Smith College
- Local Atmosphere

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Northampton is off-beat with a bustling cultural atmosphere and can be described as “bourgeois bohemian”: a predominantly liberal, white, and upper-middle-class suburb. It is not unusual to see middle-aged activists protesting on the street corners, waving signs and wearing Converse sneakers. Hippies and hipsters abound, and while chain stores such as Starbucks and Urban Outfitters have recently begun multiplying on Main Street, most of the stores are locally owned. There are thrift shops, used-book stores, coffee shops, and funky boutiques. The Calvin Theatre is popular with students and has showcased musicians such as Ziggy Marley, Belle and Sebastian, and Joan Baez and comedians like Dave Chappelle, Margaret Cho, and Roseanne Barr. More off-beat musicians play at the Iron Horse or Pearl Street Nightclub, which are also favorites with many students.

Northampton’s big-city aspirations are obvious by its nickname, NoHo, a takeoff of SoHo and NoHo in Manhattan. Despite these aspirations, the word most often used to describe the town is “quaint.” Some students coming from bigger cities find it difficult to adjust. Stores close early, and it is a little pricey for a college town. When students need things like snacks and toiletries, they often head to the Hampshire Mall to go to Wal-Mart. However, most students say they love Northampton—it is active and vibrant with a respected cultural community. And even though it’s considered a suburb, the surrounding rural setting makes NoHo seem like a bustling metropolis.

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Local Atmosphere at Smith College

rairaaa

Biology '15

4.6

A

Best College Town!

Northampton is quirky, fun, and convenient. There are so many different people walking around, and most of them are very friendly. Northampton has a very active community as well, and there are many events that happen throughout the year that are fun. The stores are very unique, and most everything is reasonably priced! The restaurants are the best part of town, but I really love everything about Noho. It's also a great way to get off campus if things are hectic. My college counselor actually comes by Smith quite frequently because she loves Noho so much! (And no, she's not an Alumn!)

May 18, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at Smith College

Marmie

Computer Graphics '15

4.2

A-

A Cute Town.

Northampton is a small town, but it has a lot of character. There are few chain stores, and lots of fun little stores-great for window shopping. The town is generally pretty safe. Although there are a fair number of homeless/slightly crazy people, they're harmless. There are concerts many nights, and street performances many days.

Mar 18, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at Smith College

TifDuckie3

Women's Studies '15

3.1

B-

Nice

Northampton is a nice town to live in. Smith is right in the heart of downtown so you pretty much have almost everything within your fingertips. Sometimes however, I feel it would be nice to be closer to a major city like Boston. Instead, it's over a two car ride to get there.

Dec 12, 2011

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Photos of Smith College's Local Atmosphere

The pond

Photo by AlanaMiller

The pond This is Smith's campus in the summer—it's absolutely beautiful. Students can take out canoes or kayaks for free, as well.

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Photo by AlanaMiller

Mountain Day

Photo by AlanaMiller

Mountain Day Every year in fall, the President picks a beautiful day to cancel class so students can go enjoy the outdoors, usually by apple picking at a local farm or hiking in nearby mountains

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Photo by AlanaMiller

The quad

Photo by jamiesamdahl

The quad A look at the quad on Smith's campus.

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Photo by jamiesamdahl

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