info on Springfield, MA (Boston, Worcester: low crime, credit, new home)
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Please heed all the warnings from all those wise and compassionate fellow citizens. I spent eight miserable years in Springfield back in the 70's, and things haven't changed much. Not a very inspiring city. I lived for a couple of years in Northampton, Mass. nearby, and this is a much nicer place. However, in the last few years it has become a rather expensive area.
If I were thinking of relocating to New England, I would consider moving to New Hampshire. The tax situation is much more benevolent, the countryside is beautiful, and the school systems are great. I would check out the Peterborough area (very liberal), the breathtakingly beautiful Connecticut River valley area between Orford and Woodsville (unbelievable home bargains), and farther north, a very interesting and progressive town called Littleton. You can get a lot farther in New Hampshire, I think, than you would in Massachusetts. I hope this helps.
I volunteer as a mentor to children of incarcerated parents. So I am doing what I can to try and reverse the cycle of young people entering the system. The experiences you describbe are tragic & unacceptable anywhere. But it is something that occurs everywhere whether it's the inner city or the suburbs. My issue is that there seems to be a large segment of the population that may live in a city(Not just Springfield) and as soon as something tragic happens within blocks of their home, their packing their bags and putting up the for sale sign in the hopes of escaping to the suburbs and a very false sense of security as though the criminals can't cross the city limits. It's as though some people are seeking an environment where they can live in complacency and that is most dangerous anywhere. The conditions that exist in Springfield, though not acceptable by any means, is not unlike other major cities throughout the country. My position is this. Eventually you run out of places to which you can escape. So if you see a problem that's not being addressed or you feel can make a positive contribution, do it. Because while I understand people have children to raise and so on, but the criminals want to drive you out of your community. And unfortunately they have been very successful. Stop letting them win. I'm not billing Springfield as paradise. But as long as everyone has this attitude, the city will never reach the potential it deserves. I'm only one person and it takes many more who have that vision. Afterall, it's not as though Springfield was always this way. At one time it was the "IT" place to be. That can be brought back with the right people w/ the right vision. Obviously someone saw that potential in Hartford and look at their massive improvements to downtown many neighborhoods(Although they still have 2-3X the homocide rate of Spfld w/ 20,000 fewer residents). But it can be done. Also as a member of the Springfield Police Dept, I know firsthand knowledge that a large percentage of our drug arrests or arrests for drug related crimes are committed by people who drive in from the suburbs. And not to mention that it's the same population that brings it into the city in the first place. I don't believe any resident of the inner city owns a plane to fly to miami every weekend and replenish the stock. So while I'll be the first to defend anyone's right to live where they choose, I hope the decision is an informed one. Which means do your own reserch and come to you own conclusion. Don't take my word for it. And yes there are things about Springfield I'm not happy with. But there are many more positives. There are many great neighborhoods where it is still safe to raise families. Hartford had to lose 20,000 residents in 5 years before they started getting their act together. No one is leaving Springfield in such droves, so it can't be that bad.
Well life is too short. Why would one want to live in a filthy, potholed, currupt city like Springfield when the surrounding towns are so much better? Springfield has one of the highest tax rates in the area. Subsidies aren't free. Well, for some they are. And before you say I don't know what I'm talking about, I have worked in Springfield for 26 years, and I travel around the City everyday, (as well as the entire W. Mass area), and see it first hand. I concede that there are some great people and still some nice non blighted areas, but would I ever send my children to Springfield public schools? Never.
My family and I lived in Springfield (my wife's hometown) for 17 years, then in CT for 7 years. We also lived in NC and MI for 6 years. We are now back in Springfield to serve in elder care for my wife's mom who is in ill health. We did not want to come back here but are doing it for her benefit!
To forum member "Hoopcity": I feel sorry for you because, based on what you said, you haven't really lived anywhere outside of Boston or Springfield to make a fair comparison of places to live. There are many, many other much better places to live other than New England and MA. If you want to stay here that is your perogative. Compared to what Springfield was 30 years ago, it is now the pits! Virtually everything about this area is bad. And that includes Chicopee, Holyoke and W. Springfield for the most part. The area here is noisy ("thumping" cars with loud music day and night!), dirty, trashy and filled with litter! Many neighbors don't have a sense of common decency like they did years ago. Domestic disturbances are commonplace. People don't seem to care about what they do or when they do it. "In your face" is an everyday occurrence here!
My wife (who lived here more than 44 years) said she now feels like she is living in a foreign country or maybe on another planet because of the number of languages that people are speaking. We plan to get out of this area and move to a nicer one as soon as we are financially able. We're not sure where that wil be at this point.
Putting up new businesses and housing is not going to change the problem. The problems here in Springfield are too numerous to detail. However, the past few city administrations have ALLOWED this to happen to the city through neglect and their own shortsightedness. It is going to take a change of attitude in the minds of people to change this city. And that is not going to happen unless city officials take the lead and do so very aggressively.
So, if you're really serious about coming here, stay away from Springfield and surrounding cities!! The suggestions on this forum of other smaller towns are quite good. There's also a good web site from Money Magazine where you can go to explore good places to live anywhere in the U.S. The link is:
Thanks. My thoughts exactly. I currently live in Westfield (no prize either), and will be moving out of this state as soon as my doughter graduates HS. About 4.5 years and I can't wait. We're thinking N. Tenn. Kentucky area. Or, my cousin moved his family to SW MO, and he loves it. Listen a second.... Hear that? Yup, it's people leaving the state. Voting with their feet. And the noise in the background is the jobs leaving the state. So, unless your into that "alternative lifstyle" or are a bleeding heart who loves high taxes for all the failed social programs,or high auto excise taxes for that big Boston hole in the ground, there's nothing much going for Mass. Except nice scenery if a sudivision does'nt get in your way.
