What's So Great About Western Massachusetts?

I have lived in New England my whole life and for the past twenty years, Western Massachusetts has been my home. It's amazing how many people think that living in Massachusetts means living in Boston, or its many suburbs. Once, while traveling through Idaho, a woman saw my Mass license plate and asked, "Massachusetts....that's prairie, right?" Perhaps she was referring to the rolling hills! So much for geography class.

Here is just some of the reasons why I love living on "the other side" of Massachusetts:

1. Lifestyle: Small towns, slower pace, fresh air, town meetings
   
2. Easy commute: From my home I can walk to work, the corner store (yes, we really do have one), the bike path, the library, the elementary and the middle school
3. Location: In ten minutes I can be on the highway, headed for the beach (1.5 hrs), Boston (2 hrs.), VT ski country (1.5 hours) or NYC (2 hours).
4. Culture: Where do you think everyone in Boston wants to go to enjoy themselves? BSO summers in the Berkshires for a reason, folks.
   
5. Education: The Five College community - Amherst, U-Mass, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Smith....no need for name dropping here!
6. Recreation: Too many options to think of - skiing, biking, kayaking, camping, horseback riding - a healthy lifestyle.

If you're tired of sitting in traffic, when you could be enjoying life, consider moving to Western Mass. Property values have held up well here during the recent real estate downturn. Buy in Western Mass and make the commute to the city only when you have to. Isn't that what FedX was meant for?