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Suzanne Ng
Citizen
Username: Suzanneng
Post Number: 640
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 2:55 pm: | 
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Looking for suggestions of places to stay, visit, eat in Springfield/Amherst, MA area. We are going to visit the Dr Seuss Memorial Garden & the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art next week (during school vacation). There are no children going with us, just my 61 y.o. mother. (then why go to the Seuss/Carle museums, you ask? -- I am an elementary school librarian!)
We are thinking about staying in Windsor Locks, CT at the Homewood Suites... we are not B&B-type travelers.
Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.
--Suzanne -- out sick from work today
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CageyD
Citizen
Username: Cageyd
Post Number: 602
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 3:20 pm: |
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The Northhampton Inn looks from the outside like a nice place and it is centrally located. There also used to be the Lord Jeffery Amherst Inn in Amherst proper |
6yearrez
Citizen
Username: 6yearrez
Post Number: 128
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 10:14 pm: |
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In Northampton, go to Paul and Elizabeth's in Thorne's market. It's mostly vegetarian, very casual, but great food. After that, go back into the market and find Herrell's ice cream. It is, bar none, the best ice cream EVER (try the chocolate pudding ice cream) |
mantram
Citizen
Username: Mantram
Post Number: 216
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2006 - 1:15 pm: |
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The Eric Carle Museum is wonderful and they also have an attached bookstore with an amazing variety of great children's books and art prints/posters. When you are there you can stop at the Atkins farms market which is just around the corner for some hot cider and more.
What kind of food do you like? You will find just about every cuisine just walking on Main Street in Northampton and Downtown Amherst. Don't miss Antonio's Pizza in Amherst for a great slice of pizza with any topping imaginable. |
Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1677
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2006 - 2:17 pm: |
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Amherst is my home town!
I usually stay at the Lord Jeffery Inn. It's centrally located in Amherst, it's on the border of the Amherst Campus, and you can walk anywhere or take one of the free buses.
Lord Jeff is typical old New England, a little fusty but still warm and welcoming. Big fireplace, comfortable chairs and beautiful old antiques in the lobby. Sensible low-frills rooms for about $100/night. They allow pets if that's an issue.
It's about a mile (nice walk) from the Eric Carle museum, a block from the Emily Dickinson house, and flanks the town common.
Northampton is a small city (by Western MA standards) - much more to do as far as shopping and dining. The N'ton bar/dining scene is more grown-up than Amherst (with UMass in session, there are lines out the door at every bar starting Thursday night)
Last year when I was in N'ton I went to a neat nightclub/bar, (the tunnel?) It was really cool architecturaly, it's a train tunnel converted into a bar.
Mantram - with all due respect, the best pizza in Amherst (and the whole world) is Bell's pizza.
Windsor-Locks is sort a a schlep - a little under an hour highway-driving to Amherst/Northampton.
Suzanne - have a great time, we're thinking of going to Amherst this week too!
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Suzanne Ng
Citizen
Username: Suzanneng
Post Number: 641
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2006 - 3:41 pm: |
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Thanks for all the tips. I knew about the Eric Carle museum.. being an elem school librarian, If I'm going to go all the way to Springfield, what' s another 45 mins!?
The hardest part may be restraining myself from purchasing everything I think my students would enjoy!
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soresident
Citizen
Username: Soresident
Post Number: 338
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2006 - 9:04 pm: |
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Took the kids to the Seuss Museum a few years ago. Stayed at the Sheraton Monarch Place in Springfield. Hotel is a typical large, well done Sheraton (their "sweet sleeper" beds are fabulous), but Springfield is a dying city. When we couldn't even find somewhere decent for lunch, we drove to Northampton (15 minutes as I recall). Northhampon was a great city; I would stay there if you can. Lovely shops, including Don Muller Gallery, 40 Main St, an incredible, high end craft gallery, and Herrell's, as already noted above, ice cream by the founder of Steve's Ice Cream of Boston fame. Drive/walk around nearby Amherst College. If you have any interest, Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield as well. |
The Soulful Mr T
Citizen
Username: Howardt
Post Number: 1481
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2006 - 10:28 am: |
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Its not my home town, but I went to college in Amherst, MA. Haven't ben up there lately, tho.... |
Slim Jim
Citizen
Username: Arrakis
Post Number: 11
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2006 - 6:29 pm: |
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I went to ZooMass... and lived off of Antonio's pizza and calzones.
