Moving to Boston

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Hi! my name is Rachael and I live in Gainesville FL but I'm originally from Memphis,TN. I've lived in Gainesville for the past eight years since the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school and graduated from high school here. I have an ASD diagnosis and have had one since I was about three. I also have social phobia, ADHD, trichotillomania (now under control), anxiety, depression, a learning disability in math, dyspraxia, slow processing and executive dysfunction problems. I live with my parents and currently don't hold a job and I take one class at the community college here however in the spring (May to be exact) I'm going to be moving to Boston. I've never really lived away from my parents (I'm 24) and I'm a little bit nervous about moving to a big city. I've never paid rent/done upkeep on an apartment before but I have some general idea of how it's done. Does anyone on here live in Boston/New England/the NE? I'm going to be doing the Aspire internship program and using resources at Mass General and the New England Autism and Aspergers Network. Does anyone else who lives around the area know of any other resources there and around the NE? How do you all like living in Boston and/or the NE? let me know.

I don't know anything about the Aspire internship thing, but I am concerned you might be biting off more than you are prepared to chew.

Living alone is a huge transition in itself, and moving to a big (and expensive) city is another one.

My concern is that you don't find yourself overwhelmed and start to backslide or even get into drug abuse or other unhealthy ways of coping. Is living in a dormitory with a meal plan an option for you, instead of going straight into an apartment? It might not appeal to you but at least some structure would be in place. My daughter finally got her own apartment a few months ago, and we have to remind her to eat sometimes.

Good luck. If I could afford to live in Boston, I would join the New England Historical and Genealogical Society so I could use their library. (Genealogy is one of my special interests.)

Are you moving to Boston to go to college?

I'm from NYC, so I could give you advice about big-city living. I've lived in NYC all my life.

How is your rent going to be paid?

The T--which is the rapid transit entity for the Boston area, is easy to navigate.

If you were moving to NYC, I could advise you about bad areas and such.

There's lots of gentrification going on in Boston--so, if you're looking in what used to be a bad area, it might not be so bad now.

What neighborhoods are you looking into?

There used to be this show called "Zoom." The address of the show was "Box 350, Boston Mass, 02134." 02134 happens to be Allston's zip code!

Jamaica Plain has access to the "T." You could take the Green Line (E section) to Heath Avenue, and you'll be in Jamaica Plain. Jamaica Plain is an "up and coming" sort of area.

There's a section of Queens, New York City, called Jamaica.

Brooklyn Heights is head and shoulders over the rest. I would pick it above the others. It's a shorter commute into Manhattan, too.

There are parts of Bushwick, Flatbush, Bed-Stuy, and Ridgewood that are still rough. I hope your friends know the neighborhoods. All are getting better, though. You just have to really be vigilant about the building and block you choose to live on.

I currently live in Boston.

I live in the suburbs of Boston.

AANE is a mixed bag. Expect a long bureaucratic process to get employment supports. The social support groups are meh.

The self-organized meetups on Meetup.com are pretty good and run by persons with ASD. I'm a member of the Boston Adults With Asperger's meetup.

Hit me up via private message if you want.

> Moving To Boston

Best city in the world.

Hi Rachael. I'm originally from and still live in the greater Boston area. There is this place called the Asperger's Association of New England (AANE) located in Watertown, MA and there are several local MBTA (T) buses that take you there (if you don't have a car). Boston is a nice city, but you must accustom yourself to the snow there since you're from FL.

Have you ever had problems making best friends with people?

Boston and MA is considered the Autism state I would stay away from there. It's also where a school called Judge Rotenberg Center is present.. They treat all Autistics like animals..

MA is also associated with Autism Speaks and are obsessed with Autism in general, literally 85% of Autism news or studies come from MA..