Moving to NE (Boston)

Mass is the east coast Cali. In regards to laws.


Yes rust proof with an oil based product will be a very good idea.

I think it’s hotter in Cali, but I am going to guess the humidity is more of a concern on the east coast.

With proper gear you can hike year round, but in the winter you may need snow shoes.

out west there is way more off-roading, way more.

 

This ^

Let me know if you need any solid mountain bike spots around the city. It's one of the few great things that keep me around! Overall a good place to live depending what you can afford or are into.

 

Haha. i live in East Boston. And im the one people better watch out for after i shovel. I made a special cone that i place in my spot when i leave. it says " Take My Spot, I will Stab Your Tires"

 

and yes it is a PITA, i pay 200$ a month for my wife to have a parking spot in the garage.

 

There's only two seasons in NE: Winter and road construction

 

@DustyTaco31

As far as 'more wooded land' goes, it was the late 1700s & early 1800s that stripped much of it. In my corner of CT the land surrounding most mill villages was devoid of trees even into the early 1900s - today when one looks around all that seems to be seen is forest (but very young forest). What is wooded today is most likely 2nd or 3rd growth on fields long since given up on for agriculture.
If you consider 'off-roading' to be driving on dirt & logging roads, those can be found. Veering off those roads (and even some logging roads) is likely to put you onto private property. Passing thru may be tolerated, but an extended outing on private lands is likely to result in resistance from the land owner.
Many large forested areas are open for hunting, as property owners will and do tolerate licensed hunters traipsing about. But don't take that as a green light for off-roading.
The terrain and older forests also don't lend themselves to off-roading in ways that western federal lands do, so exploring dirt & logging roads are pretty much what you're likely to be limited to.

 

I consider "off roading" to be a dirt driveway.

 

Probably 15 years ago the then Mayor decided that he was not going to tolerate people "owning" spaces on city streets. Of course he was driven everywhere by BPD, but that's besides the point.

He told the DPW to pick up any "markers" that people left out for more than 24 hours. People put out old toilets, hazardous waste, waste oil, junk tires, and everything else they'd normally have to pay to get rid of.

 

haha its funny the stuff I seen this winter marking spots. but i get it, if i spend the hour to dig this out you're not taking it. Luckily it only got bad 1 time this year where i had to did it out and luckily it was a front row to my building

 

In comparison to SoCal the rest of the country is going to feel more humid, and the winters harsher. ~150 years ago people literally walked across the country because the weather was so good in California. (Yes, economic, political, and religious reasons as well.) I'm from Oregon but have lived in NorCal, PA, and now NY. Would say that the weather is going to be truly different.

One big difference you'll find is that there's very little BLM land. Which at home was always a place to camp, hike , adventure. It seems that most everything is privately owned in the areas I've explored. Would be happy to be proven wrong.

 

Depending on where you are in the city, it's not uncommon for side streets to go unplowed for up to 24 hours. We used to have to park on the closest clear street and then lug our equipment down to the call. We'd then have to lug the equipment and the patient back to the truck. I think that they city has bought some sort of sleds since I retired. 2015 was a MF of a winter here. I snowed every day in February.

 

Some trails not off roaring by any means by the ma/ct/ri line. Also some stuff south of Worcester about 15 mins in mass. Be happy to show anyone in my free time. Imagine there’s more the further west you go and north once you’re outta mass.

 

This. I don't do trails but there are some, getting fewer sadly.

I'm south of Boston in a rural area, and if I had to dig out a spot I would drive over anyone who helped themselves to it. Grrrr

 

Oh yeah. You take someone’s spot after you dug it out. Look out cause your car will get messed up somehow someway.

 

That's far less likely to happen in a suburb or rural area. Boston and the other cities in the northeast were largely developed before everyone had motor vehicles. Even the houses with driveways and garages can't accommodate the three or more cars a triple decker would have. The North End has some of the oldest buildings in the city, many are more or less row houses.

It can get ugly.

 

This plus in general I'm not an asshole like that.

Yup another reason I stay where I am

 

I'm a few towns away from E. Bridgewater. Here, the neighbors help each other clear their driveways. It's probably similar there.

 

OK, chiming in as a lifelong Bostonian....

• Gun Laws-people have already covered them if you are'nt in the city proper, join the local rod and gun club fit in, make friends and most police chiefs aren't too bad (in the smaller towns at least)
• Commute-working in seaport(crazy expensive condos there now), the train options give you some wiggle room to commute in, yet if driving ..I hope your work comps parking southie , eastie, charlestown and areas like that are close to city , yet house prices have shot up and some neighborhoods albeit pricey aren't that great , so train options are the metro(MBTA or "the T") and commuter rail which has a north bound and south bound run, yet a bit more limited where it goes... if oyu can look at towns near either commuter rail or T then you can park there and train into city. either way your making at least one connection
• There is a commuter boat that runs from the north and south (I am 24 miles outside seaport south) I regularly take boat in then walk (albeit not doing that in winter)
• Traffic- well roads are old yet allot depends on your hours if you can be flexible it isn't that bad, yet i visited our office in Cali. in the 90's allot and the 101 and surrounding traffic wasnt fun. allot of one ways and rotaries make it kind of a challenge to dominate other drivers...
• I would rust proof the crap out of your taco before putting it thru a new England winter...yet think the tree huggers have pushed the state away from old school rock salt like we used to melt cars with.
• Weather- not as bad in recent years every so often you get some craxy winters, yet this winter was mild... yet attached is a pic of 2015 when they need to deploy heavy equipment as the plows couldn't push it off the roads anymore. lol.
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• Do you want you and the family to live "in" the city or outside, things like schools etc usually are better as you move out of the larger areas... yet that means commute for you...

Make sure the horn in your taco is working if you drive in the city its a requirement

 

While Boston makes you jump through hoops for the LTC, they do issue and most of what they issue is "All Lawful Purposes."

I remember when the "Seaport District" was part of "Southie" and had hookers in boxcars, stolen cars in the harbor, dead mobsters in fields, and a couple of good restaurants. Now look at it!

Still don't mess with Southie girls, they will kick your ass.

 

Not always per se but my neighbor on each side and I always check the fire hydrant when we are out shoveling/snowblowing to keep it clear. We do watch each other's houses for snow removal and I've had another neighbor who plowed me out with his quad once.