Locals' locals, in Northampton

Jennifer
Locals' locals, in Northampton

Sights and sites to see

Northampton landmark and historical institution.
32 locals recommend
Academy of Music Theatre
274 Main St
32 locals recommend
Northampton landmark and historical institution.
My alma mater. Beautiful campus, fantastic (free) art museum, a spectacular new library, gardens, pond, greenhouse, and loads of wonderful events!
31 locals recommend
Smith College
31 locals recommend
My alma mater. Beautiful campus, fantastic (free) art museum, a spectacular new library, gardens, pond, greenhouse, and loads of wonderful events!
Fairs, horse shows, and concerts and events all happen here, about a 5 minute walk out into 'the country' from our house.
Three County Fair
54 Fair St
Fairs, horse shows, and concerts and events all happen here, about a 5 minute walk out into 'the country' from our house.
Books, a cafe, a restaurant, a waterfall, an outrageously beautiful drive. Truly Western Mass perfected.
56 locals recommend
The Montague Bookmill
440 Greenfield Rd
56 locals recommend
Books, a cafe, a restaurant, a waterfall, an outrageously beautiful drive. Truly Western Mass perfected.
Closed for 2024, sadly. This old trolley bridge was converted into a cross-river garden. Stunning throughout the growing season!
77 locals recommend
Bridge of Flowers
22 Water St
77 locals recommend
Closed for 2024, sadly. This old trolley bridge was converted into a cross-river garden. Stunning throughout the growing season!
A peaceful spot, with an enormous temple and pretty ponds. Definitely a reflective place to appreciate.
13 locals recommend
The New England Peace Pagoda
100 Cave Hill Rd
13 locals recommend
A peaceful spot, with an enormous temple and pretty ponds. Definitely a reflective place to appreciate.
Wacky place that must be seen to be believed.
18 locals recommend
Three Sisters Sanctuary
188 Cape St
18 locals recommend
Wacky place that must be seen to be believed.

Restaurants

Classic Northampton breakfast diner has gotten an update the last few years, and is better than ever.
23 locals recommend
Jake's
17 King St
23 locals recommend
Classic Northampton breakfast diner has gotten an update the last few years, and is better than ever.
Eat like a townie! This is the nearest eatery to our place.
24 locals recommend
Joe's Spaghetti & Pizza
33 Market St
24 locals recommend
Eat like a townie! This is the nearest eatery to our place.
Wonderful food, beautiful setting, a little further afield in Sunderland. Ritzy but worthwhile.
31 locals recommend
Blue Heron Restaurant
112 N Main St
31 locals recommend
Wonderful food, beautiful setting, a little further afield in Sunderland. Ritzy but worthwhile.
The successor to James Beard- recognized Coco, Calico is Jen.'s go-to fancy dinner out. Everything is BEYOND!
Calico
The successor to James Beard- recognized Coco, Calico is Jen.'s go-to fancy dinner out. Everything is BEYOND!
Flavor-packed, pretty reasonably-priced sandwiches, noodle and rice dishes, etc. Street food vibes. Pretty amazing. In Easthampton, about a 10 minute drive.
9 locals recommend
Daily Operation
116 Cottage St
9 locals recommend
Flavor-packed, pretty reasonably-priced sandwiches, noodle and rice dishes, etc. Street food vibes. Pretty amazing. In Easthampton, about a 10 minute drive.
Probably the nicest restaurant within walking distance. Handmade pastas and other Italian hearty dinners, and nice drinks too!
9 locals recommend
Homestead.
7 Strong Ave
9 locals recommend
Probably the nicest restaurant within walking distance. Handmade pastas and other Italian hearty dinners, and nice drinks too!
One of Jen.'s top lunch spots, and a great place to take kids too. Veg and fish are their specialties, and a lovely space with good people-watching windows.
37 locals recommend
Paul and Elizabeth's
150 Main St
37 locals recommend
One of Jen.'s top lunch spots, and a great place to take kids too. Veg and fish are their specialties, and a lovely space with good people-watching windows.
Another favorite for lunch or dinner. Standard Japanese fare, nice porches to sit on in good or bad weather.
26 locals recommend
Osaka
7 Old S St
26 locals recommend
Another favorite for lunch or dinner. Standard Japanese fare, nice porches to sit on in good or bad weather.
A great place for a quick but custom falafel or baba ganoush. Very tasty and fresh.
Pita Pockets
193 Main St
A great place for a quick but custom falafel or baba ganoush. Very tasty and fresh.
Tasty Mediterranean cafe. The menu will overwhelm you-- the mint tea and the loubia are Jen.'s faves.
20 locals recommend
Amanouz Cafe
44 Main St
20 locals recommend
Tasty Mediterranean cafe. The menu will overwhelm you-- the mint tea and the loubia are Jen.'s faves.
Nobody's favorite, but tolerated by all. If you need to get multiple generations of the family together for a meal that is FINE, this is your place. Genuinely nice deck in summer!
37 locals recommend
Northampton Brewery
11 Brewster Ct
37 locals recommend
Nobody's favorite, but tolerated by all. If you need to get multiple generations of the family together for a meal that is FINE, this is your place. Genuinely nice deck in summer!
One of our favorites. Currently only open weekend evenings. Eat in a cabana on the beach!
37 locals recommend
Ashfield Lakehouse
141 Buckland Rd
37 locals recommend
One of our favorites. Currently only open weekend evenings. Eat in a cabana on the beach!

