area guide
( about the area ) ( things to do here ) top
monoho
map
northampton
pioneer valley
monoho map
welcome to monoho country.
This
map should give you a pretty good idea of the area we try to keep on
top of (ahem). Though monoho was started in north-ampton, ma, we
cover events for gay
men anywhere in western Mass, upper CT, lower VT, or occasionally
in New Hampshire or upstate New York.
( about the area ) ( things to do here ) top
monoho
area
northampton
pioneer valley
northampton
like a gay "northern exposure" with a starbucks ...
“This small city [Northampton] offers more restaurants and shops, certainly more galleries, theaters and performance venues than most urban centers dozens of times its size. Add two rivers, mountain views, landscaped parks and meadow walks, and you begin to see why people call it paradise.”
–The Boston Globe
OK, now that we've got our
fancy bragging rights out of the way ... the Northampton area really
is the cultural "center" of western Mass. Part of this is geographic
(just look at the map) and part of this
owes to the fact that there are 5 major colleges in the area. This
more than anything creates a lively energetic artistic cultural
academic musical community. Over the last few decades, people from
Boston and New York have been gradually migrating to western Mass,
attracted by both the rural charm and urban sophistication.
Housing is, well, still relatively affordable (compared to
urban gay centers), but neighboring towns are quickly becoming the
"boroughs," where more affordable homes and industrial spaces are
available for artists, musicians, younger couples, single folks ...
whoever.
Anyway, the point is Northampton has the best of both worlds--a sophisticated rural lifestyle
and all the cultural, artistic, academic, and business amenities of a
much larger city.
Northampton also features one of the most vibrant downtown centers in New England, offering a unique blend of independent retail shops, eclectic restaurants and cafes, art galleries, museums, clubs, and theaters, earning its name as “Number One Best Small Arts Town in America” by author John Villani, and one of the “Top 25 Arts Destinations” in the nation by American Style magazine.
Northampton
has retained much of its historic character in its downtown, its
residential neighborhoods, and the smaller commercial village centers of
Florence and Leeds
(see the
Visitor's Guide). Northampton is also located in the heart of a
lively college community
that includes Smith College, the
University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and Mount Holyoke College.
The Five Colleges are host to a wide array of educational, cultural, arts, theater, and music events
... which then draws in the guys who prefer such things (which I
am assuming includes both you and me).
( about the area ) ( things to do here ) top
monoho
area
northampton
pioneer valley
the pioneer valley
a river runs through it.
Western Massachusetts is
a great place to live! The outdoors offers myriad activities
year-round: hiking, boating, swimming in the lakes
and rivers,
kayaking, organized sports, and festivals galore. Arts and
entertainment include theater, music, and first-class museums.
There are small artsy cities like Northampton and Amherst,
bigger cities like Springfield, and lots of surrounding rural
areas.
The Pioneer Valley is the area surrounding the Connecticut River, as it courses through Western Mass. It is an area of post-industrial riverside cities (that are continually gentrifying and housing artists), fertile river plains still used for farming, and picturesque mountain ranges, great for hiking and exploring. In summer, there are some great swimming holes, though most of them lie a little further north. There is also a great ever-expanding system of bike trails in the northampton/easthampton area, as well as lots of river activities like boating and kayaking.
