Looking to move to S. Hadley/Holyoke/Chicopee (Springfield, Amherst: apartments, rentals)

[red sox girl]

Hi everyone! I got accepted to Mount Holyoke College and would not be living in dorms if I decide to go. I am trying to figure out if I could afford to live there before I make my decision. I am looking for an apartment off campus that would be no more than 25 minutes from campus. I'm wondering if anyone could help me find a safe and affordable place to live. I have money saved up from my bat mizvah/past jobs that I will be using for the security deposits and rent.

I'm looking for something no more than 850 a month.
1 bedroom, 1 bath.
MUST be in a safe area!
Would be great if it was near shops.

I'm a little worried because I hear there's a lot of crime in West Springfield, which is close to where I'm looking to move. Is the whole area bad or is it just W. Springfield?

If anyone could help I would greatly appreciate it, I'm worried that 850 a month won't be enough and that I'll have to accept my parents help (I'm hellbent on doing this myself because I want to be more independent)

[western mass and love it]

West Springfield is a suburb of Springfield,which is a city of around 155,000. And yes there is some crime in Spfld. but if you stay away from the bad areas you will be fine.

But why not look for places around the college and not way down in West Springfield.

[red sox girl]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

West Springfield is a suburb of Springfield,which is a city of around 155,000. And yes there is some crime in Spfld. but if you stay away from the bad areas you will be fine.

But why not look for places around the college and not way down in West Springfield.

I'm not looking in West Springfield, I'm looking at moving to South Hadley, Holyoke, or Chicopee. I only mentioned the crime in W Springfield because I'm worried that the crime in that area might spread to the areas I'm looking at that because of the close proximity.

[western mass and love it]

There is little crime in West Springfield outside of petty things and a few isolated areas,like i said it is a suburb of Springfield.

Springfield is the major city in the area and as most urban areas it has crime.But going to Mt Holyoke it should have no bearing on you. As far as places to live i would concentrate on the S. Hadley ,Northampton ,Amherst area. Lots of housing for students in that area.

[red sox girl]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

There is little crime in West Springfield outside of petty things and a few isolated areas,like i said it is a suburb of Springfield.

Springfield is the major city in the area and as most urban areas it has crime.But going to Mt Holyoke it should have no bearing on you. As far as places to live i would concentrate on the S. Hadley ,Northampton ,Amherst area. Lots of housing for students in that area.

Thank you.
Do you think I should have any issues finding housing for no more than $800? I have plenty of savings but I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible while still being in a good and safe area, so while I would be able to spend more, I'd rather not.

[wmass]

I think you would want to live within the 5 college area, basically north and northwest of MHC. There is a free bus system ythat links the area. It is really a different world to the south. I'd save my money and look for a roomate(s). There are lots of college students in this area that share apartments/houses:
check UMass Off Campus Housing: Search for Housing

[FCMA]

South Hadley itself is mostly pleasant and safe, outside of South Hadley Falls, which is the section directly across from Holyoke. Chicopee and Holyoke are depressed old factory towns, and have some very unsafe areas (as well as some perfectly safe neighborhoods) depending where you are. They're not college-town oriented whatsoever, if that is a consideration for you. Read - there's little other than dive bars, convenience stores, greasy pizza joints/diners, and supermarkets as far as businesses and places to go. Holyoke is the exception to this, as it has two long bustling downtown streets - but these are dominated by Puerto Rican oriented shops (not a bad thing), and a light smattering of Irish and Polish, reflecting Holyoke's dominant ethnicities. These are very oriented toward the locals though. It would take a lot to not feel like an outsider around there. Amherst and Northampton, both about a 25-min free bus ride to the north, are nice college towns with a lot to do, and a concentration of young people. It's much more expensive than S. Hadley/Chicopee/Holyoke, but you should be able to find something for under $850, especially if you're willing to have a housemate.

Beyond the UMass Off-Campus housing site, check newspaper classifieds for apartments too: GazetteNET | News and Information from Northampton, MA by the Daily Hampshire Gazette ; Western Massachusetts Local News, Breaking News, Sports and Weather - MassLive.com ; as well as Craigslist for Western Mass.

[ogre]

Congratulations on your acceptance to Mt. Holyoke!

Agree with what others have advised. Look in S. Hadley itself, and the Amherst and Northampton areas, Amherst if you'd like to be surrounded by lots of students and undergrad fun, parties, etc., Northampton for more quiet but still some solid nightlife downtown, S. Hadley for mostly quiet surroundings.

As for housing options, have you considered finding a roommate? You can probably find something to rent by yourself within your price range there in the Five Colleges area, but you'd have more options if you found a roommate and split expenses.