Reviews & Comments
Pittsfield, MA
Great Place To Live, If You Can Find A Job -
11/11/2008To 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 GE closed its' doors. Basically, it's a service economy town, - low paying jobs and small businesses. In addition, as a result of the liberal welfare laws in Massachusetts, drugs and crime have made their way to Pittsfield. When I raised my family there in the 1970's and 1980's, there were no murders or drug trafficking - not any longer. The town is now a drug corridor from NYC to Hartford, CT, through Pittsfield, and on up to Canada. The main street, North Street, is now ugly and deserted and a hang out for the disenfranchised. Long gone are the shoppers and the middle class members of society who made the city what it was.
On the plus side, the areas surrounding Pittsfield are some of the most beautiful on the east coast. VT is 45 minutes away, NY is 20 minutes away, CT is 45 minutes away, and Boston is 2 hours away. The Boston Symphony spends the summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, 15 minutes away, and there numerous other concerts to be seen. Williams University in Williamstown, one half hour to the north, has hosted may famous stars in their summer stock play series. There is plenty to do and explore, especially during the summer months.
All in all, it's still a good place to raise a family, if you can find a job to support them.
Charlotte, NC
Summers are HOT - HOT - HOT -
9/17/2008It is true that, after enduring New England winters for 45 years, the winters here are relatively mild. I used to be able to wear a very light jacket during the winter, when I moved to Charlotte 15 years ago, but your blood eventually thins and you do find the winters a "little" chilly, with time. I should add that there are still many days during the winter when I can wear shorts and a T shirt during the day. Spring and fall are fantastic and, because spring comes earlier and fall lasts longer, winter seems to pass very quickly. Now, about the summer weather here, - it is HOT, no if's, and's, or but's. Summer temperatures average in the mid to high 90's with a good many days reaching the 100-105 range. If you are not used to it, and you come down here from up north and run around like you "think" you can, you "will" end up suffering from heat stroke, as happened with me. The only way to survive the summer heat is to take it slowwwww and eeeeeasy. The biggest problem with the heat is the unbearable humidity. The moment you start to do anything energetic, like yard work, you will find yourself soaking wet with sweat. I used to wonder why so many people had their yard work done by landscaping companies (they are all over the place here) and now I know. If you want to avoid the heat, you can drive to the mountains or the beach but, depending on your driving habits, it's a 3.5 to 4.5 hour drive to both. And, if you choose the beach (Myrtle Beach), you just may find it to be slightly hotter there. I will add that Charlotte traffic is terrible, because there are not enough properly designed highways to handle the number of vehicles. Property taxes are high meaning you will want to look for a home in Fort Mill or Rock Hill (both in SC) about 20 minutes south of Charlotte - I did and am very happy with my choice. Crime is something you will have to adjust to and there is plenty of it. If you are from up north, be prepared to be introduced to "sweet tea" - it's the preferred drink of the south (all year) and you should not gulp your first one down. Image a glass of iced tea, - now add about 10 tablespoons of sugar and stir until it is all disolved, - then drink it. I have never gotten used to it and I always order "unsweetened tea" which brings me a raised eyebrow look from the order taker. But, in spite of the negatives, I like the area and I definitely like the friendliness of the southern people. My only regret is that I did not come here sooner, when it was less developed and still a small southern city. It is changing very fast, with the constant influx of outsiders, and it will soon be just like any other city on the east coast. Anyway, - that's my perspective on the area, based on my experiences.