Southerner wanting to move up north. Advice please (Springfield, Westfield: condo, neighborhoods)

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by massnative71

What???

I meant Hudson NY. It's small but nice.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by Cattawampusfiddlesticks

Scary....those are all places we were looking 😅😰

Well, there are good neighborhoods and bad in those areas. So, you're going to need more specific info I think, once you start narrowing things down.

Are you looking for more of an urban area, suburban? What are your requirements? Budget? With some info, people can give you better information.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by massnative71

What???

Originally Posted by massnative71

I always got that sense right around New Haven that I'm "no longer in Kansas anymore". It's like the flow of everything suddenly changes, from there on south. NY teams start dominating, flashier cars with more aggressive/bold drivers, etc. It's still NE in some ways, but more like a "hybrid" from my initial impressions. Has characteristics of both...

The NY influence I've mentioned before I. Western mass and new England is largely due to proximity but also due the lack of media coverage. Back in the day broadcast rights were limited to one broadcaster. Can't get tv38? Too bad get cable. So if you didn't have cable you were out of luck and this grew up without it. But CT stations sometimes play NYC material. Radio is a big different but still. NY fans aren't that big of a deal. But Whaler fans 😂

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Cattawampusfiddlesticks

Scary....those are all places we were looking 😅😰

Because of their affordability, or because you are seeking an urban environment? I got the sense you are looking to flee crime, poverty and bad schools.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by mdovell

I meant Hudson NY. It's small but nice.

Oh...


Never heard of it, but OK I'll look it up sometime.

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

Originally Posted by bizcuit

Well, there are good neighborhoods and bad in those areas. So, you're going to need more specific info I think, once you start narrowing things down.

Are you looking for more of an urban area, suburban? What are your requirements? Budget? With some info, people can give you better information.

200k max for a house. Decent schools. Places to work. Suburban to rural area(I think y’all’s rural may be different than ours...not sure) safe-ish place. Things to do.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by mdovell

But Whaler fans 😂

[Cattawampusfiddlesticks]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Because of their affordability, or because you are seeking an urban environment? I got the sense you are looking to flee crime, poverty and bad schools.

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

[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?

[in_newengland]

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

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.