Friday Front Porch Feature: A Cozy House on the Lake

HINSDALE, Mass. — Are you looking for a peaceful house on the lake? Then this might be the perfect home for you.

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 30 Cove Lane

The 1950 ranch is 1,001 square feet on 0.12 acres, with two bedrooms and one bathroom. It comes with major kitchen and laundry appliances.

A sunroom on one end offers floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Ashmere Lake and access to a back deck. It also has a large private dock perfect for a boat or entertaining by the lake, and a firepit.  

The house is listed for $699,000.

We spoke to Lisa Kelley with MacCarro Real Estate, which has the listing.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

Kelley: What makes this property stand out in the current market is the ideal location on Ashmere Lake, combined with a bright, open layout and move-in ready condition. Floor-to-ceiling sliders and windows frame breathtaking water and sunset views, while the deck overlooking the lake and your own private dock, make it a true waterfront retreat.

Do you  know any unique stories about the home or its history?

According to local legend, the name Ashmere was chosen by William Cullen Bryant, one of the most well-known and influential American poets and editors of the 19th century. During his travels from the Hinsdale train station to his summer home in nearby Cummington, Bryant was said to have chosen the name Ashmere, inspired by the lake's quiet, poetic beauty.

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

This home is ideal for buyers who want a turnkey, move-in ready property who value the lifestyle and serenity of lake living. It's perfect for those who love a constant connection to nature. Lake life helps people slow down, relax and gather with family and friends.

What do the current owners love most about the home?

Every window frames a lake view and every room invites you to relax. What they love the most is the sense of calm this home provides, a feeling that comes from living right on the lake and being so connected to nature. Nothing compares to the peacefulness of mornings on the deck, sunsets over the water, and the quiet, restorative beauty of lakeside living.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

The pristine condition and beautifully open layout, all framed by the stunning lake backdrop, created a powerful first impression.

Have there been any recent renovations or standout design features?

Yes! This 1950s lake house has been beautifully transformed, blending original character with modern touches. The living room features a gas fireplace and a wall of glass offering amazing water views, while the open layout connects the kitchen, dining and lounge areas. This thoughtful renovation preserves the warmth and personality that make a lake house so special.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

Imagine enjoying easy, one-level living in this beautifully renovated lake house. The open layout with amazing water views, perfect for your morning coffee on the deck, afternoons entertaining on the dock, and evenings star gazing while sitting around the fire pit. It's a home that balances lakeside serenity with space for family, friends and memories that last a lifetime!

You can find out more about this house on its listing here.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

Social Service Organizations Highlight Challenges, Successes at Poverty Talk

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
08:04AM / Sunday, April 05, 2026

Dr. Jennifer Michaels of the Brien Center demonstrates how to use Narcan. Easy access to the drug has cut overdose deaths in the county by nearly half. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Recent actions at the federal level are making it harder for people to climb out of poverty.

Brad Gordon, executive director of Upside413, said he felt like he was doing a disservice by not recognizing national challenges and how they draw a direct line from choices being made by the Trump administration and the challenges the United States is facing. 

"They more generally impact people's ability to work their way out of poverty, and that's really, that's really the overarching dynamic," he said. 

"Poverty is incredibly corrosive, and it impacts all the topics that we'll talk about today." 

His comments came during a conversation on poverty hosted by Berkshire Community Action Council. Eight local service agency leaders detailed how they are supporting people during the current housing and affordability crisis, and the Berkshire state delegation spoke to their own efforts.

The event held on March 27 at the Berkshire Athenaeum included a working lunch and encouraged public feedback. 

"All of this information that we're going to gather today from both you and the panelists is going to drive our next three-year strategic plan," explained Deborah Leonczyk, BCAC's executive director. 

The conversation ranged from health care and housing production to financial literacy and child care.  Participating agencies included Upside 413, The Brien Center, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, MassHire Berkshire Career Center, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Child Care of the Berkshires. 

The federal choices Gordon spoke about included allocating $140 billion for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investing $38 billion to convert warehouses into detention centers, cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years, a proposed 50 percent increase in the defense budget, and cutting federal funding for supportive housing programs. 

Gordon pointed to past comments about how the region can't build its way out of the housing crisis because of money. He withdrew that statement, explaining, "You know what? That's bullshit, actually."

"I'm going to be honest with you, that is absolute bullshit. I have just observed over the last year or so how we're spending our money and the amount of money that we're spending on the federal side, and I'm no longer saying in good conscience that we can't build our way out of this," he said. 

Upside 413 provided a "Housing Demand in Western Massachusetts" report that was done in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's Donahue Institute of Economic and Public Policy Research. It states that around 23,400 units are needed to meet current housing demand in Western Mass; 1,900 in Berkshire County in 2025.