Recent comments in /f/massachusetts

Interested_Party2000 t1_j3fe746 wrote

Reply to comment by nomjs in Moving to Greater Boston Area - Thoughts on Newton? by nomjs

Oh, phew! I was a little worried 😟Also—I taught in Newton schools years ago and found the socioeconomic stratification of the neighborhoods fascinating—a lot like when I lived in West Hartford CT. One group of Boston Brahmin Protestants, one group of working class Italians and Irish, and one group of well-to-do Jews. I am generalizing and it was a long time ago, but that is what I remember.

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UniWheel t1_j3fe3by wrote

Reply to New home owner, National Grid Bill is extreme! by Fuey500

>My meter estimate

That's your biggest problem, your previous reading is an estimate, not an actual one. And it's probably a grossly wrong estimate. You need to look at previous bills and seek a correction.

>Electric Baseboard Heating

That's the most expensive possible way to heat, second only perhaps to burning collectible trading cards in a fireplace, though at the moment that almost looks competitive.

>most rooms are set to 65 and my office is set to 71.

That wouldn't be affordable for most people, even with heat pumps. Buy some sweaters and turn the heat down to 60, and that only in the spaces you actually use (for freeze protection as low as it will go without actually being off in the rest).

>I run a gaming pc all the time.

On the plus side, that's no less efficient a heating source than your electric baseboards, though come the end of heating season...

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TheColonelRLD t1_j3f912r wrote

Reply to comment by nomjs in Moving to Greater Boston Area - Thoughts on Newton? by nomjs

I'm renting in Newton, 2 Bedroom, $1950/month. It's a bit of a unicorn, but there are good apartments out there.

I'm not sure if others have mentioned it, but pretty much all rentals go through brokers in MA, and they charge one month's rent. There are a bunch of threads on Reddit you can check out that talk about it. It's definitely annoying, and seems to be unique to the area, but I just wanted you to have a heads up before you wade into the water and think they're all scamming you. They kind of are, but there's really no way around it. I've lived in six apartments in greater Boston and I paid a broker for all of them.

Also, apartments go really fast, especially for the September season. When I'm hunting I go to look at apartments ready to put in an application on the spot, checking with the broker beforehand about any documents I need. A lot of times apartments will be off the market within a day or two of being listed. So acting with urgency when something checks all the boxes is key.

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pithypitherson t1_j3f1tr9 wrote

Reply to Moving to Greater Boston Area - Thoughts on Newton? by nomjs

Famous people from Newton: Jim Halpert, Joey Tribbiani, the Fig Newton, me. It was a great place to grow up. Real close to a lot of good stuff - hospitals, schools, T stops, Jewish folks. It wasn’t super expensive when I grew up there but it is now. It’s a legit city. You’re not going to get a small town feel except within your area: Newton Center, Chestnut Hill, Waban, Oak Hill, Newton Highlands, etc. If you live near South (1 of 2 high schools), you’re in a good area. Kids can go ride bikes without worrying about pedos or other crime. I liked it, if you can swing it, go for it. The only downside, it’s not near the ocean. Rivers and ponds it has. Good parks too. And the library is nuts. Ramble over.

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Admirable-Engine4763 t1_j3ezp9o wrote

Reply to comment by nomjs in Moving to Greater Boston Area - Thoughts on Newton? by nomjs

Architecturally, absolutely. Culturally and demographically…yes, but it has less to do with the “village” than it does the neighborhood’s proximity to Waltham/Watertown or Brighton, based on my experience (grew up in West Newton).

The neighborhoods North of I-90 (Nonantum, for example) tend to be more socioecomically diverse. In the early 2000/10s there was a mix of many newer families of various socioeconomic/educational status, often with 1+ immigrant parent, who moved to Newton for the public schools, and older “townie” families—the type that still visit family in Sicily and played hockey year-round. Also home to lots of Russian- and Hebrew-speaking Jewish folks and innumerable synagogues. The northern neighbs also border larger immigrant enclaves (e.g. southside of Waltham is home to one of the largest Guatemalan communities in the US). When I started visiting friends in other parts of Newton in HS I was surprised by how much whiter it was than in the north.

It’s not like it’s radically different—all of Newton tends to be more progressive than similarly wealthy suburbs (Weston, Wellesley, etc.) yet NIMBYism—especially around zoning and housing developments—is also endemic throughout.

The slow progress on zoning reform in Newton may actually erase what distinctivess exists in the North side. With the broader regional supply crisis in the housing market and inflexible single-family zoning, prices are comically inflated. From ~2010 on there have been constant tear-downs throughout the north of Newton. Small house gets replaced—not with multiple units, but a modern style house that has double the sq footage, and 3x the price. Sweet deal for the developer but has made Newton extra unattainable for almost all young families. My parents bought the upstairs unit in a condo in Newton in ‘99 for a little more than $130k, last year it was worth $550k+. Even adjusting for inflation, that’s absurd. Most of the people my parents see moving in these days are straight up loaded.

Tl;dr

Yes, there is variation in “character” and demographics, especially between the north and south with the former being much less homogeneous. Sadly that uniqueness may not survive the symptoms of foot-dragging on zoning and development reform. :(

Oh and for the record, I feel unbelievably fortunate to have grown up in Newton. My parents sacrificed a lot to keep us in that community and I’m eternally grateful that they did. Peace.

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