Greenfield

Submitted by Another_Reddit t3_zwn77k in massachusetts

My partner and I are moving to western Mass in a few months. We’ve lived around Boston for a while and are excited to move someplace with more nature and space, but want to be in a small city where there’s still stuff going on. We’ve been to Greenfield a few times and are considering renting there for a while and maybe buying a place, but we’ve heard there’s a history of heroin abuse and some run down areas. Anyone here more familiar with the city and what it’s like to live there? Is it really that bad or is it just all relative compared to other nearby population centers like Amherst?

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BartonCove t1_j1w2vdz wrote

I'm a third generation Greenfieldian, although I left after high school. I've lived in Boston near Mass/Cass for over 30 years, so there's pretty much no place in Greenfield that I personally would call rough.

Housing is much more affordable there than out here - I sold my mother's house near the high school for ~$120 a square foot. In Watertown the average is $491. Downtown has seen better days, but there are still some excellent restaurants: People's Pint, Hope and Olive and Magpie, Mesa Verde, and although it may not look like it from the outside, China Gourmet is a decent Chinese and Sushi place. Village Pizza is a local institution, although the family who owns it just sold it, so people are holding their breath to see how it turns out.

It’s very controversial, but the city is getting a new library and a new fire station. Along with the new courthouse extension, Amtrak station and high school, the city has been using state and federal money to upgrade aging infrastructure. Some people like that, some people don’t. Greenfield has the only hospital in Franklin County and the Community College, two somewhat recession proof employers. The Greenfield Recorder is one of the oldest newspapers in the country, part of the group that owns the Hampshire Gazette in Northampton. I think most subscribers are just interested in finding out if their neighbors are in the Police Log - I know I am. The city also has a municipal wi-fi infrastructure, although I’ve never used it.

If you want a more nuanced insight into Greenfield’s heroin problem, find the Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown Season 4 Episode 7 “Massachusetts”. It starts out in Provincetown, but then heads to Greenfield to interview a cross section of people involved in the heroin epidemic. I thought it was well done, but it was made in 2014, so it’s a bit dated.

So, I’m pretty pro-Greenfield. I say go for it!

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Davidicus12 t1_j1ws9ye wrote

This is all true. Also, it leaves out that Greenfield isn’t a small city. It’s a large town. If you’re used to Boston, prepare yourself for stores to routinely be 30 min away. Groceries and Home Depot are in Greenfield. Dollar stores too. Beyond that, you’re getting on 91. It’s not a big deal, but be ready for it.

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Successful-Tomatillo t1_j1w3i31 wrote

I love the Montague police logs in the paper lol. Whoever writes those ones has more flair for the narrative than the Greenfield logs.

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Another_Reddit OP t1_j1x4q5k wrote

This is very insightful, I’ll definitely check out that Anthony bourdain episode. Why’s the library and fire station controversial?

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quiggles48 t1_j1xee61 wrote

New buildings are expensive for tax payers, but well worth it for the services. The library in particular is much needed and has a lot to offer the community.

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BartonCove t1_j25qmbe wrote

The Greenfield Public Library was originally the Levitt-Hovey house, designed in 1797 by Asher Benjamin, one of the original architects of post Revolutionary American style. It was originally a private home, and was bought by the (then) Town of Greenfield in 1909 to serve as the public library. I love the building and have very fond memories of spending time there growing up, but the building has access issues. Greenfield found Commonwealth money to build a new Library, but it meant the Fire Department next door would need to be knocked down and rebuilt elsewhere, on property the City would also have to buy. Cue taxpayer rage, and passive-aggressive comments from the Police Department about not getting a new station.

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Optimal-Scarcity2004 t1_j1vn3us wrote

Sounds like you have the lay of the land. It's affordable, liberal, has a sense of community and some amenities as well as access to lovely hills and forests. It also has serious drug problems, limited employment prospects and a lot of it is pretty run down. Not sure what the schools are like, if that's a concern.

