Pittsfield in a day (2/4/12) (North Adams, Adams: homes, employment, transfer)

[ihatebills]

So my wife and I are considering moving to Pittsfield. My job wants me to transfer there so we want to visit the city. We will only be there for the day and will be driving from about 2 hours away. What should we do for the day to get to know the city a little? Thanks

[evergrn]

I'm not sure what kind of criteria you have in terms of cost of living, commute time, quality of school, whether you want to be in a rural setting or in the middle of city with shopping nearby. Just because your work is in Pittsfield doesn't mean you have to live in Pittsfield, although there are nice areas within Pittsfield itself. I personally like Williamstown a lot, but that's me and you're looking at 30-40min commute and higher home price. Lenox is just south of Pittsfield, and it's a very refined town with high-end restaurants and shops and filled with New Yorkers... but homes aren't cheap there either. Dalton is more affordable and not far from Pittsfield, and some people prefer it to Pittsfield but it also feels a bit more isolated.

Within Pittsfield, the nice places include southeastern area along Williams St and Holmes Rd, and western part of town as you head down West St away from the center of town. Certain areas near Berkshire Medical Center (along Waconah St, Tyler St) and around the downtown area are not the greatest.

If you have one day to spend, take the time to look at safer parts of Pittsfield that I listed above. If you're interested in any of the other towns I mentioned above, go swing by. Check out downtown Pittsfield and get a feel for what's there, even if you're not going to live in that area. Also, take the time to stop by shopping centers in Pittsfield and get a feel for the clientele and what sorts of things are available. Specifically, head to the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough and out towards the eastern part of town that has things like Barnes & Noble, Panera Bread and other shopping outlets.

[goyguy]

My own favorite towns thereabouts are Lee and Great Barrington, with Stockbridge not far behind. Each of these communities are astride Route 7 to the south of Pittsfield. Bear in mind that Berkshire County was the last in Massachusetts to be "graced" by a mall - it didn't open until the mid-80's, and many are those who rue the day it did. The county is still heavily rural, with a good bit of the land preserved by various conservation groups. What I'm getting at is, commuting to Pittsfield from just about any place should be a breeze. Public transportation is well nigh non-existent. But hours-long backups never occur, and people are too laid-back to be the "Ma--holes" the more urban parts of the state are notorious for.
Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow, etc are world renowned for their summertime cultural offerings. During the rest of the year, if you're artistically inclined the places to be are Williamstown and North Adams (the latter for MassMOCA.) Outlet shoppers gravitate to the big "collection" in Lee just north of the turnpike interchange. Foodies favor Lenox, Williamstown, and Great Barrington. No community has particularly outstanding or terrible public schools, but the Monument Mountain district which includes Great Barrington - as well as the systems of the more affluent locales, same as everywhere - tend to be better regarded.
My recommendation for a day trip would be to start early with breakfast at the much-loved Joe's Diner (its actual name) in Lee. Then drive up (literally in some places) Route 20 through Lenox into Pittsfield. Find the possible site of employment and poke around the immediate area - say within a mile radius - for an hour or three. Continue north along Route 7 until you reach Williamstown for touring and lunch. Then turn back around and proceed to the south of the city along 7, that way you'll get the chance to see some of the towns I like and close out the day with dinner. Or, if the spirit moves you, go farther out to the south or east/west from Pittsfield to get more of the lay of the land. (Most of the county outside of Williamstown and Lenox isn't populated by wealthy persons, not counting the city folk and their retirement/weekend/summer "retreats." But the only significant pocket of poverty is in and around North Adams and along Route 2 aka the Mohawk Trail.)
I envy anybody who has the opportunity to live in that beautiful and friendly part of the Bay State.