Compared to a big city, the Amherst downtown looks cute and a little unreal. With its quaint local businesses, cozy eateries and the life-saving CVS, you can’t help but find Amherst charming. However, if you want a quick change of scenery (and maybe want to live on the edge a little), hop on the B43 and take a short ride to Northampton. In Northampton, you find a variety of places to eat, shop, get a makeover, and bond with friends. Here is my list of places to visit when I arrive in Northampton.
1) Visit Faces – A very popular location for college students and tourists because there is a little something for everyone. For the fashionista, the clothing selection includes cute sweaters, stylish bags, casual dresses, an array of accessories and other little items you didn’t know your wardrobe needed until you set foot in the store. If you are more of a t-shirt person, they sell shirts with witty phrases, zombie references, Bazinga!, Doctor Who, Family Guy, Chuck Norris and more. If you want to decorate your dorm room, they sell different calendars (Hot Guys and Baby Animals is quite popular), books on swearing and making dirty jokes, posters from popular bands and TV shows, remote control toy helicopters, and animal-shaped musical instruments. You will also find your favorite childhood snacks and a wonderful selection of DIY spa products. At Faces, the amount of things to purchase is endless.
175 Main Street # 2 Northampton, MA 01060 (facesmainst.com)
2) Amanouz Cafe – A wonderful Mediterranean and Moroccan cafe that provides options for both meat lovers and vegetarians. You begin by ordering your meal at the cash register in the back of the cafe, where you leave your name. You can then sit down at any table, and a waitress will serve your dishes. The atmosphere is great for conversation, the food tastes heavenly, and most meals are under ten dollars. I recommend any of the kababs for meat lovers and the falafel for vegetarians. My favorite thing at Amanouz is definitely their Moroccan green tea, served hot. It comes in a silver teapot already sweetened and garnished with mint tealeaves. Perfect for a cool autumn morning and a brutal winter afternoon. Warning: It’s very addictive and you will want to take a cup to go.
44 Main Street Northampton, MA 01060 (amanouz.com)
3) Raven Used Books – Raven Used Books is a great place to get classic and under publicized books for very low prices. If you an avid reader, you may need to be dragged out by your ankles from this store. You will find books of all genres, neatly organized. Since people sell and buy books regularly, you will find the most recent literature as well as your grandmother’s favorites at your age. An interesting section for the college budget is the discount rack where every book on the shelf is a dollar. The books appear to be chosen randomly and therefore you never know what you will get. When I visited Raven Used Books I purchased You Might Be A Zombie And Other Bad News by the editors of Cracked.com. Next to me, a lady bought the entire Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. You never know what you’re going to get Raven Used Books.
4 Old South Street Northampton, MA 01060 (ravenusedbooks.com)
4) Newbury Comics – If you’re a music lover and a geek at heart, you will want to check out Newbury Comics when you visit Northampton. If you are from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Rhode Island, you may already be familiar with this store. If not, think of Newbury Comics like a less gothic version of Hot Topic. While they don’t sell comics, they do sell CDs, cute animal hats, retro boombox shaped watches, movable clock earrings and a lot of merchandise. Doctor Who, Adventure Time, The Hunger Games, Sherlock, The Avengers, Minecraft, AFI and most likely any other fandom you are a part of will be represented here. Warning: Prepare to spend money, time and many “feels” at this store. Don’t worry–the workers expect it.
38 Pleasant Street Northampton, MA 01060 (newburycomics.com)
5) Glamourama – If you are feeling really adventurous, try getting a hair cut at this fabulous hair salon. One of my friends got a short cut last week and we still can’t stop talking about it. The stylists truly analyze their customers’ hair and face to give them a great look that will not only highlight their beautiful features but also reflect their personalities. Don’t want to cut your lavish locks? That’s ok! Perhaps you may want to dye them, instead. Warning: As a more edgy salon you may find yourself walking in wanting chestnut brown and walking out convinced you wanted a cotton candy pink fringe. They also have a cute photo booth where you can either take photos home to show friends or be a star on their Facebook page!
7 Old Street Northampton, MA 01060 (facebook.com/pages/Glamourama/74942669619 )
I hope you enjoy yourself in Northampton. Whether you decide to visit all these great places in one day or spread it out over various trips to Northampton, remember to have fun in the downtown and enjoy your mini-vacation from Amherst!