We're thinking of moving to the States in a few years and although I'm from the Midwest I have no intention of moving back there! Don't get me wrong, it has it's plus points, but really looking for somewhere nearer the East Coast this time.

My DH and I are looking mostly at the Boston area - well within about an hour of Boston anyhow. DH especially likes the look of Plymouth.

We also have looked at central NY region, ie Syracuse and Rochester. There's the bonus of being near ski areas and affordable housing, but have read a lot of mixed reviews about those areas.

Any advice on either area? Or suggestions for towns to consider in those areas? Thanks a bunch

Try this:
http://www.findyourspot.com/

Not sure how accurate it is though, 'cause every time I try it, it says my ideal spot would be Little Rock Arkansas

Thanks! That's great...guess it's a good sign that most of the places in my list are ones that we're considering....doesn't help too much with narrowing down yet but we've got loads of time to decide

What do you do for work? That'll be a big decider...if it's tech software/hardware, Burlington Mass would be a hot spot...if it's finance, either.

Cost of living in Mass is bloody high though, oil was $350-400 a month last winter, and will be much higher this year, and that's for an apartment.

Car insurance is also expensive down here....as is rent in general.

As for places, I answered in your other thread.

Plymouth is a lovely tourist trap, not sure about living there, the winters suck goat balls....and your having a laugh if you think you can get into Boston within an hour during the morning and if it snows, don't even bother.

It's less than an hour and a quarter to drive from Plymouth to the Kingston commuter rail station and take the train to Boston.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply and the advice...will definately take it on board. Never realised that car insurance was so expensive there until reading up on this forum...grr!

Thanks for that! Glad to see that public transport is a viable option around the area, unlike most of the States where I've lived before.

the commuter rail sucks though until you get onto the T

I went to a wedding at the Finger Lakes up there a few years ago. Flew into Syracuse and out of Rochester I think. The lakes themselves were pretty but the area seemed to be quite depressed.

No idea about MA, sorry, but Maine is great...

There is no way I could ever live in the Syracuse and Rochester area...too remote. You may get cheap housing but there is a reason for that. Depends what's important to you... I like to live in a rural area but I also like to have reasonably quick access to major cities...up there you're hundreds of miles away from anywhere.

That far out from the city, I wouldn't necessarily call it viable, unless your job was actually in downtown Boston or something like that.

That said, Boston is one of the few American cities where you can live reasonably well without a car (and given how expensive it can be to have a car in Boston, that's for the better!).

I was up at the Finger Lakes this summer, and got the same impression. We stayed in Syracuse for a few nights, and it really wasn't a very nice area. Didn't want to venture too far from the hotel. Rochester appeared to be along the same lines...........

It's generally a very economically depressed area and is losing population. The only place I'd recommend to live is Ithaca, which has two colleges (Cornell, Ithaca College) and is relatively vibrant both culturally and economically.