Moving to Baystate medical center Springfield MA (Chicopee, Westfield: fit in, apartments)

[winnie]

Originally Posted by prudence

So much for Winnie's halt to posting and only responding to PM's.

Winnie, how many of those murders were drug related and/or domestic in nature, and how many were just random people being murdered? I'd hazard a guess that 0 were committed on random people.

Have an index for that?

Second question, do you seriously believe that drug purchasers aren't coming from the suburbs often, as I posted?

Third question, under your assumption about criminals robbing people from richer neighborhoods - Springfields most crime infested neighborhood I think is the South End, which offers great highway access and is closer to Longmeadow and East Longmeadow (where there is more $$) than it is to most Springfield neighborhoods. Think the criminals stop at the the town borders?

First, sorry to dissapoint you... but I have been here long enough and won't let a little snipe here and there deter me.

Now for your questions: I know that it would not be unheard of for people who are the victims of muggings, carjackings and break-ins to also be murdered...or rape victims to be murdered...do you have stats to show it is 100% drug related or is this just another one of your assumptions you expect people to just take your word on?

You cannot determine where the drug purchases are coming from. It could be 100% from the burbs and 0% from Springfield, 50/50, 0/100 who knows? I think this goes back to the whole "stereotyping cities" issue - if you don't want Springfield to be stereotyped you can't get away with stereotyping the burbs as the source of the drug issues either unless you are sitting there having the drug buyers fill out a questionaire.

If the criminals were going from Spr to Longmeadow it certainly does not show in the stats for those cities. Though East Longmeadow does surge up to a whopping 146 index and hmmm...still no murders reported since 1999. I, for one would rather live in a city that is 100% low crime than sit there in 1 "good area" in a city swimming in crime. Maybe I am just wierd..

All I can say in closing is for all the pot shots you have taken at me and my numbers and statements, you have yet to produce one solid bit of information to back your assertions.

[rn2008fl2009]

I have lived in Western Mass. (Spfld., E. Longmeadow) most of my life. I attended college in both Springfield and Longmeadow, and worked in the town Longmeadow for several years. Hands down, I would recommend Longmeadow for your housing situation. It is the ONLY town that I would consider living in if I moved back to Mass. It is definitely the most proximal to Baystate MC via Rte. 91. My grandparents lived minutes from Baystate Med. Center and that area of Springfield is NOT nice. Yes, there are huge homes available in Springfield, but if safety at ALL HOURS is an issue, look elsewhere. West Springfield is close by, as is Chicopee, but they are MUCH more urban than Longmeadow or E. Longmeadow. I have friends who live in Ludlow and Springfield, and no one is happy there, especially if they have children. If you select Chicopee, note the air traffic of Westover AFB--the noise can be a problem. My brother lives in Longmeadow now and he loves it. It is a small town with the benefits of being close to (but not part of) urban areas. Longmeadow seems to be home to many professionals and yet is a family oriented community. Enfield, CT is nearby but has changed A LOT in recent years. Increased crime, and exceedingly high property taxes due to town mismanagement are problems. Longmeadow is one of the only towns in this area to maintain its quiet community appeal. You do not note your wife's profession, but most of the doctors that treated me when I lived in W. Mass. all resided in Longmeadow (or Wilbraham, which is nice but not as close). E. Longmeadow is also nice but not as proximal to the highway. One other option that you might consider is SUFFIELD, CT. Suffield has reasonably priced homes and condos, and it is just a really nice community. Located just south of Longmeadow and west of Enfield, on the other side of the CT river. It has very good schools, small, quiet town charm, and offers many newer homes. It has VERY good access to Rte. 91 so BMC would be an easy commute. Good luck with your move.

[WestMass79]

Longmeadow is great if you want to overpay for your house.

I'm not sure where the last poster's grandma lived, but take a drive up the road from Bay State Medical and you'll find one of the best neighborhoods in this region-- Atwater Terrace, and yes, it's in Springfield. West Springfield also has some nice spots and a cute downtown (as does Chicopee). I guess it's all a matter of taste and if you have money to flush down the toilet or not.

[gregs]

Remember the rules of real estate; location, location, location. Longmeadow offers a quality of life that cannot be duplicated in other areas. Therefore, a buyer probably would be willing to pay more for this quality. Yes Atwater is nice, but drive in a 1 mile radius, would you want to live in Atwater considering the neighborhoods that adjoin it?

