Is Westfield, MA, a Good Place to Live? 10 Pros and Cons to Consider

Nestled by the Berkshire mountains adjacent the Connecticut River, Westfield, MA, is simply a tiny suburb of Springfield with a affluent history. Known arsenic Whip City, the country is location to much than 40,500 residents who bask the abundant quality and assemblage tone the metropolis offers. 

So if you’re wondering if Westfield, MA, is simply a bully spot to live, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re looking astatine homes for merchantability successful Westfield, apartments for rent, oregon are conscionable funny astir what the country has to offer, this Redfin usher is for you. To springiness you a taste, present are 10 pros and cons to see earlier moving to Westfield, MA. 

5 pros of surviving successful Westfield, MA

There’s a batch to emotion astir surviving successful Westfield, from affluent past to casual entree to nature. Here are 5 of the champion reasons to marque the move. 

1. Affordable outgo of living

A large crushed to determination to Westfield, MA, is its low cost of living compared to different US cities, particularly adjacent metros similar Boston and Worcester. For example, the median merchantability price for a location successful Westfield is $330,000, good beneath the nationalist median and acold beneath prices successful Boston ($810,000) and Worcester ($422,000). Apartments are besides cheaper than average, with the modular one-bedroom portion costing astir $1,892.

The metropolis offers a scope of lodging options, from historic homes downtown to tiny homes and apartments for rent passim the city. Property taxes and inferior costs are mostly little than the nationalist average, making Westfield an charismatic enactment for those looking to relocate.

2. Recreational activities

Situated successful the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains and wrong Pioneer Valley, Westfield offers abundant outdoor activities each year. You tin bask hiking, biking, oregon skiing, depending connected the play and your preference. Popular time travel locations see Robinson State Park, Shatterack Mountain, and C.M Gardner State Park. 

If you’re looking for parks wrong the city, Stanley Park is simply a large all-purpose choice, featuring implicit 300-acres of space, including gardens, diversion fields, trails, and a wildlife sanctuary.

3. Community events

Westfield fosters a beardown consciousness of assemblage done its yearly events similar the Westfield Fair and the Taste of the World Festival, which diagnostic section cultivation exhibits, trade shows, unrecorded music, and more. The city’s largest assemblage lawsuit organization, Westfield connected Weekends, besides offers events passim the year, including pumpkin carvings, summertime recitals, vacation pop-up markets, and overmuch more. Whip City Brewfest is besides a fashionable lawsuit during the summers. No substance your preference, you’re definite to find thing to emotion successful Westfield. 

4. Historic charm

Founded successful 1669, Westfield is 1 of the oldest towns successful Massachusetts and is steeped successful past that’s disposable passim the city. This is particularly salient downtown, wherever determination are dozens of beautifully preserved 18th-century buildings lodging section businesses and restaurants. Living present allows you to beryllium a portion of that past and bask the unsocial architectural beauty. 

The metropolis is besides location to notable historical landmarks, including the Dewey House, which dates backmost to 1735, and the Old Burying Ground, which has gravestones dating backmost to 1686. 

5. Proximity to larger cities

Westfield’s determination is simply a important advantage. It’s adjacent larger cities specified arsenic Springfield and Hartford, making it imaginable to commute for enactment oregon entree wider amenities, amusement options, and proscription networks not disposable successful Westfield itself. This means you tin bask the benefits of a suburban manner and a lively municipality nightlife without driving for hours. 

5 cons of surviving successful Westfield, MA

While Westfield has plentifulness of positives, determination are a fewer downsides arsenic well. Here are 5 to support successful caput earlier making the move. 

1. Winter weather

Like galore parts of New England, Westfield experiences longer wintertime seasons with regular snowfall, mostly from mid-December done February. January is the coldest period of the year, with precocious temperatures averaging astir 33 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re not a instrumentality of acold upwind oregon you find snowfall inconvenient, you whitethorn find the winters successful Westfield challenging. This upwind tin impact commuting, outdoor activities, and wide comfortableness levels.

2. Limited nightlife

For those who thrive connected nightlife and late-night entertainment, Westfield mightiness consciousness quiet. As a comparatively tiny city, it lacks the assortment and vibrancy of nightlife you would find successful larger cities with a greater enactment of clubs, late-night restaurants, and amusement venues. Luckily, determination are options successful adjacent Springfield and Hartford which are large for play trips oregon a longer nighttime out. 

If you are successful the temper for a section nighttime astatine the bar, however, you inactive person a fewer options, including Hutghi’s astatine the Nook and The Whip. 

3. Public transportation

Served by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA), Westfield, MA has comparatively constricted nationalist transit options, particularly compared to larger cities similar Boston. However, it does provide casual access to Springfield, Holyoke, and Westfield State University. If you don’t person a idiosyncratic vehicle, this could marque commuting for errands oregon enactment much challenging, arsenic the autobus routes don’t scope overmuch of the city.

Luckily, Westfield is precise walkable, with a Walk Score of 76, meaning you tin execute galore errands connected foot. However, for longer trips, you’ll apt request a car oregon bike. 

4. Job opportunities

Many radical unrecorded successful Westfield and commute to adjacent cities similar Springfield and Hartford. As such, the section occupation marketplace successful Westfield mightiness not beryllium arsenic abundant oregon varied arsenic successful larger cities. Depending connected your assemblage oregon industry, you mightiness person to commute to a adjacent metropolis for work, oregon you mightiness find occupation hunting successful your circumstantial tract much competitory and challenging.

5. Limited maturation and development

While immoderate radical admit the small-town charm of Westfield, others mightiness presumption the slower gait of maturation and improvement arsenic a negative. In fact, the metropolis declined successful population from 2010 to 2020. And compared to larger cities, determination whitethorn beryllium less caller businesses, industries, oregon lodging developments. This tin bounds opportunities for investment, socializing, and buying and eating experiences.

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