MA towns near the VT border and I-91 (Amherst, Northampton: mobile home, employment)

[OrdinaryGuy2005]

Hi there,

Looking for towns near Vermont and I-91 that have nice schools and a reasonable chance of finding a starter home. Really just general information or impressions would be helpful. I work in Brattleboro and have a position I'd like to stay at, otherwise I'd consider Northampton. Was quite impressed with their school site.

Anyways, we have a newborn, but I want to consider the long-term picture when buying property. Brattleboro's elementary schools might be okay, but I keep hearing startling reports on the high school. Kids buying heroin right in class, etc.

We've been in Vermont for two years, originally from CT. We do love it here, but truth be told we'd like to maybe settle somewhere just a little bit more modern feeling.

Thanks

[in_newengland]

Northampton is wonderful but if you want towns near 91 and closer to Vermont there is Deerfield. It's beautiful and somewhat rural but within an easy (probably 20 min.) drive to Northampton and the colleges in that area. I don't know about the school system.

Closer to Northampton there is Hatfield which is another good town with a good school system too and probably more family oriented. Maybe this would be ideal for you but there isn't too much there in the way of housing inventory and it might be a tiny bit pricey. Still, I would recommend that you check it out.

I would check out Deerfield, South Deerfield, and Hatfield. None are as large as Brattleboro though.

All these towns are somewhat rural and small and nice and they are near 91 and not far from Northampton or Brattleboro.

Your closest locale would be Greenfield but I would skip that if you need schools and a wholesome atmosphere.

[Wells5]

Why MA in particular? The Town of Hinsdale, NH, right across the Connecticut River from Brattleboro, has very reasonably priced houses and a high school with 175 students and a 7.5/1 student teacher ratio vs 850 students at Brattleboro High School and a much higher ratio.

[FCMA]

What about public charter schools like Four Rivers in Greenfield?

As for traditional public, Frontier district (Deerfield, Whately, Conway, Sunderland) has alright schools for the area and good I-91 access. Pioneer district (Bernardston, Leyden, Northfield, Warwick) probably ok too. The towns to avoid based on negative perception of their public schools would be Greenfield, Gill, and Montague.

However you're kind of doomed on finding a modern feeling town within range of Brattleboro. The whole weird thing about the area is that it's a little stuck in time once you get north of Northampton, somewhere between the 1850s to maybe the 1960s.

[thenewtexan]

If you're looking for a more modern feel, how about Amherst? The other districts people mentioned are great, but they are quite rural. Amherst-Pelham schools are among the best in western Mass.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by thenewtexan

If you're looking for a more modern feel, how about Amherst? The other districts people mentioned are great, but they are quite rural. Amherst-Pelham schools are among the best in western Mass.

That's a much longer commute than necessary.

[Boston_Burbs]

I would say Deerfield or Sunderland are your best bets. Decent amenities, right on I-91, and you have access to Amherst/Northampton yet are closer to VT. Should your job prospects ever change you are close to the 5 colleges.

[missionhill]

I think the Mohawk Trail school district is good. Includes towns of Buckland, Shelburne, Colrain, Heath, and maybe more. Shelburne Falls village is a mini-Brattleboro.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by missionhill

I think the Mohawk Trail school district is good. Includes towns of Buckland, Shelburne, Colrain, Heath, and maybe more. Shelburne Falls village is a mini-Brattleboro.

Yeh, but they said they didn't want Brattleboro, they wanted something more "modern."

They wanted access to Northampton but that's too far to commute so probably some of the towns in between that we've already mentioned would be appropriate.

[OrdinaryGuy2005]

Meant to thank all of you for your responses. They've helped me feel much more hopeful about our options.

Yeah, my impression was to avoid Greenfield. Good to know which of the surrounding towns to also avoid and which ones are ok. Pretty excited about the Charter School, although I do understand it's a lottery to get in.

My main interest in going to MA over NH or VT is this general feeling that we're a little bit more "back to civilization" once we get into Mass. In Connecticut, we felt like everything was overdeveloped. We didn't like the manicured lawns and the "cookie-cutter" neighborhoods. I now realize this feeling was sort of naive, and now having lived in an area that's more economically destitute, I think I might prefer something closer to the "cookie cutter" neighborhood with the nice lawns to the lopsided farmhouses, mobile homes, and camps.. and the general disrepair I feel I see everywhere in Vermont.

So yes, Hinsdale I think falls in the same category of being a rougher town, closer to what I'm describing in VT than what I'm looking for, although I'm sure there are nice houses. Chesterfield, NH seems to be the destination for many people who have kids, and I've seen nice houses there. My impression though, is that Keene High wouldn't be all that much better than Brattleboro, and that the general (albeit oversimplified) New Hampshire attitude ("Live Free or Die" etc) doesn't suit us.

So as FCMA said, yes.. the whole area is stuck between the 19th and early 20th centuries. In Vermont it feels like we still have one foot in the 1800's, which sometimes creates an air of old-world magic, but I think there is a more persistent feeling of impoverishment that I can't settle with.

I do administrative work for the state of Vermont, and I feel bad that my long term plans aren't to remain a resident. However I can easily transfer those skills to MA state or employment in college administration if the right opportunity arises. My dream job was to teaching college writing, so returning to academia might be cool. I've heard though, that once you get a state position, you should keep it.

I'd be happy to hear suggestions for other towns in MA that might be somewhat similar to Northampton but closer to more economically happening areas. At the same time, we want to be close to a rural area.. I know these are competing forces and that we can't have it all.

The change in my perspective in short... is that having a shot at a starter home and good opportunities for my kid are now more important to me than the cultural vibe of the area.

Thanks everyone.