OT - Potential move to Boston-area

I’ll lived there n Cambridge and Newtown for about 4 years, and liked it well enough. But much of what has been written above is spot on. Apparently it takes about ten years before your not an outsider. Everything is expensive. Traffic sucks and drivers are bad. But it’s a cool town with decent public transportation and lots of interesting stuff within a three hour radius. Perhaps it should one down to this: if you love Little Rock, you’re probably not going to leave Boston. If you don’t really like Arkansas, and the finances aren’t too tight, it’s probably worth a try.

I’ve relocated quite a few times for work and my advice is if your family is happy where you are stay put.

Currently in Boston visiting for the weekend from Chicago. Both great towns. Both expensive. Good luck to you.

Better like cold and snow. Check out the last several winters. They have gotten pounded.

I've been here for about 10 years now after growing up near Ann Arbor. It's a great area. Weather-wise it's basically like Michigan. Public schools go from pretty good to best-in-the-nation, depending how much you want to spend on a house. Like, Lexington is the highest achieving dot on this graph: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/29/upshot/money-race-and-su…, but many of the "less desirable" districts are still way above the national average, it's all relative. 

It's an exciting place to live and work, with the downsides being expense and traffic. Really compare how far your dollar would go

There are a ton of suburbs that I would just assume have good schools.  There are close in places (Brookline, Cambridge) and then further out, like Needham.  Pretty much like everyone else.  Costs, schools, commute.  All of it matters.  You'll hve to figure out your own balance.  

I lived there for school a long time ago.  I liked the vibe, but yeah, it's insular.  They'll explain to you that it's called the hub because it's the hub of the universe.  And there's a strong sense of right (their sports teams) and wrong (everyone else).  If that's going to bug you then you'll have a problem.  A friend of mine from college lives there and hates it (still there as a divroced dad).  But, if you can roll with it, it's actually possible to enjoy it.

It's definitely and east coast place.  They don't drive like southerners, that's for sure.  It's a real city

Something else: Holy sh** it gets dark there early in the winter.  They're actually considering swithcing to Atlantic Time.

 

 

Fair number of BCH employees with families own homes in Needham, Dedham. If you want a nice home with a yard, generally Brookline, Newton are prohibitive (not impossible). Number of people who work at Longwood also live in Jamaica Plain, some affordable homes there. 

If you are open to condos or townhomes, other areas like Medford, Somerville work out. The commute from Quincy is good for MGH, tough for Longwood area. 

Summers are really wonderful here (I'm not a huge fan of heat)... As others have said, housing, garaging, car exise tax and if you are considering private school are the big barriers. 

Every BCH division is different and I don't work there, but most divisions at BCH seem to be doing quite well financially.

 

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Despite the name, I've lived in Boston before and am living there now. The Cost of Living is high, especially coming from Arkansas. My family came from NYC, so it wasn't a huge shock, but it's still pretty expensive. Housing will be the big one for you most likely; we bought a condo in Brookline at a fair price, but if you need, say, a 3BR/2BA type of setup, you're looking at least $700k in a city with a decent school system near Boston. If you are willing to drive or take one of the commuter rail lines, then more options open up. Brookline has fantastic schools and is really walkable/has mass transportation options to Boston and Children's Hospital in particular, but farther west places like Newton, Needham, Natick, Framingham, etc. are cheaper. Also, I've hear good things about Milton and Quincy to the South; I'll admit to not knowing as much about the cities north of the river beyond Somerville and Cambridge, which are fun but also getting very expensive. Beyond housing, its mostly what you'd expect from a major northeast city. It gets cold in the winter, traffic can be rough at times, etc., but it's also a cultural and economic hub of the region, so you'll get big name concerts, plays, top museums, sporting events, etc. There are a lot of wicked smaht people here, and so from a work standpoint, you'll. e challenged. And if your significant other (assuming you have one) needs to find a job, it's a big city with lots of mature industries, so there would be options. Anyway, good luck. I can try to help if you have specific questions.

I've lived just about everywhere in this country and all places have some positives and negatives. Provided they are giving you a salary to match the cost of living increase, I'd be asking myself if the job opportunity better sets you up for the future (advancement, etc.) in your chosen career. If it does, then it's probably worth doing.

The Masshole name comes with some truth to it. Who cares? There are dickwads everywhere. Instead of comparing it to what you know (and assuming that to be the "right way"), learn to adjust to the local culture and pace of life and you will be fine.

+1 since I didn’t see a single buckeye all weekend.

Massachusetts was the epicenter for "mass" euro-plague which led to the downfall of the original American race.  "-Chusetts" literally means HIV...or is it HPV?

I grew up in the Boston suburbs and lived there after UM for a Bit.

It’s a great area but the high cost of living drove me out. I would move back if I were upper class.