I also remember that in reading news from masslive.com (local Springfield newspaper) about Springfield being in or near financial collapse and needing a bailout from the state. The housing director and his familiy are in or should be in jail for embezzled funds. This is not a positive message about Springfied.

[WestMass79]

Originally Posted by gregs

Remember the rules of real estate; location, location, location. Longmeadow offers a quality of life that cannot be duplicated in other areas. Therefore, a buyer probably would be willing to pay more for this quality. Yes Atwater is nice, but drive in a 1 mile radius, would you want to live in Atwater considering the neighborhoods that adjoin it?

I also remember that in reading news from masslive.com (local Springfield newspaper) about Springfield being in or near financial collapse and needing a bailout from the state. The housing director and his familiy are in or should be in jail for embezzled funds. This is not a positive message about Springfied.

Within a one-mile radius of Longmeadow are some of Springfield's poorest neighborhoods. I'm not exactly sure what you'd be afraid of near Bay State/Atwater, unless you have a problem with the North End because there are people there that don't look like you? Otherwise what could it be? Chicopee and Hungry Hill areas are both solid middle class neighborhoods that border that area.

Absolutely there were a million problems in Springfield. That has passed, people are in jail for doing awful things, and the city has been making steady progress. What it needs (and what it doesn't get) is the support of the region and the suburbs. And that's politically, and it's even in places like this, where people take shot after shot. Let's not forget, there would be no suburbs if it weren't for Springfield.

[kier]

drmehul~ Suffield Ct is 15 min from the hospital, two of my family members work at the Hospital. Enfield CT has apartments called Bigelow Commons, and they are very nice. Many of the medical students/residents live there. It might be a good place to start out. Lots of folks who work at the hospital live in Connecticut, and have a very short commute. Congrats on the new job, can I assume it's a residency? If so, call your program director and get some advice in this area. They are always willing to help.

[ontheroad]

Perhaps the OP was frightened away--he/she has not been back to respond to any of the posts.

[gregs]

Originally Posted by WestMass79

Within a one-mile radius of Longmeadow are some of Springfield's poorest neighborhoods. I'm not exactly sure what you'd be afraid of near Bay State/Atwater, unless you have a problem with the North End because there are people there that don't look like you? Otherwise what could it be? Chicopee and Hungry Hill areas are both solid middle class neighborhoods that border that area.

Absolutely there were a million problems in Springfield. That has passed, people are in jail for doing awful things, and the city has been making steady progress. What it needs (and what it doesn't get) is the support of the region and the suburbs. And that's politically, and it's even in places like this, where people take shot after shot. Let's not forget, there would be no suburbs if it weren't for Springfield.

Ok, maybe a 1 mile radius is too much to expect. The point would be in a given area, if you walked, would you feel comfortable? If you went to the local stores or pharmacy, would you feel ok with the people you met? Would they respect you?

In another post about Pearl Street area of Springfield, they were promoting a new complex with 35 surviellence cameras and gated access. This is not the way to live.

In your reply post, you made reference to the south end of Springfield being one of " poorest areas" and the north end "people that looked like me". It has nothing to do with being poor or looking like me. Just because an area is poor, or the people are of a different race or speak a different language, should not mean that owners, landlords and tenants allow or accept blighted areas to exist. Where I currently live, over 1/3 of my neighbors "do not look like me" and english is a second language. The people of the neighborhood care about how their house or apartment area appears. We have voluntary neighborhood associations that anyone can join or attend meetings to address problems. The associations help to promote a positive attitude about their neighborhood. If there are problems within a neighborhood, an individual will not feel powerless about it.

[winnie]

I just want to say that people often assume that this is some racial issue. It is not at all. My father is from the Bronx and we are 2nd generation of poor immigrants who came here with just the clothes on their backs. I love diversity, tolerate legal immigrants just fine but will not tolerate crime.

There are a lot of diverse cities out there - Springfield is in the top 10 nationwide for violent crime. That has nothing to do with diversity or poverty it has to do with the fact that over time criminals have won the battle.

So please don't jump to conclusions that those like me who are pointing out Springfield's issues are somehow xenophobic rich white folk. I feel more safe in many parts of the Bronx (1,000 X more diverse than Springfield) than I do in most areas of Springfield.

While I loathe to say this, Springfield needs a Guliani sized effort to turn itself around. A good clock cleaning in the local government.

[ontheroad]

What was the name of the mayor in 1994/95? Mike something?