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Successful-Tomatillo t1_j1w35fw wrote

We moved to the area from Boston earlier this year - we offered on a house in Greenfield but did not get it. My husband also wanted to live there because it was a city, and he had dreams of walking to the movie theatre lol. Greenfield has some areas that are better than others, like most cities. There are a decent amount of homeless people in the Main St/Federal St area, but no one has ever done anything to make me avoid the area. The only city my realtor warned me about was Holyoke, not sure how factual she was about it being a rough town, we did not move there!

I would recommend looking around Deerfield, Northfield, Shelburne Falls, Buckland, Bernardston, as well. They are not "in" the city but it's not a long drive at all.

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Another_Reddit OP t1_j1x50mc wrote

Thanks for the insight! We also have dreams of being able to walk into town. Would you feel safe walking around alone at night?

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OkZarathrustra t1_j1xflvr wrote

Absolutely! Lived there for a few years and never feared for a second walking home from the bars/movie theater at night.

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Successful-Tomatillo t1_j1z2f2i wrote

Yes, I'd feel safe there. I'd think most people who have lived in Boston would say the same.

I will say when we drive into Greenfield my husband says he is glad we didn't get the house near downtown. We are very happy living close to Greenfield and think our town is better haha.

Best of luck in your search!

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Hoosac_Love t1_j1vncuu wrote

My father lived there for many years and is buried there.The few rough parts in town are easy to avoid.Turner's Falls has a tougher reputation I think especially the Patch area.

Bernadston,Shelburne and Northfield are also worth looking into as well.My former step-mother still lives there,no complaints from about Greenfield.

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rolandofgilead41089 t1_j1wc9oi wrote

Montague (Turners Falls) is no better or worse than Greenfield really. I grew up there, lived in town for 26 years, and if I was to move back it would be Montague over Greenfield. The Patch isn't really bad at all, just lower income older housing, especially compared to Leyden Woods or Oak Courts in Greenfield which are far worse than anywhere in TF.

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irishgypsy1960 t1_j1yxqtr wrote

I would choose turners falls over greenfield as well. Nicer downtown, seems less conflict in town politics. Unity park is beautiful. One of the lousiest things about greenfield is the nice downtown park is only used by homeless and addicts except for events.

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mctrix3 t1_j1w4xxk wrote

Greenfield has its good and bad, but the town is working towards building up. There are some shops that need to reopen and its not quite there yet, but it would probably be a good time to move there while it's on the cheap side. New library, decent schools, some great restaurants and a decent nightlife. Hawk's and Reed is a great little msic venue and some fun parade/fairs. Just wanted to recommend checking out Easthampton as well for a younger couple. Live music, great restaurants/shops, all kinds of parks and hiking, great little community activities as well.

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prelanguage t1_j1w6767 wrote

Second Easthampton! Cool stuff going on, easy to get to Northampton, and still affordable!

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ChucciePhinster t1_j1wumc4 wrote

Easthampton is absolutely not affordable to most people anymore. Even in the before times it was impossible to find a house there for less than $250k

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WaketheDeadDonuts t1_j1wkzn5 wrote

3rd Easthampton

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Griledy t1_j1wl6d8 wrote

I work in Easthampton its honestly such a nice little town (city).

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WaketheDeadDonuts t1_j1wo4io wrote

Yep, moved here after the pandemic killed my food truck job in Boston...started a little mobile donut biz, did a little business incubator program run by the city where I met a bunch of town officials and shop owners, all bending backwards to help us.

A couple of weeks ago we were at a free, jammed packed Saturday night show at Luthiers...when the band finished at 11 (normal end time), the mayor came out from the crowd and basically ordered them to play another song.

After, we followed the guitarist down the street to the Marigold where he played trombone in a salsa band till 1am...

Plenty of times living in Brighton / Medford (aka Boston) + there wasnt as much going on as in this sleepy town of 16,000

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Another_Reddit OP t1_j1x58zs wrote

A lot of love for easthampton here! It’s a bit far for our commute right now but perhaps in the future. It’s nice to hear Greenfield is on the up though, it does seem like there’s room for growth but there’s a nice base of little shops and entertainment.

