I’m curious about how residents feel about living in Southborough.
(Of course, any survey is skewed by who responds. So the best take we’ll get is how actively participating readers feel.)
When some of you gripe over certain issues regarding the town, I ask myself, does that mean they don’t like it here? Or they love it here, but certain issues make them a little nutty? (Or maybe because they love it, they are passionate about fixing the issues.) Or somewhere in between?
So, I’m trying out a poll. How much do you like living in Southborough?
I’ll leave the poll open for a week, then publish results in a new post.
Feel free to post a comment on why you feel the way you do.
(No need for anyone to respond to other comments in this post. After all, everyone is free to feel how they feel.)
(In case you were wondering, my vote is 8.)
(Photo from Flickr by OiMax)
Sadly, I love it here. I have loved this town from the first day we happened to drive though it. The reservoirs and open spaces, the Town Common and downtown and small New England town charm. Living here over 35 years, I have so many dear friends and so many just-enough-to-smile-and-say-hi friends, but they all make it the warmest place to live.
I love the Town Meetings and the healthy discussion of politics. There is a comfort in being able to disagree but at least discuss and come to a resolution. I love the beauty and strength and tradition provided by our institutions, such as Fay and St. Mark’s, Choate Community House, our churches, and even the golf course, cemetary and “the dump”. (Miss the buffalo farm, Capasso’s, Charlie’s and soon, Mauro’s.) I love the proximity to so many other places in New England. I love being able to rely on a solid responsible town government, and dedicated employees.
But the sadness comes from feeling that I will have to move and start over. As Southborough grows and has large living complexes, bigger school budgets, higher property taxes, more traffic, more strain on town services, higher crime, less open space—alas the small town feel for me may soon be gone. The last straw will be the renovation to the town common: moving the stone wall, taking down trees, permanent parking along that stretch of road, nice neat brick paths on a wider “modern” thoroughfare, yet we barely have money for the beautiful library at its core. As my neighbors move and retire, or pass on, and the house becomes to much to handle, I may need to move also. But I don’t see this town’s growth as keeping “a village”, something I need just as much now as 35 years ago. I appreciate all that Southborough has been for me and our family. No place is perfect, but this was pretty close.