North Adams or Pittsfield for a gay couple? (Boston, Worcester: apartments, lofts)

[ericrion]

Hello I was wondering between the two cities which would you choose. Me and my partner are looking for a house that needs TLC where the housing market is not overpriced and where the downtown is developed or in the process. Thanks for your suggestions

[skytrekker]

Pittsfield will be the largest of the two towns, pop. 46,000. It will offer a bit more in the way of shopping and services, including health services. The city has a thriving arts sector both visual and performing.

The City of Pittsfield is the cultural, commercial, legal, and medical hub of the Berkshires – a region world-renowned for its outstanding standard of living, breathtaking landscape, and the finest in cultural and recreational attractions.

Through recent initiatives, Downtown Pittsfield has truly become the Downtown of the Berkshires, as young professionals, artists and many more are moving into the downtown and into the neighborhoods to work and to live. With new attractions, including the world-class Colonial Theatre, the Tony Award-winning Barrington Stage Company, and a new downtown cinema center on the way, private investment has further bolstered the energy driving Pittsfield’s revitalization.

In the heart of the beautiful Berkshires, Pittsfield State Forest offers endless trails through gorgeous scenery, along with streams, waterfalls, and Berry Pond, which at 2,150 feet in elevation is one of the highest natural bodies of water in Massachusetts. The state forest offers facilities for camping, non-motorized boating, biking, and more. In addition, Balance Rock State Park is the home of a true natural wonder that you have to see to believe, along with miles of wooded trails for running, biking, cross country skiing and more. For downhill skiing, Bousquet Ski Area offers trails for beginners to the most experienced, as well as snowboarding and snow tubing.

North Adams population just under 15,000, is home to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art & the "Renaissance". Since its opening, MASS MoCA has provided the catalyst and anchor for a larger economic transformation in the region centered on cultural, recreational, and educational offerings. In the past five years, North Adams has become home for several new and well-regarded restaurants, contemporary art galleries and cultural organizations. In addition, once shuttered area factories and mills are being rehabilitated as live/work lofts for artists.

[ericrion]

Thanks for all the advice. We both love to go outdoors and hike so it seems like Pittsfield has the advantage. Plus it has a Target which is one of my requirements when moving (do not like shopping at Wal-Mart). I am in healthcare so I will need to do research on medical hospitals and facilities, any advice anyone has on medical employment would be helpful. Thanks Eric

[LSatie]

With Pittsfield, you *really* need to be careful where you choose to live. I always found N. Adams to be way too remote and run down. There's a Wal-Mart and little else. Pittsfield at least has the mall and some decent plazas. In general, both are more affordable but they don't have the "prestige" affiliated with "living in the Berkshires". As I said, when it comes to Pittsfield, it's all about what part you live in. Western Pittsfield and further south are OK, but anything near downtown can be pretty run down. We had apartments at the end of Pomeroy Ave. (right near the HS) and on Second Street. Second Street had the reputation of being the worst part of Pittsfield, but we felt safe and kept to ourselves, and the apt. was beautiful inside. Anyway, I am rambling here, but I'd definitely recommend Pittsfield over N. Adams any day! Just make sure you have a stable job, because finding a new one with good pay in that area is brutal. Best of luck!

[scarletfire]

I have a friend who moved to Montague, MA and said as a same-gender couple they found it a welcoming community. I don't know a ton about the area, but recall when she moved her commenting that she liked that there's an arts community and nice places to go hiking and canoeing there. I'm not sure how far away that is from North Adams. You can find info at The Town of Montague. That might also put you within somewhat reasonable commuting distance to hospitals in Worcester for health care jobs (Umass, Fallon Clinic, etc.)

A caution about Pittsfield: There are parts of the Housatonic River and some area communities that were contaminated by toxic materials from GE. You can read about this amazing fellow Tim Gray from Housatonic River Initiative who has been advocating for years on behalf of the community for the cleanup, some of which has finally taken place but it's a huge job. Housatonic River Initiative.

[litlux]

Both North Adams and Pittsfield have a wealth of cultural amenities, as do most of the Berkshires. And that is brilliantly balanced by nature, endless hiking trails, farms and a growing local foods movement.

There is not a lot of gay life in the Berkshires, but you will not be alone in that regard in any case. The two big hospital operations are in North Adams and Pittsfield, and there is substantial medical activity throughout the region. There is a pretty large retirement population which keeps the medical practitioners busy. Places like Williamstown Medical even have labs and services on site or nearby, similar to the OP Departments of Hospitals.

Target is not actually in Pittsfield, but sort of halfway between North Adams and Pittsfield, in Lanesboro. Frankly, the Berkshires are not much of a shopping destination IMHO, and many of us shop online and take periodic forays to the big cities of Boston and New York. What it does have, however, for nine months of the year at least, is some of the best local food in America at farm stands, farmers markets and a dozen nearby farms where you can get real food, not the tasteless industrial kind.

I live in North Adams, and if buying low and renovating is your cup of tea, this is the place. I paid $50K for my modest cottage, and could have gotten a shabby but splendid "Painted Lady" Victorian for $125K.

There is a small creative community of sociable people here, too, and we often get together for potlucks and welcome new folks to the community. Newcomers to the Berkshires are viewed with some reserve by the oldtimers, and there is no Welcome Wagon per se, but those of us who have arrived in the past decade tend to be happy to see more friendly, and um, worldly-wise faces.

So come spend some time in the Berkshires to get a sense of what is possible. Feel free to PM me from this forum for some personal recommendations.

I am one of many writers here in the Berkshires, and my blog is at:

http://arts-america.blogspot.com/

I am also a contibutor to Berkshire Fine Arts which covers most of the happenings of importance in the area. Take a look at my Holiday Preview of things to do.

http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/sho...tegory=opinion

I hope this is helpful. The Berkshires are wonderful, and with a nice combination of old and new friends, you too will see why we rarely leave during the nice weather, and know how to enjoy the skiing season, too. We have several worthy skiing destinations not more than a few minutes from anyplace in the Berkshires.