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DernKala1975 t1_j1xntzc wrote

I’ll just say… Greenfield has been “on the up” for probably the last 40 years. I think it’s questionable as to whether it will ever really change. This is not a knock on Greenfield by any means! It has its positives for sure, it’s a nice little town and I know people that live there and love it. Just don’t want you to move there with the impression that it is likely to change much in the near future.

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irishgypsy1960 t1_j1yyf1u wrote

I lived in amherst for decades and I had a much different impression of greenfield 15 years ago than now. Your comment is interesting to me. I have been thinking for several years that greenfield will be the next east Hampton. During COVID hawks and reed partnered w signature sounds, bringing new bigger acts, and patrons from northampton and beyond. And I’ve met many from amherst who sold there and moved to greenfield. Also, greenfield has excellent aging services with lifepath in town and the new door to door micro transit. I think the influx during COVID will have a big influence.

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joelav t1_j1vsh7h wrote

I live in the Amherst area and visit Greenfield a lot. I wouldn’t want it the other way around.

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mcgoogz t1_j1vpkd8 wrote

It’s fine, not really unsafe or anything but yeah parts of it can be kinda depressing.

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pr0m3th3us42 t1_j1w3r0t wrote

We bought a house in Greenfield about two years ago and are pretty darn happy with it. Son is in elementary school and enjoys it.

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Another_Reddit OP t1_j1x5he0 wrote

Nice to hear! Are you very far from the downtown? We’re thinking of going somewhere within walking distance to downtown.

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pr0m3th3us42 t1_j1yo2pm wrote

Were just out of walking distance. But it's only like a minute drive to downtown, and the parking situation is great downtown. Plenty of lots that are free on the weekends.

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ChucciePhinster t1_j1wvo94 wrote

My partner and I moved to Greenfield right before the pandemic. I'm from Western MA and went to Greenfield Community College so I already had an idea of what to expect. We love, love, love it here but like most communities, you get out what you put in. We find that most of our neighbors are great and we've become friends with them, the ones who aren't so great are still not bad though. I'm a young woman and I've never felt unsafe walking around town even at night, but I do avoid a couple spots just as a precaution. There are a lot of controversies happening with the government right now, but I don't think any of it is particularly worse than most other towns/cities. A lot of really great things are happening too though, there's young folks making art, live music, fun festivals, great bars and breweries in the area, plus all of the outdoor recreation you could desire.

You should note that while downtown Greenfield is pretty walkable (which is a huge reason why we bought the house that we did) and there's several grocery stores and a BJs, most larger shopping requires driving. Hadley or Athol both have strip malls with a variety of stores.

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Another_Reddit OP t1_j1x5xf8 wrote

I’m interested to hear about the controversies. Seems like every town has some.

So you live close to downtown? We’d like to live someplace walkable, so I’d want to be sure my partner feels safe walking around alone at night. Nice to hear you feel it’s safe.

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wolf95oct0ber t1_j1xdfoi wrote

Search for articles in local paper, look for words like Library and Fire Station and look at articles and opinion pieces. That will fill in some controversy info. Speaking as a white person it’s safe walking downtown. Can’t speak on behalf of BIPOC people. No place is perfect but I never avoid it out of concern but stuff happens. Likely better to walk around main streets of town and you’ll get to know which streets. Check out the local paper, subscribe if you can for a bit and read My Turn and local pieces to get a sense.

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ChucciePhinster t1_j20cvb7 wrote

People are upset that we're spending money on a new library and a fire station. We have a Police Chief who went to trial for racial discrimination against an employee and the mayor reinstated the Chief and is appealing the results of the trial.

I will add that I'm white and Franklin County is overwhelmingly white. My experience of safety is definitely not marred with the microaggressions my BIPOC community members have experience with.