We had a place in Brookline within walking distance of the Longwood Medical Area: the old Free Hospital for Women, which had been converted into condos.   It was along the riverway, not far from Brookline Village.       

I later took a position in the “deep south”—at Brown.  So we moved to Providence, RI.  It’s quieter and less expensive than Boston.   It’s also on the Amtrak and commuter rail routes.  So, when we go to Boston, I can work during the commute and save 2-3 hours.  Also on this route are some nice residential communities—e.g., Sharon, Mansfield---which border the Patriots’ home in Foxborough.

Ann Arbor is still my favorite place, but a close second is the greater Boston area (including Providence).

I lived there for 4 years and couldn’t stand Massachusetts people. The town is awesome but had a real hard time dealing with “many” NE folks.
Very expensive - easily spend 3,000 a month for rent in the city....


True story - I flew home for the holidays and returned to Boston and I was wearing a U of M sweatshirt and a Tigers hat.

Walked into a Subway to get a sub on my way home. The guy questioned my hat and shirt...continued to ask me if I was a “Sox” fan or “BC” fan and i said no. He wouldn’t make my sandwich because of this. I was in awwwee. He ended up making my sandwich but not without some stern interaction.

Good and bad everywhere but wasn’t for me. Glad to be back in Michigan.

Unless the Wife loves the big city I bet everyone will be happier in AR. 

Big city, rat race, BIG housing debt, long commutes, etc. 

Sounds like you have a good job and I bet a good life where you are.  The grass isn't always greener.       

I have loved living here and don't regret my move here from the Midwest. There is an energy to living in Boston with so much to do and see. 

There is a very big emphasis on education here in Boston. There are over 30 institutions of higher learning in the greater Boston area, with about 150K students. This gives the area a youthful vibe. Unlike other parts of the country, you might find a greater emphasis on your merit and educational level than on your net worth. This translates into a demand for strong school systems. Truly, some of the top ranked schools in the country here. Even the 'middling' ranked schools in the state exceed those found in other parts of the country.

I live in Natick in the Metrowest area. I know lots of people living in the general Metrowest area who work in the Longwood Medical hospitals. A very good friend just retired from Childrens, but commuted for decades from our town.  The commuter rail is excellent, running very frequently. There are express trains from the Natick and Framingham stops that get you in and out of the city even quicker.There are shuttles from the Yawkey Stop to Childrens, as well as shuttles from several satellite parking areas around the city. (I believe thre is one off of Route 9 near the Chrestnut Hill Mall, if you wanted to drive to that location.)  I agree with other commenters that commuting from the North or South might prove more difficult in getting to the medical area. You do NOT need to spend $1M to get a nice house here. It just depends on how close to the city you want to live. 

From a professional standpoint, Children's Hospital is one of the top institutions nationally catering specifically to children.  Overall, there is a strong focus on medicine and medical sciences in the region. Many top notch teaching and research hospitals as well as strong regional hospitals. Mass General, Mass Eye & Ear, Dana Farber, Beth Israel, Brigham & Women's, NEBH, etc., etc. Additionally, lots of research and biotech companies have found a home here, taking advantage of the strong connection to the local hospitals and universities. There is a strong buzz and excitement surrounding all things medical and tech. 

There is tons of natural beauty. Within easy driving distance, you have the ocean (including Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Natucket, running all the way up to NH and Maine). You also have the mountains of NH and VT for hiking and skiing. The Berkshire Mountains (the upper part of the Appalachian Trail) are glorious in all seasons. Leaf peeping in the fall is serious fun. 

You will find everything and anything that you might want in cultural events and excursions from the worlds of music, theater, dance, art, literature ... There are many, many museums catering to just about every interest. History abounds and around just about every corner. Your kids will love the Science Museum and Children's Museum. 

Sportswise, the area is very much about professional sports. The Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics and Revolution rule. College sports, not so much, with the exception of hockey.  The Beanpot Hockey Tournament gets the locals' juices flowing. Otherwise, it's just the BC grads rememebering their glory Doug Flutie years. We have seen Michigan play out here over the years in hockey, basketball, and (very infrequently) football. Definitely go to Fenway Park, een if you don't care for baseball, just for the experience. The Head of the Charles crew races are also a big in the Fall. There is a very large Michigan contingent in Boston, so lots of game watching parties. 

Finally, don't let the other comments about Massholes get to you. There are unpleasant people everywhere. There are some here. But I have found people to be generally welcoming and nice. You will have young kids, so will have fellow parents/schools/activities to bring you into contact with other people. The medical community is large and diverse with plenty of opportunities to meet like minded folk. Children's also seems to be a fairly welcoming place. 

Like Bronx Blue, I would be happy to be resource with your efforts.  Good Luck!!