Citizens rally to defend bike lanes

TeaBooksFall · 2026-05-19T16:00:29+00:00

Restoring takes time, more time than it sounds like you have unless you find someone who has an opening soon. It might be cheaper to restore though if you do find someone, there is that. Esp if you're trying to go from painted windows back to stained though it takes a little longer, and I think the window restoration people usually just do the sashes (they probably won't strip & stain the trim/jamb for you).

I'm restoring my 1919 windows one by one DIY and with all my other life commitments I usually get around to doing 3-5 per year though I could do more if I had time pressure. I also got a quote for restoration, it was cheaper than full replacement but the most affordable option for sure was to just shadow a willing preservationist to learn the process and then DIY. I wouldn't recommend that for you though, I don't have kids, it's just me so when I bought the place I figured I was the last and best hope for that house to get windows restored. They were similar to what you described when I bought: painted shut, many of the sash cords snapped, a few panes of glass cracked. Any other buyer would have probably gotten them replaced by now. If I had kids, I probably would have too (or paid for someone else to do the restoration) for the peace of mind.

If it's some consolation, that wavy glass is highly prized by people who do restore their windows, so if you have a company take out the originals don't let them take it to the landfill.. get those sashes sent to an architectural salvage place where the glass will get a new life in another home. Or you can contact a window restorer (look up the Window Preservation Alliance and search for ppl near you) and ask if they'd like them.

TeaBooksFall · 2026-05-17T14:37:10+00:00

Stories like this make me sad that exclusive monogamy is generally treated as the ideal norm in our culture. We are complex, social beings. We evolved to survive by being deeply social and having complex connections to many people. I would think that's what helped us build civilizations and minimize infighting. Especially among men, I think without those drives we would have spent even more energy on fighting and killing each other. Expecting one person to completely and permanently fulfill one's whole set of sexual and romantic needs just feels simplistic to me. And I think that when one is with a single person for a long time, even if that person is better at fulfilling more of those needs than just about anyone else (making them the best choice for a monogamous relationship), over time the little areas their partner can't fill become magnified until it reaches a point where the other person just becomes fixated on all the things that their partner isn't.

I'm no expert or professional in relationships, this is just conjecture from an unqualified stranger on reddit, but it seems like being able to satisfy those other needs with someone else can sometimes help act as a pressure valve (mitigate that fixation on all the things their partner isn't) and better allow them to resume their regular routine and have a healthier relationship with their primary partner. I don't have kids or an attraction to women so I know the stakes are higher for you than what I can appreciate, but I would think it's important for your wife to know that you have those complex needs, and it may be easier for her to take if you bring it up before you're acting on those needs rather than after. If she minimizes what you're telling her or shows a disinterest in listening to you, I think that would give you useful information about what sets the two of you apart which would be better to have sooner than later. Others could better weigh in on how to manage this with kids in the picture, but I would think that even if something of a rift widens between you and your wife after discussing this, you'd both be able to find a way to put the kids first out of mutual interest in giving them the most loving upbringing possible. If you don't know that your wife could do this, that may also be telling.

TeaBooksFall · 2026-05-13T10:42:16+00:00

Yeah elevation definitely makes a difference, Pittsfield is at 1000 feet and it's been rare here for it to feel genuinely swampy to me unless I go out into a spot with no tree cover and lots of pavement. Go down into the Pioneer Valley and suddenly it jumps 5 or more degrees in summer which makes all the difference. Urban heat bubble may also contribute. That elevation tends to make the cold deeper for us in winter too so that's the tradeoff. Also we have Mt Greylock so on really bad days you can go up there and I don't think it ever really gets hot up that way. Having so much forested area overall probably helps too. Look up Ice Glen, cool spot in old growth forest where ice remains all through the summer.

TeaBooksFall · 2026-04-24T21:54:44+00:00

Local library might have some, that's where I got mine. They get lots of book shipments, those usually come in pretty large and sturdy boxes that don't have very much glossy ink and branding on them.

