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Mount Holyoke College
- Local Atmosphere

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Mount Holyoke College - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.69

Local Atmosphere

C+
Where does this grade come from?View all Local Atmosphere rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Local Atmosphere Grades:

Quick Stats

Points of Interest
  • Academy of Music
  • Amherst
  • Atkins Farms Country Market
  • Emily Dickinson Homestead
  • Iron Horse Music Hall
  • Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens
  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
  • Nash Dinosaur Track
  • Northampton
  • Skinner Park
  • Summit House
  • UMass Fine Arts Center
  • Village Commons
  • Yankee Candle Factory and Candlemaking Museum

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Since the College’s immediate setting is suburban, when students think of places to go and do something, they often think beyond South Hadley. As a result, the local area is not confined to a single city, but, instead, spans a section of towns in western Massachusetts known as the Pioneer Valley, which is a great area for hiking and other outdoor pursuits. The Skinner Mountain Range runs right through the Five College area and is easily accessible via the free bus. Amherst and Northampton provide pockets of culture that cater to college students, and you can always attend an event held at one of the other Five Colleges. Students tend to stay on campus and create their own fun or take advantage of the free bus known as the “PVTA” to travel between schools and find something to do in the valley.

There is certainly a rural charm in this part of the state, but for those hungry for city life, Northampton and Amherst are ready and willing to satisfy. Of course, it’s not Boston, but it is a place rich with history, a place where a drive of less than an hour will bring you to the heart of farmland. Even if you don’t develop a taste for rural life, you will develop a knack for discovering and appreciating the little things, such as a night in the Thirsty Mind, the coffeehouse across the street; dinner at Johnny’s, a restaurant in the Village Commons; or even a late-night movie with friends in the cozy and quiet Tower Theatres.

 

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Mount Holyoke Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at Mount Holyoke College

marya303

'15

Pre-Medicine Studies

2.3
C

Entertainment Is There If You Go Looking

South Hadley is awful, but the five college area provides things to do if you're willing to search for them.

Dec 28, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Mount Holyoke College

roncop827

'14

Mathematics & Statistics

2.3
C

If You Have a Car, You're Set

Being that I'm from NYC, the local atmosphere of Mount Holyoke (in South Hadley, aka the middle of no where) is a bit dry. Most social events are in campus and there are some off campus but the city buses that run through our campus and nearby towns aren't frequent enough. But like I said, if you have car, you'll be fine... that is until gas prices go up.

Dec 10, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Mount Holyoke College

rocio093

'15

Political Science and Government

3.1
B-

Rigorous but Boring

Mount Holyoke is a great school educationally wise. It has potential and it is very rigorous. The only down side to it is that you have to have a car in order to have a social life here. Unless, you are willing to ride on crowded buses to get to parties! There really isn't much to do outside of school so in order to not find oneself bored all the time one really has to be involved inside of school.

Nov 16, 2011

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers
  • Hampshire Mal
  • Holyoke Mall
  • Thorne’s Marketplace
Major Sports Teams
  • Boston Bruins: hockey
  • Boston Celtics: basketball
  • Boston Red Sox: baseball
  • New England Patriots: football
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Boston: MA: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • New York City: NY: 3 hours
Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about Pioneer Valley:

• The Gaylord Memorial Library, across the street from the College, was constructed on the site of a former graveyard. However, the family of the first settler to be buried there, John Preston, refused to move his gravestone, and it can still be seen under an old tree behind the library.
• The Five College area is also known as New England’s “Knowledge Corridor” because of the high concentration of prestigious liberal arts colleges.
• Hampshire College houses the world’s largest museum of Yiddish literature and culture.
• The town of Northampton is supposedly home to more artists, writers, and musicians per square foot than any other community between Soho and Montreal.
• Both basketball and volleyball were invented here—most people know that basketball was invented in Springfield, but did you know that volleyball was invented in Holyoke?

Famous People from Pioneer Valley:
Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Virginia Apgar, William Cullen Bryant, Elaine Chao, Calvin Coolidge, Emily Dickinson, Daniel Chester French, Robert Frost, Dr. Gloria Johnson-Powell, Herman Melville, Suzan-Lori Parks, Dr. Seuss, Wendy Wasserstein, Edith Wharton

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

Academy of Music Theatre
274 Main St.
Northampton
(413) 584-8435

Amherst Cinema
28 Amity St.
Amherst
(413) 253-2547

Cinemark (at Hampshire Mall)
367 Russell St.
Hadley
(413) 587-4233

Pleasant Street Theatre
27 Pleasant St.
Northampton
(413) 586-0935

Tower Theatres
19 College St.
Hadley
(413) 532-3456

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at MHC

Name: Alessandra Hickson

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Major: Art History

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