Thinking of relocating to pittsfield, any advice??

Mr. Skittles · Sep 1, 2013

Hey Leanne-

I feel ya' ...I have 10 years in the military and 8 years as a school teacher ...I have lived all over the U.S.

What you're describing can be found everywhere unfortunately....There are areas here in Mass just as you described.

Pittsfield is small and isolated out there in the Berkshires but it is beautiful...Its where we go in the fall to see the fall colors and

stay at the bed and breakfast places..Very Idyllic...I think it would be a welcome break from "Bienvenidos a Miami"

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2013

I think you;ll fit just fine.....the cost of living here is high.....you might have to go up to $90,000.00 but can find places to live for $85,000.00. The Berkshires are beautiful. I live in Eastern MA where you can't find anything gor under $250,000.00 but the salaries match the area. Look for positions first jobs are tight here but lees so out west in the state.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2013

"Rude" and "homicidal on the road" are adjectives that describe M*******s quite well. Fighting for parking is something I do every day of my life. I saw people nearly get into a screaming match over a parking space the other day. In the winter, if you steal someone's parking spot, you might come back to your car to find your tires slashed.

Are you in a BSN program? Most hospitals in MA demand a BSN. The only major hospital in Western MA is Baystate Medical Center. They might hire non-BSNs but there are a fair amount of BSNs competing for jobs there with UMass Amherst located right over there. That and I wouldn't take my cat to Baystate for care. I've transferred many patients from there over the years and I think if I was dying in Western MA, I'd take my chances and insist on the longer drive to Worcester or Boston. The people who I know who've worked there didn't exactly have the best things to say about it either.

Under $80K for a place with good schools seems unlikely to me for Mass. Cost of living is high up here so when you find towns that are cheap, it's probably because no one wants to live there. Like, I live in a nice neighborhood in Boston. My house cost about 4x what you want to spend and this isn't one of the more expensive neighborhoods. I could have gotten a house in, say, Mattapan or Roxbury for significantly cheaper but then I'd have to live somewhere where I'd worry about getting stabbed if I came home after dark. I do know that Western Mass is, in general, cheaper than the eastern parts of the state but, in my opinion, that's largely because it's a less desirable place to live.

primarycares · Sep 12, 2013

With all due respect to the previous poster, Western Mass has an incredible quality of life that makes it extremely desirable for those who value green open spaces; smaller intimate communities; clean air and water; gorgeous places to hike, paddle, and ski; and never spend your precious commuting hours stuck in traffic. For those who value this, eastern mass can't hold a candle to western mass. Pittsfield has a reasonably well-regarded community hospital, a growing arts community, and proximity to only one local nursing program at the community college there. The Pioneer Valley which houses Amherst and Northampton is filled with colleges and their associated cultural riches, as well as several more nursing programs and hospitals. And as far as Baystate, though it is certainly a flawed large urban hospital, it is the only Level 1 trauma center of western mass and, I think, has far more to offer than the crude smear of the previous posting would imply. If you are at all drawn to this area, ignore the biases of more urban folk and do some more research - it is an absolute gem of a region!

leanne1980 · Nov 20, 2013

With all due respect to the previous poster, Western Mass has an incredible quality of life that makes it extremely desirable for those who value green open spaces; smaller intimate communities; clean air and water; gorgeous places to hike, paddle, and ski; and never spend your precious commuting hours stuck in traffic. For those who value this, eastern mass can't hold a candle to western mass. Pittsfield has a reasonably well-regarded community hospital, a growing arts community, and proximity to only one local nursing program at the community college there. The Pioneer Valley which houses Amherst and Northampton is filled with colleges and their associated cultural riches, as well as several more nursing programs and hospitals. And as far as Baystate, though it is certainly a flawed large urban hospital, it is the only Level 1 trauma center of western mass and, I think, has far more to offer than the crude smear of the previous posting would imply. If you are at all drawn to this area, ignore the biases of more urban folk and do some more research - it is an absolute gem of a region!

Hi PRIMARYCARES.....thank you for the lovely post and the bit of encouragement. I always find it amazing when people start telling me how I will need at least "X" amount of dollars to find a "decent" place to live. I grew up poor and have had to struggle for everything, but many have had it worse than me. I have lived in places that many could not imagine, but I am proud to say that I have worked my way up. I have also lived in very nice places...but here is the thing...I CANNOT, at this time in my life, AFFORD what many people would call a "nice" place to live. No new construction, gated communities, mcmansions, "oh dahling, simply the best neighborhood" for me.

But here is the catch....you may quantify a nice place to live differently than I. I value peace, a feeling of history, community, and hard work. I love old historic homes and raw industrial spaces. I am willing to put sweat equity into a place, as long it is not a total money pit. I care nothing whatsoever for the modern granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and frame-less glass shower doors. I love old country kitchens, a front porch, maybe a basement, a house that has stairs that creak ( gives it character). I love lots of wood trim, attics with spiderwebs, and the possibility of digging up old spoons in the yard (or other strange goodies). (One of my favorite childhood memories was digging up a spoon in the yard that my dad used to play with when he was a child) I am not looking to buy a home that is perfect, just want to buy a HOME. Someplace that has been lived in, that has been a home, and that I can make MY home.

I cannot AFFORD to live in major metro areas like Boston, though I would love to do so. But I am simply not hung up on what I CAN'T AFFORD. I am looking for a place with a main street, people that will talk to each other, and community events for the whole family. I don't need a shopping mall or box store on every corner. Shopping for necessities is something I have to do, not something I do for entertainment. I'd love to stock up once a month and rely on a small grocery or farmers market for staples or incidentals that run low.

Call me crazy, :geek:but I am a huge fan of Normal Rockewell, and his main street scenes from the Saturday Evening Post are what I'd like to try and recreate a version of for my own child. I know it's an era long gone by, but as I said, a VERSION of that is what I am looking for. I am enthralled by the thought of living in a place where I don't have to explain myself all the time. I want to live in a place where the "F" word is NOT more common than "thank you" and "you're welcome" used to be. :sarcastic: Please, tell me the GOOD things about western mass, not just smear it. I'm not looking at Boston and Worcester for a simple reason...I CANNOT AFFORD IT. :banghead: So please, any comments on Pittsfield or nearby areas are welcome and appreciated. :up: