So what keeps you here? (Boston, Harvard: buy, school, live)

[msRB311]

Most people put their kids first.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

You're a good Dad for putting your children first.

Originally Posted by msRB311

Most people put their kids first.

I agree. Even my parents, who moved twice while I was growing up, did it largely out of interest for the family.

I think most people agree that the biggest downside of Massachusetts is the COL. We do well enough that it isn't really an issue. If we didn't have kids and a house yet, the only thing keeping us here would be jobs, though.

[msRB311]

Well maybe not everyone:

https://www.boston.com/news/the-bost...6Nh4qhGFcG69QQ

[City Guy997S]

Easy! Its the friendly people and the winning sports teams..........oh wait.

My cousin is having a child like this week. All of the family has moved to Florida with the exception of one aunt. This is a head scratcher for them at this point (WHY DON'T WE MOVE TOO!)

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

As someone who moved a few times growing up, there are a few things keeping me here, but none stronger than "my kids have friends"

1) I have a house that I can afford at a mortgage rate that I would be crazy to give up
2) It's one of the few areas of the country where my wife and I both have significant employment opportunity
3) The schools are great
4) I like the climate
5) My wife and I have started to make friends

Yes, the COL is high, but it is high in a lot of other places with similar opportunity. If our careers push us somewhere else in the country I think we'd be ok leaving, but until that happens we will stay.

Right and I can understand that but employment opportunities are all over the place now. I used to think leaving mass or eastern mass would be lower money but that isn't the case. Climate is changing so it isn't really 100% winter or summer anymore. The fact that we had 50+ degrees so far this winter. The thing is with friends and kids having friends is frankly they leave. The vast majority of my high school class left the area. When they left for higher ed they didn't come back. 2008 crash along with student debt made that impossible. Just like I think it's odd when some argue about schools when that is just 13 years. You can pay for private school and be done in 13 years rather than pay for that school district every year for the next 40+ years. I'm not saying private is better at all but education isn't limited to a classroom and frankly the subjects aren't any different from any other school. If it's networking well that was eroded with linkedin.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Right and I can understand that but employment opportunities are all over the place now. I used to think leaving mass or eastern mass would be lower money but that isn't the case. Climate is changing so it isn't really 100% winter or summer anymore. The fact that we had 50+ degrees so far this winter. The thing is with friends and kids having friends is frankly they leave. The vast majority of my high school class left the area. When they left for higher ed they didn't come back. 2008 crash along with student debt made that impossible. Just like I think it's odd when some argue about schools when that is just 13 years. You can pay for private school and be done in 13 years rather than pay for that school district every year for the next 40+ years. I'm not saying private is better at all but education isn't limited to a classroom and frankly the subjects aren't any different from any other school. If it's networking well that was eroded with linkedin.

I wasn't answering "what keeps people here" I was answering the specific question "what keeps me here".

I've lived in 5 different states and have close family in 4 others. The only significant downside to Massachusetts for me is the cost of living. Is it possible there is somewhere better? Of course! It's not perfect here. The possibility of doing slightly better isn't worth the a) significant costs associated with moving and b) the trauma that moving would have on my elementary-school aged kids.

[BruinsGirl]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

Easy! Its the friendly people and the winning sports teams..........oh wait.

My cousin is having a child like this week. All of the family has moved to Florida with the exception of one aunt. This is a head scratcher for them at this point (WHY DON'T WE MOVE TOO!)

I don’t understand why people think people are not friendly in Massachusetts. What kind/level of friendliness are they expecting?

We live in about 32k town near 495 for 20+ years. Not in subdivision, so it is not close knit community, but we know our neighbors, who are polite and nice. We talk from time to time, and may help each other with a small stuff. I knew some parents of our son’s classmates when he was in school, and even better parents of his hockey team.

About 10 years ago we had a house fire… it was dark and my husband was away.. also it started from outside, so I haven’t noticed it right away. A guy from our neighborhood noticed fire, knocked on our door, pulled me out, called police. When police let me out of their car after I promised not to run back to the house to get our cats out..(they suffocated ) I noticed so many people everywhere on sidewalks. Some where just watching whole thing, but many … were offering various help. To stay with them till we figure out rental place. Clothes. Cups of tea! Many other things. I literally didn’t know most of them.

In a couple of days we got a call to our rental place to meet. Someone collected various store cards, envelopes with cash etc. I wanted to write some kind of thank you cards and none of it even had names!

It eased my shock from our house fire by so much. Not that I never helped other people, but that was something else. I don’t think my town is some kind of huge exception.

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I did a bunch of business in the 'burbs north and northeast of Atlanta. Cox Cable, Arris/Commscope, Broadcom, Cisco-Scientific Atlanta. If you haven't been there, it's pretty upscale. I don't think much of downtown Atlanta but where all the tech is located is pretty posh. You have your usual Lamborghini and Ferrari dealerships. High density of luxury sedans and luxury crossovers. Premium retail. The usual percentage of Asian/Indian you find in most tech places. I don't think I'd want to get into a pissing contest between Boston suburbs and Atlanta suburbs. It's not a huge gap. I don't want to live there but it's not like being condemned to backwater Mississippi.

I stayed in Dunwoody for a month back in the summer of 2001 and my hotel was next door to a Porsche dealership. Based on my memories of that trip I agree with your assessment of the minimal gap between the suburban qualities of the two cities. Those northern suburbs of Atlanta were as nice as Boston's best suburbs.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan

I stayed in Dunwoody for a month back in the summer of 2001 and my hotel was next door to a Porsche dealership. Based on my memories of that trip I agree with your assessment of the minimal gap between the suburban qualities of the two cities. Those northern suburbs of Atlanta were as nice as Boston's best suburbs.

Key word here is the NORTHERN suburbs, which are not cheap. That "bargain" house posted is located DeKalb County (Decatur address). This is Decatur, GA (home of Ghetto Mafia):


("The Dec" is obviously short for Decatur)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuYSteLH104


(caution: foul language present)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twMKYAkPzQg

[massnative71]

^Let's just say this ain't Duxbury