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My husband and I are considering a move to Western Mass from the Boston area. We were surprised to find that though prices are cheaper, the Northampton area is still fairly pricey. We've therefore expanded our search to areas like Montague and Greenfield.
I've read a few posts on here about Greenfield, but I haven't seen anything very recent. Does anyone have thoughts on how (or if) things have changed over the past year or so? Positive or negative trends? Certain neighborhoods to avoid?
We're concerned about the schools (no kids yet but in the works), but the housing prices are great and the town does seem to have at least some good things to offer (the food co-op, a few nice restaurants, etc). Are the hiking areas fairly safe and good for dog walks?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice you might have!
I like Greenfield, though Northampton is much more "metropolitan" and you will probably feel less culture schock coming from Boston. GF Tax rate is pretty high, though values are lower. Easthampton is more affordable than Northampton, yet still pretty close to NoHo. Montague is ok, but the Turners Falls and Millers Falls sections are pretty bleak. Check out Shelburne Falls, an artsy little village - and the many small towns in western mass.
I'm bumping this to hopefully get some more input. We are now definitely moving to the area, so we need to seriously consider whether Greenfield is a good fit. We're also considering Montague, Turners, and then towns closer to Northampton like South Hadley and Florence (though Florence is probably a little out of our price range). Greenfield is appealing in terms of what we can get for our money, but I would love some recent input on the schools and the town in general.
I'll be driving to Boston on a regular basis for work (two or three times a month) so Shelburne Falls is just a little too far.
I don't really know Greenfield, Turners Falls, or Montague really well from any personal experience. Those towns don't have the best reputation in the area, which makes it tricky because there could still be good neighborhoods. You'll need someone more familiar with those towns than I am to fill you in on the possibility of finding good individual neighborhoods, but none of those towns has a great reputation in general, for what reputations are worth.
The towns closer to Northampton are pretty nice for the most part. I lived in this area as a single college student, so I wasn't so much aware of the reputations of school systems in various towns, so I can't help you on that if schools are a criterion for you. In terms of general feel, most of the towns near Northampton are nice. Which is the best choice for you will depend in part on the kind of area you'd like to live in. Northampton is a larger town with a fair amount of commercial activity and nightlife, while there are some very rural towns in the area, and everything between rural and Northampton's larger commercial center character.
Data point, a friend of mine married a trust fund baby and they moved to Greenfield, where the family lived. I gather there's an area of upper-scale housing then.
What about work?
We're all set for work, luckily--I'll be telecommuting and my husband is self-employed. There are definitely nice houses and streets in Greenfield, but I just would like to know whether we're buying in an up-and-coming town, or just the opposite!
Greenfield was incorporated in 1753 so it's not really up and coming. It's 257 years old and still economically depressed. The new mayor is an improvement over the previous one who some thought was a bit flakey.
The schools are still abysmal but things have quieted down. Parents are over the initial shock and amazement of every administrator quitting en masse after the $2.2 million shortfall, and the racism incidents. The outrage has dissipated and mellowed and the more capable have choiced out to other towns' systems.
Real estate values appear to be holding. There was never a big price boom like other parts of the state so there also hasn't been a big bust either. There's plenty of cheap houses but a lot are old and have never been updated. Most of houses around the center have wet cellars due to ancient soil patterns. There's no shortage of group homes and methadone clinics. Taxes are high, except on the assessor's house which seem very reasonable.
The same people run everything. One year Maloney is town council president while Farrell is on town council and Board of Greenfield Community College. Another year Farrell is tc president and Maloney is on the planning board or the school committee at Franklin Tech. Maloney's brother teaches music at Franklin Tech and taught guitar at GCC with Farrell on the board. Musical chairs, same names and games, no new ideas. But, honestly, a lot of people get elected and quit right away and I don't think many people have the stomach to be a part of it so the same people do everything.
Last edited by teachertype; 05-01-2010 at 01:28 AM..
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