An old agricultural and minor industrial center, Pittsfield has evolved into a gateway to the Berkshires. Nearby ski resorts, particularly to the north, draw winter visitors. To the south is the Tanglewood performing arts center in Lenox and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. The town itself is quiet, nondescript, and fairly isolated from big-city amenities, but Albany, NY is about 40 miles west.

There is a small assortment of corporate employers centered in the plastics and printing industries, but this is not a growth area- future projected job growth is among the lowest in the country. The inland mountain location makes winters more difficult than other Massachusetts locations. Crime, however, is also among the lowest in the state.

The city is located in a relatively level section of a mostly hilly, wooded region. The surrounding mountains rise to 2,300 feet. Climate is continental with little Atlantic influence, but the area is far enough west to be affected by Lake Ontario. Summers are warm and humid with mostly pleasant evenings. Winters are variable with frequent cold snaps and heavy snows, although the mountains block some of the strongest weather. First freeze is late September, last is early May.