Northampton Survival Guide
Hi All,Â
Moving to college is overwhelming and for some of you, moving to a new city might be as well. Northampton is one of the smallest cities I have ever lived in but has by far the best charm. I thought I would share with you some of the tips Iâve learned from exploring Smithâs backyard this last year.Â
IMPORTANT NOTE: In this post I will often be mentioning PVTA buses. These buses are free for 5 College Students if they present their OneCard (which you will receive at orientation on the first day) to the bus driver. Click here for the link to bus schedules.Â
1. Nearest mall
Hampshire Mall - 367 Russel St. Hadley
Whether youâre first moving into Smith and need more hangers or you want to go see a movie or buy storage bins at the end of your first year, youâre going to want to head to the Hampshire Mall. The mall has a bunch of stores like Target, Trader Joeâs and Bed Bath and Beyond which will most definitely give you what you need. Click here for the Mallâs directory! To get there from Smith you can take the PVTA Bus B43 which will take you there in 30 minutes top. It might sound like a lot of time to be sitting on the bus, but I promise you, after youâve done the ride as many times as I have, it really doesnât feel like that long! If you want to get there quicker, Zipcar, Uber, Lyft and a friendâs car are always another option!
2. Nearest CVS
90 Main St. Northampton
CVS has been a vital part of my Northampton life, I go there at least once every three weeks to pick up my meds, grab snacks and things like toothpaste/shampoo etc if Iâm running out. From Duckett House CVS is a 10 minute walk MAX and if you are just too tired to make that walk, the PVTA B43 bus has a stop one block up from CVS so you can cut your walk time in half.Â
3. Help! My phone broke! Where do I go?Â
AT&T - 140 Main St. Northampton
Verizon - 180 Main St. NorthamptonÂ
Apple Store - 50 Holyoke St. Holyoke
First of all, DONâT PANIC. Like every city, Northampton has all the resources to help you fix your phone. If itâs a technical difficulty like your service provider isnât working right, Northampton has two providers who have stores downtown - Verizon and AT&T. So, if youâre lucky enough to have one of them as your provider you can stop by their store which is only a couple minutes away from Smith. If the problem is an Apple related problem, the town of Holyoke (where Mount Holyoke College is located) has an Apple store which you can use to fix the problem. Getting there is a little more of a hike, it takes at least an hour by bus (R43) but Zipcar, Uber and Lyft are available if you donât want to take the bus. Or, you could ask a friend to drive you there if you know someone with a car!Â
4. Nearest train / bus station
Northampton Train Station - 170 Pleasant St. NorthamptonÂ
Peter Pan Bus Terminal - 1 Roundhouse Plaza, Northampton
If you plan to go to a big city for the weekend, like Boston or NYC, chances are you will be leaving out of one of these two places. Northampton has a train that takes you directly into NYC Penn Station in about 4h30min. Depending on when youâre planning to take this adventure, it could cost you $40-80 round trip. The cost is why most Smithies choose Peter Pan Bus Lines as their preferred mode of transport. The bus will take you to NYC Port Authority in 4h and to Boston (South Station, Copley Sq, Park Sq or State House) in an average of 2h30min. Peter Pan Bus prices are pretty unpredictable, depending on if youâre traveling at a peak time (like October Break) the cost could be between $40-60 round trip. I have gotten tickets for Peter Pan for $40 round trip though, so I would say: plan ahead to make sure you get the best price.Â
5. Best coffee shops
Woodstar Cafe - 60 Masonic St. NorthamptonÂ
Haymarket Cafe - 185 Main St. Northampton
Shelburne Falls Coffee Rosters - 273 Main St. NorthamptonÂ
If thereâs one thing that you wonât miss while being in Northampton is coffee shops. You can find plenty of Smithies at any one of these three coffee shops which are an average of a 5/10 minute walk from the center of campus. Each of these three cafeâs have such different vibes and so itâs up to you to find your favorite one. My personal favorite is Woodstar because itâs filled with natural light and yummy desserts to snack on while studying. Remember, there are so many coffee shops in Northampton that these three are not the only options! I just picked the three I know that most people tend to go to.Â
I hope that helps,
-- Giulia â22Â














