Where do you live and do you like it?

amother

Opal

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:29 pm

amother Sienna wrote:

I moved to suffern from monsey cause I couldn’t afford monsey no more and I am monsey born and bred I would go to the city anytime if I could afford it.

I live in Chestnut Ridge . Lived in Monsey for over a decade before . Prior to that Brooklyn.
I never loved Monsey . I definitely like Chestnut Ridge better and my own house and block . But I am not in love with the place. We are considering New City area next for certain reasons but it’ll probably be the same sort of experience. My dream is to live in E”Y. I miss the Brooklyn that I lived in. It changed so much , I no longer recognize it.

amother

Bisque

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:29 pm

amother DarkCyan wrote:

Boston!
Absolutely love it. Love the schools and even the fact that we have less access to gashmius. The kids obviously love our trips into Monsey/Lakewood for shopping but, as they say as we're leaving, "If we lived in town we would quickly become very fat and very poor!" (Too much incredible food! Too much access to . . . Everything and everything. There's something to say, as a frum yid in gulus, that maybe it's okay not to have access to every comfort under the sun.
We love the warmer feel out of town. It's a very wholesome place to raise kids. Yet, they "pass" along side their In-Town friends and family. The only thing that gives us away when we're in Lakewood is that we smile at strangers! 😂

Rhode Island amother here. Do we know each other? Very Happy

Because I always say that if I lived in NY, I'd be fat and poor. LOL

amother

Crystal

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:32 pm

amother Sunflower wrote:

I noticed, I’m from Baltimore, lived there for longer than most of you, but it is definitely not for me. I’m much happier in Jackson bH

I'm happy you're happy! I would also say you are not a Baltimommy, considering you left. Baltimore is not for everyone, no one place is. My point was that those of us who love it, really love it. It's far from perfect and of course we have issues also just like any other city. And it's galus. But for the most part, a lot of Baltimoreans are very pleased with the city.

If you have kids in Baltimore vs. kids anywhere in the Lakewood area, I would say just the fact that our average kid can get into schools with minimal heartbreak is a major quality of life factor of living in Baltimore. If you lived here and moved to NJ, would I be wrong if I guessed you moved out of town to NJ once your kids were out of the school stage, or before the schooling became so difficult in Lakewood area?

amother

Opal

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:32 pm

Ema of 5 wrote:

We live in Bayswater. I detest NY and desperately want to leave, but at the same time I really love my neighborhood.

I dislike the way Bayswater looks , but I love the frum community there. I wish there were other frum neighborhoods with the same vibe.

amother

Jetblack

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:34 pm

KGH. Im miserable here

amother

Crystal

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:36 pm

amother Jetblack wrote:

KGH. Im miserable here

I lived in KGH for 5 years before I moved to Baltimore, I was miserable there too. There are a lot of KGHers here by the way!

amother

Opal

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:36 pm

amother Black wrote:

Indiana. Not many amenities, not super pretty, but... it's probably the most affordable place in the US.

Are you with the newish Chasidish community there ?

amother

Sienna

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:37 pm

amother Opal wrote:

New city has an issue it hasn’t created conveniences you need to go far for the basics.

amother

Jetblack

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:37 pm

amother Crystal wrote:

I lived in KGH for 5 years before I moved to Baltimore, I was miserable there too. There are a lot of KGHers here by the way!

I find that either you're Chofetz Chaim or Bucharian/Russian. And we aren't part of CC, and we aren't Bucharian/Russian. So we just dont fit in.

I want to make aliyah soon. We dont have anything here Sad

amother

Jetblack

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:39 pm

amother Papayawhip wrote:

I live in Bnei Barak.

I hate this city. It’s dirty and there’s so little living space and the people here are always in survival mode.

But I made so many friends and I’m used to it by now and I love living in Israel so I’m really happy.

DO NOT come live here lol.

Its so hot in Bnei Brak! My husband wants to move there ideally to be close to his yeshiva. Hes also thinking of kiryat sefer or beitar. Are there any Americans or Europeans by you?

amother

Slategray

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:39 pm

amother Slategray wrote:

Baltimore, MD

very happy here bH.
great place to raise a family, lots of frum schools to choose from, and great achdus bH between the rabanim of the city.

so curious why my post got two hugs... I will take it as loving hugs because cant imagine why else. hugs back at ya

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:40 pm

amother Opal wrote:

Are you with the newish Chasidish community there ?

