Housatonic’s New Bookshop Plans, Bach Preview & Lee Town Votes

Real estate & housing

The October 2 real estate roundup covers transactions across Berkshire County, neighboring Litchfield County in Connecticut, and Columbia County in New York. It’s a regional snapshot, rather than evidence on its own of a broader market trend.

Also featured is a fully furnished Tudor estate on more than 71 acres atop Tom Ball Mountain, offered by Steven Weisz of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty. For readers considering a different direction, Real Estate Friday also highlights downsizing advice from designer Sue Schwarz of Gallery351Home.

• Welcome to Real Estate Friday! · The Berkshire Edge
• Majestic Tudor Estate with Forever Views on 71+ Acres atop Tom Ball Mountain · The Berkshire Edge
• Berkshire region real estate sales – October 2, 2026 · The Berkshire Edge

New & growing businesses

Housatonic has a new neighborhood gathering spot in the works: Evangeline Coffee and Books plans to open this fall at 137 Front Street. The shop will offer new and noteworthy books alongside coffee supplied by Partners Coffee Roasters.

• "A neighborhood coffee and bookstore": Evangeline Coffee and Books to Open in Housatonic this Fall · The Berkshire Edge

Local events

Peter Sykes will close Berkshire Bach’s 2026 Harpsichord Festival with a pairing of harpsichord and clavichord. The program explores contrasting keyboard sounds through music by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and their musical circle.

Volunteers in Medicine’s panel discussion, “Civic Crises: Democracy and the Press Under Siege,” is scheduled for October 8 at Barrington Hall. At the Triplex, “The Incomer” explores heritage and the ways it shapes what people carry into unfamiliar territory.

• PREVIEW: Peter Sykes and Berkshire Bach explore two sides of J.S. Bach’s keyboard world · The Berkshire Edge
• Volunteers in Medicine’s ‘Civic Crises: Democracy and the Press Under Siege’ panel discussion on October 8 at Barrington Hall · The Berkshire Edge
• AT THE TRIPLEX: Exploring heritage in ‘The Incomer’ · The Berkshire Edge

Notable local news

Lee voters approved all articles at Special Town Meeting. Among them was a proposal assigning responsibility for the town’s abatement process to the Board of Public Works superintendent; it passed after a proposed amendment failed.

In South County, a new rope rescue operation is taking shape. Meanwhile, a local history feature revisits the Glendale Power House, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

• Lee voters approve all articles at Special Town Meeting · The Berkshire Edge
• Building a Rescue Team for the Hills: South County’s New Rope Rescue Operation Takes Shape · The Berkshire Edge
• THEN & NOW: The Glendale Power House · The Berkshire Edge

Relocation tip from the team

Before moving to or from the Berkshires, map out your everyday routine—not just your preferred home features. Visit prospective neighborhoods, try the routes to your usual errands, and make a checklist for transferring utilities, medical records, and mailing addresses. Share your priorities with the Real Harmony & Associates team as you plan your search.