We love it here in Brimfield - about 1/2 hour drive from Springfield. We moved here 2 years ago looking for a small town with a good public school for our 2 daughters ages 9 and 11. We found so much more! a Town that welcomed us in warmly, with plenty of New England charm and helpful, friendly neighbors. We are relocting to Singapore for two years for my husbands ob. We are already looking forward to returning home to Brimfield! Good Luck, Amy
Avoid Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke, by all means possible. South Hadley or north of it is basically fine. West Springfield and west of it is also fine. East Longmeadow and south of it (northern CT) is fine, too.
I volunteer as a mentor to children of incarcerated parents. So I am doing what I can to try and reverse the cycle of young people entering the system. The experiences you describbe are tragic & unacceptable anywhere. But it is something that occurs everywhere whether it's the inner city or the suburbs. My issue is that there seems to be a large segment of the population that may live in a city(Not just Springfield) and as soon as something tragic happens within blocks of their home, their packing their bags and putting up the for sale sign in the hopes of escaping to the suburbs and a very false sense of security as though the criminals can't cross the city limits. It's as though some people are seeking an environment where they can live in complacency and that is most dangerous anywhere. The conditions that exist in Springfield, though not acceptable by any means, is not unlike other major cities throughout the country. My position is this. Eventually you run out of places to which you can escape. So if you see a problem that's not being addressed or you feel can make a positive contribution, do it. Because while I understand people have children to raise and so on, but the criminals want to drive you out of your community. And unfortunately they have been very successful. Stop letting them win. I'm not billing Springfield as paradise. But as long as everyone has this attitude, the city will never reach the potential it deserves. I'm only one person and it takes many more who have that vision. Afterall, it's not as though Springfield was always this way. At one time it was the "IT" place to be. That can be brought back with the right people w/ the right vision. Obviously someone saw that potential in Hartford and look at their massive improvements to downtown many neighborhoods(Although they still have 2-3X the homocide rate of Spfld w/ 20,000 fewer residents). But it can be done. Also as a member of the Springfield Police Dept, I know firsthand knowledge that a large percentage of our drug arrests or arrests for drug related crimes are committed by people who drive in from the suburbs. And not to mention that it's the same population that brings it into the city in the first place. I don't believe any resident of the inner city owns a plane to fly to miami every weekend and replenish the stock. So while I'll be the first to defend anyone's right to live where they choose, I hope the decision is an informed one. Which means do your own reserch and come to you own conclusion. Don't take my word for it. And yes there are things about Springfield I'm not happy with. But there are many more positives. There are many great neighborhoods where it is still safe to raise families. Hartford had to lose 20,000 residents in 5 years before they started getting their act together. No one is leaving Springfield in such droves, so it can't be that bad.
Springfield is a dump. Oh, by the way, have you ever heard of a paragraph?
Springfield is a void!
plain and simple.. it sucks your soul dry.
I (unfortunatly ) grew up there and attended the public school system.
Ever see pink floyd's "the wall?" The meat grinder metaphore is DEAD on target.
More than the crime its the overall vibe of the place..
Deadsville! Depression Junction even. People in springfield have this overall notion that " oh well this is the best its going to get, so i might as well just get used to it" there are very few that realise how assanine that notion is and those few usualy flee with heels smokin.
I mean serioulsy do you want to bring children up with crackheads, junkies, pimps, cons and hookers? (and thats just people in office, never mind the residents)
Out of everyone I grew up with, I can count on one hand those that have actualy done something with their life.
I finaly got out 3 years ago, when the mob ran the town into the ground.
It seemed like all the improvements to the city went into the strip clubs and shadey " entertainment district." Crack and Extacy were easier to come by than the correct time.
Ever walk down worthington st. and say to yourself " Man, this is a great city!" ...
nope, me either.
The only hope is to get the hell out while you still can.. sure there may be some revival of springfield, but thats a long way off.. wait till she hits bottom. By the way how many armed robberys/shootings and or stabbings have there been in the last month ??
well lets google it so were not just talkin out of the corner of our mouths..
awefull lot for just one day. and 17 years olds stabbing people!.. you have to watch out for the whacked out kids more than you do the adults.. excellent peers for young impressionable minds!
Friend's were telling me that the state police were doing the patroles last summer, as the crime was THAT bad, and local police were just shy of being at a chief wiggum level of competence (as well as being under-funded due to the shiney new poles for the strippers at the mardi gras.)
So yea if you want your children to be treated like inmates by a failing education system, go ahead maybe they too can hang out on kensington ave. and sell crack after school, get knocked up at 15, collect welfare, clog the system.. it goes on and on.
so i guess what I'm saying is regardless of how much you sugar coat a turd.. its just a piece of crap, with sugar on it at the end of the day.
also, you said:
"My position is this. Eventually you run out of places to which you can escape."
to which I will counter: Just because you go into the lions den, that doesnt make you Daniel.
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Just doin' my time, then outta here!!