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goldlion0806 t1_j1wz11i wrote

Greenfield is fine. Heroin is a huge problem in western mass, but really no worse than anywhere else in Mass. Personally, I don’t love Greenfield because it feels out in the middle of nowhere. I prefer Holyoke and it’s central location. We don’t live in Holyoke anymore but that was because our house needed to be de-leaded for children to live there and we wouldn’t have been able to make that cost back. Any city has run down areas.

Amherst isn’t comparable to anywhere else. It’s a weird little bubble, and honestly only worth the high housing cost and taxes if you have school aged kids that will benefit from the school system.

Hatfield is kinda a good compromise town close to northampton but more rural, but housing prices have gone way up in recent years.

Honestly though, if you don’t seek out trouble you’ll be fine. Also, honestly, in this day and age everyone should carry Narcan, it’s free and you could save a life.

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poprof t1_j1wcjbv wrote

Lots of family from greenfield and surrounding areas - it’s a decent place to raise a family but I know the schools have struggled with funding bc of a limited tax base.

The heroin thing is true in pretty much any struggling mill town and particular true along the 91 corridor - but i can’t imagine it’s any worse than parts of the Boston area.

If I could choose a town in the pioneer valley to live in id probably go with easthampton, parts of Southampton or Holyoke if I wasn’t worried about schools (that’s a more controversial pick I think)

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sporky211 t1_j1w09u2 wrote

It's not a bad place for things like a starter home but you guys seem already well established not sure what your budget and living requirements are but if you can afford a bit more Northampton is much more suited for you always a live downtown area and plenty of events always coming to town. Schools in Greenfield are nowhere near as good as anywhere in the lower part of the valley.

Unfortunately like many other parts of the state it is a city highly affected by heroin abuse it is more or less a hotspot for it because its so close to the Vermont border and runs right along I-91.

Hope this was insightful.

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PoliticalJunkie14 t1_j1w32uc wrote

I stayed there for a few weeks. Honestly, I really loved it there. Seemed to be a really good spread of stores and local amenities. Would go back and be there in a heartbeat.

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knobbly t1_j1w87xb wrote

If you've lived in Boston proper, no, Greenfield is not rough or scary. If you've mostly lived in the wealthier suburbs, then yes, it is more working class. AFAIK the crime is mostly drug related rather than violent crime. I've never felt unsafe anywhere in Greenfield or Turners tbh, and there's a fair bit of art and music going on there as well as down in Amherst/ Northampton and up in Brattleboro, and plenty of nature! It's also gentrifying quickly given the affordability.

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WakingOwl1 t1_j1x45ac wrote

I’ve been in Greenfield for over 20 years and quite like it. It’s more of a big town than a small city. It has its good and bad neighborhoods like any town. I like that we have a coop, an independently owned grocery and an independently owned theater. Hawks and Reed is a great music venue. We have some good restaurants and funky small shops. Anything you can’t find here can be found in a 30 mile radius including major shopping, museums outdoor recreation etc.

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Another_Reddit OP t1_j1x682a wrote

Thanks for the insight! Would you say it’s largely improved over the past 20 years? Still trending upwards? I hope there are more businesses opening than closing these days.

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wolf95oct0ber t1_j1xdr2r wrote

The pandemic did hit hard but it’s really starting to bounce back. If you’re on Facebook follow the Rec department and local businesses just to see all the stuff that’s going on.

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irishgypsy1960 t1_j1x97wx wrote

I just left greenfield 2 months ago. It’s definitely still trending up. The controversies referred to boil down to the older townie population wanting limited spending vs those pro library. The mayor is very disliked by many it seems in both camps. The city just was found liable for racist discrimination against a former black police officer. These issues are hotly argued on the local Facebook pages. Rents have surged and weekly people beg for leads on an apartment. There was and continues to be, an influx of newcomers beginning with COVID. Lots of local brewpubs and good eats. You have to live very close to town to walk and it’s very safe. There are no Ubers or Lyft and one taxi service which has a bad reputation. Lots of community. The middle and high schools have a lot of problems from what I’ve heard. There are excellent charter schools, by lottery.

