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In Central MA (Worcester County), The Brookfields, Barre, Hardwick, Petersham, Phillipston, and Royalston. Royalston is truly stuck in time, like the clock stopped in 1880, never to move again. Hardwick is like that too, but unlike Royalston has some storefront businesses and farmstands that serve as built-in community conversation spots - Hardwick is absolutely gorgeous with lots of preserved farmland on beautiful rolling hills. Both Hardwick and Royalston are quite isolated for employment purposes. Closer to the action, about the only 495 corridor town I find truly rural-charming in Worcester County is Berlin. Bolton and Harvard are okay, but have a BIG vibe of exclusivity these days. Princeton, Rutland, and Oakham are quite nice as you near the geographic middle of the state. Northern Middlesex County has Groton and Ashby, which are both very scenic and quite rural, especially rural being Ashby. Groton, again has that exclusivity vibe though. Next-door Shirley is a charming, forgotten small town with an historic common and nice pleasant woodsy vibe.
In the interest of transparency, my username FCMA = Franklin County MA! Love it here! Just about any town in Franklin County, minus Orange (even though I live here - too downtrodden though the outskirts are gorgeous) and Greenfield (too big), would be in the running. Three of my favorites are Wendell (if you want to live in a town that is essentially a hippie commune), Montague (made up of five villages - Turners Falls, Millers Falls, Montague Center, Lake Pleasant, Montague City - each with their own distinctive personality), and Northfield (farm country paradise with an insanely quaint center full of historic homes). The Hilltowns of Western Mass - the ones tucked in the hills west of the Connecticut River Valley hubs, but east of the Berkshire County line, are nearly all charming and all very beautiful - some already named, such as Ashfield and Shelburne Falls being particularly vibrant, but among many others, Conway, Colrain, Leyden, Cummington, Worthington, Williamsburg, Granville, Huntington, Charlemont, Chester, and so on. If you want to stay on the CT River Valley floor, Hatfield and Whately are quite wonderful - Deerfield is an odd duck (oddly suburban farm town where the newcomers, attracted by Yankee Candle or something, are put off by and keep complaining about farm smells - weird tension in Deerfield) but interesting history.
In the Southeast I've always liked Westport, though again exclusive, and the lovely forgotten waterfront towns of Fairhaven and Mattapoisett! Buzzard's Bay waterfront that the hordes of Cape & Islands tourists seem to have completely overlooked.
The Berkshires aren't really my bag - they're pretty and interesting to visit but the theme-park New England downtowns propped up by Manhattan money thing gets old - to me the exceptions being Williamstown, New Marlborough, and Sheffield, though, for their sheer beauty and in the latter two their down-to-earth people.
Northeastern MA is sort of an undiscovered area to me, but I've always enjoyed the countryish vibe passing through Topsfield, Newbury, and Georgetown.
In short it's hard to pick just one.
If I had to settle, I think it would be Northfield - there you can enjoy a pleasant historic community, beautiful scenery and outdoor recreation in the surrounding hills or the Connecticut River, working farms that aren't just rich people's hobby farms like much of MA, a drive-in movie theater, and a short drive to the great little cultural hubs of Greenfield, Brattleboro VT, and Keene NH all within 20 minutes or so. On the coast, give me Mattapoisett or Fairhaven. In the middle of the state, Hardwick is pretty much "God's Country."
In Central MA (Worcester County), The Brookfields, Barre, Hardwick, Petersham, Phillipston, and Royalston. Royalston is truly stuck in time, like the clock stopped in 1880, never to move again. Hardwick is like that too, but unlike Royalston has some storefront businesses and farmstands that serve as built-in community conversation spots - Hardwick is absolutely gorgeous with lots of preserved farmland on beautiful rolling hills. Both Hardwick and Royalston are quite isolated for employment purposes. Closer to the action, about the only 495 corridor town I find truly charming in Worcester County is Berlin. Bolton and Harvard are okay, but have a BIG vibe of exclusivity these days. Princeton, Rutland, and Oakham are quite nice as you near the geographic middle of the state. Northern Middlesex County has Groton and Ashby, which are both very scenic and quite rural, especially rural being Ashby. Groton, again has that exclusivity vibe though. Next-door Shirley is a charming, forgotten small town with an historic common and nice pleasant woodsy vibe.