Drinks

A favorite place for cocktails. Very hip, but people are still nice. In Easthampton.
Gigantic
78 Cottage St
A favorite place for cocktails. Very hip, but people are still nice. In Easthampton.
An art store that has become a cocktail bar on the weekend. Super friendly, creative drinks. In Easthampton.
Valley Art Supplies
An art store that has become a cocktail bar on the weekend. Super friendly, creative drinks. In Easthampton.
Ryan's favorite of the breweries for the beer and the tasting room. In one of the old mill buildings in Easthampton.
19 locals recommend
Abandoned Building Brewery
142 Pleasant St
19 locals recommend
Ryan's favorite of the breweries for the beer and the tasting room. In one of the old mill buildings in Easthampton.
If you want to go to Disneyland but have it be mostly built around beer and in Western Mass, Treehouse is it! A phenomenon. Also hosting lots of good shows these days.
Tree House Brewing Company - Deerfield
If you want to go to Disneyland but have it be mostly built around beer and in Western Mass, Treehouse is it! A phenomenon. Also hosting lots of good shows these days.
The best winery in the area-- some locally-grown and some imported grapes.
9 locals recommend
Black Birch Vineyard
108 Straits Rd
9 locals recommend
The best winery in the area-- some locally-grown and some imported grapes.
Good wine and a STUNNING view. On weekends they almost always have a food truck or pizza oven on site, and often host music as well.
Glendale Ridge Vineyard
155 Glendale Rd
Good wine and a STUNNING view. On weekends they almost always have a food truck or pizza oven on site, and often host music as well.

Cafes

A truly gorgeous retrofitting of a vintage train car from diner into cool cafe. The best outdoor seating in front and along the bike path in fair weather, and part of Summer on Strong in the summer. All the food and drink are fantastic.
Familiars Coffee & Tea
6 Strong Ave
A truly gorgeous retrofitting of a vintage train car from diner into cool cafe. The best outdoor seating in front and along the bike path in fair weather, and part of Summer on Strong in the summer. All the food and drink are fantastic.
It's... the closest place. No longer a favorite of ours, though plenty of people still enjoy it. Desserts are good, and the seating area is nice.
35 locals recommend
The Roost
1 Market St
35 locals recommend
It's... the closest place. No longer a favorite of ours, though plenty of people still enjoy it. Desserts are good, and the seating area is nice.
Very very quirky little place. Their offerings are good, but the real draw is the place! Cool spot indoors and out.
Iconica Social Club
1 Amber Ln
Very very quirky little place. Their offerings are good, but the real draw is the place! Cool spot indoors and out.
Jen.'s favorite coffee in town. Very hip international vibe, and yet quite friendly!
Cafe Balagan
Jen.'s favorite coffee in town. Very hip international vibe, and yet quite friendly!
Ryan's favorite coffee in town. Opens the earliest of all the Northampton cafes!
6 locals recommend
Northampton Coffee
269 Pleasant St
6 locals recommend
Ryan's favorite coffee in town. Opens the earliest of all the Northampton cafes!
A cafe, a restaurant? It's a sweet spot, right over the bridge in Hadley.
25 locals recommend
Esselon Café and Coffee Roasting
99 Russell St
25 locals recommend
A cafe, a restaurant? It's a sweet spot, right over the bridge in Hadley.

Transport

The finest way to get around in the NE corridor!
7 locals recommend
Northampton station
170 Pleasant St
7 locals recommend
The finest way to get around in the NE corridor!
Not quite as nice as the train, but better coverage of the state and region, and not bad at all!
Peter Pan Bus Terminal
1 Roundhouse Plaza
Not quite as nice as the train, but better coverage of the state and region, and not bad at all!

Bakeries

James Beard award-winning bakery that emphasizes locally-grown and organic ingredients. They're not open all the time... and if you catch them open, they may or may not have what you came for. But YUM if you can get it!!
29 locals recommend
Hungry Ghost Bread
62 State St
29 locals recommend
James Beard award-winning bakery that emphasizes locally-grown and organic ingredients. They're not open all the time... and if you catch them open, they may or may not have what you came for. But YUM if you can get it!!
Best baked goods in town. Ryan contends that their cardamon rolls ought to be to Northampton what beignets are to New Orleans!
25 locals recommend
Woodstar Cafe
60 Masonic St
25 locals recommend
Best baked goods in town. Ryan contends that their cardamon rolls ought to be to Northampton what beignets are to New Orleans!
A treasure. If you like quiche, this is the goopy goodest.
25 locals recommend
Small Oven Bakery
36 Union St
25 locals recommend
A treasure. If you like quiche, this is the goopy goodest.
Now owned by the Familiars people, the Pie Bar has been knocking it out of the park for years making awesome pies of all sorts and coffee in a cute little retro-y cafe in Florence, about a 10 minute drive from our place.
11 locals recommend
Florence Pie Bar
17 A Main St
11 locals recommend
Now owned by the Familiars people, the Pie Bar has been knocking it out of the park for years making awesome pies of all sorts and coffee in a cute little retro-y cafe in Florence, about a 10 minute drive from our place.

Shopping

Northampton's indoor mall, but in true Northampton fashion, filled with kooky little stores that are fun and unique. Worth spending some time in.
43 locals recommend
Thornes Marketplace
150 Main St
43 locals recommend
Northampton's indoor mall, but in true Northampton fashion, filled with kooky little stores that are fun and unique. Worth spending some time in.
A few friends own this one. Quirky, vintage, and handmade stuff. Super fun to browse and buy!
ASSEMBLE made + curated
A few friends own this one. Quirky, vintage, and handmade stuff. Super fun to browse and buy!
Another vintage and oddball shop, this one often full of discoveries from the old mills in the area. A hoot!
11 locals recommend
LOOT found + made
62 Avenue A
11 locals recommend
Another vintage and oddball shop, this one often full of discoveries from the old mills in the area. A hoot!