In general, the Pioneer Valley is a very safe and accepting travel destination featuring an eclectic mix of urban, college town, and suburban settings - all of them relatively safe.
Springfield, the Pioneer Valley's largest city, which a decade ago ranked as high as 18th in the annual U.S. "City Crime Rankings", has seen a steep and steady decline in its crime recently - falling to 51st in the U.S. "City Crime Rankings" in 2010. Springfield is safe during the day, and nearly all of its well-travelled areas are safe and night - for example, the city's entertainment district and the area around the Basketball Hall of Fame are safe at all times. The neighborhoods where 80% of Springfield's crimes occur - Six Corners, Liberty Heights - are well off-the-beaten-path for visitors. That said, to be safe at night in Springfield, bring a partner with you.
The area around Six Flags New England across Springfield's South End Bridge in Agawam is safe day and night, as is the area around The Big E across Springfield's Memorial Bridge in West Springfield.
As of 2011, the City of Holyoke continues to make major strides in revitalizing. Holyoke is safe during the day; however, at night, if you intend on spending time downtown, stick to the commercial and entertainment blocks around High Street. The areas down the hill from High Street, South Holyoke and The Flats, remain dangerous. To be safe at night in Holyoke, bring a partner with you and stick to well-lit areas.
The City of Northampton is completely safe day and night, as is the college town of Amherst.
In general, the Pioneer Valley is very liberal socially and politically, and thus makes for a very accepting destination for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) travelers. This is especially true in the LGBT mecca of Northampton, and in Springfield's entertainment district, which features many establishments catering to LGBT consumers.
The following activities can pose safety risks in the Pioneer Valley:
Winter driving
Driving among aggressive, careless, and drunk drivers
Driving on bad roads - due to pot holes
deer, and occasionally moose in roads
walking in the woods - it is easy to get lost
swimming in the Connecticut River - in many places, the river's pull is too strong for swimming.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Pioneer Valley
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Pioneer Valley - updated May 2024
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Pioneer Valley Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
