Should I move to Pittsfield? (Great Barrington, Lee: fit in, rent, crime)

[lvoevge]

I have a very good opportunity in Pittsfield to work a job I would like at a high salary. My wife and I currently live in a major city and the fast-paced lifestyle and crazy commutes take a toll on our nature-loving personalities.

We are attracted to the area for a long-term move to ideally buy a home and live in the woods. I want to be in nature as much as possible and it seems that there are boundless opportunities in the area.

We are in our early 20s, have a relatively high income, and really like hiking, kayaking, and cycling. While we love nature, we also really enjoy eating out and like minded people. We are vegetarians, non-religious, and very much into the outdoors. I am also an amateur photographer.

Can anyone comment on how we might fit in? It seems like the only negative is the economy, as if I lost the prospective job, I would certainly have to move out of Pittsfield.

Comments are much appreciated.

[Dm84]

The biggest problem with Pittsfield is finding gainful employment. If you have a good job with a high salary you will be very comfortable by MA standards. You would probably fit in great in the general area (the Berkshires).

If I were you I'd probably do it, but would probably live in a surrounding town vs Pittsfield itself.

[ladyalicemore]

Hi, OP, I lived in that general area many years ago, and liked Pittsfield. But unless it has changed greatly, the restaurant scene isn't too good. There are many Berkshire places nearby with good restaurants, though.

Great lakes to swim in around Pittsfield and unbelievable nature nearby. If you liked _Moby Dick_ (hardly anyone I know does, but perhaps you do), I think Herman Melville lived there.

You'll be able to hang onto your paycheck--the cost of living is lower than most places in Mass. There is crime in some areas, so that would be something to check out.
I loved the Berkshires and miss them. If you live too far away from your job though, this is an area where the commute, even a short one, might be difficult in winter.
If it's a job you like, why not take it and rent _in_ Pittsfield to see if it's a go, perhaps, but while you are renting tour around and see what other towns in striking distance might have more young people and more entertainment variety?

The Berkshires are absolutely gorgeous. The winter is especially wintry, but then there is that glorious spring (when it happens) and summer.

[semiurbanite]

I lived in Berkshire County for a bit as a kid. Pittsfield used to be a great town in the 80s. In the 90s, the largest employer by far, GE, began pulling out and is now completely gone. The city has been in an economic downtrend since then. Just when it seems to start to recover a bit, things seem to stall out. Lately the drug busts and shootings have been all too frequent. Most people who grew uo there and go to college do not return as there are not many jobs for college-educated professionals.

That said, most of the crime is limited to the core downtown areas, and there are some beautiful more rural areas on the finges, especially east near Richmond and the area toward the end of West Street.

My advice would be to consider living south of Pittsfield if you can afford it. Great Barrington is a great town if you don't mind the tourist invasion in the summer, but you would have a longer commute. Lee may be a good compromise between the two.

Having kids? Pittsfield schools are not great, but if you choose elementary schools carefully there are a couple of good ones. Overall there is a lack of college-educated parents with a strong focus on education. For High School you can actually enroll your kids in neighboring schools - even Lenox High which is a much better school (though no diversity and has a snob factor). Their High School teams are called "The Millionaires" - no joke.