian block” whenever possible (i.e. take advantage of other cars having to stop to let a pedestrian cross).
That was a quick post I made from my phone when I got up. I don’t know Boston, but I will say that there are plenty of friendly non-depressed people in NY and DC. There’s a different vibe between the two coasts–it’s hard to be clearer than that–but this whole myth of the uptight unfriendly east coaster doesn’t jibe with my experience at all.
I live in eastern Connecticut in a very rural area that is surrounded by farms and state forests. Indeed, this applies to most of the eastern half of the state, as well as the northwest corner.
Invest in a serious winter coat. It took me four years to finally pony up a few hundred bucks for some serious down, but it was a world of difference when I did. And remember the hat and gloves are not decorative accessories like they are back home. They are key parts of your cold strategy, and you will hate life if you walk out without them.
The culture is different, for sure. Not worse, but different. I like a lot of aspects of the culture, but it takes a while to find your place in it.
The Mexican food sucks. Oh my god does the Mexican food suck. Maybe Boston is better, but DC is the worst.
Don’t be shocked when you go shopping and find that butter is sold in long, thin sticks in stead of the short stubby ones found on the west coast. Other than that, you won’t notice much difference.
Oh, when making a left tern at a traffic light, never make eye contact with the guy going in the opposite direction. The trick is to get out there before he does, and don’t be surprised when 3 other drivers hug the rear of your car to make the turn in front of him, too.
Californian (Northern born and raised) exile in New York. I was so pleased when I finally found a big pocket of Mexican immigrants in a nearby town. There’s a decent Mexican place!!! What was truly amazing was discovering Peruvian cuisine out here. Wonderful.
I miss California, but appreciate what the East Coast has to offer - I find it quite differently culturally, but really enjoy the differences. And yeah, investing in cold weather gear is a must.
Yeah, there’s plenty of rural areas in all the east coast states. Even here in RI the vast majority of people are packed in around Providence. The border with Connecticut is all forest, wetlands, and farms. People won’t generally travel past Worcester in Mass because they’re afraid of falling off the edge of the earth. Western and southern Jersey are sparsely populated. Pennsylvania is often described as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between (also Pennsyltucky). There are plenty of rural areas, and they start only a few miles further than the heavily populated suburbs from the metropolitan areas.
It’s not. In fact, it might be worse. There are two places I know of that are pretty good, but otherwise it’s a vast wasteland of melted cheese and bad refried beans.
True, I live in the Boston/Rhode Island border area less than 1 mile from I-495 and I can walk straight out of my back door and have nothing but woods for three miles before I hit a house or road if I walk in the right direction. Deer, turkeys and other wildlife are everywhere. If you dropped dead out there, it could be years before anyone finds you. Horse farms and very large wooded areas both privately owned and conservation land are very common around here so you can always find complete solitude if you want to.
There is the Southern New England trunkline trail close by as well. I hiked part of it last weekend but it goes from Southern Massachusetts, then loops over a corner of Rhode Island and goes well into rural Connecticut for a total distance of 22 rural/wilderness miles.
Where I work is about 30 miles South of Boston but still considered part of the metro area. There are plenty of working farms and I usually eat lunch in a large field with no one else around. The Boston metro region has true rural areas and some wilderness as close in as 15 miles away from the center depending on the direction you choose and the options become much greater as you go out further.
I hate city living so knowing all the rural options that are relatively close by is very important to me and there are a whole lot of them although the closer in ones are some of the most expensive suburbs because I am not the only one with that preference.
Three seasons. New England only has three seasons.
Winter: Mid-November-early May (late winter is also known as “mud season”)
Summer: May-August
Fall: September-early November
I’ve heard about this thing call “spring” but I’ve only seen it come to New England once or twice in the past three decades.
Taunton is the most miserable place I’ve ever lived in my entire life, even compared to Lawrence. I hated every minute of all three years we lived there, and I never met anyone who more then endured their existence there. I shudder to think of where you’re comparing it to if you think it’s nice.
Many of my coworkers live in Taunton and they do not. Your mileage may vary. I am forced transplant to New England and I have mixed feelings about it but a slight majority of it is negative. It is extremely provincial, the people tend to be really closed off if not downright rude in general, the weather sucks except for the few weeks of nice summer and the 5 weeks known as Fall and it is very expensive.
Boston driving really is as bad as you have heard if not worse. That isn’t a joke. The road rules are very aggressive and strange plus they don’t believe in street signage for a system of roads that was designed for cart animals. The local attitude is that if you don’t know where you are going, you probably shouldn’t be driving here in the first place…and I agree with them. Driving in Manhattan is a breeze in comparison.
OTOH, the Massachusetts economy is good especially in the technology, health care and financial sectors and there are a lot of smart people around. Boston proper isn’t nearly as great as it likes to think it is but it does have an impressive collection of universities that would still be the best in the world if you wiped out a few of them. The American history aspect is awesome too if you are into that sort of thing. It is everywhere including suburbs you have heard of like Lexington and Concord that are stunning to this day.
New England in general is gorgeous during most seasons once you get into the countryside but it doesn’t play that well in the gritty inner suburbs like Medford of Somerville where grey houses with few trees are stacked on top of each other and all you see is grey skies during much or the year providing no contrast. No thanks. Death sounds better. I would live in New Hampshire or Vermont permanently if I could tolerate the cold a little more. Short day trips from the Boston area can take you anywhere from the beaches of Cape Cod (horrendously overrated and not worth it under any conditions in my opinion) to the beauty of the Massachusetts fishing villages like Gloucester, New Hampshire, Maine or small towns in Vermont (all great and unique).
I learned to pick very, very carefully where I lived in this area because the towns are so small and conditions and attitudes change even as you drive just a few miles. I am happy living in Franklin, MA (the safest city in America) and I loved living in Holliston but Taunton would not ever be my thing even though it isn’t that far away.