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WakingOwl1 t1_j1xe2y4 wrote

I’ve lived in two locations since being here, both within walking distance of downtown which I really like, can decide to catch a movie or go grab a bite and be there in 15 minutes, can walk to the farmers market etc. We could definitely use better public transportation. The housing market has become extremely tight. I last moved just as COVID hit and really lucked into a sizable cheap place. I rent from a private landlord and haven’t seen the kind of increases some other folks I know that rent from property companies have. This is pretty much a working class town with all its inherent issues like any other but I find the small amenities suit my quiet lifestyle.

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pr0m3th3us42 t1_j1w3rm4 wrote

We bought a house in Greenfield about two years ago and are pretty darn happy with it. Son is in elementary school and enjoys it.

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borntorun54 t1_j1y0nci wrote

I grew up in Greenfield and still get back to the area for a month or two every year. From the outside looking in it doesn’t seem like the town government is very well run. A lot of crazy infighting. Another problem is that because of lack of development taxes in Greenfield are higher than in neighboring towns. Family members that lived in Greenfield have moved to Montague/Turners Falls and South Deerfield and are very happy they did. The later had school age kids and felt that they would get a better education in South Deerfield. I would have to agree as although state school test scores are not the be all to end all, they do seem lower in Greenfield. As for walk ability the closer you are to downtown Greenfield the less desirable the housing is for the most part.

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Puzzleheaded_Web_778 t1_j1zfi2g wrote

There’s heroin use everywhere in MA. I lived in Greenfield a few years ago and enjoyed it. There’s some great food and spaces downtown, including an excellent bakery (Rise Above)! And Turners Falls is right over the bridge, which has some really great places to explore.

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seafffoam t1_j1xqpoc wrote

My husband and I have lived in Franklin county for awhile and in Greenfield particularly for the last 3 or 4. We have lived all over southern VT and western mass for the last 12 years.

You have a lot of good responses with a mix of advice here, so I’ll just offer my brief personal opinion and leave it at that.

We have had a range of experiences in Greenfield that mostly align with what others have said. I would not call it a dangerous city but I would also not consider it “typical charming small town” that you may be expecting from an urban area. I personally wouldn’t stay here if you have kids in the public school. We are relocating to Connecticut in a few weeks.

We just spent a year in this housing market and made offers in towns all up and down the 91 corridor. Happy to share other town recs or answer any other questions you may have over DM.

Ps. Don’t talk about the library

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odamado t1_j1z6m8y wrote

I've lived here for 3 years and it seems like the heroin abuse issue died down before I got here. My experience has been a cute, slightly funky, small town with a lot of access to nature and enough of a downtown to not feel like you're full on in the woods. Everything closes at 9, and there are only like 8 restaurants, but I love living here and plan on staying indefinitely. A new brewery just opened up near my house, seems like the music scene is staging a comeback, there's a farmers market every Saturday. It's legit small town goodness.

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eightfingeredtypist t1_j1zcek1 wrote

Greenfield has heroin and rough people if you know where to look, and go there. There's some projects on the edge of town, a sketchy bar, but it is nothing compared to cities in the eastern part of the state, or south in the valley. Greenfield is small enough that people know each other. There aren't streets you can't go down, because some gang owns them.

Greenfield tends liberal, community oriented. Go sit in Greenfield market for lunch, and see who shows up. I always see people I know there from around the county.

There are a lot of people who live in older housing stock north of Main Street who chose a lifestyle not as dependent on cars.

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Fantasy_Lord t1_j1z07vc wrote

Worked in Greenfield for a few years in the early 2000’s and lived in Sunderland. It’s a beautiful area with lots to see and do. Now in New Hampshire. Here’s a song from a local artist (Jim Henry) who sums up living in the Pioneer Valley. Home to Me

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danbyer t1_j1z2y5z wrote

I’ve considered moving to Greenfield just to be closer to People’s Pint!

