Massachusetts Info. (Boston, Pittsfield, Amherst: low crime, home, job transfer)

[Georgia]

Just checking on some opinions in regard to the following towns:
Stockbridge, Pittston?, Greenfield, and Deerfield.

I may have an opportunity to leave the crime ridden area of Atlanta.
I have lived in Jersey, Philly, Baltimore,Chicago, and now Atlanta.
During my Jersey days I traveled New England and fell in love with the overall American feel.

Three years ago a job transfer sent my family to Atlanta. Wow! if this hasn't been an experience. As a native of West Virginia, I thought it would be traveling to Southern Charm, God! was I wrong.
The crime is high, english is just about a second or third language, traffic is the worst I have ever driven (and I have drove in Boston, LA, and NYC)overall I am not to happy. Of all the places I have been sent in my career, outside of the Middle East, Atlanta is very close to the bottom.

My issue is attempting to convince my warm weather wife that life could be grand in New England. Frankly, she hates the cold with a passion.

Any insight would be appreciated. The areas I chose would be rather central to the territory of coverage. (E. upstate NY, MA, VT, NH, and S.ME)

Looking for a small, quaint, New England town. The Charles Dickenson Christmas story, Norman Rockwell type. Even the old combat zone of Boston would be an improvement in comparison to Atlanta.

Thanks in advance

[skytrekker]

Sorry to hear Atalanta has become such a bad place. Stockbridge is a quintessential New England town in the Berkshire hills of Western Massachusetts. Also do consider nearby Lennox, Lee and Great Barrington.

Pittsfield, just a way to the north of these towns is the largest town of the group you named. The other towns are very 'artsy' with many museums, Theater, Music and more.

Winters in western Massachusetts tend toward the rigorous. These towns offer a slower pace of life, very low crime, little traffic and a high quality of life. The nearby towns of Adams and North Adams should also merit your research.

Also consider Northampton,Amherst, Easthampton and Hadley in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts.

[airedaly]

The hill towns surrounding Deerfield and Greenfield are beautiful and peaceful. There are some of the most beautiful settings in Western Mass.

To keep your wife warm, buy her a down jacket, vest, long coat, booties, mittens and hat (Land's end or LL Bean). She'll be toasty all winter long. And then show her the beauty of cross country skiing in the countryside.....that's the best way to keep warm. A cup of hot cider after your outing will convince her that you made the right move!

[ogre]

Well, maybe the old Combat Zone would be an improvement, as you said in your original post. Don't know from personal experience. Never been to Atlanta. However, the good news is that you can find options even better than the Zone! Of the towns you mentioned specifically, Deerfield and Stockbridge (especially Stockbridge) have the closest to that classic appearance you describe. I've never been to Greenfield, but used to live in the vicinity. I used to hear Greenfield described as just a plain, regular town. Pittsfield is a reasonably safe, pleasant enough everyday kind of place to live, but it's kind of old, and larger than the others--nudging into the territory of being a small city rather than a town--and doesn't really have the look you say you'd prefer in the town where you live.

You don't say what size town you're looking for, or whether a suburban town would work, but you do mention southern Maine as an area that would work. If that general area is suitable, depending on the details, beyond quaint and classically New England, that you're seeking in a place to live, you might check out towns close to the coast, in Maine, NH, or northeastern MA. I'm thinking of the cold weather issue with this. Winters are somewhat milder near the coast. Colder than Atlanta's winters, but still milder than interior sections of New England. Back in the interior, you also said that Vermont could work for you. You don't say whether the entire state of VT would work, but if the west-central part of the state would be suitable, a very attractive small town to look at would be Middlebury. Gorgeous scenery, nice town, and home to a small liberal arts college, so there would be at least a bit more culture locally than you'd find in some small towns. If Middlebury sounds appealing, a similar town you might want to consider is Williamstown, MA. Just a few thoughts. Hope this helps, and good luck with your search.

[Georgia]

Thanks for the reply's all.
Looks like I will be staying in Atlanta, after a month of pleading the spouse has placed her foot in a solid position on the floor. She IS NOT moving.
Figured I will let it pass before the foot leaves the floor and goes directly in my rear end.

Looks like Atlanta will be my home for many years to come

[Parsec]

What part of GA are you from? NE Georgia sounds like Cleveland, which is FAR from the Atlanta crime! And the only traffic to speak of would be around Helen during Oktoberfest, right? White county's probably my favorite county in all of GA. Too bad your wife didn't want to move up here. It took me a while to adjust after moving up from Atlanta (as in ITP) and I'm originally from NJ, but I really love it now.

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by Parsec

What part of GA are you from? NE Georgia sounds like Cleveland, which is FAR from the Atlanta crime! And the only traffic to speak of would be around Helen during Oktoberfest, right? White county's probably my favorite county in all of GA. Too bad your wife didn't want to move up here. It took me a while to adjust after moving up from Atlanta (as in ITP) and I'm originally from NJ, but I really love it now.

Actually in the Duluth to Dacula area.
I place NE GA as Atlanta can be considered N/NE GA.
I work in Duluth about 8 miles north of the parameter.
Things are a changin' down here, very quickly. Gwinnett Center alone can make you do a double take