Downtown Northampton

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Certainly not a hidden gem, but absolutely a destination worth seeing is downtown Northampton, Mass.

Nothing there will overwhelm your senses from excitement, however the downtown offers many shops, restaurants and the perfect New-England-Town feel.

It seems as though nearly every UMass student has made there way to Northampton at least once during his or her undergrad career. I have been several times with my friends since my freshman year, but I can never recall a specific purpose for going.

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Going to Downtown Northampton to just walk around, visit shops and get some coffee is the perfect escape from a boring day, especially around the winter holidays.

“This small city offers more restaurants and shops, certainly more galleries, theaters and performance venues than most urban centers dozens of times its size,” according to the Boston Globe.

Two of the many shops in Northampton definitely worth checking out are Faces and Thornes.

Faces seems to be the most popular among undergrads. The shop offers clothes, quirky items and various knickknacks. It’s difficult to describe all this shop has to offer and the allure of such a place, but I guarantee you will not regret your visit.

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Thornes, a small indoor marketplace, offers a variety of small stores and snacks. During the holidays the marketplace is decorated to suit, which makes it the perfect place to mull around and find your holiday gifts.

Whether you have the money to spend or not, Downtown Northmapton is the perfect place to walk around and simply enjoy the day with friends.

Hiking Mt. Norwottuck

As a freshman in college, it’s an adjustment to live on a campus where you often don’t leave. You leave your dorm to walk to class, to eat at the dining hall, and to go to parties on the weekends. But that’s about it.

I am now a senior, but when I was a freshman, my friends and I felt this exact way. We wanted something different and active to do and see. Our solution was the Mount Holyoke Range State Park.

The park, with a visitor’s center located on Rt. 116 in Amherst, Mass., offers many different trails to hike on. The one my friends and I took, and likely the most popular, is the trail that leads to the top of Mt. Norwottuck.

Fall 2007

Mt. Norwottuck, which peaks at an elevation of 1106 feet, is the highest elevation in the Holyoke Mountain Range. This height allows hikers to view the surrounding mountains, farm land, and of course, the UMass campus from a far.

“Over 30 miles of marked trails provide a variety of outdoor experiences including hiking, walking, viewing vistas, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding and hunting,” according to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation website.

With the vast amount of activities offered, the Holyoke Mountain Range will provide students with a daytime activity during any time of the year. However taking into account the poor college student, a simple hike during the fall, spring or summer might be ones best bet.

Most often the students who feel the most “stuck” on campus and in need of a getaway are those who don’t have a car. But no worries, the PVTA offers busses that stop directly in front of the Notch Visitors Center.

The Notch Visitors Center is located at 1500 West St., just past Atkin’s Farm on the left.