In the interest of transparency, my username FCMA = Franklin County MA! Love it here! Just about any town in Franklin County, minus Orange (even though I live here - too downtrodden though the outskirts are gorgeous) and Greenfield (too big), would be in the running. Three of my favorites are Wendell (if you want to live in a town that is essentially a hippie commune), Montague (made up of five villages - Turners Falls, Millers Falls, Montague Center, Lake Pleasant, Montague City - each with their own distinctive personality), and Northfield (farm country paradise with an insanely quaint center full of historic homes). The Hilltowns of Western Mass - the ones tucked in the hills west of the Connecticut River Valley hubs, but east of the Berkshire County line, are nearly all charming and all very beautiful - some already named, such as Ashfield and Shelburne Falls being particularly vibrant, but among many others, Conway, Colrain, Leyden, Cummington, Worthington, Williamsburg, Granville, Huntington, Charlemont, Chester, and so on. If you want to stay on the CT River Valley floor, Hatfield and Whately are quite wonderful - Deerfield is an odd duck (oddly suburban farm town where the newcomers, attracted by Yankee Candle or something, are put off by and keep complaining about farm smells - weird tension in Deerfield) but interesting history.
In the Southeast I've always liked Westport, though again exclusive, and the lovely forgotten waterfront towns of Fairhaven and Mattapoisett! Buzzard's Bay waterfront that the hordes of Cape & Islands tourists seem to have completely overlooked.
The Berkshires aren't really my bag - they're pretty and interesting to visit but the theme-park New England downtowns propped up by Manhattan money thing gets old - to me the exceptions being Williamstown, New Marlborough, and Sheffield, though, for their sheer beauty and in the latter two their down-to-earth people.
Northeastern MA is sort of an undiscovered area to me, but I've always enjoyed the countryish vibe passing through Topsfield, Newbury, and Georgetown.
In short it's hard to pick just one.
If I had to settle, I think it would be Northfield - there you can enjoy a pleasant historic community, beautiful scenery and outdoor recreation in the surrounding hills or the Connecticut River, working farms that aren't just rich people's hobby farms like much of MA, a drive-in movie theater, and a short drive to the great little cultural hubs of Greenfield, Brattleboro VT, and Keene NH all within 20 minutes or so. On the coast, give me Mattapoisett or Fairhaven. In the middle of the state, Hardwick is pretty much "God's Country."
I am starting to get the vibe that western Hampshire and Franklin county are becoming mini-Berkshires, filled with retirees and weekenders. Which is not a terrible thing, but it does jack up Real Estate. Take a peak at the housing prices in Conway and Ashfield. A bit pricey for not that much in terms of jobs.
One town that I always think about is Tolland. Western edge of Hampden county. I think possibly the best town in MA to get away from everything and everyone. Cheap, cheap real estate, on the most Republican towns in MA, and a property tax rate that hovers around $5/thousand.
Also agreed on Hardwick. The drive from rt. 9 to rt. 2 on 32/32A is one of the best in the state.
I am starting to get the vibe that western Hampshire and Franklin county are becoming mini-Berkshires, filled with retirees and weekenders. Which is not a terrible thing, but it does jack up Real Estate. Take a peak at the housing prices in Conway and Ashfield. A bit pricey for not that much in terms of jobs.
One town that I always think about is Tolland. Western edge of Hampden county. I think possibly the best town in MA to get away from everything and everyone. Cheap, cheap real estate, on the most Republican towns in MA, and a property tax rate that hovers around $5/thousand.
Also agreed on Hardwick. The drive from rt. 9 to rt. 2 on 32/32A is one of the best in the state.
