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If you had to raise your family in one of those cities along the I-91 corridor, which one would you choose?
I see positive and negatives to each one:
Greenfield/Montague - The least interesting of these four cities, but they're in the middle of them all so access easy. Franklin County is cheaper alternative to the Northampton/Amherst areas, but there is less to do. It also seems like the politics there isn't quite as extreme.
Northampton/Amherst, MA - Probably the most complete city of the four cities with the most to do. Not as close to nature as the northern neighbors, but it's closer to the larger job markets of Hartford/Springfield. I have to wonder if the city has gone from reasonable progressive to stupid progressive, though?
Brattleboro - I love Vermont and Brat probably has best access to nature. The downtown is lovely, but right as you leave downtown it looks like a bunch of used car lots. Still nice city, but does it have the same problem as Northampton - has it gone from reasonable progressive to stupid progressive?
Keene - All around beautiful city with good access to nature. Downside might be that it's located in NH which means it has fewer services.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Brattleboro reminds me of Burlington in that they both have vibrant and great downtowns and are quintessentially Vermont, but a lot of the residential parts are dumpy and the quality of the housing leaves a lot to be desired. But Burlington has a good number of desirable suburban and semi rural towns to live in surrounding it and Bratt drops off into deep woods pretty fast. Not much going on in southern VT unless you're an avid skier and hiker. There's some nice swimming holes in that area in the summer.
Not as familiar with Greenfiend, but man... Anthony Bourdain sure made it look depressing and melancholy in his Massachusetts episode.
Keene is nice, but if you're not willing to embrace Live Free or Die New Hampshire, then probably best to skip it. It also doesn't have any real highway access , so add 30 minutes to get to 91 or 89. That would be a deal breaker for me.
Northampton/Pioneer Valley would be my pick out of the four. This area is very virtue signally and woke (as is Bratt), but Northampton has the best downtown (it's fun and has great food), the best range of job opportunities, and things to do. Not sure I'd want to live right in Northampton, but there are an assortment of towns to live in that area ranging from gritty urban mill towns, suburbs, and rural areas. It's close enough to get quick access to big hills, mountains, woods, and pastures. Route 9 west will get you out into some of the smallest towns in Mass.
If you're gonna live in Western Mass or Vermont, you're going to see lots of BLM signs and rainbow flags. It's definitely a thing. The county I live in northern VT is more moderate and 1/2 & 1/2 but with no shortage of Let's Go Brandon bumper stickers. In Franklin County, Mass along the Mohowk Trail it's like that too. Welcome to Murica in 2023, it is what is. Are Bratt and Northampton over the top progressive? Yeah, they are. But I think the Northampton area has a diverse range of towns surrounding it, more than the other three.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 01-19-2023 at 01:13 AM..
Brattleboro reminds me of Burlington in that they both have vibrant and great downtowns and are quintessentially Vermont, but a lot of the residential parts are dumpy and the quality of the housing leaves a lot to be desired. But Burlington has a good number of desirable suburban and semi rural towns to live in surrounding it and Bratt drops off into deep woods pretty fast. Not much going on in southern VT unless you're an avid skier and hiker. There's some nice swimming holes in that area in the summer.
Not as familiar with Greenfiend, but man... Anthony Bourdain sure made it look depressing and melancholy in his Massachusetts episode.
Keene is nice, but if you're not willing to embrace Live Free or Die New Hampshire, then probably best to skip it. It also doesn't have any real highway access , so add 30 minutes to get to 91 or 89. That would be a deal breaker for me.
Northampton/Pioneer Valley would be my pick out of the four. This area is very virtue signally and woke (as is Bratt), but Northampton has the best downtown (it's fun and has great food), the best range of job opportunities, and things to do. Not sure I'd want to live right in Northampton, but there are an assortment of towns to live in that area ranging from gritty urban mill towns, suburbs, and rural areas. It's close enough to get quick access to big hills, mountains, woods, and pastures. Route 9 west will get you out into some of the smallest towns in Mass.
If you're gonna live in Western Mass or Vermont, you're going to see lots of BLM signs and rainbow flags. It's definitely a thing. The county I live in northern VT is more moderate and 1/2 & 1/2 but with no shortage of Let's Go Brandon bumper stickers. In Franklin County, Mass along the Mohowk Trail it's like that too. Welcome to Murica in 2023, it is what is. Are Bratt and Northampton over the top progressive? Yeah, they are. But I think the Northampton area has a diverse range of towns surrounding it, more than the other three.
