Moving to western Mass -- need help!

[VlyRoadKid]

Originally Posted by gouldmanj

Ah yes, my husband is one of those that lived in THE VALLEY and has been longing to return. He went to grad school at UMass Amherst and now 15 years later we are moving back to the area this summer.

Everyone I speak with... if they have ever lived in the Valley, all say that they wish they could go back, or plan on moving there when they retire, etc....

Gives me high expectations, now if I can just find the right combination of house, lot size, house cost, school, commute, etc. I would be as happy about the move as he is.

That's the great thing about this area: there is so much geographical and demographic diversity (along with the cultural kind) that you can have so many options of living style in a relatively small area.

For instance, if you want a cosmopolitan feel, but a house (not an apartment) and a yard for your kids, there's a town like Florence. If you want a bit more country, there's Williamsburg, or even Goshen to the West and Hadley or Hatfield to the East, or Deerfield & Whateley to the North.

There are pretty little towns, like Montague Center and Conway, or farm-country in Hadley (away from the malls on Rte 9), and hill-town life all over, whether in Shutesbury & Leverett, near Amherst, or Conway and Ashfield, near Greenfield.

Greenfield itself has been the subject of much debate on this forum, but it has much to offer. No, it is not as slick as Noho, but there are shops, restaurants and much affordable real estate. The area to the North (and towns like Bernardston) are very beautiful and affordable. The only real complaints I'd lodge against Greenfield are its abysmal school system and high tax rate with little return for what you pay.

But, if you're very eco-conscious, Greenfield is building a solar-powered development, which looks rather nice!

Good luck with your search; I'm sure you'll find exactly what you want.

P.S. About Ware: It's still quite a depressed area, though some improvements have been made. But if you have kids, do NOT send them to the Ware schools! I taught there and the problems are immense and many of the teachers quite lacking (not me, of course!). There are are so many foster kids that Ware-ites call it their "cottage industry". This might be good for some of the lucky foster children, but not for the schools, plagued w/discipline problems.

I agree with the person who pointed out S. Deerfield. Their school system (Frontier Regional) is one of the best. You could live in Deerfield, Conway, Whately, or Ashfield and send your kid there.

[Xenos]

Did they ever build the biodiesel plant in Greenfield? I used to try to follow the details on that but if there has been any news I have completely missed it.

[westernmass101]

Originally Posted by jessii

Hi! My fiance and I grew up in the North Shore in eastern Mass. And after we get married, we're planning on moving out to western Mass as my fiance hopes to attend UMass Amherst out there. So we are looking to buy a house nearby.

The reason I need help is because I have no idea which neighborhoods are good or bad! All I really know is Amherst and South Hadley are good, and stay away from Holyoke and Springfield.

I've done a quick search on realtor.com, and came up with some houses in Ware and Chicopee, but I have no idea what those towns are like.

We're not looking at the school systems, since we don't have kids and aren't planning to for a long time. We're just looking for a nice neighborhood to live in where property value will possibly increase within the next 10 years, when we'll probably make our next move.

Thanks for the help!

First things first Hoyloke is great, not the best but great. Springfield stay away from to much trouble and taxes are ridiculous. Chicopee, I live here and am commuting to UMass Amherst as a freshman in the fall. It's great here, affordable (lowest tax rate), very safe, a lot of economic activity happening even during a down economy, a lot to do outdoors, a perfect place for you and your fiance.

The property value here in Chicopee still remains high, we haven't really had that much fioreclousures (probably only three or five), but most of it is great.