Western Franklin and Hampshire are definitely getting Berkshired, like you said particularly in Conway and Ashfield, as well as Shelburne Falls of course! Bill Cosby's big estate in Shelburne must have created a ripple effect! Worthington seems like another of that ilk. Agreed on Tolland! Next-door Sandisfield seems similar, though it's in Berkshire County so probably a price peg up! Middlefield, westernmost Hampshire County town, is quite the isolated spot on the map, like Tolland, and is so far away from anything that prices looked reasonable at last check!
Some far Western hill towns get this eerie vibe to them, and the wealthy seem less present, way up in the highlands with kind of charmless town centers (if you can even find anywhere resembling a "center"), a smattering of trailer homes, and no reason for an outsider to stop except for a long hike to search for Sasquatch. I'm thinking of places like Monroe, Hawley, Florida, Savoy, or Peru. I like it - the isolation and lack of cutesy keeps those places real!
Western Franklin and Hampshire are definitely getting Berkshired, like you said particularly in Conway and Ashfield, as well as Shelburne Falls of course! Bill Cosby's big estate in Shelburne must have created a ripple effect! Worthington seems like another of that ilk. Agreed on Tolland! Next-door Sandisfield seems similar, though it's in Berkshire County so probably a price peg up! Middlefield, westernmost Hampshire County town, is quite the isolated spot on the map, like Tolland, and is so far away from anything that prices looked reasonable at last check!
Some far Western hill towns get this eerie vibe to them, and the wealthy seem less present, way up in the highlands with kind of charmless town centers (if you can even find anywhere resembling a "center"), a smattering of trailer homes, and no reason for an outsider to stop except for a long hike to search for Sasquatch. I'm thinking of places like Monroe, Hawley, Florida, Savoy, or Peru. I like it - the isolation and lack of cutesy keeps those places real!
I tried to rep you but it said I couldn't. I must have already done it. You really know what you're talking about -- what a tour of rural MA you have given us. I've never cared for the Berkshires that much either as they are too New York-y. Deerfield, I love and I love visiting Historic Deerfield when I go back. Ashfield has always been expensive, of course and Conway got to be sort of a yuppie/hippie heaven back in the 80s if I remember correctly. I think in EMass of the towns I know of, Newbury has to be the most beautiful but I don't know what it would be like to live there. It's probably the most historic due to being founded so early by the Puritans. I agree on those creepy towns that you find when you get lost--Florida, Peru.
Some far Western hill towns get this eerie vibe to them, and the wealthy seem less present, way up in the highlands with kind of charmless town centers (if you can even find anywhere resembling a "center"), a smattering of trailer homes, and no reason for an outsider to stop except for a long hike to search for Sasquatch. I'm thinking of places like Monroe, Hawley, Florida, Savoy, or Peru. I like it - the isolation and lack of cutesy keeps those places real!
I had to rep this because it's so spot on. Once long ago I learned on a drive through Hawley that if someone puts up a giant handwritten sign on cardboard that says "BUMP!", boy, you better listen.
Unlike FCMA here, I love the Berkshires and lived there for many years. I was up in North Adams, though, and that is not at all what you are looking for as it's vibe is more college town. Though he's right about New Marlborough (love Mill River) as the people are very easy going, and I will throw Monterey in there as well. There's an abundance of natural beauty out there.
I had to rep this because it's so spot on. Once long ago I learned on a drive through Hawley that if someone puts up a giant handwritten sign on cardboard that says "BUMP!", boy, you better listen.
Unlike FCMA here, I love the Berkshires and lived there for many years. I was up in North Adams, though, and that is not at all what you are looking for as it's vibe is more college town. Though he's right about New Marlborough (love Mill River) as the people are very easy going, and I will throw Monterey in there as well. There's an abundance of natural beauty out there.
Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the down-to-earth mini cities of North Adams and Pittsfield and many of the little tucked-away Berkshire towns - I just find Lenox and Stockbridge, and GB to some extent, just a little too precious. Places like Becket, Washington, and Mount Washington qualify as wonderful woodland hideaways with tons of natural beauty.
Sort of like your Hawley cardboard sign - One of my favorite signs is the standard MA "Entering Peru" sign as you enter Peru. Someone stenciled below it, "I'd turn back if I were you." Good advice
Amesbury, West Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich. Depends on what you want.
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