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itallendsintears t1_j1w5xwo wrote

Greenfield SUCKS. Dude. Listen. I worked at BHN Greenfield for 18 months. I live in South Hadley which is basically the apex of western mass. Greenfield….I don’t how to say it. It’s like the water or something. The people are stupid and weird in a way that is EXTREMELY disconcerting. I’m telling you the first 3 months I was there I wanted to move up there. Pretty, close to snowboarding/Vermont. Good downtown space. CATALPA coffee!

But, the people. Are fucking AWFUL. Absolutely awful. Inbred and stupid in way that’s hard to describe

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poprof t1_j1wcrw6 wrote

You immediately disqualified yourself when you called south Hadley the apex of western MA. No way.

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itallendsintears t1_j1wfhfc wrote

Lol. Okay. Hydroelectric chilling how’s eversource noob?

My electric bill was 35 bucks last month. What was yours again?

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WaketheDeadDonuts t1_j1wlj1d wrote

Cheap electricity plus you get to smell cow shit every night for free!

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itallendsintears t1_j1wq37g wrote

That’s…Hadley. Nice try tho

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WaketheDeadDonuts t1_j1wtxaj wrote

Not according to my nose, but enjoy!

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itallendsintears t1_j1wuamg wrote

I absolutely will. Walking distance to mount Holyoke and a five minute drive to Mount Tom.

Hey what’s your town have?

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WaketheDeadDonuts t1_j1ww4uv wrote

Well, for starters, half of Mt. Tom the mountain + all of Mt Tom ice cream.

Then there's a hot music scene, a regular artwalk, breweries, dispensaries, an Italian butcher shop, kayaking, decriminalized shrooms, Cultural Chaos, Food Truck Fridays, Millpond Live, an arcade stuffed with every video game console from Atari to PS5, and the trifecta of good eats: Daily Operation, Calico, Small Oven Bakery

...and, coming this Fall: Western MA's first Porchfest.

Now, I'd tell you I'm talking about Easthampton, but you already knew that.

All good tho. S. Hadley's a fun little spot w/ more to recommend it than nearby Amherst.

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itallendsintears t1_j1wzrth wrote

lol Easthampton suuuuucks. Worst roads ever. Tandem bagel is so inferior to comfort bagel it’s an embarrassment. So annoying to get to. I get my haircut there and that’s it. I do like river valley and big e’s but the road damage isn’t even worth driving to those places.

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WaketheDeadDonuts t1_j1x0xy6 wrote

My dude, I was trying to give you an out playing S. Hadley a complement, but you had to double down on this delusion of grandeur. I'm sorry I just don't know S. Hadley like you clearly know Easthampton, so I don't know what else you to say.

Totally agree with you, Comfort Bagel in Holyoke is great. But, #HolyokesHappening

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poprof t1_j1xqa5q wrote

South Hadley gets their electricity from Holyoke - and - idk man. I’m glad you like South Hadley - they’ve got a nice parks and rec department going for them.

My electric bill was $105. I don’t think it’s ever been below 40$. So good job - hopefully someday soon we can all be so lucky

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goldlion0806 t1_j1wws99 wrote

It’s incredibly disconcerting that you self disclose having worked for BHN and then talk about people like that. People like you shouldn’t work in MH. Also, SH is gross AF. People of color are treated like crap in SH. That poor girl that killed herself because the kids in the HS were constantly bullying her, and nothing has changed there. SH is so weird in that they shit talk Holyoke and think they’re so much better, as if the heroin epidemic doesn’t cross the river. It’s everywhere.

Also, if we’re labeling someplace the “apex” we should probably go by housing prices not egos, and Amherst and Northampton would win.

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itallendsintears t1_j1x00t5 wrote

That little virtue signaling guilt trip was adorable.

And Holyoke rules. I’m trying to buy a house there.

Fuck Greenfield

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