Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Northampton, MA
Year Listed: 2001
Northampton, Massachusetts in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in the western region of the state, has been called the "Best Small Arts Town in America." Bordered by the Connecticut River, the city is known as an artists' community, a vibrant cultural center, and an eclectic place to shop and dine. It is also the focal point of five nationally renowned colleges: Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts.
Northampton began as a Puritan settlement in 1654 and eventually became a community for farmers and merchants. In the 1800s, improved transportation helped the city take advantage of its location between Boston, New York, and Albany to become an industrial center. As it also became a cultural magnet, Northampton attracted celebrated visitors and residents, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Sojourner Truth, Emily Dickinson, Calvin Coolidge, Tracy Kidder, and most recently, the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The city's thriving downtown features dozens of fine restaurants and shops in restored historic buildings that feature handcrafted items, antiques, fine arts of all mediums, and gifts from quaint to whimsical. The Thornes Marketplace is a three-story bazaar of wares from local artists and international vendors. The Hotel Northampton, a Colonial Revival-style inn that has been designated a Historic Hotel of America, has been a prominent part of downtown since its construction in 1927. Northampton's arts scene includes internationally recognized nightclubs, year-round theater performances, visiting festivals, and galleries displaying the works of the community's hundreds of artists. Performances from jazz concerts to poetry readings grace the stage of the newly renovated and grand Calvin Theater, and traveling theater troupes set up tents for their summer shows. Museums offer a similar variety of exhibits, from the Hadley Farm Museum's insights into early farm life, to the mammals and vertebrates of the Pratt Museum of Natural History, and the exotic botanicals at the Lyman Plant House. Visitors seeking the great outdoors will appreciate Northampton's easy access to kayaking, tubing, rafting, canoeing, mountain climbing, hiking, and biking.
