Recent comments in /f/massachusetts

Nanotude t1_ja0t3h0 wrote

Well, in my city, the conservatism goes into social issues as well, and yes there is a contingent here that wo love to take us back to the 1950s and pretend LBGTQ people wouldn't exist if we didn't allow them to be open about it. Seriously. They don't always get their way, but they are very vocal, and it takes a very concerted effort to make any kind of progressive change here. Sure, every city is different but it would be very naive to believe everyone in MA is socially progressive.

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kingeddie98 t1_ja0sfkt wrote

Inside the I-95 loop around Boston is quite urban and very liberal and expensive generally speaking with it becoming more so the closer into Boston you go.

Outside of the 95 loop, it progressively becomes more conservative and less expensive as you move away from Boston, but never enough to make a difference politically.

The nice thing about politics in general in MA is it is big talk from the left which owns the state politically but really things don’t change all that much. Coming from upstate NY, you would not feel much difference in political opinions but you would notice that generally that things are actually freer with less government interference in general.

For example, with regard to 2A stuff, big talk but really no action. The Bruen response bill failed so we are actually a shall-issue state with few sensitive places but still have leftovers from the gun control craze of the 90s like AWB, Mag ban, and handgun roster. Biggest issue for avg person is you need a license to even posses firearms. 2A stuff tends to fly under the radar.

If you are looking for a drastic change, try NH.

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xu2002 t1_ja0sbf1 wrote

I grew up skiing in PA and Ohio, but lived in CO for 2 years. Skiing here is typically icy. The snow here melts and refreezes, where as with the altitude in CO the snow evaporates and doesn't usually form a layer of ice on top. I moved to MA about 20 years ago, and have not been skiing here because I hate skiing on ice.

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PulledPorkPlease t1_ja0rf25 wrote

It’s awesome. We have the big city, the casino, the sports venues, CAPE COD, beaches everywhere. Close to mountains for skiing as well. All 4 seasons.

Most people lean left but you’ll still find a lot of moderates and conservatives.

We have the best hospitals in the country and the best schools. Good affordable healthcare and solid insurance laws to protect motorists.

Gas prices never went that high when shit hit the fan, and food shelves are always full.

It’s an amazing area.

Rent can be a bit high if you live really close or in Boston. Just go to the Waltham area if you need cheaper rent.

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Nanotude t1_ja0r4tf wrote

If you read my comment again, I did say that STATE and national politics are very blue. LOCAL politics means municipal. At least in my city, and several others in my area, people are very much resistant to change and spending any kind of money to improve anything. That's pretty much the definition of conservative.

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bigredthesnorer t1_ja0pqi5 wrote

Whatever town you pick, be sure that you study the town's finances, especially the school system's budget and history, especially history of override attempts, budget cuts, reduced funding, teacher cuts, etc. People fall in love with Groton, for example, and pay a premium to live there, and then are surprised when there are school funding issues and many unhappy teachers.

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NE889 t1_ja0po63 wrote

FWIW, I have two coworkers who are avid skiers. One grew up in British Columbia near Vancouver and the other in Utah. They both primarily go to Vermont as they claim it’s the best skiing in the East. Jay Peak, Mad River and Stowe are their top picks. I know because they love to talk about skiing and have gone up a few times with them.

For New England, Vermont is the best state to ski, followed by Maine and then New Hampshire.

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bigredthesnorer t1_ja0p2cg wrote

OP - The Groton-Dunstable school system is financially strapped, as well as the two towns. I am glad that my last kid is graduating. I do not recommend GD for the school system anymore. There is very little commercial tax revenue in each town, so revenue falls 99% on residential real estate tax. Taxes on a $1M house will be at least $14k a year. A new elementary school is being built, but that will add another $1k yearly to your Groton taxes over the next few years.

Be careful of regional school districts, as each town needs to be able to afford its share of the budget and can cause serious problems if one town cannot pass an override.

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