SAVANNAH, GA to WESTERN MASS. - Moving young family - where to live? great school systems? (Boston: relocating)

[Leroux72]

My wife Jodi & I are 40 with 3 girls (8, 3 & 3 yrs) We're relocating to Western Mass. HQ is in Braintree where I'll have to go to once per week. Otherwise, all of Western Mass is my territory. Need a great town for my family to live. Hearing good things about Longmeadow & North Hampton. What does anybody recommend for a town/city to live in with great public elementary schools, events, amenites, perhaps some quaint historic value blended with modern conveniences?

We're hoping to purchase a house from $250 - $300K.

Does this town exist?? Please help.

[MammaLakn]

Is there any particular reason that you want to live in Western MA? Since you have to commute to Braintree once per week Central MA would be more feasable.

Sturbrige MA is a beautiful area with lots of historic value. Small town feel with modern conveniences. Schools are excellent and homes fairly affordable. We sold our 8 year old, 1800 sq ft colonial on 2 acres last year for $282500 (we moved to NC).

[NettaJane]

I second Sturbridge as being very central. You'd be on the Pike & off 84. Other towns to consider are Charlton, Grafton and Auburn if you want to stay central.

I don't know much about the western part of Ma but I've heard excellent things about Longmeadow.

[gentlearts]

Get ready for some serious sticker shock in real estate between GA and MA.

[skytrekker]

Median home prices in western mass are reasonable for the location- greater Springfield is about 210K- Northampton and Amherst in the Pioneer Valley will be a bit higher.

If most of your territory is in western Mass- and you only 'need to be' in Braintree once a week- western Mass is only 1.5 hours to Boston/Braintree on I 90- housing will be cheapest in Western Mass.

[mommytotwo]

if you are only going to braintree once per week, stick with western ma. (duh, one longer commute per week is much better than 4 medium commutes per week) I don't know what everyone is talking about!
Longmeadow is nice, so is Northampton.
Wilbraham is also very nice, and in your price range.
I like Belchertown, you can find a nice house in your price range and the schools are excellent. I live here and you can't beat what they offer for the kids. Soccer, baseball, swimming, dance, karate, after school art, there is always something going on for the kids here. (you can actually run them ragged if you like) I have never seen anything like it! I strongly recommend you look into Belchertown. I moved here as a returning-to-western-mass-but-definitely-not-to-springfield person, and chose belchertown because I've got two cousins here already (figured it was better to join them than strike out new ground in wilbraham).
Only thing about belchertown, for you, maybe look in the southern part to be closer to the pike (about 12 minutes), you'll just have to get through ludlow, onto the pike and you're 3 miles from springfield.

[gouldmanj]

Just questioning the comment about the schools in Belchertown being good. I was looking at MCAS scores, compared to Amherst/Pelham/Hadley and Belchertown was lower than those other towns across most grades and subjects.

[TheTransientTranny]

I would like to comment on Sturbridge, MA. My wife is from the western part of the state, Pittsfield to be exact. We took a trip to see the Village of Sturbridge, and it is THE GREATEST and MOST AUTHENTIC representation of an older era that I have ever seen. Makes the The Shaker Village in Kentucky look like Gatlinburg, TN (chock full of souvenirs, and little of value). I would go to see Sturbridge again, in a heartbeat.

[mamom1]

Originally Posted by gouldmanj

Just questioning the comment about the schools in Belchertown being good. I was looking at MCAS scores, compared to Amherst/Pelham/Hadley and Belchertown was lower than those other towns across most grades and subjects.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the MCAS. They are a huge waste of time. I cannot wait to get out of mass. so I don't have to deal with them anymore.

[jeffw]

look at westfield, great town to raise a small family and pretty central to western mass for all areas around it, has an i90 exit so the boston trip is good. good schools and lots of home choices in your range. the city has some traffic issues but with the new bridges going in one done so far its getting better. lots of new schools a college and a hospital. walmart and resturants. lots of sports programs and a great park called stanley park beautiful place. Westfield fire is the best EMS system in the state, 100% paramedics on the ambulances.

southwick is nice too just more quiet, good schools not many stores, volunteer fire department. hear good schools as well.

those would be my choices over northampton, nton is more artsy and gay.. lots of gay population, not that its a problem but expect to explain to your kids why those to guys are kissing on the bench.....