One of the many perks of coming to UMass is the surrounding area. We all know about the great restaurants in Amherst like Pasta e Basta and the sweet stores in NoHo like Faces, but there are some hidden gems that not a lot of UMass students know about. Definitely worth checking out:
1) Arise Pizzeria
Arise is right behind the Amherst Cinema on Amity Street. If you’re looking for a cute place to take a date or a nice night on the town with some girlfriends, this is the right place for you. The pizza is amazing, especially Popeye’s Hog. It’s covered in bacon, fried potato, mozzarella, spinach, and sour cream. What more could you want?
2) Mission Cantina
Mission Cantina is located on West Street in Amherst. In my opinion, this is some of the best Mexican food in the area. They serve you homemade chips and guacamole with three different kinds of salsa (one of them being mango which is insanely delicious). The burritos are huge and the Ensalada Cantina is overflowing with avocados, salsa, grilled chicken, and tomatoes, making a very yummy dish.
3) The Blue Marble
The Blue Marble is a cute little shop right on North Pleasant Street. Everything in the store is American-made and handcrafted. I have a pair of beautiful silver earrings with purple stones in the middle that I wear all the time. If you’re looking for a cute little gift to let someone know you’re thinking of him or her, this place is great. And of course you can pick something up for yourself; you are studying super hard for finals, after all.
4) The Black Sheep
My jaw drops every time someone says that they’ve never heard of this place. The Black Sheep has some of the best sandwiches that I’ve ever had. My personal favorite is the Black Sheep Baguette: sundried tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto, and balsamic dressing on a baguette. They feature vegan dishes too for all of the animal lovers out there. They make their own breads and have great desserts behind the counter, all of which I wish I could eat every time I step in there.
5) Flayvors
It saddens me that I’ve been in the area for almost two years and I just discovered Flayvors this winter. The cookie monster ice cream is the greatest ice cream ever. End of story. It’s located at Cook Farm on South Maple Street in Hadley. While you’re eating some ice cream, go pet the cows and say hi; they do a lot for you!
6) Synergy
Synergy is in downtown Northampton on Main Street. It’s filled to the brim with UGGs, Life is Good products, sunglasses, jewelry and more. I stumbled in there one day just to look around and there were so many Alex and Ani bracelets. Needless to say I was in heaven. It’s a cute little store and has a lot of options to choose from.
Happy exploring, Collegiettes!