Let's hear it for Pittsfield (Boston, Worcester: real estate, 2015, low crime)

[JuPano]

When anyone asks where in western Mass would be a good place to live, lots of towns are mentioned - Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Northampton, Williamstown and on and on. I have been looking at this forum for a while and I find it interesting that very few (if any) posters have anything good to say about Pittsfield. I have been checking it out for relocation from central Mass and I find the following to be true - reasonable housing prices, excellent medical facility, low crime rate, and proximity to wonderful cultural venues. Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow, Williamstown Theater - and live stage productions right in town: Barrington Stage Company which has lately been receiving rave reviews (Boston Globe-June 2015) for a recent production of "Man of LaMancha", not to mention, The Colonial Theater also has a wide variety of performers and performances. There are also a number of restaurants which I have not tried (yet) but there plenty of them and many garner good reviews on Trip Advisor. There is also an Amtrak station and bus service to local communities. Any thoughts, anyone??? Would love to hear from you.

[Brave Stranger]

I've been all over New England, and sad to say I've never been out to Pittsfield. You sound like you have found a home, so congrats

[JuPano]

Thanks for your response. Yes, it seems to be a very nice area - I would love it if someone who lives in the Pittsfield area would have some input - anyway, for all the reasons I stated, I will probably be relocating. Have a visit to Pittsfield Brave Stranger!!

[in_newengland]

Since there aren't a lot of replies yet, I'll chime in. Although I'm originally from WMass (Ct River Valley, that is) we seldom went out to Pittsfield. Not too many people did. I think it has a lot to do with the winters out there. It was okay in summer but it just seemed even colder and snowier than other areas in winter.

That's probably due to the elevation. We went out there to see mountains or to see fall foliage. I think there were some clothing outlets there too. House prices were cheaper. The town was always kind of rundown too but if that has changed and you can take the winters, it could be a good place.

[Amontillado]

I'd like to say something good about Pittsfield, but it sadly suffers the blight of being economically dependent on the big General Electric plant that's now closed. It just feels like one of those far too numerous industrial towns that don't have much to do any more. For sure, as the largest town in the western part of the state, and the Berkshire County seat, there's some action going on, but it's never struck me as a town where there's much fun. I'm sorry to be knocking Pittsfield and maybe someone who knows it well can step up and say why it's actually a really nice place.

On the other hand, I really like Lee; I'm always ready for excuses to go there. It's got an air of prosperity without going all artificially cute to get the tourists to stop, some interesting buildings downtown and an old-fashioned small town atmosphere, but with enough modern stuff that you don't get frustrated. It probably helps that Lee has a Turnpike exit just down the road from the center of town. Close enough to be convenient, while keeping the main part of town intact.

[G1..]

Originally Posted by JuPano

When anyone asks where in western Mass would be a good place to live, lots of towns are mentioned - Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Northampton, Williamstown and on and on. I have been looking at this forum for a while and I find it interesting that very few (if any) posters have anything good to say about Pittsfield. I have been checking it out for relocation from central Mass and I find the following to be true - reasonable housing prices, excellent medical facility, low crime rate, and proximity to wonderful cultural venues. Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow, Williamstown Theater - and live stage productions right in town: Barrington Stage Company which has lately been receiving rave reviews (Boston Globe-June 2015) for a recent production of "Man of LaMancha", not to mention, The Colonial Theater also has a wide variety of performers and performances. There are also a number of restaurants which I have not tried (yet) but there plenty of them and many garner good reviews on Trip Advisor. There is also an Amtrak station and bus service to local communities. Any thoughts, anyone??? Would love to hear from you.

First I like Pittsfield but your post ignored the true facts about this once thriving town .AS was mention before yes it has had a hard time and has not recovered from the loss of GE and it's second problem is it's size ,as the "biggest town " in the Berkshires " and west of Springfield and that means it carries all the same problems with it as other towns is size and while it has a nice little downtown area there all some very nasty parts to that town . Just not a more crime(than it's sleepy neighbors) but a higher drug problem and like it or not a larger immigrant population which adds different problems that always come with unexpected diversity. The Venues you mention can all be reach by living somewhere else without the headache the Pittsfield brings ,Great Barrington , Lee,Lanesboro all come to mind.Pittsfield is not the only town struggling ,West Stockbridge ,Adams and North Adams all come to mind when you look at hubs in the Berkshires that are struggling .

[semiurbanite]

I know the berkshires well. Pittsfield is in a beautiful area, but it is rough around the edges compared to the more touristy and bucolic towns that surround it. GE was the citys biggest employer by far until the late 90s and into the early 2000s when they began pulling out, and the population of the city has been in decline ever since. It was once a very nice city as one can tell from the architecture around Park Square and North Street. But today few people relocate there, and most natives that go to college do not return due to lack of jobs and a desire to live in other places. Things seemed to be looking up for a while, but in the last few years the drugs and violence seem to have been increasing, with 5 people shot in a parking lot just a few weeks ago. City-data has it in the High crime category: http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime...achusetts.html

That said, there are nice parts of the city that are very safe. If you want a rural home, the edge of Pittsfield near Richmond is nice, quiet and wooded. It's also closest to the cultural attractions you mention like Tanglewood. And in the winter there is decent skiing nearby.

[JuPano]

I appreciate all of the input from each of you. Weather not a problem for me, as in winter. Moved here from San Francisco 33 years ago and have lived to tell the tale, especially of last winter. Many mentioned the crime factor. As I look around at the many communities of this country, I see that theme repeated over and over. Drugs, gangs, guns. The incidence of crime is indeed a very sad commentary and very attractive areas continue to be plagued by it - lots of crime on Cape Cod for instance. I live outside Worcester, where in 2013 there were 9 murders. Pittsfield had 0 in that same time frame. Knowing that there are many types of crime, to me murder and the wanton waste of life is the biggie and when I see 0 I find some small comfort in that. All of the things that I mentioned in my initial post still hold true, regardless of the crime stats. I drove around Pittsfield a couple of days ago and found many neighborhoods to be attractive with reasonable home prices. It's tough to find that in many communities. Being retired and on fixed income, this is certainly a draw. I love Lenox, Lee, etc. but the prices of real estate in those areas are beyond my budget. So, while one hopes that safety and security can be a part of one's life, I guess we have to face facts - crime (take a look at Boston) is here to stay. Thanks again for all of your thoughts.

[mdovell]

Pittsfield isn't bad. As for the GE thing much of it was sold to SABIC a long time ago. Granted I will give you the situation in CT could cause GE to leave. I'm sure Pittsfield would welcome them back.

[nei]

A friend who lived there didn't have any crime worries. He did have heroin (or a similar drug) addicts living next door, but he claimed they were harmless just don't really there. Seemed rather sad.