Easthampton is a model small city of the 21st century. It retains its mill town soul, while fostering innovation. Community members treasure the abundant resources, dynamic downtown, and vibrant neighborhoods. By adapting, evolving, and making tough choices, Easthampton is sustainable, inclusive, balanced, and a great place to live.
Once a booming mill town, Easthampton is reclaiming its joie de vivre. Artists and creative types have flocked to the town, churning out art and pottery from factory buildings once famed for textiles, buttons, and rubber.
Restaurants – from the upscale eateries to the old-school diners – are serving everything from arugula salad and free-range chicken to three-eggs-any-style. You have your pick of cultural events every night of the week, like open mics, film screenings, and concerts. And Mount Tom beckons from above reminding you to get out and enjoy Easthampton’s open space, bike paths, and hiking trails.
Like a cold one? Easthampton has an emerging micro brewing scene, with a craft beer store in town and three new breweries in the works. If Easthampton is up-and-coming, you had better get here soon.
Easthampton, MA has a number of points of interest:
The Mount Tom State Reservation extends into parts of the city, and many local residents hike up to enjoy the view of the Pioneer Valley from the rock ledges. Mount Tom, 1202 feet (363 m), is the highest traprock peak on the Metacomet Ridge, a linear mountain range that extends from Long Island Sound to the Vermont border. Mount Tom is characterized by its high cliffs, sweeping vistas, and microclimate ecosystems. The 110-mile (180 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail traverses the mountain.
The Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, is also split between Easthampton and neighboring Northampton. Recently, the Manhan Rail Trail bicycle path was built over an old railroad line, and there are plans to connect the path to others in the area. Also near the Rail Trail and Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary are three conservation areas owned by the local non-profit land trust, Pascommuck Conservation Trust, part of the Trust's 200 acres (0.81 km2) of holdings in Easthampton.
In and around downtown Easthampton, attractions include: - The Cottage Street Cultural District, awarded Easthampton by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2013.
- The Emily Williston Memorial Library, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, it provides a collection of over 45,000 books, movies, and other media for Easthampton and the surrounding towns.
- The Williston Northampton School, a private secondary prep school
One Cottage Street, an old factory building, renovated in the late 1970s to make workshops and studios for artists and craftspeople- Riverside Industries, also at One Cottage Street, a human service organization offering a variety of innovative programs for people with disabilities.
- Eastworks, the old Stanley Home Products factory building, recently converted into artists' studios, offices, and restaurant space
- The historic old fire station, recently made into a workshop by local furniture maker Silas Kopf
- The Flywheel Arts Collective, a music, performance and visual arts space with a cafe, which opened its doors in 1999.
One Cottage Street