City Hall in Northampton - photos by Max Hartshorne |
LOCAL! GoNOMAD DESTINATION MINI GUIDE
Northampton, Massachusetts
By Russell Bradbury-Carlin
WHERE
North-central Massachusetts. About 2 hours from Boston in the foothills
of the Berkshires. Located on I-91, about 25 minutes north of Mass. Pike.
WHY GO?
A funky, small New England college town, named "The Best Small Arts Town"
in the U.S. Lots of cultural events and outdoor activities. Great restaurants,
more than 50 in a three-block radius!
Northampton is refered to by some as "Lesbianville." The town has long been a magnet for women who come out of the closet and marry and move to Northampton. Past mayors have been lesbian. Many shops and other businesses feature lesbian products and books. It adds an interesting touch to this friendly place, where the streets are full of people all night and all day.
WHEN TO GO?
Any time of the year is good. During the school year there are more art/cultural
events. Summer is beautiful and there are festivals and outdoor activities.
Winter is nice for nearby skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. And, of
course, the fall foliage is beautiful in New England.
GETTING THERE AND AROUND
By Air/Land
Car, bus (Peter Pan), train (to Springfield, MA). You can also fly into
Hartford and take a bus, train or car. There is a small airport in Northampton
for commuter flights. In 2013 a new train service will bring railroad service to Northampton, Holyoke, and Greenfield MA once again.
The farmer's market |
Getting Around
Once here, the best way to get around is on foot. But, during the school
year some of the local buses (especially to Amherst -- another college
town) are free. Rent a car, if you want to travel outside of town. Enterprise is located in Northampton and Amherst. 413-587-0108
BEST ATTRACTIONS
The arts! Tons of galleries, museums, small theatres and public arts spaces.
Browse all day and see performances by top theatre, music, literary and
dance artists in the evenings!
- Shopping: many local small businesses selling eclectic unique things.
- Smith College Campus: beautiful campus to stroll around on -- especially
the path around the pond and the campus greenhouses.
- Check out the Paradise City Arts Festival in October.
- Sitting in a main street cafe (there is a Starbucks and Woodstar coffee on Gothic St.) and watching the parade go by. There will be kids on the street, pierced and shaven, with skateboards and attitude, but it is always friendly. The farmers market sets up every Saturday downtown.
BEST UNUSUAL ATTRACTIONS
The old state mental hospital grounds. Wild, overgrown boarded up buildings.
"Cider House Rules" was filmed here. Some find it beautiful to walk around;
others find it creepy. There is a circular loop that goes through farm fields and woods and is a perfect place to walk your dog.
A sidewalk scene |
BEST ACTIVITIES/ GUIDES
There are lots of outdoor activities from hiking to rafting, as Northampton
is located in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains and near the Connecticut
River. Local outfitters can arrange everything from kayaking to ballooning. Contact Wildwater Outfitters in Hadley, 413-253-5500.
For some free activities, try:
- Hiking Smith College campus, especially the pond and the long dogwalk area behind campus.
- Riding bike/rollerblading along the Northampton/Belchertown bike path, an eleven mile path that can be bumpy due to roots coming through the asphalt, but is still a pretty, if bumpy, ride.
- Hanging at coffee shops like Sam's, Starbucks, Woodstar, Northampton Coffee, Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters on King St., the rest all in the downtown area.
BEST ALTERNATIVES
In addition to the nightly lectures and performances held on Smith’s
campus and around town, there are also lots of local options for informal
learning from yoga to arts and crafts. Look at the bulletin boards around
town and pick up a local paper.
- Gay/Lesbian Parade: the first Saturday in May.
- Iron Horse Music Hall, a small, cafe/performance space with legendary big name performers.
- The Elevens, live music in Northampton plus dancing.
Yoga is popular here. |
For language learning, try the International Language Institute of Massachusetts, which offers intensive two-week language classes in everything from
Spanish to Chinese in the summer! Also offers TEOFL courses, and English
for speakers of other languages.
BEST LODGINGS
There are also a number of hotels, motels, guesthouses and small inns
in the area.
- Hotel Northampton -- expensive, but right downtown.
BEST EATS
There are lots of inexpensive eateries featuring all kinds of food from
around the world. This is a college town, so remember that coffee shops
and cafes are also plentiful! • Bela-- Total vegetarian, small, funky-- Cheaper
• Pizza Paradiso--wood fired pizza, pasta, great atmo, moderate
• Amanouz Cafe--Moroccan cuisine, cheap and filling
• India House Teapot -- more expensive
• Local Burger, award winning organic burgers and delicious fries
•
READ RESTAURANT REVIEWS OF NORTHAMPTON DINING ESTABLISHMENTS
Busking for spare change |
BEST ENTERTAINMENT
If you can’t catch a performance or lecture at Smith College Campus,
try the following:
- Iron Horse: famous concert venue. Small and intimate. Many national
folk, jazz and alternative bands/musicians. Check schedule in the weekly Valley Advocate, or on line at iheg.comPleasant St Theatre: small comfortable movie theatre showing art/foreign
films.
- Academy of Music: Larger, but not mainstream, movie theatre. Also
occasional opera house.
• Calvin Theater. Part of the Iron Horse Group, national acts in
music, theater, dance and spoken word.
BEST LOCAL HAUNTS
- Joe's Pizza
Haymarket Cafe.
The Green Bean
Northampton Brewery's rooftop outdoor beer garden
- The Elevens , for local music.
BEST SHOPPING
There are plenty of unique shops in town featuring the works of local
artisans, but Northampton is a book-lover’s paradise.
- Thorne's Market -- lots of small businesses in a non-mall mall.
- Raven - used books.
- Beyond Words -- new age type books.
- A to Z Science...and incredible toy store.
- Faces -- funky items, furniture and clothing.
- Market St.-- side street with many used clothing stores, book stores
and antique stores.
VISAS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
If you need a visa and passport to enter the US, you need one here. Lots
of foreign students, however, are here on student visas.
MONEY AND COMMUNICATIONS
U.S. dollar. Lots of ATMs around. Credit cards accepted almost everywhere.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
As a college town, Northampton is very safe. Usual precautions apply.
Don’t drink and drive, however. The police are pretty serious about
it, especially the ones who ride bikes and sneak up on unsuspecting pot
smokers.
In a medical emergency, there is a hospital in town.
BEST RESOURCES
chamber.northampton.ma.us
Resources for everything from lodgings to arts events
noho.com
More resources and links
Visiting Northampton MA (tripadvisor)
Valley Advocate
Local paper to check for
events.
