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Potato_Octopi t1_j9n8a8u wrote

The state is too Boston-centric. Everyone's piling in to Boston, complaining about cost, while other parts of the state are more affordable.

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charons-voyage t1_j9olpe4 wrote

I think it depends what you do for work, too. If you’re a scientist, that needs to be in the lab, chances are you’re gonna need to be near Boston. That’s a huge part of our labor pool. All the high-paying industries are near Boston, which attracts talent in those industries. Obviously if you’re a SWE and can WFH then it opens up opportunities out in the boonies. But for many people Boston IS all MA has to offer for jobs.

Investing in infrastructure to open up Springfield-Worchester-Boston travel (high speed rail for example) will allow people to get to Boston and hopefully encourage companies to build along that corridor as well instead of jamming their labs into Kendall Sq.

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Potato_Octopi t1_j9or9di wrote

I think Western mass itself needs a better job market. Commuting to Boston is still Boston.

Industries like to cluster, so w. Mass needs different industries.

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charons-voyage t1_j9osvya wrote

Agree, which will also be possible with better infrastructure that allows travel among the corridor to Boston, since all those areas can draw from same talent pool, thereby creating opportunities anywhere. Right now, if a company opens up in Worcester, there’s no talent pool to draw from since everyone wants to be near Boston. With a high speed train however you can live in Boston and work in Worcester. Then over time Worcester will be cooler and more hip and draw people wanting to live closer to there. Idk just my thoughts on this.

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BovaDesnuts t1_j9opfm2 wrote

Hush. We don't want them. Let me live with my trees in peace

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elysium311 t1_j9rsum8 wrote

Seriously. I've noticed in my town so many forest and woodsy areas getting chopped down lately and these big ugly houses get built. It's sad. No one seems to replant the trees or anything. Just a big bare space. I could care less about people needing a place to live. No one needs to destroy a forest and build a 2 million McMansion.

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fakecrimesleep t1_j9onco8 wrote

Central and western mass + the “almost Rhode Island” parts of the state are still relatively cheap and a lot of people I know who went WFH but wanted to stay in-state have actually been able to buy homes. Just gotta accept you need to drive more which is kind of a bummer.

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nixiedust t1_j9p4usf wrote

Yeah for us it was just a decision between tiny condo in Boston or single fam with yard on the RI border. Since we both WFH it was an easy choice. That said, property values have gone way up in the last few years and even our area is pricey now. But it's still doable if you are willing to deal with the tradeoffs, and urban amenities (diversity of food, better entertainment, arts & culture opportunities) are growing.

Better mass transport would help us to connect in all directions.

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fakecrimesleep t1_j9q368l wrote

proximity to providence is a pretty good thing, especially if you’re an arts/music person or foodie. I actually like going into PVD more than downtown Boston these days. No one can afford to go out anymore + Our venues suck. Even allston is a ghost town a lot of the times. I definitely get why people are moving out in droves especially if they were just here for school.

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nixiedust t1_j9r2m50 wrote

Completely agree. I lived in Brighton for more than a decade and never thought I'd leave, but now that I'm here Providence is more accessible and has a ton of cool stuff. Plus with Mansfield and Foxboro close you have easy access to all the big summer shows.

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elysium311 t1_j9rsjz5 wrote

Sure other parts of the state are affordable but have you noticed traffic? A long commute can be a major drain on someone's life. No one wants to spend hours in the car to and from work or on a train. People are basically forced to spend money on the greater Boston area if they have an office job in Boston

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Potato_Octopi t1_j9ru5o4 wrote

Yes, the state is too Boston-centric. That's my point. You're not focusing less on Boston by keeping jobs in Boston and forcing longer commutes. There needs to be opportunities elsewhere.

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