Looking to relocate into the Berkshires

Submitted by Sufficient-Voice-210 t3_yymsee in massachusetts

Hello all, I am a native of central Mass but I have been living in New York for the last 17 years. I’m looking at making a return to Mass by moving with my family to the Berkshires the only thing is outside of Pittsfield, Lee and Lanesborough I don’t really know anything about the county. My wife currently works in Lee and I’m taking a job in Adams. Anyone have any advice on what towns are good to live in and what not for a family with a young child?

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Here4Western_Mass t1_iwv2xfs wrote

We moved to North Adams from Manhattan about 18 years ago and have thoroughly loved living here. Our daughter is 14 now and raised here. Her experience in the public schools has been really good from kindergarten to now high school. Worth a look though you can’t go wrong in most of the county so check out the rest too. We started out planning a move to south county but fell in love with North Adams. Good luck!

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joelav t1_iwuyzgj wrote

Lee and Lanesborough have the best public schools in the area.

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Sufficient-Voice-210 OP t1_iwuzh5j wrote

That’s what I had heard.

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ginasaurus-rex t1_iwvu9xd wrote

Keep in mind that Berkshire County also has school of choice, so you don't have to live in those cities in order for your kids to attend school there.

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Balsac_is_Daddy t1_iwvetkk wrote

Are you wanting to move close to where one of you works or in between? Lee to Adams is a 45 minute drive, depending on traffic.

Dalton is in the middle and a very cute town, with schools going k-12, and a Catholic k-8. Its right next to Pittsfield, the county's biggest city. You could also go a bit more rural and look at Windsor , but Im majorly biased, as I grew up in Windsor and fkn LOVE it.

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Sufficient-Voice-210 OP t1_iwvh9vp wrote

I’ve looked at Dalton and my wife knows someone who grew up in Windsor actually. My wife grew up in a super small town so she’d prefer a more rural area

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Balsac_is_Daddy t1_iwvn2pt wrote

Oh wow awesome! Windsor is really a lovely town and there is a small, but thriving community of friends and neighbors. There are frequently walking groups, potlucks, clothing swaps and library and church events, plus there's a bunch of committees like the Historical society (they take care of the wonderful museum right in the center of town) and the monthly town newsletter. There are 2 stores in town , the original General Store at the top of the mountain (with a gorgeous view of the valley) and down the road is the gas/diesel station Friendly Fred's.There's also a town park with a baseball diamond, public-use pavilion and a BRAND NEW PLAYGROUND! During the summer, they have family movie nights up there.

But its certainly not an EASY place to live. Winters can be cold and long, as the town is on a mountain. I've literally seen the entire town of Windsor encased in ice and snow and then driven a few miles down the mountain into neighboring Dalton, only to see melted puddles and hints of green grass. But if you are a snow enthusiast, you will be in luck as Windsor has some of the best snowmobiling and x-country skiing in the state! Plus loads of trails and fields to muck about in. Windsor Jambs and the state park are favorites places of mine to explore and pretend Im a wood elf haha.

I could go on and on about my lovely little hometown, but to be honest its making me quite emotional and I have chores to get done. but i will leave you with this incredible video that was made a few years ago.

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Mysterious-House-51 t1_iwvthaf wrote

Pittsfield is basically right in the middle. 20-30 mins to adams and Lee. But if schools matter stick with lenox,lanesboro, dalton

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JaKr8 t1_iwxrjmk wrote

You'll definitely want to spend some time kicking around the center portion of the county. There are a lot of beautiful and unique areas throughout. It would probably be easiest to be somewhere on the route 7 corridor, but you could also consider a place like Becket, which has easy access to Lee and slightly longer access to Adams ( via the only straight road in all of Berkshire County, Washington Mountain Rd).. But if you want to be out in the sticks, that is a viable option.

You'll fall in love with the best kept secret in New England once you get here.

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Lancerp427 t1_iwvuhhh wrote

I currently live in Adams.

You could always think about Cheshire too. It's right next to lanesborough.

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fguerino123 t1_ixqalmb wrote

After many years of looking for a home in the Berkshires and exploring many of the towns, we finally decided on and recently built a house in Lee. It's a great town for many reasons (in no particular order)...

  • Pretty affordable real estate compared to the more expensive towns of Lenox, Stockbridge and Great Barrington that surround it. You have affordable very rural options and in-town options (easy walking to downtown).
  • Lower real estate taxes than these same three towns mentioned above.
  • Unlike Lenox and Stockbridge, which have a lot of out-of-state people who own 2nd vacation homes, Lee is more of a local and very charming community where so many great people know and look out for each other. (Although we believe Lee to be a sleeper town that you'll see many out-of-state people investing in over the coming years, since real estate is scarce.)
  • Quick access to the MA pike, which makes it easy to get across MA and also to many other places in states like NY, CT, VT. This is also important if you need to have access to airports (Albany and Hartford).
  • I hear the schools are pretty good (our own children are grown so no info to offer from personal experience on this).
  • It has solid tourism, which supports a great downtown that is composed of many wonderful shops and restaurants, some of which tend to stay open far later than those in surrounding towns mentioned above.
  • Lots of outdoor activities access with October Mountain, Laurel Lake (which has a town beach), and many trails. Quick access to Butternut Skiing and numerous others.
  • Lots of shopping options. Lee Premium Outlets are in town and offer access to lots of very affordable shopping. Access to the MA pike makes it easy to get to shopping in places like Springfield & Albany. Rt. 7 corridor makes it easy to get to places like Pittsfield and Great Barrington for shopping.
  • Excellent police and fire departments.
  • Strong "community" with multiple churches, charities, town parades on holidays, etc.
  • Lee is being built-up with significant investments. Eagle Mill (on the north side of the downtown area) is being rebuilt with a commitment of roughly $60M.
  • Surrounded by solid hospitals in Pittsfield and Great Barrington that are quick to get to, with lots of access to medical services in the area.

I'm sure you'll evaluate all info provided for all towns. Good luck in your search.

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Sufficient-Voice-210 OP t1_ixqbjlh wrote

My wife works in Lee it’s a cute little town and we would love to live there to be honest. This info was very helpful

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