Springfield 8th best city in US (places to live, most dangerous, ranked)

[south-bound]

I currently live in Springfield, and I can't wait to get out. If I was single or it was just me and my husband, I may try to stick it out, as there are parts of the city that are lovely. But with the kids, I have more to look for in a place to live than just a few good neighborhoods.

The Entertainment District doesn't have nice, upscale restaurants; it's mostly bars. There aren't any upscale stores; you need to go to the Holyoke Mall for that. The city is not good for walking in, unless you live near Forest Park. So maybe I should change my answer: even without the kids, I wouldn't want to live in Springfield.

Unfortunately, my family can't afford to live anywhere else in New England except here. And my husband won't leave his family-of-origin behind, so we're stuck. It stinks!

[south-bound]

I currently live in Springfield, and I can't wait to get out. If I was single or it was just me and my husband, I may try to stick it out, as there are parts of the city that are lovely. But with the kids, I have more to look for in a place to live than just a few good neighborhoods. The schools here are terrible! And as far as discipline goes, the school officials are hiding behind their desks. My son has been consistently bullied, and neither his teachers or school administrators did anything, because it happened when the kids were in the halls, away from adults. When my son couldn't take it anymore (another student assaulted him), he fought back, and received the same punishment as his attacker! I hate the schools here!

The Entertainment District doesn't have nice, upscale restaurants; it's mostly cheap bars. There aren't any upscale stores; you need to go to the Holyoke Mall for that. The city is not good for walking in, unless you live near Forest Park. So maybe I should change my answer: even without the kids, I wouldn't want to live in Springfield.

Unfortunately, my family can't afford to live anywhere else in New England except here. And my husband won't leave his family-of-origin behind, so we're stuck. It stinks!

[SpringfieldResident]

There is a very interesting psychology relating to Springfield. The city has changed in the past 40 years -- it used to be very segregated, with most non-whites located in a handful of neighborhoods. It is now very integrated, about 50% of the population is white, the other 50% is mostly Hispanic or Black. I think that fact drives a lot of the opinion.

When you hear people say "look around at what the city has become", that is a dog whistle meaning "beware, a lot of people don't look like you do". It's sad but a lot of people still use outward appearance to gauge the safety or desirability of a community.

I think that many people moved out over the years because of that changing demographic, and those people are now among the most ardent Springfield bashers, living in suburbs that are still largely white and higher income. Their animosity is among the fiercest I've ever seen.

I agree with WestMass79 -- Springfield is a good place to live. 8th best place in the country? No, but far from "a run-down, crime-ridden city". Yes, there is crime here -- but you will find crime in most cities. The crime statistics published are both difficult to compare across cities (how does Detroit count rapes versus Springfield?) and mislead their impact (most assaults tabulated are between known associates, and that category also includes reported domestic incidents). If you are a regular citizen, not involved in any drugs or gangs, you will not have any problems.

What is good about Springfield?

* It is centrally located (2 major highways run right through it), giving you easy access to Hartford, Boston, NYC, Albany, and even rural areas like Vermont. This opens up not only leisure activities but also job prospects.

* The housing prices are very reasonable, you can purchase a nice sized, well-built house in a good neighborhood for under $175k (most suburban communities will run you at least $100k more for the same house)

* Living here combines larger city and smaller town amenities. You don't have to deal with gas stations that aren't open on Sundays or after 5pm. You can actually choose from more than one pizza place. You can go to the grocery store on a Sunday night.

* You can rent here. From what I've read, as a country we probably overdid it on the concept of home ownership. Many communities, particularly in Massachusetts do not allow multi-unit housing. Springfield does.

* The parks and cultural amenities are great. There is a strong library system, 2 municipal golf courses, several large parks (including Forest Park, a real gem with a zoo in it), several museums, all within the city borders.

* Springfield is small enough for someone to make a difference but large enough so that you aren't living on Wisteria Lane. It is a city where you can be as public or as private as you want to be.

* There is something here for everyone. You can choose from a wide variety of housing options, from apartments to condos to small ranches to large Victorians to even houses on a lake. You can live in a wooded neighborhood or on a busy city street. Yes, by specializing, other communities can offer better of one choice to people, but Springfield has a wide variety of neighborhoods, businesses, schools, parks, and most people can find what they want here.

