Trying to be objective and thorough
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10/8/2019
I’ll try to be objective for the sake of an accurate review... I’ve lived here on and off for most of my life. The pros: small-town life (if you like that sort of thing). It’s relatively quiet except for Lebanon Valley Speedway on weekends during decent weather. I could live without it, but it isn’t make/break for me. Low crime rate - the odd break-in, DUI or drug bust... that’s mostly it. “Serious” crimes are rare. School - there’s one - New Lebanon Central. Very small population (last I looked, graduating senior class was ~30. ) However, NL levies substantial school taxes in addition to NY state’s already highest-in-the-nation rates. (One of the reasons I’m looking to move). Politics - blue. There’s a minority of republicans, but they’re mostly of the “RINO” variety. Just a small handful of actual conservatives/libertarian types - too few to make a difference either way. Not too long ago (2014) NY governor Cuomo made it clear that right-leaning conservative folks are not appreciated in NY. To be fair, most people probably wouldn’t say it quite as bluntly as Cuomo, but be aware. Diversity is welcome in NY as long as you’re diverse in the same way as those who run the state. (Another reason I’m looking to move) Weather: Winters tend to be long and bleak though skiers might look at things differently. There are several ski areas within a stone’s throw of NL - Jiminy Peak, Brodie Mountain, Bosquet are three that come immediately to mind. I don’t ski, so I can’t tell you if they’re any good or not. Cold weather and snow generally start in late October or early November and the last of the snow is gone by early April. January and February are generally the coldest months - It’s typical to get a week or so of sub-zero nighttime temperatures with single digit daytime highs. Summers often take a few months to really get going - we’ll get a week or so of hot, humid, thunderstorm weather in August then it starts to gradually cool off again. (One more reason I’m looking to move - cold, gloomy weather for 6 months out of the year and SAD). Foliage (if you’re into that) can be beautiful and usually peaks around mid October, along with “leaf peeper” traffic. Culture: Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow Dance, Berkshires Theater Festival and a variety of small museums and historic places close by. Spiritual: pretty much everything is represented here - there’s a Sufi community, a few small traditional Catholic and Protestant churches, and representatives of yoga/eastern leanings. Just “over the hill” in nearby Pittsfield MA (~11 miles) you can find pretty much any other philosophy you might be looking for that isn’t represented directly in NL. Economy: sorry, no hard stats here (I’m retired) but overall, the economy seems to be moving toward second-home folks and the services that are required to support them. No significant manufacturing or high tech any closer than the Albany, NY area (~25 miles) but plenty of restaurants, bars, HVAC, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, caretakers, lawyers, mental health/medical professionals. Speaking of medical - closest hospitals are Columbia Memorial (Hudson, NY), Albany Medical (Albany NY) or Berkshire Medical (Pittsfield MA). Outpatient support is almost entirely non-existent in NL - you’ll need to go to Pittsfield, MA, Chatham, NY, Hudson, NY or Albany/Troy, NY for your doctor/dentist visits. What have I missed?
Jay | Pittsfield, MA