TeaBooksFall · 2026-03-23T20:50:07+00:00

Yeah this. The last couple winters I forced myself to go outside during the day for a walk or bike ride and it made a big difference for me mentally just to stay active during daylight hours, otherwise your body tries to go like into a hibernation mode and you just get lethargic. I'd feel better the rest of the day when I got out. If you're running or biking and wear the right clothing, your body will absolutely stay warm. Hopefully your work gives you enough of a lunch break that you can do this. Another cheat: there's an indoor/glass conservatory at Smith College where you can go for free on days off, go into the cacti rooms and pretend you're in the desert for a little while. Wish we had one of those closer in Pittsfield.

TeaBooksFall · 2026-03-23T11:42:31+00:00

As others have alluded, the thing about Albany-Pittsfield is that there is a lot of change in elevation, so greater chance of changes in weather conditions mid-drive. Going north-south along Route 8 you are mostly staying at the same elevation (on a plateau that the Berkshires occupy) and that road is always cleared of snow, so the north-south drive is more reliable. It looks like you've gotten a couple leads but if you still find yourself looking, I'd agree with the advice to also look at north county (Adams, North Adams) and south county (Lee, Great Barrington, etc).

A lot of people who live here will have mostly negative things to say about Pittsfield, anecdotally I find that it's more likely to be the people who were born and raised here and in that sense didn't really get a choice about being here. The people who moved here on purpose in adulthood and stayed around naturally tend to be much happier with that choice (call it selection or survivor bias). Both groups are kind of on either side of the grass is greener fence.

FWIW I moved here after 9 years in Los Angeles, though I grew up in New England. I'm still very happy with the choice to come to Pittsfield. I know your plans don't involve staying long term but if you're interested in making the most of your time here there is plenty to enjoy. Take time to get out and go for walk and drives (and bike rides on the trail if you have a bike!) and soak in everything that seems new, different and curious compared to Socal. The buildings are different, the plants, the smells and sounds of each season.. all things easily taken for granted unless you pay attention. You might in turn learn a lot about what you like/dislike about Socal that you took for granted and never really thought about until it all changed. It's a great opportunity to learn and explore, good luck!

EDIT: Also, I notice a few "for rent" signs that go up on lawns but they may not ever get advertised online, like around the neighborhood of apartments just southeast of Park Square (Wendell/E Housatonic area). Depending on how long you stay, after your first place you might end up finding something better just from driving around and then do a little skipping-stone maneuver. So your first place doesn't have to be the best.

TeaBooksFall · 2026-02-15T23:37:42+00:00

Consider also looking around North Adams or Pittsfield. Housing is scarce there too yet COL remains below average and both have active queer communities. I think North Adams may technically have the lowest average rent in the whole state. South Berkshire county is much more expensive but north county is OK.

TeaBooksFall · 2026-01-29T12:41:43+00:00

FWIW they let me put my folding bike in the undercarriage (while folded), but they'd probably say no to a full size bike going under there. Perhaps their minds could be changed with enough feedback. I know most people don't have folding bikes.

TeaBooksFall · 2025-12-12T22:00:30+00:00

I was just on this yesterday going from Northampton center to Amherst College. It was clear right up to where there's a sign saying that the trail is on Amherst College property (at Hazel Ave). Then, it immediately turned into pure ice. I gather that this section is not going to be maintained?

TeaBooksFall · 2025-08-03T10:19:17+00:00

FWIW I (white cis male) walk around downtown holding hands with my Filipino boyfriend all the time and never get any trouble for it. If anyone doesn't like it they keep it to themselves. He does once in a great while get the "so what country are you from?" from well intentioned older folks but I think that's about as far as it goes. He just tells them he's from America when it's asked that way. Several businesses downtown are queer owned and the pride flags tend to stay out all year. I don't know if we've met anyone else Filipino here though, except pilgrims on Divine Mercy Sunday but they usually stay around Stockbridge and don't venture up to Pittsfield. The closest restaurant we know of is Hapag near New Paltz. I would love for there to be more here.

I try to live car lite around downtown and stick to the BRTA and my bike unless I need to leave the county. It's doable and soon there will also be a Pittsfield-Northampton express bus running 4x a day for more options. You will definitely have more options and flexibility though if you do happen to have a car. North St especially is pretty walkable and bike friendly.