If you can stay in Northampton |
Oliver
Citizen
Username: Oly
Post Number: 14
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2006 - 6:46 pm: |
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I recommend Carmelina's for food - it's in Hadley halfway between Northampton and Amherst on Rte 9
http://www.carmelinas.com/directions.php
If you are up for a bit of a side trip, there's a very funky used bookstore north of Amherst. Also has a reasonable tea/snack area.
http://www.montaguebookmill.com/
Enjoy your trip,
-Oly
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Lemonhead
Citizen
Username: Lemonhead
Post Number: 49
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2006 - 7:45 pm: |
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slim jim, i too am a umass alum, class of '92. when did you gradute?
i second carmelina's. it was great while i was school. and antonio's pizza was always delicious! also, if they are still there, judy's in amherst has a great brunch and excellent popovers. |
Amie Brockway-Metcalf
Citizen
Username: Amie
Post Number: 506
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 9:14 am: |
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Northampton is a really lovely town. My husband and I used to work for a small comic company there. There used to be a great comic museum there, but it closed a while back. The Northampton Inn is expensive but worth it. The Smith museum has a great collection. Oliver is correct, Carmelina's is great, and in Northampton, we always liked Mulinos, Cha Cha Cha, and Pinoccio's Pizza on Main Street. |
tulip
Citizen
Username: Braveheart
Post Number: 3215
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 11:26 am: |
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Holiday Inn in North Adams, MA, very nice, inexpensive, set in beautiful countryside. Also, don't miss, if possible, the Williamstown Art Museum. |
The Soulful Mr T
Citizen
Username: Howardt
Post Number: 1486
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 11:41 am: |
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I went to Hampshire College....a loooooong time ago.
I took classes at Smith (poetry) UMass (various music classes and performace workshops), Mt Holyoke (English Lit) and Amherst (Shakespeare, with the late Benjamin DeMott).
As a matter of fact, I was in the very first graduating class at Hampshire. Don't ask what year, please... |
Slim Jim
Citizen
Username: Arrakis
Post Number: 12
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 1:42 am: |
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Lemonhead,
I went to UMass at Amherst for the Fall of 94 & Spring of 95 semesters. Started off as a Mechanical Engineering major, but decided Computer Science was an easier path & transfered to Baruch College in NYC. |
Barbara
Citizen
Username: Blh
Post Number: 618
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 5:59 am: |
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UMass '80 here. Classes at Hampshire in the Social Welfare System, Mt. Holyoke in Women's Lit, Smith in Dance, and Amherst in Human Sexuality. Hey, Amherst was still all male - what else would you take there! |
Ben
Citizen
Username: Ros
Post Number: 288
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 8:32 am: |
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Ahh, UMass Days--went 78-80...met my future wife there(see above!) Played gigs all over--Iron Horse, Rahar's, Rusty Nail, Blue Wall. My parents would stay at the Lord Jeff, Lydia has it pegged. Used to hang out at Hampshire, playing frisbee and hiking through Atkins Orchard, grabbing apples along the way... |
The Soulful Mr T
Citizen
Username: Howardt
Post Number: 1491
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 12:49 pm: |
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Two things about the Amherst area...
Someone told me that the characters in Scooby Doo were based on the 5 colleges in Amherst, And that SHAGGY was Hampshire College. I never put much credence in it but I thought it was funny.
When I was there, (mid-70s) there was lots of great live music around (I took a jazz class @ UMass with Archie Shepp; Max Roach substituted for a few sessions). There was this one band I musta seen 25 times caled REAL TEARS, don't where they allwent but they were great. Imagine my remembering them after all these years.... |
amandacat
Citizen
Username: Amandacat
Post Number: 1004
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 1:27 pm: |
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That's so funny, Ben! Let me guess:
Shaggy: Hampshire
Fred: Amherst
Daphne: Holyoke
Velma: Smith
Scooby: UMass
Am I close? |
Mustt_mustt
Citizen
Username: Mustt_mustt
Post Number: 554
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 5:58 pm: |
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The Soulful Mr T - How about Yusef Lateef? Did you take any classes with him. Did you have Jazz in July "those days?" 
Spent seven terrific years at UMass as a grad student, was a resident assistant along with my wife at Mt. Holyoke for two yrs during which time our daughter was born.
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Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1684
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 6:55 pm: |
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Amanda - that sounds about right!
Anyone remember the maze at UMass? It was always gooky, such a good idea with such a terrible location.
The Blue Wall! I ate french fries, Frogurt and read comics from the 5 cent comic store in N'ton while my mother took grad classes at UMass. Cheaper than a sitter circa 1973.
Umass had great free concerts in the spring - when I was around 10 yrs. old there was a special town meeting concerning the Grateful Dead coming to the Pioneer Valley and bringing BIKERS in their wake.
