Southerner wanting to move up north. Advice please (Boston, Worcester: rent, buying a house)

[Traveler1026]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I just had an idea and I don't know why I didn't think of it before:

Westfield. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7...93626486_zpid/

That's just one example and I have no idea as to the neighborhood. But Westfield is up and coming with cute new restaurants, cafes, shops, etc. They have built a beautiful new bridge with a little park to replace some rusty old thing, and the house prices are going up but some are still affordable.

Westfield has always had big beautiful Stanley Park with lovely gardens and trails that go through the woods and it offers summer concerts too. Westfield borders on CT and is just southwest of Springfield.

This is Stanley Park and seldom do you get a city or a town with a spectacular park right in its midst.
https://www.stanleypark.org/photo-video-galleries.html

I have lived in western MA most of my life and Westfield was industrial. When the manufacturing went out, the city/town more or less collapsed and stores were shuttered. It was a blue collar type of place but it also has (I nearly forgot!) Westfield State University!
Home | Westfield State University

With a university nearby, you'll have job opportunities and chances to take classes. There will always be something going on, things to do--and a lot of the things will be free to the public. That's the beauty of a college town.

Westfield has its own hospital. https://www.baystatehealth.org/locations/noble-hospital

I've always liked Westfield but honestly, it used to be sort of a dump except for the college and the park. Now it seems to be taking on a new life and it would be a great place to live. It had a mall but I think a lot of the stores are gone except for a TJ Maxx--but maybe that's because they are developing the downtown, restoring it. The downtown is looking good!

As far as I know it is safe. When I think of crime in western MA I don't think of Westfield. It's a decent place and is not out in the country but not really urban either. There's some nice country just south of it in CT and to the west of it but the city itself seems fairly self sufficient as it seems to have just about all the necessities. As I said, I've only gone through the center on my way up to Agawam in western MA lately but I was astonished to see how well it's coming along. Almost makes me want to live there too.

From Westfield you can get anywhere. You can get up to Northampton or Springfield because of I-91 and I think the older rtes 5 and 10. No serious hills to get your wheels spinning in snow, lol. Maybe you should check it out.

I also recommend Westfield. A friend of mine moved there from CT and recently bought a house there with his partner and is very happy. It seems to be really growing with lots of new restaurants and such, and you are close to other surrounding towns if you want to go exploring some more. Western Massachusetts is quite beautiful. I grew up right around the corner in Enfield CT.

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Sure, why not. If you're definitely unhappy with where you are, then this is at least both a different place that you at least liked in a visit and you'll have relatives there who might be a loose support network of sorts. Is your husband also into this idea or can he pretty much go either way?

He’s all for it he’s ready to go back home. When we came up for a visit we stayed in Rhode Island but drove to Massachusetts and on our way there he was looking out the window and said “I want to come home”

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

I’ll look into Westfield thank y’all

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Cattawampusfiddlesticks

Affordability and the Urban environment. My husband chose Springfield. The others have just been what has kinda popped up on zillow

OK before you said you wanted suburban or rural, but now you say urban environment??? Springfield definitely falls into the latter and not the prior. While some neighborhoods might be suburbanish and safe enough; overall it's a high crime/high poverty city. Schools are bad. I thought you were trying to get away from all that stuff? Westfield sounds like it might be a better choice for you. I also heard Feeding Hills is a pretty nice area, not sure what 200K will buy there though.

[OutdoorLover]

The deep south has mild winters and difficult summers, whereas we have mild summers and difficult winters. Winter here is dark as well as cold.

Winter here is much easier to take if you have:
- An attached garage to shelter the cars from snow
- A snow thrower with electric start in the garage
- Lots of south-facing windows on the house/condo to let in that precious winter sun
- Snow tires on your car
- A big winter coat

[shiver916]

Agree with massnative. The budget you posted is going to largely limit your choices to likely one of the towns/cities listed above for "area's to avoid" if you are looking for "urban". In the more affordable areas, you may be able to find a smaller or fixer upper type property. Looking for: safe, affordable, good school community with a $200k budget? May be more realistic to get 2 out of 3 of those unless you get into more rural areas in w. mass.

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

Originally Posted by massnative71

OK before you said you wanted suburban or rural, but now you say urban environment??? Springfield definitely falls into the latter and not the prior. While some neighborhoods might be suburbanish and safe enough; overall it's a high crime/high poverty city. Schools are bad. I thought you were trying to get away from all that stuff? Westfield sounds like it might be a better choice for you. I also heard Feeding Hills is a pretty nice area, not sure what 200K will buy there though.

See I think what we classify as suburban and ritual might be different. I want to be in the city but I don’t want to be living on top of people. Like I don’t mind neighbors but I want a little privacy. Idk how to explain it. I don’t want to be so far out that it takes forever to drive somewhere to grocery shop but I don’t want to be so close that I can reach out my window and touch the neighbors house. But it also depends on the house and the atmosphere cause beggars can’t be choosers. If I could leave today from Florida I would, just found out some more crap that has me ready to burn this place down

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

Originally Posted by shiver916

Agree with massnative. The budget you posted is going to largely limit your choices to likely one of the towns/cities listed above for "area's to avoid" if you are looking for "urban". In the more affordable areas, you may be able to find a smaller or fixer upper type property. Looking for: safe, affordable, good school community with a $200k budget? May be more realistic to get 2 out of 3 of those unless you get into more rural areas in w. mass.

The budget was my husband’s decision. Time may change that but for now that’s what it is. He thinks we won’t be able to afford a more expensive house

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I just had an idea and I don't know why I didn't think of it before:

Westfield. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7...93626486_zpid/

That's just one example and I have no idea as to the neighborhood. But Westfield is up and coming with cute new restaurants, cafes, shops, etc. They have built a beautiful new bridge with a little park to replace some rusty old thing, and the house prices are going up but some are still affordable.

Westfield has always had big beautiful Stanley Park with lovely gardens and trails that go through the woods and it offers summer concerts too. Westfield borders on CT and is just southwest of Springfield.

This is Stanley Park and seldom do you get a city or a town with a spectacular park right in its midst.
https://www.stanleypark.org/photo-video-galleries.html

I have lived in western MA most of my life and Westfield was industrial. When the manufacturing went out, the city/town more or less collapsed and stores were shuttered. It was a blue collar type of place but it also has (I nearly forgot!) Westfield State University!
Home | Westfield State University

With a university nearby, you'll have job opportunities and chances to take classes. There will always be something going on, things to do--and a lot of the things will be free to the public. That's the beauty of a college town.

Westfield has its own hospital. https://www.baystatehealth.org/locations/noble-hospital

I've always liked Westfield but honestly, it used to be sort of a dump except for the college and the park. Now it seems to be taking on a new life and it would be a great place to live. It had a mall but I think a lot of the stores are gone except for a TJ Maxx--but maybe that's because they are developing the downtown, restoring it. The downtown is looking good!

As far as I know it is safe. When I think of crime in western MA I don't think of Westfield. It's a decent place and is not out in the country but not really urban either. There's some nice country just south of it in CT and to the west of it but the city itself seems fairly self sufficient as it seems to have just about all the necessities. As I said, I've only gone through the center on my way up to Agawam in western MA lately but I was astonished to see how well it's coming along. Almost makes me want to live there too.

From Westfield you can get anywhere. You can get up to Northampton or Springfield because of I-91 and I think the older rtes 5 and 10. No serious hills to get your wheels spinning in snow, lol. Maybe you should check it out.

I second Westfield. I know a few people who live there and all are very happy with the town. Homes are more affordable, it's an easy distance from Springfield and CT as well and it has a cute town center as well. This was one of the towns that remained on my list when I was looking. If I hadn't found my current house in Northampton so quickly, I would definitely have been looking at houses there.

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

I will definitely look in Westfield