Nice around Springfield? (Worcester, Chicopee, Westfield: best cities, car insurance, condo)

[cincotta]

Just married and ready to start a family. Looking to buy a house win western Mass so that we can be centrally located between friends in Webster, Ma (south of Worcester), beaches, friends in Albany and family near Syracuse. I'm leaning towards MA over CT for the more affordable housing and taxes. I've noticed that there are new construction houses in Springfield area (sixteen acres) that are around $260,000, over 2,000 square ft with very nice layouts and features (granite counters, large bathtubs, walk-in closets, etc), and just $4,000 in taxes per year. There are many of these in this area. From other research that I've done this seems to be too good to be true. Is this a bad area? If so, why would they build many new homes here? Also, how are the schools in the area- will prob have kids in school systerm in next 10 years. If anyone has any info about this area (and sixteen acres- border of mass/ct east of river) please help!!

[winnie]

Stay FAR AWAY FROM SPRINGFIELD.

Please, take my word for it. Sixteen Acres is the better part of Spr. And I would not live there if the houses were free.

The schools are atrocious. The area is dangerous and dirty. I worked at a hospital there and people constantly had homes/cars broken into, mugged in broad daylight, cars stolen...

If you want to move up there, look for some of my posts about the area.

Give Palmer, Belchertown, North Ludlow, Ware, East areas of Granby, Southwick, Amherst, Hadley a look. If you can't afford one of the burbs of Spr, then I say stay out. And keep out of Chicopee and Holyoke, West Spr and most parts of Westfield while you are at it. There are better places to live in the area. Chicopee's school districts are the pits, Holyoke is not far behind.

Ask away!

PS - car insurance is NUTS when you live in Spr. They have been building houses there and people buy them because they don't care what kind of an area they live in..then you look 2 blocks away and you are in the slums. I personally think 260K is overpriced to have to live in Spr, and the roads are the pits.

[ontheroad]

Have to agree with Winnie. I worked in Springfield and commuted from Williamsburg (MA) - about a 35 mile drive. It was a pleasant drive, especially when I gave myself plenty of time and took the back roads.

My office was in an old but modernized commercial building, but the surroundings were very depressing, and probably very dangerous. Inasmuch as I was working with a hard-core substance using population, they were more or less a shield, but occasionally, and memorably, very challenging.

Lots and pots of crime!

The towns Winnie's mentioned are much better bets, even if more expensive. In some cases, it is better to be safe than sorry.

[shakerp]

Stay out of Spingfield. Its a dangerous, dirty city with dangerous and yes dirty schools. I live nearby in CT. I only go there to visit relatives,(who have lived there for 20+ years), or to go to Red Rose Pizza...cant beat their Pizza.....I'm Italian, my father will Only eat their pizza. So let me take back the first statement. Eat in Springfield.... but dont live there.

[jdhall1]

Check out Easthampton. My older brothersd lives there and its about 20 minutes north of Springfield. His girlfriend and him bought a pretty much new condo in a renovated victorian for about 120,000.

[winnie]

Originally Posted by shakerp

Eat in Springfield.... but dont live there.

LOL! True..Also Paramount has good food and Lidos. There are a numerous good eateries in the Pioneer Valley.

Bernie's Depot in Chicopee has quite possibly the BEST prime rib dinner I have ever had in my entire life. We drive 2 hours just to eat there sometimes. And the cheapest too!

[Noodle]

Umm, where is it you live now that 4 grand isn't a lot for taxes? If you must live in Mass., and it needs to be Western Mass., try looking in Southampton, Westhampton, or Hadley. Taxes in Hadley aren't too bad. Or Huntington or Granville would be my other choice. Springfield is the armpit of western Ma. The tax rate is high, the city is bankrupt, the goverment is corrupt, there's a murder practically every weekend Moderator cut: insulting comment Good luck.

[Carlli45]

Springfield is not the nice small city it use to be, I have lived here all my life (all 62 yrs. of them) and can't wait to get out....hopefully to the Brownstone Gardens in East Longmedow.
Sixteen Acres is a nice part of Springfield, they just opened a new Fresh Acres store there......if you like fresh and whole grain, that's the place for you.
Another great area of Western Mass is the Hadley area, I love it up there and would move there tomorrow.
Carol

[MArules]

DO NOT MOVE TO SPRINGFIELD

i live very close to springfiled, about a half an hour drive, and its AWFUL. the crime rate is high, its dirty, the school system is HORRIFYING.
im sorry to tell you this, cause it really is disappointing.
its one of the only affordable areas around here.

i have to agree with everything winnie said. also stay away from holyoke and chicopee. Theyre not the best cities. LOTS OF CRIME. dirty, smelly, littered.

these towns are not taken care of. thats why theyre SO affordable.
West Springfield is a little better, but of course, its more costly.
The best towns are more north. ( i think? ) Um id say you should look for houses around worcester,northampton,amherst,pelham, hadley, south hadley, florence, granby. Theyre nicer eares in Western Mass. But whatever you do, dont move to springfield. whenever i drive through there i just die inside looking at the poverty. There is gang violence,rapes,burgaliries. NOT a good place to raise children TRUST me. you can just tell if you take a ride through the town.

Once again, im really sorry to have to tell you this.

P.S. just a little funny FYI, the show "The simpsons" is about this town. they admitted to it some time last year. The springfiled theyve always been talking about is Sprinfield, Massachusetts!

[JMendez]

I agree with everyone. Springfield is an awful place to live. But I must say that you can not judge the neglect of one city on "Island people". I happen to be Hispanic and the way that the ones down here act is totally different then those raised in PR. Please watch the way you describe people from different backgrounds. Just remember there is success and trash in every background.