Moving to Western Mass/VT/Capital District, NY

I would stay out of New York, the towns in MA and Brattleboro are much nicer. Albany shouldn't even be in consideration unless you're thinking about being governor of NY. I think Northampton is awesome, but most of the little towns out that way are nice. Plenty of good running out there.

I grew up in Hadley MA, right next to Northampton. It's an awesome area if you can handle the super liberal political climate. Running scene is big although not all that competitive. Weekly 5k race in Northampton that runs from spring through fall regularly draws over 100 people on nice days. Most schools in the area have kids that are more motivated than your average public high school students.

"super liberal" is correct!

The current GOV is trying to force the taxpayers to underwrite tuiton for illegal immigrants.

The State Supreme Court took the Gay Marriage issue right out of the hands of the voting public.

Watch out for texting yuppie b*tches in SUV's driving right over you & giving YOU dirty looks for being in their way.

At least in NY you have political comedy: Spitzer, Rangle,

Patterson and King.

I am a lifelong resident of NY's Capital District. There are alot of public schools around the area, but employment prospects are a little crappy right now - most schools have actually been laying off teachers. There are nice suburbs around Albany and Schenectady. Think Saratoga, Clifton Park (Shenendehowa HS, if you follow HSXC), Bethlehem, Niskayuna. Capital District is rumored to be sort of protected from the recession due to the high number of public sector workers employed in and around NY's capital, Albany. There is development in the area that's been dubbed "Tech Valley" and there are a number of high tech manufacturing firms making their home here.

Taxes in NY are pretty high compared to almost everywhere else in the country. If you do move to NY, consider Saratoga County which has comparatively very low property taxes because of the horse track season and all the commercial properties in the city.

The cities of Albany and Schenectady have a lot to offer depending on your stage in life. If you are a young single guy, Albany has a decent scene that will be sort of fun. Both cities have less than 100k inhabitants. There are a few colleges around with a decent night scene. Schenectady is primarily a decaying industrial city with a substantially revived downtown. GE and American Locomotive used to be HQ'd in Schenectady. Personally, I would stick to living in the 'burbs.

The running scene here is great. There are two primary clubs - the HMRRC Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club, and the ARE Albany Running Exchange. Both have good websites you could surf. The HMRRC has probably 20 races each year that they put on free of charge for members. The club has two marathons, a XC series, and a "Winter Series" among other road races. ARE is a great club that really helps to promote area running too. Area competition is very strong as long as you are something slower than an "elite collegiate". There is one good specialty store in Albany - its a Fleet Feet. Good luck in your move!

Nice try baiting me.

I have an elderly parent who lives here who refuses to move and for whom I care for. It's an obligation I will and must honor.

I'm not familiar with these "gay married homos" of which you speak.

Based on your post I suspect "honor" might not be in your vocabulary, however you MAY be a Trust Fund Baby, so that would explain it.

I feel sorry for you, in any event.

Oh, and you forgot to label me:

1) racist

2) tea partier

3) Republican

4) paranoid

5) FOX News fan

6) Glen Beck book reader

and the like.

That's normally required isn't it?

Massachusetts is a great place to live, if you're rich.

Boston is diverse and liberal. Other parts of MA not as much - dumber and pro-tea party. depends where you go. Scott Brown beat Martha Coakley so it can't be that liberal. remember Mitt Romney too.

City of Boston is pretty much where some of the Old $$$ republican rich corporate aholes clash politically with lots of well-educated latte liberals. then in the mix you have the inner city poverty and they join forces politically with the well-educated which is why it's a blue state. The old $$$ Republicans are well out-numbered in Boston, which makes it a good place to live.

The Northampton area voted 85/15 in favor of Coakley.

Coakley's liberalism was not her problem. She was an almost unimaginably bad campaigner.

b runs wrote:

I grew up in Hadley MA, right next to Northampton. nts.

Did you have a gun rack on the back of your pick up truck?

why do the "well educated" you refer to want to give America away to illegal immigrants?

why do Liberals hate America?

I lived in Brattleboro until this past August, when I moved to Boston. What kinds of jobs would you be looking to find? Jobs are hard to come by in Brattleboro, particularly the mentally stimulating kind. There are all kinds of educated people there working what I consider to be really sucky jobs. Things might be easier if you are a school teacher with some experience; I know quite a few schoolteachers in the Brattleboro area.

Brattleboro can be kind of weird, yes, but all in all I'd say I loved living there. I really like living in smaller towns, and Brattleboro is small yet has a dense, vibrant, almost "urban" center- and the town itself is gorgeous too, not to mention the setting. The running was fabulous- dirt country roads everywhere snaking through the hills. I had to pinch myself almost every morning.

Living there as a person in my 20s was a bit tough, because there are a limited number of people there in that age bracket. Lots and lots of young families, though, and it sounds like that might be your story, so you would probably love it.

