Oklahoma to (likely Western) Massachusetts - Beginning Research (Amherst, Northampton: university, calculator)

[tovarisch]

I want to dispute the "Northampton is overrun with too many students" trope. I've lived here since 1980, and in the Florence section since 1990. Just regular folks, mostly. Much more of a small-towny feel here, but easy to access everything. On a busline, too. I don't know about apartments, but I still say this would be a good place for the OP if she can manage the rent.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by tovarisch

I want to dispute the "Northampton is overrun with too many students" trope. I've lived here since 1980, and in the Florence section since 1990. Just regular folks, mostly. Much more of a small-towny feel here, but easy to access everything. On a busline, too. I don't know about apartments, but I still say this would be a good place for the OP if she can manage the rent.

And (perhaps) find some kind of roommate situation.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by tovarisch

I want to dispute the "Northampton is overrun with too many students" trope. I've lived here since 1980, and in the Florence section since 1990. Just regular folks, mostly. Much more of a small-towny feel here, but easy to access everything. On a busline, too. I don't know about apartments, but I still say this would be a good place for the OP if she can manage the rent.

Yeh, Florence is fine. It used to be the working class section and a lot of people who lived there worked in the factories. Flo's Diner, Look Park. I still wonder about jobs for the OP though and of course, Florence isn't for poor people anymore so any job would have to pay well enough to afford housing.

[tovarisch]

Not that she will be buying a house in the short run, but there are still ranches and Capes to be had in Florence for under 300K.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by tovarisch

Not that she will be buying a house in the short run, but there are still ranches and Capes to be had in Florence for under 300K.

Yeah, but the criteria is “no car”. PVTA has hourly service to Northampton that ends early and every 2 hours to the Big Y. With a 9-5 job, you wouldn’t be able to get home.

[WestieWhitie]

Originally Posted by tovarisch

Not that she will be buying a house in the short run, but there are still ranches and Capes to be had in Florence for under 300K.

https://www.redfin.com/MA/Northampto...gn=share_sheet - would be a good place to downsize and retire assuming you buy with cash and bring a car, not so great if you need to pay $1600/month + utilities while working minimum wage job without a car.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by WestieWhitie

https://www.redfin.com/MA/Northampto...gn=share_sheet - would be a good place to downsize and retire assuming you buy with cash and bring a car, not so great if you need to pay $1600/month + utilities while working minimum wage job without a car.

Could maybe do it with a roommate, but not having a car would still be a problem though.

[WoodwindsRock]

I've never had a roommate before. I mean, I haven't ever even lived in dorms. It's a somewhat frightening prospect. How do you know that you can trust someone else?

Nevertheless, this is not the first time I've heard this suggestion.

Brattleboro? Seems interesting. The town looks pretty small from Google Earth and the houses look worn down (Edit: Not the whole town, though, it looks like), but I'll look into it.

I'm beginning the talk of Keene, NH with my parents. My mom liked the look of the old-fashioned houses on the Google Earth street view. She mentioned that she likes the idea of a town "where she can walk to the downtown". But she saw it was near a river and was automatically concerned greatly about flooding.


Although it seems further away from any rivers than where we currently live is.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by WoodwindsRock

I've never had a roommate before. I mean, I haven't ever even lived in dorms. It's a somewhat frightening prospect. How do you know that you can trust someone else?

Nevertheless, this is not the first time I've heard this suggestion.

Brattleboro? Seems interesting. The town looks pretty small from Google Earth and the houses look worn down (Edit: Not the whole town, though, it looks like), but I'll look into it.

I'm beginning the talk of Keene, NH with my parents. My mom liked the look of the old-fashioned houses on the Google Earth street view. She mentioned that she likes the idea of a town "where she can walk to the downtown". But she saw it was near a river and was automatically concerned greatly about flooding.


Although it seems further away from any rivers than where we currently live is.

That river is the Connecticut River and it starts up near the Canadian border and forms the dividing line between VT and NH, runs straight down through MA (at Northampton!), then to Springfield MA and then to Hartford CT, and down through CT to the ocean.

Check and see about flooding but I haven't heard about any flooding in that area but then again, I don't live in that area. The CT River had a tragic flood way back in 1936 down around Northampton and Springfield (probably other areas too?) but they built dikes and the river still gets high in spring from melting snow but a flood like that has never happened since then. In fact, I can't think of any real flooding in my lifetime.

Vermont has had tragic floods up north in the mountain valleys much more recently but that's not anywhere near Brattleboro or Keene. The Connecticut River and its valley are actually very interesting if you have any interest in history and it still has covered bridges. The bridge that connects Keene and Brattleboro crosses the Connecticut River. The highway, interstate 91, follows the Connecticut River closely--meaning it's usually right beside it.

[brightdoglover]

Might OP's family move to New England with OP?