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Suzanne Ng
Citizen
Username: Suzanneng
Post Number: 642
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 9:27 pm: |
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Back to the initial topic... just back tonight from our trip. Dr Seuss Memorial garden (and the exhibit at the adjacent historical museum) were okay... both a bit smaller than I would have expected. Think I had more fun browsing in the gift shop! Same for Eric Carle Museum... Educational, but much smaller than the building would lead you to believe. I wouldn't go to both places as a destination, but if you are in the area, then swing by.
We stayed at Residence Inn - West Springfield, just off I-91 at Route 5. Very clean... comfy -- we got a 2 bedroom suite. Took advantage of the free hot breakfast and the managers reception ( which took care of dinner, so we only ate lunch out).
Asked at check in desk about their posted "resident of the day" and "guest of the day" signs. Turns out 70 percent of the hotel guests have lived there longer than 2 years... I was curious as to why... apparently Westover AFB has a housing shortage so the guys are housed at the Marriott!
Hotel was a bit tricky to find... street is not marked and may really be a private drive/street ( Border Way, at the entrance is an "On the Border" restaurant) .
Went to Thornes Marketplace... several of the stores seem to be closing as they are getting ready to renovate... some great sales!
Also went to Atkins Country Market in Amherst, and some other local places. Thanks for all the great tips! |
Ben
Citizen
Username: Ros
Post Number: 290
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 12:49 am: |
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I took a class with Archie Shepp, also saw some amazing concerts for free or next to nothing. I saw the Dead there in '79, I think. The maze was a blast, I stopped going when I saw some guy urinating in the center
Also worked one summer at Montgomery Rose greenhouse--man, that was hot! But Amherst was wonderful to live in during the summer, we lived accross from Taco Villa and swam at Puffer's pond. |
6yearrez
Citizen
Username: 6yearrez
Post Number: 130
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 12:00 pm: |
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UMass Class of 86 here....Central dorms, then Sunderland (Cliffside and Squire Village). Best Pizza; Superior (matter of personal taste..I like Greek pizza). Rooster's for breakfast and then Dove's nest (still there). Anyone remember the Drake (oh, now I'm getting misty)? The maze still scares me. |
Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1688
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 8:33 pm: |
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6yearrez -
The Drake is gone - turned into condos!
I think Moe's (The Simpsons) is secretly based on the Drake.
Cliffside - total electric living!
I lived in Central at UMass - Chadbourne and then Baker.
Swimming at Puffers' pond is still one of my favorite summer memories - diving off the cliff was a rite of passage.
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6yearrez
Citizen
Username: 6yearrez
Post Number: 137
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 9:26 pm: |
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Lydia, I was in Gorman. I know the Drake got shut down while I was there. It was the only place that didn't card. Remember the New Africa house? Best gd fried chicken I have ever had...run by Yvonne who opened a place on route 9 that never quite caught on. |
Slim Jim
Citizen
Username: Arrakis
Post Number: 13
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 2:52 am: |
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6yearrez,
I lived on the third floor of Gorman. |
6yearrez
Citizen
Username: 6yearrez
Post Number: 139
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 8:38 am: |
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SJ, I was on fourth floor of Gorman for two years beginning in fall 82 |
Barbara
Citizen
Username: Blh
Post Number: 622
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 12:46 pm: |
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We should have a UMass reunion! 2 years on Coolidge 22 (one as RA), one year in Colonial Village,then on Main St. - across from Plumbleys and just down the street from Emily Dickinson's house. The Amherst food coop was right next door. I loved Amherst. Worked one summer as manager of Just Desserts (the bakery part of the homemade ice cream shop on Boltwood Walk further up in town.) Great used book shop, Yellow Sun Coop -- and that great shop behind the main drag that sold cool clothes, posters, music, and other necessities for life in Amherst. |
Barbara
Citizen
Username: Blh
Post Number: 623
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 12:48 pm: |
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Sorry, couldn't end without mentioning The Pub, pub mugs (.35 beers) and Jim Plunkett (Charlie and the MTA got them going every time...) |
Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1689
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 2:43 pm: |
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My sister was on the 3rd or 4th floor of Gorman for 2 years!
Barbara - that great store was "Faces of Earth" which later became just "Faces" - when I was really little it was a bowling alley, then they turned it into Faces of Earth which was basically a hippie clothing store/headshop.
When I was in 4th gr. I bought my mother some really colorful clip-on earrings for her birthday at Faces - she opened them and thought they were quite jolly - and showed them to her friends who were also delighted with the earrings.
Funny thing is, my mom never wore the fabulous clip-ons. Many years later I realized that's because they were roach clips.
An Amherst/UMass/Hampshire (for the Soulful Mr.) reunion would be fun. |
wei
Citizen
Username: Liweilun
Post Number: 2
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 10:39 am: |
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DP Dough Calzones! |
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