For reasons too complicated to get into here, I'm going to be spending a lot of time in Amherst this coming academic year. I am not actually moving to Amherst, but I am going to be there enough that I need to rent a room.

It's my impression that a fair number of people on this board have lived in Massachusetts - perhaps not actually Amherst, but hell, it's not a big state. Me, I've been to Boston, um, twice, and that's it. I'd like to ask for general advice on what rural MA is like, things to know, places to avoid, etc.

(And if you happen to know someone in Amherst looking for a housemate who's only there about half of each month, please do say. :-)