Pittsfield, MA Reviews

Pittsfield - then and now - 2/12/2015
I have grown up in Pittsfield, moved away, and came back. The loss of the GE manufacturing plant in the 80's adversely affected this blue collar city. This is not the same place it was when a large percentage of working class people were working the GE plant. It was a great place to grow up, very safe with most neighborhoods very nicely manicured with pride. Not so anymore...gentrification is out and blight has set in at most neighborhoods except the richest ones. The city is still trying to redefine itself as a cultural center, but all one has to do is walk down main street on any weekday and see all the low income population dependent on government subsidies. It is sad but believe me this is true. I make a decent living but get disgusted with all the social welfare offices and programs that have established themselves here. This demographic is well above the proportion of what it should be for a community this size. The Berkshires is a beautiful place that I hold dearly but Read More

Pittsfield is not the place. - 11/21/2014
Pittsfield has done nothing to attract any form of business for the 40 of 47 years that I have lived here. The current tax rate is now 3.7% for business property - that includes paying for the stapler on your desk every year. You would be making a mistake to do business, start a business or to move to this town.

The town has gone severely downhill since General Electric dumped thousands of pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls into the surrounding areas and then moved out of the town.

We do have a new prison which seems to attract most of the new population and offers many jobs in law enforcement. Read More

Pittsfield, MA - 4 Shootings since 1/1/2009! - 4/4/2009
Hello,

I was surprised to see Pittsfield, MA, listed as one of the towns with least crime. We've had 4 shootings since the beginning of the year! Where do you get your info, and how old is it?

Signed,
Ready to Read More

Great Place To Live, If You Can Find A Job - 11/11/2008
To the reviewer who said there are only two large companies in Pittsfield, I can assure you that GE is not one of them. GE began shutting down its' businessess and leveling it's buildings many years ago, leaving a wasteland of raised graves where the buildings once stood, covered by rocks and impermeable membranes. This was done to minimize any future leaching of the PCB's they left behind into the ground water and the Housatonic River. Basically, GE got away with murder, - when they should have been taken to court and made to pay dearly for the contaminants they not only left in the soils but walked away from scott free, - to never be held accounrable in the future. GE may have grown this town, but it left it a sewage dump without ever looking back - a shame and a disgrace. Thank you, Jack Welch, you never included this in your book about how great you are.

There are no more large employers left in Pittsfield and the town has seen close to a 30% drop in population since Read More

Pittsfield,MA - 7/9/2008
Only two large companies in Pittsfield, GE and General Read More

The Lovely Berkshires - 12/8/2007
Pittsfield is a great place to raise a family. born and raised here myself i chose to move my family "back home" after having been away for a decade. with four distinct seasons, there is allways senic beauty around. there are tons of outdoor activities around from dirt circletrack and drag racing to ski areas, state forest and cultural activities like museums, theaters, lakes, and more. city services are good and cell phone coverage is Read More