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I grew up in the pioneer valley and the berkshires were very much out if sight out of mind. Wwlp did not cover them in the news very often nor did the republican. In many ways they seemed like an extension of New York to the point that they get their local news channels. I felt much more connection to boston or Hartford than Pittsfield.
While we are on the topic, what geographical region is warren or orange a part of? Technically worcester county but kind of on the edge.
I grew up in the pioneer valley and the berkshires were very much out if sight out of mind. Wwlp did not cover them in the news very often nor did the republican. In many ways they seemed like an extension of New York to the point that they get their local news channels. I felt much more connection to boston or Hartford than Pittsfield.
While we are on the topic, what geographical region is warren or orange a part of? Technically worcester county but kind of on the edge.
I had never even heard of Warren until I lived out in Ware for a year. I'd guess central MA. Orange. I was there once. I don't know. Ware was a question mark to me too but they talked with "Boston" accents and were far east of the river so maybe central MA.
Yes, the Berkshires were more connected to Albany. We were more related to Hartford and the rest of CT. (Being from WMass I went to Boston once when I was about 10 because my aunt took me there. I think the next time I went I was about 40.)
Ask anyone from WMass and they will tell you that WMass is not the Berkshires. Not North Adams and Pittsfield or Stockbridge or other towns are out there in the far western area of the state.
People usually consider WMass to be the CT River Valley of MA. That includes towns in Hampden Cty, Hampshire Cty, and Franklin Cty. Some towns would be Wilbraham, Longmeadow, Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Amherst, Hadley, Sunderland, Deerfield, Greenfield, Shelburne Falls.
I live in WMass and this post, above, is 100% correct.
This is a really weird assertion. My entire family is from Western Mass, I've lived here for 13 years, and I've never heard anyone deny that Pittsfield or the Berkshires are part of Western Mass. Sure, Pittsfield isn't Pioneer Valley, but it sure as heck lies within Western Mass.
Sure the Berkshires are included in "Western Mass.," technically speaking. But those who talk colloquially refer to "Western Mass." as the Connecticut River Valley towns between Worcester and the Berkshires. The Berkshires, being more geographically isolated from the Conn River Valley towns, are referred to as its own neck of the woods, the "Berkshires," which also have an Albany area connotation. So you're right, but not the way residents see it.
To get back on topic.. I have always liked Conway.
Frontier (Conway, S. Deerfield, Sunderland) has a better rep than Mohawk, plus it gives you a manageable commute to Amherst, Northampton, or Greenfield.
To get back on topic.. I have always liked Conway.
Frontier (Conway, S. Deerfield, Sunderland) has a better rep than Mohawk, plus it gives you a manageable commute to Amherst, Northampton, or Greenfield.
Conway is nice, a bit isolated, but lovely countryside.
I recommend beautiful Whately, it's just as nice, and on the I-91 corridor so very easy to get to from Northampton and other points north and south including up into Vermont. Nice country inn for dining, too.
Two of my kids went to Frontier, excellent teachers.
While we are on the topic, what geographical region is warren or orange a part of? Technically worcester county but kind of on the edge.
Orange is actually Franklin County (though its neighbor Athol is Worcester Co), and so can be rolled in with the Pioneer Valley. Locally it's identity is split, with a Pioneer Valley cultural undercurrent spearheading a new food co-op, a successful annual Garlic & Arts festival and a surprisingly vibrant First Night celebration - things that don't seem to happen much in the typical sleepy, culturally nihilistic, small-town Central Mass bedroom communities. The dominant cultural paradigm of Orange is downtrodden post-industrial Central MA though, more in line with its socioeconomic semi-post-apocalyptic Route 2 brethren like Fitchburg, Gardner, Winchendon, and Athol. Schools in Athol and Orange compete in Western MA leagues.
Warren is Worcester County, so can solidly be called Central MA.
People in Orange are located so that a commute to Central MA (Worcester/Leominster, etc) and Western MA (Springfield/Amherst/Northampton/Greenfield) are pretty much equally (in)convenient, so that muddies the water too, because residents can do either.
Both towns are in a region some of us jokingly refer to as Massalachia, or the Mullet Belt (Athol-Orange, Ware, Warren, and Palmer are your best examples). That woodsy no-man's land of geographic identity dilemma and culturally outdated haircuts, often paired with stonewashed jeans and a Def Leppard tee shirt. I hereby propose a glib re-definition since counties are irrelevant in Mass!
Quote:
Originally Posted by newenglandgirl
Sure the Berkshires are included in "Western Mass.," technically speaking. But those who talk colloquially refer to "Western Mass." as the Connecticut River Valley towns between Worcester and the Berkshires.
Re-define Western MA to "between the Quabbin and the Berkshires" and I agree with you. Worcester County east of the Quabbin but west of Worcester (Barre, New Braintree, Sturbridge, Spencer, the Brookfields, etc) are solidly Central Mass, not Western.
Sure the Berkshires are included in "Western Mass.," technically speaking. But those who talk colloquially refer to "Western Mass." as the Connecticut River Valley towns between Worcester and the Berkshires. The Berkshires, being more geographically isolated from the Conn River Valley towns, are referred to as its own neck of the woods, the "Berkshires," which also have an Albany area connotation. So you're right, but not the way residents see it.
Maybe it depends on which residents (geographically) you're talking about. My mom and stepfather (in their 60s) are Westfield natives and have lived in Westfield-Russell-Huntington almost their entire lives, with stints in other towns such as Ludlow and Springfield. They looked at me like I was nuts when I asked them if they considered Pittsfield/Berkshires part of Western Mass. "What else would they be?" they asked.
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