Western Mass: Will be working in Holyoke, should I live there too? Driving conditions? (Springfield: apartments, car insurance)

[snowboots]

Greetings to all and thank you for any and all replies.
I am a female in my mid twenties, getting a good job in Holyoke MA around close to the Mall.

I visited the surrounding area and fell in love with Northampton, which would be about 12 miles from work. However, I am very wary of commuting during the winter time.
I suppose that 12mi in the winter snow and ice make for much more than in the summer.

I came accross the "Devonshire Place" apartments (http://www.devonshireplaceapartments.com/) which would only be a mile from work and seem to be a safe and well kept place compared to the rest of the city.

Any opinions?
Has anyone heard of these apartments? What's the surrounding area like?
Any winter driving insight? Are the roads treacherous?

[skytrekker]

The drive from Northampton to Holyoke will be mostly on 1 91- and the state is very good at cleaning the interstate- very quickly. The same is true for local roads.

Northampton is indeed a very charming town- go for it. The distance is not that great between the two locations.

[ontheroad]

I agree with skytrekker, I drove from Williamsburg (another 13 miles from Northampton) and never had a problem with any MA highways or roads. I did have my own drive to deal with me but had someone do it for me at a reasonable rate.

And as a young woman you'll have access to more fun activities after work if you live in or nearer to N'hampton.

[Noodle]

You will have no problem traveling down 91 from NoHo in the winter. They keep it pretty clear. And you'll be better off living there.

[prudence]

That complex is nice. You'd be fine there, and much closer to work. And certainly very close to Northhampton when you want to visit.

There are some here that just want to bash Springfield and Holyoke all day long because of crime, but the reality is if you aren't a drug dealer living in a slum, you are about as likely to be a victim of a crime as you would be in any one of the suburbs. Both cities have very nice places to live and I wouldn't hesitate to go with your first inclination with that property.

[gimme it]

Personally, I like Amherst over Northampton, but many love it. Holyoke will be dull compared to either of these 2 places.

[artichoke63]

Best way to find an apartment in Noho is craigslist. You'll start seeing more come May when kids leave for the summer. Also some good deals in Holyoke. Noho is getting expensive! Amherst is too far for you to drive.

ARtie

[winnie]

Amherst crime index= 114
HOLYOKE = 627
Springfield = 741
Northampton = 219

Northampton, Holyoke and Amherst are all the same size cities. Numbers don't lie. The average crime index in the US is 325. So Seems if you live in Springfield you have a 7x higher chance of being the victim of a crime than if you live in Amherst.

South Hadley is a nice little area also, and I 100% back up Amherst/Hadley area, both really nice places to live.

[ontheroad]

Very enlightening stats, winnie.

Originally Posted by winnie

Amherst crime index= 114
HOLYOKE = 627
Springfield = 741
Northampton = 219

Northampton, Holyoke and Amherst are all the same size cities. Numbers don't lie. The average crime index in the US is 325. So Seems if you live in Springfield you have a 7x higher chance of being the victim of a crime than if you live in Amherst.

South Hadley is a nice little area also, and I 100% back up Amherst/Hadley area, both really nice places to live.

[rn2008fl2009]

A factor that a young female might want to consider--your auto insurance rate will differ based on your zip code. MUCH higher rates in Holyoke due to high theft rates. Call an agent and get a car insurance quote for Noho before even considering a move into Holyoke!