Berkshire towns for families (Boston, Worcester: renting, low crime, how much)

[familymom]

What is life like in the Bershires? Are the winters that awful? I have been doing some research looking for the better schools in an area that is not over run with tourist, come the summer and fall seasons. Not sure if I am looking in the right areas. Could someone suggest a few nice towns. Looking for family areas and near shopping. My picks were Lanesboro, Otis or Great Barrington.

How is the job market for people who do service work? Such as heating and cooling. Do you have to know someone or live there your whole life just to get a job?

Also how much snow do you get? Is it hard to get around a day after it snows because of ice and not clearing the main roads quick enough?

Not sure if this is the place for us but it sure is a beautiful area for those that choose to live there.

[familymom]

Would help if I could spell it correctly- Berkshires, sorrry

[ChrisA70]

I would like to help you out, but I will be moving there this coming weekend from Florida. I am from Northampton, MA. originally. I chose the Berkshires because I love it out there. I am moving to Pittsfield. I know the schools there are WAY better than FL schools. Almost all MA schools are great. NE states are all in the top 10.

I know it snows there as much as it does out in Northampton and Greenfield. I lived in Chesterfield and we got a good amount of snow, but it's a tiny town, so it took a while to plow out there. I chose Pittsfield since it's a city(more plows). Just remember the smaller the town, the less coverage for road plowing.

[familymom]

Thanks, is Pittsfield a nice area?

[ukwoman]

ok, for the snow. it varies from year to year. but usually there is a lot. Sometimes there can be as much as 2 feet from one storm. it depends on if the plows can get onto the roads to clear them. im not gonna lie. sometimes driving conditions are HORRIBLE. ice can be a factor but not too bad.

where are you moving from? as this will play into if you are used to snow or not. which could make it harder or easier.

[ChrisA70]

I think it is, or I would not move there. I looked into the schools, demographics, etc. I have been there many times when I lived in MA. I always liked it out there. I see there is a very low crime rate. The place we are renting is ina nice area, on a dead end street with a park right next to it.

Originally Posted by familymom

Thanks, is Pittsfield a nice area?

[ChrisA70]

Yes I lived in Chesterfield, MA. It was on the top of a mountain, tricky driving at times. You have to own a front wheel drive, or 4 wheel drive. My Saab 900 is a complete tank in the snow, unstoppable. We seemed to be on the ice line in Chesterfield, had 3 or 4 icings, where as the Berkshire area was predominantly all snow.

Originally Posted by ukwoman

ok, for the snow. it varies from year to year. but usually there is a lot. Sometimes there can be as much as 2 feet from one storm. it depends on if the plows can get onto the roads to clear them. im not gonna lie. sometimes driving conditions are HORRIBLE. ice can be a factor but not too bad.

where are you moving from? as this will play into if you are used to snow or not. which could make it harder or easier.

[familymom]

Thanks, moving out of Nj. We have friends who have moved up to Vermont and are really enjoying it. They have no kids so they could live in a more affordable home in the town next to the really nice town! Did you get that? We bought into a time share up in this area because we fell in love with the area, but vacations and living are two different stories. We have been thinking of relocating out of Nj for awhile, just not sure where we want to land. Jobs of course are important as well as schools. My husband is worried that this area in Mass. will be filled with many retirees? And not many things for families, I mean we are not the artsy and crafty type of people that like live classical music.

Also how cold does it get. I am not talking temp, I mean is it so cold on average in January that you nose mucus freezes! I felt that once in Vermont and almost gasped at the frigid air, while the locals were walking around in sweaters. Unbelievable cold.

[ChrisA70]

Well Pittsfield has a median age of 38-42 year olds. Not a retirement area. Down here in FL is retirement land. Great schools too. My daughter is going to an "A" school up there in Pittsfield.

Not artsy people here either, well, my dad is a photography professor up there... I like art, but not like it runs my life, know what I mean. I listen to hard rock... No classical here, except Christmas music.

Cold you ask? Well.... Here is a link. It has cold snaps, but nothing like Michigan, SD, or ND or around the great lakes... It's not that bad. Heck I am coming back from Florida after 15 years, I am not worried about it.

Average Weather for Pittsfield, MA - Temperature and Precipitation

Originally Posted by familymom

Thanks, moving out of Nj. We have friends who have moved up to Vermont and are really enjoying it. They have no kids so they could live in a more affordable home in the town next to the really nice town! Did you get that? We bought into a time share up in this area because we fell in love with the area, but vacations and living are two different stories. We have been thinking of relocating out of Nj for awhile, just not sure where we want to land. Jobs of course are important as well as schools. My husband is worried that this area in Mass. will be filled with many retirees? And not many things for families, I mean we are not the artsy and crafty type of people that like live classical music.

Also how cold does it get. I am not talking temp, I mean is it so cold on average in January that you nose mucus freezes! I felt that once in Vermont and almost gasped at the frigid air, while the locals were walking around in sweaters. Unbelievable cold.

[litlux]

Snowfall, in the Berkshires, is not that special for the region. Where I am in North Adams, we average 67" a year. Worcester gets 67.6" and Boston (Great Blue Hill observatory) some 60". Albany which is 35 miles away gets 61" while Buffalo, on the Great Lakes chalks up 91". If you want more, you can go to the top of New Hampshire's Mt. Washington for 259" a year. For less, there is Hartford at 49" or comparatively balmy Central Park in Manhattan with 28.4.

It is a pain, I hate shoveling the stuff as much here as I did in Braintree, MA but some of us are good neighbors and the letter carrier still delivers to me on foot, so I am concerned he make it to my doorstep.

The City of North Adams does a remarkably fine job of plowing, as do most of the Berkshire communities, though there are some where taxes are even lower than here, and the services less, um, thorough.

There are quite a few heating-cooling companies, though what I see as a growth opportunity is anyone who can come up with answers to the oil burner dependence we have in New England. Most of the houses around here use oil, and we are all trying to figure out whether to convert to gas, or propane or ???

I know this is not exactly what you were looking for, but I hope it helps a little.