Amherst (Massachusetts)

Amherst is a town in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Amherst is home to about 35,000 residents as well as the campuses of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, and Hampshire College. A usually pleasant mix of students, academics, and retirees makes it a quintessential New England college town.

Amherst is at the center of a vibrant academic consortium comprising UMass, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and two more colleges in neighboring towns: Smith College in Northampton and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley. Because of this the area is frequently referred to as the "Five College Area."

When to visit
The most popular time to visit Amherst is during autumn, because of the spectacular fall foliage display throughout the area. This usually peaks in mid-October. Views of the foliage can be seen from the surrounding mountains, the hiking trails, and throughout the college campuses. During this time tourists also come to take part in agricultural activities such as apple picking, farmers' markets, and hay rides. The town is usually bustling with college students during the season, making the town congested and sometimes crowded. Although, the students add to the youthful atmosphere of the town and make it lively and energetic.

By car
Route 9 is the main road in and out of town, and it can get pretty busy when the colleges are in session. Extended construction has just been completed on the art deco Route 9 Calvin Coolidge Bridge over the Connecticut River between Northampton and Hadley, markedly easing the congestion as one approaches Amherst.

Route 116 is the picturesque central artery through Amherst. UMass, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the main shopping district are all situated along 116.

I-91 is the main north-south artery through the Pioneer Valley area, providing access to Route 9 for drivers approaching from Northern New England or Connecticut and New York City.

Please look out for drunk drivers during the nights after college students are finishing their parties!

By bus

 * Peter Pan, 79 South Pleasant Street, . Buses can take you to Springfield, Hartford, New York City, or further.
 * Megabus. Service from New York City, Hartford, Montpelier, and Burlington. Buses arrive and depart at the Hampshire Mall Shopping Center in the parking lot between the Cinemark and the rear of Target; from the mall you can catch the PVTA Blue 43 bus route to get into town. Fares from $1 and up.
 * Megabus. Service from New York City, Hartford, Montpelier, and Burlington. Buses arrive and depart at the Hampshire Mall Shopping Center in the parking lot between the Cinemark and the rear of Target; from the mall you can catch the PVTA Blue 43 bus route to get into town. Fares from $1 and up.

By plane
The two airports you'll want to look at are nearby Bradley Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut (One hour by car) and Logan Airport  in Boston (2 hours or more away depending on traffic).


 * Valley Transporter, Phone: +1 413-253-1350. Offers convenient (though expensive) shuttle service from Bradley Airport to Amherst and the surrounding area.
 * Seemo Shuttle, . Offers a shuttle service to Bradley ($40), Boston Logan, JFK and LaGuardia in New York.

By train
Due to the rerouting of Amtrak Vermonter service, Amherst is no longer served by train. Nearest train stop is in Northampton, 6 mi (10 km) to the west. Northampton Station is on PVTA B43 route, which leads to Amherst.

If you intend to take a train service more frequent than Vermonter, Amtrak/CTrail Hartford Line can be your choice during weekdays, transferring at Springfield Union Station for PVTA R29.

Colleges

 * Amherst College Enjoy a walk around one of the most stunning (and highest-ranked) colleges in New England.
 * University of Massachusetts The flagship of the University of Massachusetts system, by far the largest academic institution in the region.
 * Hampshire College Is the youngest liberal arts college in Amherst.
 * Mt. Holyoke in nearby South Hadley is a highly ranked women's college.
 * Smith College in Northampton is another highly respected women's college.

Do
Because of the large population of college students, there are frequent concerts, and other activities that cater to the college crowd.



Buy
Amherst centre has a variety of boutique and book stores.



Eat
There is an interesting selection of locations for eating out in Amherst, from the traditional college-town fare (pizza, wings, subs) that one would expect from a town with 3 colleges, to some unique and interesting local restaurants. Many are situated in the downtown area, around the intersections of North Pleasant Street (Route 116) and Main Street.

Take-out
There are a variety of take-out restaurants that specialize in college-town fare.



Bars

 * The "college bars", North Pleasant Street. They're pretty much identical: Charlie's, McMurphy's, Delano's. Cheap pitchers or pints of your favorite light American lager. You may want to target one of these bars if you misplaced your valid ID and have to "borrow" someone else's.
 * The Spoke, North Pleasant St. The best dive in town. Not quite chi-chi like ABC or Moan and Dove, but not quite childish like above-mentioned "college bars." Sit down for a $1.50 draft, play some pool (free on Tuesdays), and sometimes they even make free sandwiches.
 * The "college bars", North Pleasant Street. They're pretty much identical: Charlie's, McMurphy's, Delano's. Cheap pitchers or pints of your favorite light American lager. You may want to target one of these bars if you misplaced your valid ID and have to "borrow" someone else's.
 * The Spoke, North Pleasant St. The best dive in town. Not quite chi-chi like ABC or Moan and Dove, but not quite childish like above-mentioned "college bars." Sit down for a $1.50 draft, play some pool (free on Tuesdays), and sometimes they even make free sandwiches.

Sleep
Accommodations are sometimes tough to get and are damn near impossible during high demand times like graduation, parents' weekend at the colleges, or football Saturdays. Book ahead of time if you know you're going to be in the area. Also look to Hadley or  South Deerfield for some closer lodging or stay in Holyoke, or Springfield and make the 45 minute drive.



By far the cheapest and best way to see and stay in Amherst, though, is by couch surfing. Being a college town, there are a lot of very receptive, very low-key locals (read: students living off campus) who would love to host friendly travelers. Of course, staying with a total stranger can be daunting, even unsafe, so make sure to contact your host prior to arrival, have a backup plan, and use resources like www.couchsurfing.com which allow users to review and rate couch surfers and hosts.

Go next

 * Hike Seven Sisters in the Mt Holyoke Mountain Range 380 Amherst St, South Hadley, MA. A beautiful scenic hike that gives you a complete 180-degree view of the connecticut river and the many farmlands in the area. Located at the westernmost end is the summit house a great place to rest and have a picnic. There is also an area off route 47 where you can drive up or park and hike up the road for anyone who has kids or issues hiking you can still get to the top and enjoy the view!
 * The nearby Mt Holyoke Range State Park is a great place for hiking and fall foliage.
 * The New England Peace Pagoda, the first Nipponzan-Myōhōji Peace Pagoda to be built in the US, completed in 1986, is in the neighboring town of Leverett, to the north.
 * Puffers Pond- State St. Located along mill river puffers pond used to be home to the Norwottuck natives a tribe who had settled along the river banks along with other Native American tribes who used the river and the area surrounding it for hunting and fishing for sometime before settlers came. This historical landmark is now used by the town for swimming and fishing. There are beautiful trails surrounding the pond and make for a great day of site seeing and taking in some fresh air. At the end of one of the paths is a mill river park, an open field with a plays cape and swimming pool. Off to the left are tennis courts and basketball courts a little something for everyone.