That said, there are some things that could improve:

* If you have kids, schooling is not as "turnkey" as it is in other communities. You have to do research, pick a neighborhood school, try for a charter or magnet school, or decide to go with a private school. However, once you realize that you will pay close to $10k per year in additional mortgage costs to live in a suburb, private schools are a good option.

* Crime could be lower, not because regular people are regularly affected, but because the stigma of higher crime retards the city's potential. There are people who truly believe that there is a murder every week in Springfield, and that by stepping foot in the city they will be next. That isn't reality -- the murders that occur are drug/gang related or domestic incidents -- but some people avoid the city nonetheless.

* As with many ex-industrial cities in our current economy, job prospects aren't booming. There are several promising industries, notably health care and education, but Springfield is no longer the manufacturing powerhouse it was 75 years ago, and like other similar cities, has struggled to reinvent itself. Springfield is not a hot job market, so there is lesser ability to job-hop.

* It would be nice to have a "boom cycle". We haven't seen one in a while, and the absence of one makes people hypersensitive to change. When a local restaurant closes, it becomes the headline on the 5 o'clock news. I think that many people compare Springfield to what it was 50 years ago and are disappointed that it is not the manufacturing powerhouse it once was.

* The downtown has been negatively impacted by malls and big box stores, as well as people's lack of desire to live there. I would not describe it as "vibrant", and that is what people are looking for these days.

* The negativity by others is at times stifling. I am truly amazed that so many people routinely go out of their way to bash Springfield. It would make for an interesting PhD dissertation to figure out the source of anger.

I believe Springfield has a good prognosis, primarily because the tide is turning and people are starting to realize that exurban living isn't sustainable. We also finally have a president who realizes that this country needs an urban policy, and that we have to focus on every American, not just those who are wealthy. I think that eventually, mid-sized cities will strengthen as people focus again on the benefits of centralization.

[seamusnh]

Springfield MA? It wouldn't make the top ten in MA, never mind the top ten of the country. The only time I hear about Springfield is when there is another shooting in the city.... Stayed there one weekend for one of my kid's swim meet. A scary place....

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by seamusnh

Springfield MA? It wouldn't make the top ten in MA, never mind the top ten of the country. The only time I hear about Springfield is when there is another shooting in the city.... Stayed there one weekend for one of my kid's swim meet. A scary place....

"scary" equals "different" to most suburbanites visiting Massachusetts cities not named Boston. You only hear about the shootings because that's what makes news, not because that's all that happens there. We live in a culture where it's the bad that makes the news, not the good.

As Springfield Resident said, many if not most of those crimes are linked. They are a result of organized crime and gang activity. People don't just walk down the street shooting people.

I think Springfield Resident's post is an excellent one. It's something that applies to many of the cities in Massachusetts (but certainly not all). I wouldn't rank Springfield in the top 10 overall, but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by WestMass79

There are plenty of great places to live in Springfield.

I agree with you on this statement, as long as you are a person w/out children.

I have recently found many areas of Springfield that I had never seen before, thanks to my navigation system and relocating family members.

There are some very nice looking areas.

Longmeadow has such a great reputation, but when I got there from my aunt's house, which is in a very, very, scary looking area of Springfield, in 9 minutes flat, I wondered why anyone would move there. Seriously, if you are afraid of living in Springfield, wouldn't you move farther than a criminal could ride his bike???

Originally Posted by WestMass79

As I've said many times I live in Springfield, and many family members and friends as well, and none have had crime problems. Maybe we're all lucky, but somehow I doubt that. Meanwhile friends in Longmeadow have had housebreaks.

I am sorry, but I have relatives that have been affected by crime, yes in a crappy neighborhood, but yes, in Springfield.

*cars broken into three times
*cinder block tossed into front window of the house, landing very nearby the recliner where my uncle was sleeping (unprovoked)

Second one was the worst. If that freaking cinder block landed on my uncle's head, he could be dead right now.

Originally Posted by SpringfieldResident

It is now very integrated, about 50% of the population is white, the other 50% is mostly Hispanic or Black. I think that fact drives a lot of the opinion.
When you hear people say "look around at what the city has become", that is a dog whistle meaning "beware, a lot of people don't look like you do". It's sad but a lot of people still use outward appearance to gauge the safety or desirability of a community.

Some may, but not all. It's easy to blame the negative opinion on the demographics.

