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Old 02-12-2011, 11:49 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles/Massachusetts
341 posts, read 672,091 times
Reputation: 231

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I have seen earlier thread but am going to ask; What is the best town in that area (I know Chicopee is a city). As others posting, I am looking for a semi county setting but still have a decent town center with some New England charm. I have not looked at property in any other towns except Chicopee, which is amazingly cheap....cheap compared to where I am.
I am in So. Calif. and want to RETURN to Mass., but want to live outside the 495 belt,,,I know this is way outside. Any advice,,,I am here in CA for another couple of years, son wants to go to college in Boston,,,Mom wants to move back permanently,,,never wanted to leave in the first place.....so even though California RE has plummeted horribly,,,,I can get what I consider a lovely home in Mass,,,,depending on the town,,,I cannot move to Newton (used to live there)... .....
To sadly put it...looking for a place that I can grow old, as I will be in mid 50s when I return.....also would like to have a home where my children can eventually bring their children....etc....
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Old 02-13-2011, 05:16 AM
 
Location: Berkshire County
6 posts, read 40,937 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhapsodie2014 View Post
I have seen earlier thread but am going to ask; What is the best town in that area (I know Chicopee is a city). As others posting, I am looking for a semi county setting but still have a decent town center with some New England charm. I have not looked at property in any other towns except Chicopee, which is amazingly cheap....cheap compared to where I am.
I am in So. Calif. and want to RETURN to Mass., but want to live outside the 495 belt,,,I know this is way outside. Any advice,,,I am here in CA for another couple of years, son wants to go to college in Boston,,,Mom wants to move back permanently,,,never wanted to leave in the first place.....so even though California RE has plummeted horribly,,,,I can get what I consider a lovely home in Mass,,,,depending on the town,,,I cannot move to Newton (used to live there)... .....
To sadly put it...looking for a place that I can grow old, as I will be in mid 50s when I return.....also would like to have a home where my children can eventually bring their children....etc....
Have you thought about the Berkshires/Western Mass? I know it's even farther from 495 than Chicopee, but it's really only 2 hours to Boston.
There are many charming towns like Stockbridge, Lenox, Lee, Great Barrington with attractions like Kripalu Yoga Center, Tanglewood, Norman Rockwell Museum, and many others. All these towns are right by exit 2 at Mass Pike.
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Old 02-13-2011, 06:47 AM
 
325 posts, read 924,801 times
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Northampton ! (about 20 minutes to Chicopee)
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Old 02-13-2011, 07:13 AM
nei nei won $500 in our forum's Most Engaging Poster Contest - Thirteenth Edition (Jan-Feb 2015). 

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Location: Western Massachusetts
45,983 posts, read 53,458,335 times
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Westfield and Easthampton are also good choices. Chicopee feels rather urban, it's in a small metro area.

Westfield, Northampton and Easthampton are a bit dense near the center but once you get a few miles out it's quite rural.
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Old 02-13-2011, 09:54 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles/Massachusetts
341 posts, read 672,091 times
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Default Thank you for replies...

Can maybe one of you tell me a bit about any of these towns, other than the demographics on this board.....I have heard and found online that Chicopee has (or did) have a high Polish population?? That is my ancestry and would feel good being around that...without moving to Pennsylvania....where part of my family is from. I lived in Mass so many years and want to return to a state I am familiar with...children born there etc...have some family there also.
Why is Northampton a good choice etc...Thank you.
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Old 02-13-2011, 10:46 AM
 
Location: Berkshire County
6 posts, read 40,937 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhapsodie2014 View Post
Can maybe one of you tell me a bit about any of these towns, other than the demographics on this board.....I have heard and found online that Chicopee has (or did) have a high Polish population?? That is my ancestry and would feel good being around that...without moving to Pennsylvania....where part of my family is from. I lived in Mass so many years and want to return to a state I am familiar with...children born there etc...have some family there also.
Why is Northampton a good choice etc...Thank you.
True, Chicopee has high Polish population, there are some "Polish" stores there with typical foods that everybody knows (kielbasa, pierogies and such). Summertime, local churches hold picnics with Polka bands and fun for everybody. As for the Berkshire part, Housatonic, Great Barrington have some older and younger Polish people (there are 80 year olds, as well as 30-50 year old group. Adams and North Adams are also towns with Polish folks.
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Old 02-13-2011, 10:57 AM
 
Location: East Side
522 posts, read 715,343 times
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Northampton,South Hadley, Easthampton, Amherst are pretty quintessential New England towns. Do a websearch and check out the Chamber of Commerces for the towns. Usually have good relocation info.
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Old 02-13-2011, 11:01 AM
 
325 posts, read 924,801 times
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Chicopee, Hadley, and even Northampton have a strong Polish heritage (check out some of the names in the Phonebook). Northampton has a Polish Parade in October and I think Chicopee has a Kielbasa Festival. You will find churches that have masses in Polish. Nevertheless with time things have become more diluted in gerneral and people are less segregated than, say, my grandparents' generation.

I suggest Northampton because it is a very vibrant walkable community with a great downtown area, lots of arts/culture, restaurants & unique shops. It is, beacuse of this, more desirable/expensive than other areas like Chicopee (which is kind of a tired mill city).
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Old 02-13-2011, 11:45 AM
nei nei won $500 in our forum's Most Engaging Poster Contest - Thirteenth Edition (Jan-Feb 2015). 

Over $104,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum and additional contests are planned
 
Location: Western Massachusetts
45,983 posts, read 53,458,335 times
Reputation: 15184
Northampton has a Polish Catholic Church and there's a place with Polish food in Hadley.
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Old 02-13-2011, 03:44 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles/Massachusetts
341 posts, read 672,091 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaspt17 View Post
True, Chicopee has high Polish population, there are some "Polish" stores there with typical foods that everybody knows (kielbasa, pierogies and such). Summertime, local churches hold picnics with Polka bands and fun for everybody. As for the Berkshire part, Housatonic, Great Barrington have some older and younger Polish people (there are 80 year olds, as well as 30-50 year old group. Adams and North Adams are also towns with Polish folks.

Thank you so much for that info...I want to come back there soooooooo bad I can hardly stand it
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