Northampton, MA

Do a google search on Northampton, MA and you’ll get back over 1.8 million hits. The town is well known both for Smith College and its ‘outing’ as Lesbianville, USA by the National Enquirer in 1992 (followed by Newsweek and then a segment on 20/20 in 1993). In 2001 Boston Magazine named it a best place to live. In 2005, Money Magazine named it as one of the 10 best places to live.

Historically, Northampton has had its internal clashes. Town/Gown issues frequently arise (most recently over Smith College’s Engineering Center, which is substantially redefining the Green Street neighborhood – in fact, many people would say there will no longer be a neighborhood there) and the Northampton vs. Florence debate, which, like the hydra, has many heads and keeps coming back in different ways, provoking many lively debates.

For those of us who live and work in the area, a lack of affordable housing (both rental and ownership) has long been an issue. Propety values (and property taxes) have doubled in the past several years. And the downtown parking situation is a constant irritant.

Despite that, there is much to recommend (otherwise, why would it have been named a best place to live?). Forbes Library is great, though funding often restricts their hours. The grounds (especially along Paradise Pond) and Museum at Smith College are well worth walking through. Although rents in the main downtown probably contribute to the ‘revolving’ feel, where many businesses change or close at least once a year and the ones that stay often have large corporations behind them (cell phone stores, etc.), there are several unique shops and restaurants, plus the Academy of Music, the Pleasant Street Theater, and Pleasant Street Video (where you can find many obscure titles, documentaries and foreign films your local Blockbuster wouldn’t bother with).

Currently the big debate in downtown is the proposed Hilton Hotel. It is planned to go in below Pulaski Park, where its presence will almost certainly degrade the appeal of the recently rehabilitated apartment building on South Street, throwing up a huge blank wall within spitting distance of their back windows and porches.

The other huge issue is the landfill expansion, which would extend over the Barnes Aquifer. Residents adjacent to the current landfill have filed a lawsuit over this, and there has been much discussion in both Northampton and Easthampton.

Northampton Links

• City of Northampton – web site for the City of Northampton.
• Local News Feeds and Links
• Nohojobs.com – a relatively new website, gradually being discovered by businesses who can’t afford (or don’t want to pay for) expensive job listings in the Gazette.
• Paradise City Forum – connect with your neighbors in Baystate, Florence, Leeds and Northampton.