Promotion to Westfield MA, move to CT or MA? (Springfield: best town, sales)

[gossman68]

Long story short.. we live in Minnesota, originally from "The Valley" in CT, got a promotion to Westfield, MA with some time traveling to Fitchburg, MA. Ecstatic to be coming home!! Work is flexible when we go but sounds like within 2-2 1/2 months this goes through. We have two school age kids, both 6 and a 5 month old so schools are important. We both still have family and good friends stretching from Bristol south to Stratford so we would like to be some what close but not kill myself with a commute. I'm thinking closer to my job would be best but it sounds like Westfield may not be the best town??
I obviously dont want Springfield but beyond that we've looked at the East/Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Southwick, Agawam, Monson area. Now starting to look towards the 1-91 corridor in Ct and even east a little further towards Stafford I dont know a whole lot about any of the areas but would like something on the smaller size... 8-25k people. We dont have a lot to spend as I have been the only provider so cant look much beyond 215-220k for housing. We prefer old charm vs new cookie cutter so I know we can find a lot out there. I am used to a 40-45 minute commute so wouldnt be to opposed to an hour but not much more. What i am really trying to find is what area is gonna give me the best bang for my buck including tax burdens and DMV etc..., and if i do decide on Ct how much more am i looking at losing as far as income tax in both states and will that out weigh the lifestyle of living. We will get the opportunity to fly out in a few weeks to looks for 3-4 days so i think we will get a better smell and sight effect but would really like to narrow it down before we do. Sorry about the long story not so short but would really appreciate some opinions so I gave as much info as I could.

[goyguy]

If you make a lot of non-food purchases, consider that MA's sales tax is 5% while that of CT is something like 7 3/4%, maybe 8 1/2%? (Can't say for sure since it seems to fluctuate pretty often.)

Longmeadow probably has the best public school system in western Mass. That seems to always hold true in communities with expensive housing and a Jewish population. (A fact's a fact, PC readers - I grew up in a town much like Longmeadow.) You could probably find a decent dwelling within your price range there, but other towns are less pricy. On the Massachusetts side of the border, all of the following would be viable options: Hampden, Southwick, Agawam/Feeding Hills (home of Six Flags New England - bound to be an easing of the property-tax burden), Wilbraham/Monson, and Granby. Somewhat farther up the road, but with a cosmopolitan college-town feel that's no accident and on the way to Fitchburg, lies Northampton. I've left out Easthampton, Chicopee, West Springfield, Ludlow, and Holyoke because they're all perceptibly in decline and with inferior schools, but will gladly stand corrected on any of them as well as on Westfield itself.

Crossing the state line, Simsbury has the best (which is to say, most "college prep") of the school systems in the area. CT's own Granby, along with Enfield, Windsor/Windsor Locks, and Suffield, are other communities in the region with a good selection of affordable homes and decent academic offerings. Simsbury, Granby (CT), and Southwick are all traversed by US 202/State Route (in both states) 10, which bisects Westfield.

It sounds like you may be able to stick around in Minnesota until the kids are finished with school for the year, which would obviously be the most desirable scenario. If that's not possible, get them linked to child-friendly (NOT Myspace or Facebook) online social networks. That way they can strike up some virtual friendships to ease the burden of having to meet new people in a new place late in the academic term. Otherwise, a few trips to the playground or pool in the new town should get socialization moving forward without their having to face the prospect of being stared down by a classroom full of unmet kids.

City-data is definitely the right place for hunting stats concerning tax rates, housing costs, etc etc. To glean yet more info on Massachusetts' public school systems, you should be able to find the appropriate links from the mass.gov home page. All students in MA are compelled to take the standardized "MCAS" test at three grade levels, and the results for each of the state's school districts are probably posted.

Happy home hunting!

[jeffw]

westfield is great for schools, many are brand new....

if your working in westfield living there would be great. its a great safe town, has most every store you need, not all but a good mix, southwick is nice but volunteer f.d, no highway access, nice lake, regional highschool.

agawam is a nice town but slow and struggling to maintain buisness, forget about spfld nothing good in spfld fopr the most part.

Living in Ct does have a higher tax rate and rent is higher than mass. With todays gas prices.... live close as to work as you can no need to commute to westfield as its a great little town. Lived there more than 20 years, seen the changes and they are on the right track. The school system is great...

[in_newengland]

CT's own Granby, along with Enfield, Windsor/Windsor Locks, and Suffield, are other communities in the region with a good selection of affordable homes and decent academic offerings. Simsbury, Granby (CT), and Southwick are all traversed by US 202/State Route (in both states) 10, which bisects Westfield.

I almost totally agree with the above. I am very familiar with the area and you could find cheapish housing and a nice small town there. I think Southwick MA is quite rural and right next to Westfield. Granby CT is nice too, as are Suffield, Windsor & W. Locks, and Enfield. Simsbury is big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$--I'd recommend not bothering. Those neighboring MA towns are also big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Fitchburg is going to be a long haul no matter where you live.

[septimus]

I wouldn't live in Westfield. The school system sucks (I'm a product of it and thankfully my parents had the wisdom to send me to boarding school so I was prepared for college but boy was it painful catching up from a lackluster education I received in Westfield even though I was in "advanced" classes. My sisters went to public school in Suffield and after they caught up (my sisters were way behind in math when they moved there) they did amazingly well but at the local public high school and college. Southwick is farm town that has become a commuter town but the schools don't send a lot of kids to "top" colleges. Longmeadow has always been a good system.