Best neighborhoods and streets in Springfield (Chicopee, Agawam: real estate, houses, safe area)

[cheeseplease]

My husband and I are moving to Springfield. I read such terrible things about Springfield, but I understand that Springfield varies greatly by street and neighborhood and I can deal with taking the normal precautions (lived in lots of big cities).

I am interested in detailed advice on good neighborhoods. We need easy access to the highway so we're looking at Forest Park Heights. There seem to be lovely big Victorians in Forest Park Heights and an active community with civic association. We love the idea of being right on Forest Park, as we're active runners and have a dog. For those who have lived there or are from Springfield: is Forest Park Heights a safe and good community? Are there specific streets in there that are better or worse than others?

Thank you!

[goyguy]

Forest Park is awesome. If you haven't seen the holiday light display, you haven't lived! Sumner Ave is also still a good commercial district. Despite its politically incorrect name, Indian Orchard is another nice section of Springfield. It's not as upscale, but is a stable and secure community with lots of neat smaller houses from 80 or so years ago. I'm a fan of "Arts and Crafts" bungalows, and there's where you'll find 'em. That area is on the east side of town, so is not as convenient to I-91. But no place in Springfield is really all that far from good highway access.
Chicopee, West Springfield, and Ludlow are all safe and close-in suburban communities with a mainly blue-collar feel to them. Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, and the Feeding Hills part of Agawam are where the money is.
Kudos for recognizing that every city has its good and bad sections. Too many people on C-D (and in America) paint with a broad brush and shout, "Stay away!"
You might want to visit the Website of the civic association you mentioned, or - better yet - attend one of their meetings in person. Even if you don't learn anything, it's a golden opportunity to strike up an acquaintance with potential neighbors.

[cheeseplease]

Thanks so much - I really appreciate your response and suggestions! Do you have any advice about safety in that area - and also about the wisdom of buying an old home in Springfield?

[mattoon]

Forest Park's "Cozy Corner" is a very nice and safe area. Belmont, Dickenson, and few other areas around Sumner Ave are not. Another good street to look at is Historic Mattoon Street in downtown Springfield. It is a very nice community of home owners. The houses are mostly in good restored shape.Check this site: City of Homes | Choose Springfield, Massachusetts There are many historic houses available, but you better off to work with local insider. I can recommend few good Real Estate agents who are clients of mine.My husband and I bought a wonderful historic house on Mattoon Street in 2005. By now we want out to suburbs mainly due to a "too much of a house" syndrome.Feel free to contact me directly if you would like more info - e__v at hotmail.com

[txbaker27]

How about the area around Yale street?

[Vagus]

Mattoon St, while it is attractive, is pretty much just two blocks in the midst of a very questionable part of downtown. I really wouldn't feel too secure there.

In addition to the other areas mentioned (Forest Park, Sumner Ave, Indian Orchard), I'd suggest the Sixteen Acres area (basically the east end of Springfield). Quite nice, lots of well kept small to mid-sized houses. The only problem is that the farther east you go, the harder it is to get anywhere else (i.e, you have to haul all the way through Springfield or Ludlow on crowded, slow, pot-hole-ridden local streets to get to 91 or 90).

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by txbaker27

How about the area around Yale street?

Why don't you tell us how Yale Street is?

10 years ago I had an aunt that lived there. My parents went to visit and my father got into a verbal altercation w/someone who threw a brick at him.

My father is not a trouble maker.

Just wondering how it is up there now.