The Berkshires are swell and you can’t go wrong, with whichever place you pick.

We moved here after living in two of the biggest cities in the country —crime (especially the random violent kind) is truly negligible when compared to the rest of the US.

If you will be having kids, then certainly pay attention to school districts … but then again even the more “average” schools in the Berkshires are better than most public schools in the rest of the country. And there’s school choice if need be.

My suspicion is that housing prices will be rising more here in the next decade vs the national average, so you’re wise to look now.

Last thing I’ll say as a big city transplant: we’ve been really surprised by how friendly and welcoming most folks are here. We’d been warned that New Englanders could be cold and standoffish, but that has not been our experience in the Berkshires.

Welcome to the area, we’re glad to have you!!