The Preppiest New England State
It's Dour-tastic!
Over the years on the blog I have been asked countless times “What is the preppiest state?” Here is my countdown, from least to most.
All photos of/by Muffy Aldrich or her Father.
#1. Massachusetts
The preppiest of all New England states is Massachusetts, because it is the first. And that counts for more than anything. What it lacks in humor, it more than makes up for in the earliest “Founded in…” dates.
New Englanders are inclined to differentiate between good and bad by determining whether it's old or new. Frugality, reluctance to change, reliance on the "tried and true", abhorrence of things showy or gaudy, pride in the past, a strong need for tradition and continuity – all these natural inclinations in our personalities result, not surprisingly, in our wearing slightly threadbare old clothes, joining old, comfortable not-posh social clubs, owning old boats, attending old schools and colleges, living in old houses, marrying into old families, and so forth. (Judson Hale, Inside New England, 1982)
And today, for a small but densely populated state, it has a surprisingly large number of Preppy attributes, including
The sheer number of upscale (read that, awfully expensive) suburbs around Boston;
The extraordinarily high number of superb medical facilities;
Harvard (natch). The University, not the town, which Massachusetts also has, but not as braggable;
Beacon Hill and Back Bay;
The Cape and the Islands;
The Purple Valley;
A list of top prep schools and private day schools (which is too long to list);
Lots of decent sailing; and
The single most attractive state license plate.
Mass Souls (A Brilliant Homonym)
Of course, there is also a bit of a tragedy to the State. Forever the silver medalist, Boston has always been in the shadow of New York for power, the Bay Area for technology, and Newport for Sailing. (On the World stage, Boston is more Tufts than Harvard or M.I.T., partially explaining Red Sox fans.)
