Are you moving to Boston soon? Just moved here? Welcome!
My husband and I relocated to Boston from Dallas with our then 2-year-old daughter and a baby boy due 3 months after we arrived in Massachusetts. Having previously visited the Northeast, I knew I loved all the area had to offer — plenty of nature to explore, history to experience firsthand, and real seasons.
But my excitement was also balanced with apprehensions. In some ways, acclimating to this new region felt like acclimating to a whole new country. After a few years of living in the Boston area, I have met multiple fellow transplants who share the same nervous concerns I felt. This is the advice I give to new New Englanders, and everything I wish I had known when I made the transition to the Northeast.
1. Do not be scared of winter
Our family moved in May, and I spent the entire summer interviewing my new friends about the season I was actually fearful of. What should my kids wear? Will we be able to drive on the roads? Just how much snow are we talking?
That first winter was definitely a learning experience, but it went much smoother than my mind had led me to believe it would.
My son was a baby for our first cold season, so I was up around the clock nursing him. The sound of metal scraping snowy asphalt became familiar as I would hear the snowplow starting around 3:30 a.m. The sunrise revealed that there were snowplows and sand trucks everywhere! The interstates and major roads were always cleared, and as long as fluffy white flakes were falling from the sky, workers were diligently maintaining the roads. I felt completely safe transporting my babies in winter weather. I also learned that the ground is not covered in snow for the entire season — it comes and goes.
As for dressing my kids, I found that cotton gloves were useless against wet snow play, and the adorable puffer coat I bought my daughter was returned immediately when I realized it was not waterproof. Waterproof is key for allowing safe and dry outside play during the winter months. The expensive brands are tempting, but Target apparel has kept my family warm and toasty just fine. These are the essentials I have on hand for my kids every winter:
- Beanie or trapper hat big enough to cover the ears
- Waterproof winter gloves
- Waterproof winter coat
- Fleece-lined leggings or jeans
- Snow pants
- Lined snow boots that will comfortably wrap around a bulky snow pant
- Since it is NOT safe to strap kids in their car seats while wearing winter coats, I also recommend keeping a blanket in the car to keep them cozy until you have reached your destination.
2. How do you say these town names?
Glah-chester? Walt-ham? Chath-am? Pronouncing New England towns was a huge source of anxiety for me as my husband and I looked at different properties with our realtor. Part of me felt that it would be insulting to mispronounce the names of towns we were visiting.
My advice: Ask a local, because you’ll never guess.
It was important to me that I join several mom’s groups to quickly make new friends in the area. One of the most helpful meetings I attended allowed for newbie moms to ask local Boston moms how to pronounce challenging town names. We sat around drinking coffee and laughing as the conversation took up the better part of an hour. If not for that group, I still would not know how to properly pronounce Haverhill, Worchester, or Leominster.
3. The reputation of Boston drivers
Contrary to stereotypes you might have heard, Bostonians are some of the kindest, most genuine, down to earth people you will ever meet — until they are behind the wheel of a car. Kidding! Boston drivers do tend to be on the aggressive side. To their credit, Massachusetts drivers are ranked some of the safest drivers in the country. The strict hands free while driving law could contribute to drivers’ focus.
And drivers need to be focused — you will understand why the first time you maneuver through the paved-over cobblestone streets of downtown Boston. No simple grid system exists in the heart of the city. These streets have been traveled for centuries, and as you marvel at old photos of Paul Revere’s North End home, you visualize just how much the city has built up over hundreds of years.
What helped me to gain confidence driving in this historic city was one big realization: No one knows how to drive in downtown Boston!
Be patient with yourself and others as your GPS tries to navigate you through one-way streets, lengthy traffic jams, twists and turns, cars cutting you off, moving vans stuck on Storrow, and loads of pedestrian traffic. You’ll be fine!
4. What about housing?
Boston housing threw me for loop more than just about anything our family encountered. We moved to Boston with a dog, plus two young children. This seemed innocent enough, but it led to a long, challenging housing search. My husband and I were looking to rent, but the majority of landlords we encountered did not allow pets. Some allowed cats, but our 15-pound pug was not welcome.
The age of the buildings in the Greater Boston area inevitably means that properties built before 1978 are likely to contain lead paint. As a result, all children in Massachusetts under the age of 6 must be screened for lead poisoning each year. De-leading a home is expensive, so some landlords prefer not to go through the hassle.
When our realtor would locate a property that allowed pets and had been de-leaded, we were always in line with 8-12 other eager applicants. Whether buying or renting, housing in the Boston area is extremely competitive — and expensive.
5. The unfamiliar becomes familiar
Relocating our young family of four to Boston was not the easiest thing I have ever done. In fact, it was really hard. There was a lot of stress, a lot of learning, and a lot of tears involved. But the honest truth is that it was all worth it to call this incredible place home. I would do it all over again… but preferably if I could do it knowing what I know now.
