Amherst Massachusetts is an economically depressed small New England Town located next to the City of UMass.
The incompetent administrators of Amherst use any petty excuse for fundraising, including the abuse of the civil laws intended for parking regulation. The constant administrative needling of Town Residents and Visitors make Amherst a highly unlivable place.
To understand parking in Amherst imagine a six people living in a home with only a single bathroom and lots of guests constantly coming over. And then imagine that that the landlord of that house decides to make that bathroom a pay toilet to help fund the swimming pool in the back yard. The result is a lot of angry people and uncomfortable guests. Eventually everyone knows not to live in or visit that house.
Amherst has some pretty hills and some pretty trees, but the abuses of laws and personal liberties make the Town a nasty little place that no one should visit.
Do not buy property in Amherst Massachusetts.
Do not do business in Amherst Massachusetts.
Do not visit Amherst Massachusetts.
Do not even drive through Amherst Massachusetts.
I lived in Amherst for twenty-five years and stayed until remaining there was completely intolerable. I posted this site three years before selling my home and leaving the Town. I will leave this site up indefinitely as a beacon to warn anyone else away who thinks that coming to Amherst is a good idea. I feel that it would be irresponsible of me not to leave some form of alarm to prevent other people from falling into the the pit that is Amherst Massachusetts.
Among the things you should know about Amherst are:
The downtown business district has all but disintegrated and is taken over by chain stores, CVS, Starbucks, and Subway.
The public schools are collapsing under the weight of special needs requirements and now lack the quality of education they were once known for.
UMass Amherst is no longer a, “Community of Learning”, but has been been taken over by businesses that fund research there.
Real Estate taxes and property costs are double what they are in other towns in Western Massachusetts and in many other places in the country.
Monster.com lists a total of only 8 jobs in all categories within five miles of Amherst, and only 31 jobs within twenty miles including the three surrounding cities.
The Emily Dickinson Museum is a sham, renovated away from its Victorian appearance, and containing NO original artifacts.
The majority of the retail businesses that can survive in Amherst are restaurants, and most are low-end, catering to the needs of students.
The towns that surround Amherst Massachusetts all have speed traps setup as their forms of fundraising.
In Amherst you are an inconvenience to the Town officials, they do not want you there, and will do everything in their power to drive you out.
You are NOT welcome in Amherst Massachusetts. GO AWAY.
APT