Relocating with kids HELP- info on East Longmeadow & Wilbraham (Boston: house, neighborhoods)

[momtimes3]

Our family is making a BIG move across the country to MA and we have narrowed our search down to East Longmeadow & Wilbraham. We have 3 children- 2 in Elementary school and one in preschool.
I would love some feedback on the similarities & differences between these two towns. I have read the on-line info regarding school closure/restructuring in Wilbraham- initially this was a big concern however it seems like the district is handling it quite well. Agree? Disagree? Can anyone give me feedback on how welcoming to newcomers or friendly the moms & families are in these two towns? We hope to find a very nice neighborhood with friendly people.
Also any input on preschools would be appreciated. I know I have covered several areas in this one thread.... I look forward to your feedback & advice!
Thank you!!!

[gf2020]

Look at the recent threads started by MishaMacDowell. She is seeking information on the same towns.

[MishaMacDowell]

Hi, I'm the MishaMacDowell who has already been asking about this and collating lots of research. However, my situation is different because I will be arriving with a 10th grader as well as a 2nd grader. I've mostly removed Longmeadow from my list because of the problems with the high school. Based on many postings from the MassLive forums, I'm thinking about removing East Longmeadow as well since it's high school is also very old...just not as bad a Longmeadow's. Given that HS next year isn't your issue, then Wilbraham is your best bet as their schools are not outdated and they are building a new HS. For me, I'm thinking we are going to have to go to Connecticut... Somers, Suffield or Granby. I like Wilbraham but if I get a job in Hartfield, the commute would be unpleasant. That said, when we physically start house hunting, I will be checking out Wilbraham.

Good luck.

[momtimes3]

Thank you for the reply Misha. We had originally settled on Wilbraham as well- but then they faced some pretty drastic budget cuts this year and have decided to close an elementary school- so this pushed us more in the direction of East Longmeadow. Now that I have been watching the budget situation in Wilbraham- I do like what I'm seeing in terms of how the district & Sup. is handling it. So we're back to feeling pretty equal in terms of schools.
Now I'm mostly concerned with whether or not there's a difference in the communities themselves- how friendly & welcoming they are to newcomers. I'm also interested in resources available to families with young kids- preschools, activities, shopping, etc.
We definitely ruled out Longmeadow as well. Doesn't seem like a good fit for our family.
I hope that other locals will have some input for us!
Thank you!!!

[lmkcin]

I live in Wilbraham, and am a graduate of it's high school.

I didn't appreciate my high school education I received until I went to college. I was the most prepared student in most of my university classes. I went to a private university in Rhode Island, filled with many suburban kids from across New England and the northeast, Wilbraham is a good comparison to their towns.

I specifically remember walking into my college freshmen english class already knowing how to write a research paper, and all the other kids were dumbstruck. Wilbraham has a strong tradition in public education, and it's considered one of the best high schools in the state. Plus they're building a new one soon.

I think of my 300 fellow classmates, about 90% went onto 4-year colleges, and each of the Ivy-league schools received a Wilbrahamian.

It's definitely a charming New England town, more so than East Longmeadow. Every home in Wilbraham comes with an acre of land and incredibly generous neighbors. We moved here 15 years ago, and we are best friends with our neighbors still. In East Longmeadow there is an ere of arrogance (and with Longmeadow for that matter). There are a lot of parks (two large ones within a 15mins walk) and public trails and ponds and brooks in Wilbraham, and it's definitely easy to go biking and jogging around the neighborhood. I would check out the southern side of Wilbraham, there are two large neighborhoods with great access to shopping and major roads.

Downtown Springfield is about 15 mins away, while downtown Hartford (which I frequent) is about 25-35 mins away.

[mamom1]

Originally Posted by lmkcin

Every home in Wilbraham comes with an acre of land and incredibly generous neighbors.

Huh??? I didn't find those homes with the acre of land when I was looking to buy in Wilbraham just a few years ago.

However, I do agree that Wilbraham is a little nicer than E. Longmeadow. JMO

[Silli]

Wilbraham is more rural in character than E Longmeadow, and is a pretty typical suburb, which I guess some people might find charming. East Longmeadow is always portrayed as 1 step down economically from Wilbraham. I've never picked up on an "ere (air?) of arrogance" in East Longmeadow.

lmckin- I too am a graduate of Wilbraham's high school and had a very different experience than you when I went off to college. Yes, I knew how to write a research paper, but Minnechaug HS didn't prepare me to the same level as the other kids at university, who had taken economics, medieval history, German, multiple Advancement Placements, etc. (I went to a top-tier college). Many of these kids were from private schools, but a lot were from larger public school systems in the Boston area or places like West Hartford. 'Chaug, with its graduating classes of 250 (back when I was there, now I guess it's about 350) just couldn't provide the same opportunities for its students.

It would be difficult to choose a Springfield-area town based solely on schools. While none of them are bad, there's no real stand-out that has the right mix of size and quality that I would be seeking. If I were looking, I would also expand my search south across to CT and up to the Northampton area, depending on the job situation.

[lmkcin]

[quote=Silli;13989658]Wilbraham is more rural in character than E Longmeadow, and is a pretty typical suburb, which I guess some people might find charming. East Longmeadow is always portrayed as 1 step down economically from Wilbraham. I've never picked up on an "ere (air?) of arrogance" in East Longmeadow.

lmckin- I too am a graduate of Wilbraham's high school and had a very different experience than you when I went off to college. Yes, I knew how to write a research paper, but Minnechaug HS didn't prepare me to the same level as the other kids at university, who had taken economics, medieval history, German, multiple Advancement Placements, etc. (I went to a top-tier college). Many of these kids were from private schools, but a lot were from larger public school systems in the Boston area or places like West Hartford. 'Chaug, with its graduating classes of 250 (back when I was there, now I guess it's about 350) just couldn't provide the same opportunities for its students. quote]


All I can say is we had very different experiences then. I don't know when you went, but I was very well prepared for my college classes.

I will add this tho, when your kids grow up, they will want nothing to do with Wilbraham. I had a wonderful childhood here, but now at 23, I'm itching to leave. I'm only back as a transition from college to the real world. It's a good place to be a kid, and it's a good place to retire...but for the in between part, it is as boring as it gets. Of the 200 people I graduated with, I will say only about 20 of them still live here in town.

[Silli]

I can't think of a single person from my graduating class that's still in Wilbraham/Springfield. Heck, even my parents moved out after their kids got through the system!