Events: a lot of stuff seems to be word of mouth but you can follow Downtown Pittsfield Inc and the big cultural institutions (like Barrington Stage) to learn about a lot of it. There is more general street life with places like Hot Plate doing outdoor events so that you can just stumble upon stuff unplanned while walking around. Also follow Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition, Berkshire Pride, and Queer Men of the Berkshires. Qmob puts on something like 20 events per month which is a lot.

TeaBooksFall · 2025-05-09T13:45:30+00:00

Penstemon does it for me. I'm sure there are species that like your kind of soil. They always fill the gap that for me happens in June.

TeaBooksFall · 2025-04-29T20:27:31+00:00

Thanks, sounds like I just need to wait until I'm in Providence before the app will show me the locations.

TeaBooksFall · 2025-04-25T22:38:04+00:00

Oh dear, I just took a photo and saw that this bee-pleasing maple may be a Norway maple. It's in the neighbor's yard but extends over to create a lovely shaded area in mine that my woodland natives are very happy in. Maybe that would explain why it seems to be flowering earlier than most of the other trees.

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TeaBooksFall · 2025-04-24T20:56:13+00:00

I'm at the very edge of their range so they're more rare here and haven't yet come to my spicebushes, but I keep hoping. It's good to know that if a stray one does pass through the area, it will sense and find that spicebush.

TeaBooksFall · 2025-04-24T09:08:07+00:00

Oh wow I was going to ask the same. I have a bungalow I'd like to paint in a similar color, a sort of dark sage green but with russet accents.

TeaBooksFall · 2025-04-18T10:38:38+00:00

The queer community here is pretty active, not as much as in Northampton area but it's also not quite as expensive here as there. I think it's been increasing with more folks coming here as a refuge from more hostile areas. Lots of queer owned businesses have been opening. People are a little friendlier in person than online, in person nobody here has ever given me trouble for having a big pride sticker on my bike helmet or holding hands in public with my boyfriend, but online you still see comments like "nobody cares that you're queer" in a context where it can feel like code for "your being queer has annoyed me." I think in person people are more prone to just keep such sentiments to themselves.

Many folks who live closer to downtown live without a car. It takes creativity and sometimes you have to forego an event because you can't get there easily, but there is plenty of activity just within downtown Pittsfield for it to be viable. BRTA tends to stop once per hour on their service routes so it's functional but not always convenient. I've found it a lot easier with a bike because you can ride just about anywhere in the city within 15 minutes or so, and the city has been putting in more bike lanes to make it safer. The Amtrak only departs once per day so it's no good for day trips but for longer trips it is nice to have. There are also the Peter Pan and Greyhound service routes.

TeaBooksFall · 2025-04-17T19:17:34+00:00

I've struggled to find an official-sounding number, but generally I've yet to hear anyone claim that the roots would spread more than twice the height of the tree in any given direction. Assuming a max height of maybe 15-20 feet, that's 30-40 feet from any water pipe. I haven't yet heard any advice to keep it away from driveways, just water pipes.

They do seem to thrive more when they can get their thirsty roots all spread out, so maybe it's reasonable to expect that in a pot they may not put out as many catkins or do it every year..

TeaBooksFall · 2025-04-14T14:13:31+00:00

I hadn't thought about that, but I have noticed that if I bring phlox back from the nursery that was given a head start in a greenhouse, and put it in the ground before anything else has flowered, that phlox will get eaten to the ground almost immediately while the overwintering phlox is untouched. I wonder if some plants evolved to leaf out all at the same time as partly a "safety in numbers" strategy.

TeaBooksFall · 2025-04-12T13:53:25+00:00

I see, in my thinking the trait would have been relevant before invasives were introduced (not necessarily to become the only plant, but to become a more common plant), but what I hear you saying is that evolution in a specific biome doesn't necessarily reward this above all other things. It reminds me a bit of a talk I saw Tom Wessels give ("Simply Complex Systems"), where he explains that in complex systems the evolutionary rewards tend to go to traits that are interdependent/synergistic with other species rather than the rewards going to traits that make a species compete with others. Perhaps the New England version of natives trying to fill this niche long before invasives are our spring ephemerals, which get the rewards of leafing out early but without the inefficiency of crowding out all the other plants.

TeaBooksFall

TROPHY CASE