Is Eastern Mass. synonymous with suburban Boston

[Anonymous]

and how does it differ in vibe and culture from Western Massachusetts?

Is it possible to see the whole state in a long weekend?

[Anonymous]

It is probably 120 miles from Boston to the heart of Berkshire County in western Mass. Yes, I would say vibe is different. What are you most interested in seeing and doing?

[Anonymous]

Western Mass is more rural— in some places it is hippie-rural, in some places it is gentrified-rural and in some places it is rural-rural (and in some places it is urban— both university urban and struggling urban).

Eastern Mass has a lot of Boston suburbs but Boston is different from the suburbs and the suburbs are different from each other, and then there’s places that aren’t either like the Cape, Fall River etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:and how does it differ in vibe and culture from Western Massachusetts?

Is it possible to see the whole state in a long weekend?

See the whole state? What does that mean? There are 14 counties and they all have places worth visiting so...

[Anonymous]

It takes us about 3.5 hours to drive from Cape Cod to the Berkshires, a little longer to Williamstown, which is about as far as you can drive across the state. So yes you can get from one end to the other in a half day.

In terms of visiting the key sights then no. A long weekend covers Boston. But it depends what you want to see.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Western Mass (Springfield area). In my experience, it is very culturally similar to Eastern Mass. The main difference is that Western Mass has fewer narcissists and strivers.

[Anonymous]

You could see the whole state in one long weekend but you would be on the road most of the time. Pick the things you’re most interested in and focus on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Western Mass (Springfield area). In my experience, it is very culturally similar to Eastern Mass. The main difference is that Western Mass has fewer narcissists and strivers.

By strivers do you mean people who want to do something with their lives? That is what striver means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Western Mass (Springfield area). In my experience, it is very culturally similar to Eastern Mass. The main difference is that Western Mass has fewer narcissists and strivers.

And more hunters and meth heads. I love Westenr Mass but it definitely has a more rural vibe plus some really depressed small cities …. The collapse of the paper and woolen and gun manufacturing industries wasn’t replaced by the tech industries like it was in eastern mass. Higher Ed is big business in both parts of the state and tourism throughout the state (maybe less tourism in central mass).

[Anonymous]

Eastern Mass has a lot of $$$. Western Mass is rural. I’d try to visit Boston, historic towns like Concord and Lexington, north shore fishing towns. You could visit the Cape. Chatham is charming. Western Mass - Amherst area is cute. I’d figure out what you want to do out there before driving all the way out there.

[Anonymous]

I recommend the northern coastal towns like Marblehead and Newburyport. Cute.

[Anonymous]

MA is divided up by: Cape Cod, Boston, Central, Western MA and +NY (aka the Berkshires). All very different vibes. Different times of year matter too. Boston is urban/city with adjecent suburbs. Central MA is Worchester and small bedroom communities for Boston. Western MA is the pioneer valley and 5 college area - small rural towns with either a fun college vibe or very depressed small towns with no industry or interest. Go FURTHER west to the Berkshires - beautiful rolling hills, culture with Tanglewood and cute villages but its mainly NY residence.

To answer you question - pretty much "eastern" MA is Boston. Having grown up in Western MA - we never ever called it "Eastern" MA. Anything east of Worchester was just "Boston".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Western Mass (Springfield area). In my experience, it is very culturally similar to Eastern Mass. The main difference is that Western Mass has fewer narcissists and strivers.

By strivers do you mean people who want to do something with their lives? That is what striver means.

In much of Massachusetts the greatest aspiration is to live in the same town your family has been in for generations, do the same jobs and associate with the same people. Any deviation from that is suspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MA is divided up by: Cape Cod, Boston, Central, Western MA and +NY (aka the Berkshires). All very different vibes. Different times of year matter too. Boston is urban/city with adjecent suburbs. Central MA is Worchester and small bedroom communities for Boston. Western MA is the pioneer valley and 5 college area - small rural towns with either a fun college vibe or very depressed small towns with no industry or interest. Go FURTHER west to the Berkshires - beautiful rolling hills, culture with Tanglewood and cute villages but its mainly NY residence.

To answer you question - pretty much "eastern" MA is Boston. Having grown up in Western MA - we never ever called it "Eastern" MA. Anything east of Worchester was just "Boston".

This is only about half right

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MA is divided up by: Cape Cod, Boston, Central, Western MA and +NY (aka the Berkshires). All very different vibes. Different times of year matter too. Boston is urban/city with adjecent suburbs. Central MA is Worchester and small bedroom communities for Boston. Western MA is the pioneer valley and 5 college area - small rural towns with either a fun college vibe or very depressed small towns with no industry or interest. Go FURTHER west to the Berkshires - beautiful rolling hills, culture with Tanglewood and cute villages but its mainly NY residence.

To answer you question - pretty much "eastern" MA is Boston. Having grown up in Western MA - we never ever called it "Eastern" MA. Anything east of Worchester was just "Boston".

This is only about half right

LOL I was thinking the same thing.