Feel free to ask more questions, and I will help if I can

How is Brattleboro for biking? That's how I'd be getting around. Cost of living?

Hum, biking kind of depends. Downtown Brattleboro is pretty compact and hilly. I am kind of a sissy when it comes to biking in traffic and over hills, and I usually found it easier to just walk about town. Certainly I knew a lot of people who biked, and the surrounding areas are FABULOUS for biking- dirt roads through gorgeous countryside. Depending on where you lived and worked biking could be very doable (as long as there's no snow and ice on the ground), though you might find it easier to just live in town and walk to work and everything else (what I did)

There are 3 groceries in Brattleboro- Price Chopper, Hannaford and the Brattleboro Food Coop. Price Chopper is and Hannaford are both kind of on the outskirts of town on the southernish and northern sides, respectively. The food coop is right downtown, and although it is the most convenient, it is also by far the most expensive. I think it would be a pain to have to bike to Hannaford every time I wanted food, but maybe you're a hardier biker than me.

The cost of living is pretty low. For a room in a shared house or apartment you're looking at ~$450 including all your utilities. A studio would be at least $600, a one bedroom at least $750 and 2 bedrooms probably around $850. You can certainly find places cheaper than I listed, but you will get what you pay for- although lovely, a lot of the housing stock in Brattleboro is VERY run-down, and I went through more dilapidated apartments there than anywhere else I've ever lived. One bedrooms are expensive because I guess there's a bit of a shortage. It's easy to find 2 and 3 beds.

Groceries are pretty cheap as long as you don't buy everything at the Coop and the Bboro Farmers Market (other, stands, like Duttons are cheaper). Car insurance was cheap. I can't speak to utilities because those were always included in my rent.

MA is a great place to live, period. Western Mass is as lovely as anywhere in the country. Great schools, smart people, diverse economy, plenty to do especially if you're outdoorsy, within a quick drive to just about anywhere you'd want to visit on the East Coast.

The only thing I know about you, "Trapped in Mass," is that you responded to a thread about someone moving with a string of non sequitors about taxes and gay marriage. That's all the information I need.

To the OP, will you be moving to these places with a job, or will you be looking for one? Brattleboro would be fun if you have a job lined up. It's got a lot going on for a small town but it isn't exactly a vibrant and diverse local economy. You might be stranded without a gig. On the plus side, you'd get in good shape biking around to job interviews as it's pretty hilly.

I would be looking for one. I'm in Boston now and my daughter lives in Bennington, VT. I want to be closer to her, so I drew a forty mile circle around Bennington, and am looking for jobs anywhere in it. It's tough to figure out how to get started.

Glad I was able to help, if it was in fact the info you were seeking.

I don't live in Western Mass a la Arlo Guthrie. (I wasn't aware you did, apparently...apologies). It's not quite as pastoral here in the Central part of the Commonwealth as it is in the Berkshires. I am not, nor is my family well off...sorry if that makes you cringe, so I cannot afford the garden spots, nor a large acreage.

And YES the Legislature here continually ignores the vox populi and has for some time. The gay marriage issue I made reference to occured to me as Supreme Court topdog Margaret Marshall (who is thankfully stepping down just recently) refused to put the issue on a ballot referendum FOR THE CITIZENS TO VOTE ON. This happens here which unnerving regularity, with the cooperation of a few select solons on Beacon Hill.

Too, please note that the ENTIRE Democratic delegation was re-elected to a man, including one Dem noteable whose wife money-laundered plural millions of dollars from her brothers' shading dealings in the Carib.

He, the solon, claimed he knew nothing about it. (He didn't check their bank statements? The estimated amount involved was at least some $6 million).

This lack of turnover makes Mass somewhat unique out of the other 49 states in that regard re the last election cycle.

Anyone wanting to move here is cautiously advised to check the taxes, school system, police records and % of minorities in the part of they state they are moving into. Check insurance and crime rates, especially drug trafficking and shootings, which are sadly becoming part of the news nearly every PM. It wasn't always that was, alas.

If you're aiming high: Weston, Dover, Essex, Sherborn,

Duxbury, parts of the Cape and North Shore are terrific.

If not: Worcester, Roxbury, Chicopee, Springfield, Mattapan, Brockton, Framingham, New Bedford to name a few, can give you all the action you want bareknuckles/3rd world style. These locales all now have a largely increasing % of minorities. Hello Aunt Zituni.

Again, Massachsetts is a pretty good place in which to live if you're wealthy.

"Trust but verify" - R Reagan

My dad grew up in the suburbs of Schenectady and I have spent a good amount of time in the Capital Region in my (22 years of) life and I absolutely love it there. I think the area is absolutely great. A few friends of mine go to school there and love it also. However, I am not as familiar with the local issues affecting the region the way that the poster who addressed them before does.

Pine Hills section of Albany is where you want to be.