Boston to Pittsfield (Braintree, Northampton, North Adams: transplants, apartment, rent)

[Hatless Wonder]

I'm interviewing for a job at Berkshire Medical Center. If I get the job, Hubby and I will be moving from Boston to Pittsfield. I've lived in Boston or 8 years, but I spent 4 years in North Adams before that, so I'm familiar with the Berkshires. Except for my time in Boston, I've always lived in small towns. Hubby is a city boy, born and bred.

I know some of the challenges associated with moving from a major city to a small one. We'll have to buy a car, and Hubby may have trouble finding a job. We'd be able to live cheaper than we do here, and we'll have some chance of buying a house. It will be nice to have some space.

Has anyone else made the same move? What problems did you run into?

[goyguy]

I was raised in an inner-ring suburb to be a city kid, and had never dwelled in an urban area consisting of fewer than a million people until I moved to Northampton during my mid-twenties to work toward a Bachelors degree amidst a change of scenery. Based on that, I'd say the adjustment could well be rough on your spouse. My culture shocks ranged from seeing dozens of outstretched arms the same "color" as mine grabbing on to poles for support on rush-hour buses, to having totally crappy choices on the radio when not in the mood for college stations or NPR, to running out of new places to eat within a month or two. The level of boredom during the summer had me climbing the walls. Small-town (defined by Yours Truly as less than 100,000 persons within ten miles) life is not for me.

"No malls" was a point of pride for Berkshires natives until the late '80s, when one was opened in Lanesborough. Its net effect couldn't've gone unforeseen: as occurred in hundreds of other North American places, chain-store franchises clumped together in climate-controlled comfort under one roof and surrounded by miles of parking were the death blow to Pittsfield's already-struggling downtown. As if that weren't enough, the "two" of a one-two punch was delivered by the departure of GE, the region's economic juggernaut.

Take out the county's educational institutions (MCLA, Williams College, BCC), hospitals, and tourism and there'd be practically no employment for anyone. I loved "escaping" to the Berkshires when I lived not far to the east, and later when I still had "wheels." Lee and Great Barrington were cool towns, Tanglewood rehearsals could be watched for free, the hiking was great, Bartholomew's Cobble and Bash Bish Falls were eagerly anticipated destinations, etc etc. But "you can't eat scenery."

A major plus of Massachusetts' westernmost county is its quality of life beyond having all that natural beauty around. People are generally more relaxed and warm-hearted; a wildly disproportionate number of the friends I made in "the Valley" hailed from there. Walk into any shoe store, sub shop, or what have you and it's as though the employees will invite you to their next cookout if you give them the chance. This aspect reminds me of the South in a good way. For a far lower ticket price, you can "catch" a professional - though assuredly not MLB - baseball game, always a fun way to while away a lazy summer afternoon or evening but not so easily done in Boston. No section of Pittsfield, let alone any of the towns, needs to be steered clear of after dark. It's debatable whether life's mainstays (groceries and gasoline) are much cheaper out that way, but parking and auto insurance definitely are. Ditto for housing, big time, all the more so now that it's a buyer's market wherever you go.

I had to settle for boring, lousy, mostly "temp" jobs to keep myself fed and sheltered during my sojourn in western Mass. Between that and the fish-out-of-water feeling brought on by the big-city/small-town dichotomy, I'd had enough after two years and returned to Boston. So, Ms Wonder, while my take on the Berkshires is overwhelmingly positive and I'd ordinarily be all for your taking that job if it's offered, by projecting my live-and-learn experience onto your "city kid" other half I'm hesitant to give wholehearted endorsement. Not that you asked me for it, LOL. But my and your husband's 49.3% of the population gets restless and worse when we're unable to feel useful and contributing. We're culturally (if not genetically) wired to be breadwinners and to strive for occupational advancement. Vegging around the house, tinkering on the car, going fishing, et al get old fast. IF he were to land a suitable job with opportunities for improvement, I'd give the proverbial green light assuming that the change in surroundings could be adapted to.

[bobhag1]

Hi....In July 2008 me and my wife relocated to pittsfield, I lived in boston for over 15 years. Beleive me when I say it has been tough. Unemployment is increasing. In Boston my wife was an RN so she found work as soon as we moved here. As a GIU endoscopy technician at BIDMC I was making close to $20 an hour, for the last 7 months my new job is a stay home dad. The surrounding towns are mostly old mill and farm towns that are rapidly declining and not offering many professional opps as you would find in boston. Here there are only 3 hospitals within 25 miles. Boston has over 25 major hospitals and clinics within 3 miles! Household income here is about 2/3 of in boston. Whether you own or rent here it is about 40% - 50% cheaper...but cost of living is otherwise more expensive at the pumps, ltd. amount of chain stores and all other places. Do your research on where you live, pittsfield and other locals have large sections of property that have been heavily contaminated by local factories in the past century and there is a very high cancer rate out here, South / south east of pittsfield has a clean bill. The only major crimes I have seen are DUI and shoplifting. Schools here are about 18 students per class and much more efficent and less stressful than boston. The resturants are horrible here ! I miss eating in the northend,fanuel hall, the local steak houses and out here sea food is something you feed your goldfish!!! But unlike boston people are very freindly and will even say hello to you! It is really quiet without all the jets and sirens. Time warner cable is horrible compared to comcast. There is no media coverage of boston news...all available news stations are in albany NY. The culture shock is tough, there is no NE aquarium, muesem of Sci. rock concerts and trips to fenway. Once again you have to go to NY for these things. I have to drive 1/2 an hour to get to bank of america in NY. Boston is the walking city and out here you cannot go anywhere w/o a car. I love the mountains and the country out here but I am still shell shocked from the culture change and all the resources I had access to in the hub. My freinds and family out here cannot understand when I try to convince them I miss boston. Yes I think you will like it out here, but keep in mind that this is going to be a much bigger commitment than you were planning on making.

[lrfox]

Excellent Post, goyguy. I've lived in a few different metro areas in my relatively short time (D.C., Providence and Boston) and right now I'm living the closest to small-town living I ever have (In Portland, ME... not all that much larger than Pittsfield at 60,000 people). Even this (which most people won't consider, "small town") is a tough adjustment for me who would much prefer living in a car-free, urban environment.

My experience is similar to goyguy's I guess. I miss having everything at your finger tips, even if it is at a bit more of a cost. I don't need the extra space... I think this is key for most people living in urban areas. People say, "oh but in Maine (or Western MA... etc. insert any small town) you can get SOOOO much more for your money in terms of house and private space!" I don't care. I don't mind sharing 800 sq feet with my girlfriend. I don't need a yard, that's what parks and public spaces are for. To me, a private yard really feels like a way to cut yourself off from everyone else I don't want that. In the city, if I DO need that bit of space and privacy, I get out of town for a weekend or relax in my apartment. Up here, it's a different world and I'm not sure I like it.

I'd take the higher cost of living to have the ammenities and social atmosphere of the city over paying less to live in a small town with more space and privacy.

What your husband will find is a real difficulty finding work. It won't be easy out there. He may also have trouble finding like-minded people. People sugar coat it by saying, "you're ONLY two hours from the city" but the truth of the matter is, that 2 hours feels like an eternity to someone who was used to walking no more than 2 blocks away to fulfull almost every need.

Your hubby may find he likes the country, but if he doesn't, don't think you can change him. I've found that the longer I'm here, the more I want out. It's frustrating to be somewhere you don't like.

My suggestion would be to "vacation" two weeks (minimum) out there if you can. See how he reacts and then make your decision. Good luck, I hope you figure out what works.

[litlux]

I moved from Braintree to North Adams six years ago, and eventually bought a house. But I did not have to find "a job" since I can earn my living more or less from home. You did not say what your husband did for work, whether he has a very specialized line of work, or is just looking for a low skill position.

In the Berkshires there are many ads in the papers for help, but they do seem to be highly specialized. Perhaps a look at the Berkshire Eagle want ads would give you an idea of his chances of ending up happy. And like anywhere, the good jobs are often not advertised, so it may take a few years to develop the connections that will put him in the loop again.

It is also true that the economy right now is not so great, and some of the local companies (Crane & Company for one) are laying off.

[kaday]

We lived in Pittsfield for three years due to a job transfer for my spouse. In all the years there I have to say I never really adjusted. We had come from the suburbs of NYC then the city itself before that. It was probably a good thing we had been in the burbs for a few years before moving to Pittsfield. Otherwise I think the culture shock would have really really been bad. We did make some friends but really struggled with the lack of common interets. I found it really difficult to connect with people who had spent their whole lives living in an isolated small town (city). Most people who live there are born there and never leave. Few transplants ever move there. My kids never really made any close friends in the schools and were mildly unhappy. My older child became very withdrawn.

I have to say I am a very socialable and friendly person and can adjust very quickly to a new place. I have moved almost every three years with my husbands job and never quite had an experience like Pittsfield. With all that being said I did really enjoy the beautiful nature and the very kid friendly activities available there. We did a lot of apple/berry picking, went to many a Fall Festival and got a lot of tasty silver ear corn in the summer. Childhood there has a potential to be very old fashioned in a very good way.

Medical care there can be tricky. I needed surgery for a complicated shoulder injury and had to drive frequently to Boston to see a specialist. It was tough to find a good pediatrician as my child had some unusual health issues. Again we made the long drive several times a year to Boston.

We later moved to Atlanta and adjusted to the new life there very well. My older child reurned to her old sociable self....and life has gone on smoothly ever since.