I don't know, for me, something that decreases the desirability of a community is all the extensions on the railings of the two family houses so they can house Section 8 families. I mean, even the landlords can't be bothered to redo the railings. It looks like crap.

And with all these apartments, you don't have much pride of ownership or anyone taking care of the appearance of the property.

Also, if it is 10:30 PM and someone drives down the street with an obnoxious stereo system in their car, well that affects my opinion of a place too.

And I don't care if you are White, Black, Puerto Rican, purple green or yellow, if you are walking like a thug, talking like a thug, and dressing like a thug, yes, I am going to be slightly nervous if I pass by you on a dark street.

I live in a small town now that desperately needs more minorities. I am so glad when I see them, because my family itself is something of a minority. So when I see a black or hispanic family, I'm glad they are here. I don't look at them in a negative way, I look at them like, they wanted to start their family in a nice little town with a good school system, just like I did. Good for them and glad they are here.

Originally Posted by SpringfieldResident

I think that many people moved out over the years because of that changing demographic, and those people are now among the most ardent Springfield bashers, living in suburbs that are still largely white and higher income. Their animosity is among the fiercest I've ever seen.

I agree with you. When the minorities moved in, the white people moved out, and they shouldn't have, it was paranoia. Instead of looking at the newcomers like they were moving into a nice neighborhood to have a nice life, they looked at them like they were being invaded, freaked out and moved. Now they are terrified of Springfield, as if they will be mugged the moment they get out of their car.

Originally Posted by SpringfieldResident

If you are a regular citizen, not involved in any drugs or gangs, you will not have any problems.

For the most part true, but depends greatly on where you live in the city. My uncle mentioned above was just a regular citizen, he just lived in a terrible neighborhood.

So bad that when they were trying to sell the house, and the Realtor was there to show it, either the Realtor or the person who came to look at the house, I can't remember which, got their car broken into. I mean give me a break, you go to look at a house for sale and someone breaks into your car? Yeah, you're going to buy that house now.....

Originally Posted by SpringfieldResident

What is good about Springfield?

You hit the nail on the head. There are many good things about Springfield. I have never lived in a city that was so easy to get around. Between 91 and 291, and the Pike, you can get pretty much anywhere pretty quickly. I've spent 20 minutes to get somewhere close by in Worcester. I hated driving there, it took at least 10 minutes-plus wherever you wanted to go, and hell if you actually had to get to a neighboring town, it was usually half an hour. Horrible. Also, spfld has every convenience known to man. You can get whatever you need or want, whenever you need or want it. That convenience cannot be beat.

Originally Posted by SpringfieldResident

That said, there are some things that could improve:

* If you have kids, schooling is not as "turnkey" as it is in other communities. You have to do research, pick a neighborhood school, try for a charter or magnet school, or decide to go with a private school. However, once you realize that you will pay close to $10k per year in additional mortgage costs to live in a suburb, private schools are a good option.

This is the one reason I would never live in Springfield again. My parents live there and I think it's great for them. They have every service known to man (though the tax rate seems ridiculously high for the value of their house). I think it's a great place to live if you don't have kids or if you are just starting out. But, I simply would not put my kids in the public school system there if there was any way I could avoid it. You can't count on or even dream of a Charter school. My cousin has been trying to get her kids into Sabis for years, and no luck. I think you've got to know someone to get in there at this point. I would live in a smaller house that I could afford elsewhere before locating in Springfield. And I refuse to utilize a private school. That is what I pay property tax for. I'd rather pay 10K more in a mortgage and taxes than pay for private schools for two, three, or four kids. Private school tuition quickly adds up and after 10 years, there is no equity in your child's private school education, unlike your home (hopefully ).

[Aptor hours]

Springfield is kind of icky

[cartgy]

Springfield is a nice place to live. The crime is blown way out of proportion. You should always be careful where ever you are though. I have lived here all my life and I'm still here. The Indian Orchard section is a nice area. But it does have downsides. The city is small, and theres not alot to do. Not alot of jobs these days, and alot of businesses are closing.

[TheWereRabbit]

I think this is irony.

We all know Chicopee reigns supreme over Western New England.

[vicpellicier]

Pretty sure that list has been totally rendered useless by trolls. I mean, Detroit is number 4. That list is not serious.

Vic