Probably south bend. I highly doubt anyone from the chassidish community is on the internet, let alone imamother.

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:41 pm

amother Pear wrote:

I live in BP and I love it here!

Sorry, OP, frum people are neither dumb or ignorant. your post makes it sound as if people are both!

I’m really sorry. that implication was absolutely not my intention.

amother

Poinsettia

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:44 pm

Manchester, UK.
I'm from here so it's all I know besides for living in yerushalaim for 2.5 years.
I love where I live besides for the weather, although I don't tolerate really hot weather well so it's probably for the best! Today we had hail, big hailstones in between beautiful sunshine Very Happy

amother

Iris

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 1:50 pm

amother Springgreen wrote:

Cincinnati poster here. I've noticed. You all give me hope that a community can grow quite large and still maintain a welcoming mixed community feel.

Don't expect Cincinnati to grow as large as Baltimore Wink

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 2:00 pm

amother Poinsettia wrote:

Pretty sure there was rain and snow today too. I love Manchester, only place you can get four seasons in one day. Love the community, not too big , not too small, diverse and accepting. Can’t imagine living anywhere else.

amother

Antiquewhite

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 2:00 pm

Westchester County, New York. We have grass and trees and a great deal of religious autonomy. There are 3-4 communities nearby and a choice of good schools. There is a decent amount of kosher food (though quite expensive) or we can shop in Monsey or Riverdale. Some other places deliver here. We have a couple of restaurants/takeout but nothing really fabulous. However, we have easy access to NYC and can easily travel to New England or New Jersey. You can be part of the community as much or as little as you desire. People are very caring and the community looks out for each other. On the whole, I really do like living here.

amother

Camellia

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 2:03 pm

amother Crystal wrote:

A different Baltimore amother here (I replied earlier in thread). What do you mean when you ask what do people do in the summer? They work if they have jobs, kids go to camp or stay home. I'm not sure what you are asking. If you are asking about the culture where people go away for the summer - no BH, that's not a thing here.

Kids can't play in the street, cars drive in the street. Kids shouldn't be playing in the street anywhere.

Schools are mostly community based and we don't have the games you see in the other cities, so there is none of this "the right school for my type" here. But also, the schools are all pretty good, so you really can't go wrong anywhere. The tricky part is if you have a kid who has learning or behavior needs. The schools work with learning needs, not so much with severe behavior issues.

The neighborhoods - everyone lives with everyone else and for the most part our schools are very mixed just like the blocks. And we like it that way.

Replying to the bolded at the bottom here. I live in Baltimore now for over ten years. I'm a born and bred in towner so I get both worlds.

What does it mean and WE like it that way? Assuming you're referring to your family? There is no collective WE in Baltimore where everyone likes and dislikes the same things. Some posters here make it seem like we're all robots, programmed to all like the same things. Some people like mixed schools and blocks and some don't. Some like sushi and some don't......we all dislike or like different things about Baltimore but anyone here must have more likes than dislikes or they would leave. But please do not think that EVERYONE is the same here and EVERYONE likes this or that..... I hate when people write that. That's misguided achdus and not what it's all about.

I love Baltimore because there is no pressure to conform to all the gashmiyus. There are fancy people, trendy people, simple people, you do you and no one cares. My kids stick with their type. It's rare to see a yeshivish kid or klei kodesh kid going over to an MO kid house to play but it can happen and with that type of friendship usually the MO kid ends up frummer, not the other way around, in my experience. Point is they are all in school together from chasidish to MO and it works. There is a chasidish school and there is an MO school for those strictly at either end. Other schools are mostly community schools.

I hate that stores and restaurants close mostly by 9, a few at 11 but I heard it's to prevent hangouts, don't know if that's true.

amother

Springgreen

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 2:04 pm

amother Iris wrote:

Don't expect Cincinnati to grow as large as Baltimore Wink

LOL, not at all. But it is growing fast and I hope the growth does not reduce people's willingness to mix.

amother

Pear

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 2:04 pm

amother Aconite wrote:

So sorry to write this, but you actually are not meant to say you hate or any loshon hora about Eretz Yisroel.
I never get involved in discussions here but it really gave me a bad feeling to see this written here.

we used to spend two or three weeks of vacation in Bene Brak (at my MIL)
and we loved the city.
in my experience, the people in general are intelligent and are respectful to people with different customs.. they are not the type to tell Americans "you are scum and of course we are non-scum"