Thanks for that.
I tend to prefer places with functional governments that try to ensure that when people fall on hard times, they'll still have access to Healthcare and decent unemployment.
That being said, I have no patience for right wing nationalists who may feel comfortable discriminating against my wife ( my wife is neither white nor American) or extreme leftists who would love to have that token brown friend so they can satisfy their need for diversity
I just want a nice place to raise my daughter in a community that tries to care for their neighbors.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrDee12345
I tend to prefer places with functional governments that try to ensure that when people fall on hard times, they'll still have access to Healthcare and decent unemployment.
Massachusetts and to a little lesser extent Vermont would be best for this and for schools as well. Besides benefits, Massachusetts will give you better access to healthcare in general, and more opportunities for employment so that you can get off unemployment if that were to occur.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrDee12345
That being said, I have no patience for right wing nationalists who may feel comfortable discriminating against my wife ( my wife is neither white nor American) or extreme leftists who would love to have that token brown friend so they can satisfy their need for diversity.
IRL, I think most people feel this way. I'd recommend not touching CD's POC forum with a ten foot pole. But these limited worldviews and the lack of critical thinking can be encountered almost anywhere in the US at one end of it or another unfortunately.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrDee12345
I just want a nice place to raise my daughter in a community that tries to care for their neighbors.
You can still certainly have that and Western Mass/Vermont have plenty of tight knit communities to land in where you can actively help one another. As mentioned previously, surrounding towns of these areas might be a better fit than living right in Northampton or Amherst itself. You'd have to do some more digging, deep diving, exploring, and having a good look around these areas to see what community best matches your values.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 01-19-2023 at 08:51 AM..
Tough for me. Northhampton/Amherst is the most complaint and independent city as you said. However Brattleboro is one of the prettier New England small towns and I just love it's downtown and natural setting. I would go Northampton if your looking for work and can't work from home. If you have a remote job in place then Brattleboro. Not sure which would be better for children, Brattleboro might have more of a homey feel.
You can still certainly have that and Western Mass/Vermont have plenty of tight knit communities to land in where you can actively help one another. As mentioned previously, surrounding towns of these areas might be a better fit than living right in Northampton or Amherst itself. You'd have to do some more digging, deep diving, exploring, and having a good look around these areas to see what community best matches your values.
I guess I'm looking for a town or city that is dense and walkable with good bike trails.
Northampton fits that criteria, but it's a bit more expensive than than the other places.
Keene just might be my favorite of all the places, but the state of NH turns me off (politically).
I guess I'm looking for a town or city that is dense and walkable with good bike trails.
Northampton fits that criteria, but it's a bit more expensive than than the other places.
Keene just might be my favorite of all the places, but the state of NH turns me off (politically).
I lived in Portsmouth NH for a decade. The state has such a small budget that everything is local. You’d never confuse Keene with Portsmouth but Keene isn’t a right wing backwater.
I lived in Northampton for a while some years ago. I’ve spent a lot of time in Brattleboro. Keene and Greenfield, I’ve done lots of retail there while driving through weekly to go skiing at various points in my life but I can’t comment about living there.
For me, it would be Northampton easily. Brattleboro is kind of downtrodden with a big opiate addiction problem. It doesn’t have anything beyond low paying tourism-oriented service sector jobs to anchor the economy. The wealth is out of state tourists. Keene at least has a college in town.
Northampton/Amherst, MA - Probably the most complete city of the four cities with the most to do. Not as close to nature as the northern neighbors...
Bone to pick with your absurd idea of nature as something alienated from the cities and towns where people live. Nature is everywhere. But even within this cramped notion of nature, Northampton has plenty; someone long ago called it the paradise of America. Even today with I-91 desecrating the Connecticut Valley it's still a beautiful place with abundant farms on the rich, fertile soil on the floodplain north and east, the Holyoke range for quick scenic hikes, Berkshire hills nearby, dozens of state parks/forests, Trustees sites, MassAudubon sites, the Quabbin Reservation to the east...
I lived in Portsmouth NH for a decade. The state has such a small budget that everything is local. You’d never confuse Keene with Portsmouth but Keene isn’t a right wing backwater.
That probably explains why Keene's property taxes are so high.
I’d go Northampton/Amherst, for all of the reasons described above.
But man, if you like sour beers… Hermit Thrush in Brattleboro is world class.
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