Springfield (Massachusetts)

Springfield is the largest city on the Connecticut River, in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts, USA. It sits 24 miles (40 km) north of Hartford, Connecticut, and 5 miles (8 km) north of the Connecticut state line. Springfield and Hartford are the principal cities in the Knowledge Corridor - the second largest urban region in New England with 1.9 million people, 29 universities and colleges, and 120,000 university students.

Understand
With economic reinvestment, Springfield is experiencing a cultural renaissance. New festivals such as the "Hoop City Jazz Festival", the "Springfield Vintage Grand Prix," which is the Vintage Sports Car Club of America's official race; and Springfield's "Gay Pride Week". Renovations to Gilded Age theaters like the Paramount (formerly the Hippodrome,) the Bing Cultural Arts Center, and Springfield's increasingly eclectic Club Quarter have made the city more exciting than at any time in the past half-century.

On June 1, 2011, large portions of the Springfield were devastated by two tornadoes that touched down within city limits. The U.S. National Weather Service rated Springfield's first of two tornadoes an E4 on the Fujita Scale (out of a possible E5.) Springfield's historic Main Street, with its attractive 19th century architecture, was left in shambles - particularly the commercial district of the historically Italian South End, the historic district surrounding Mulberry Street (of Dr. Seuss fame), Springfield College, and Springfield's more suburban outer neighborhoods.

Located on New England's most fertile farmland in the Connecticut River Valley, at the mid-point of America's major northeast trade routes between New York City, Boston, the Great Lakes, and Montreal, Canada, the City of Springfield (pop. 155,000) has been the technological and cultural center of the Connecticut River Valley since its founding in 1636. Having been burned to the ground during King Phillip's War in 1675, Springfield has rebuilt before.

It is nicknamed The City of Homes because of its ubiquitous Victorian architecture and The City of Firsts because of the numerous innovations that took place there during its first 375 years, including America's first American-English dictionary (1806), the first gasoline-powered car (1893), the first motorcycle (1901, Indian Motorcycles), modern fire engine and fire department (1905 & 1907), commercial radio station (WBZ AM & FM, 1920, located in the Kimball Towers), and UHF television station (1951, WWLP). Springfield is best known worldwide as the birthplace of the sport of basketball (James Naismith, 1891, located at Springfield College). The Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield beside the Connecticut River, is a major, international tourist draw.

Springfield is a highly walkable city, even by urban, New England standards - most of its major sites are in the Metro Center neighborhood; however, much of the city's attractive Victorian residential architecture is focused in its street-car suburb neighborhoods (e.g., Forest Park Heights).

From the early 1800s until the 1960s, Springfield was one of the United States' most financially prosperous cities, as is reflected in its celebrated Victorian homes. The Springfield Armory, the site of which George Washington and Henry Knox selected, made the city a center of invention, industrial innovation, and precision manufacturing from 1777 onward -- for example, America's first musket (1794), the first use of interchangeable parts and the assembly line in manufacturing (1819), and the discovery of vulcanized rubber by Charles Goodyear (1844) all took place in Springfield.

In 1968, during the Vietnam War, the Pentagon controversially closed the Springfield Armory. The United States' military's loss, however, is a Springfield visitor's gain - the Springfield Armory National Park features the largest collection of historic firearms in the world.

The Armory's closing in tandem with the growth of the interstate highway system and resulting "White Flight" to the suburbs left Springfield reeling for approximately 35 years (1968-2003), as it searched for a new identity. Springfield reached its nadir during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when it became financially insolvent. Luckily for Springfield, the city's financial woes focused regional and national attention on it, the problems needed to be fixed, and its development potential. Numerous organizations, most notably the National Urban Land Institute, studied Springfield and submitted plans for its revitalization.

Part of Springfield's resurgence has been due, in part, to its increasingly complementary relationship with Hartford, Connecticut. The bi-state Knowledge Corridor Metropolitan Area has benefitted both Hartford and Springfield, which once competed over the companies and workers. Increasingly, Hartford is taking on its role as the Connecticut River Valley's financial center, with its post-modern skyline and relatively wide thoroughfares; in complement, Springfield is taking on its role as the Knowledge Corridor's recreational center, with its walkable, increasingly residential Metro Center, lively Club Quarter, and Victorian architecture. In cooperating, both cities found their post-industrial identities.

Since approximately 2007, Springfield has reaped the rewards of the ULI's Plan for Springfield. Economic investment in aesthetics, particularly in the three riverfront neighborhoods, have helped to increase liveliness. As of 2010, Springfield fell to 51st in the annual U.S. "City Crime Rankings" after ranking 18th in just 2003. Increased liveliness and decreased crime will improve any city's quality of life.

Neighborhoods
Springfield's Metro Center is the highly walkable, cultural and business heart of the Pioneer Valley - a region of approximately 40 miles by 20 miles (64 km by 32 km) that follows the path of the Connecticut River and contains New England's finest farmland. It stretches from the border of Vermont in the north to the border of Connecticut in the south. Springfield's Metro Center is located 4 miles (6½ km) north of the Connecticut state border, and thus increasingly - in both governmental and popular perception - Hartford-Springfield is considered a single metropolitan area, (e.g. like Dallas-Fort Worth.) The two major Connecticut River cities' downtowns lie 24 miles (35 km) apart, with Bradley International Airport located halfway between them.

Metro Center features the Quadrangle, which includes three world-class museums - two art and one science museum - two regional history museums, the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, and the palatial, neo-classical Springfield City Library. Metro Center is also home to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) at Symphony Hall; the highly-regarded CityStage theater; and 60 clubs, restaurants, and bars in its lively Club Quarter, surrounding Stearns Square and Worthington Street. Metro Center is bisected by Interstate 91, which limits access to the scenic Connecticut River.

The Basketball Hall of Fame is located on the riverfront in the nearby South End, but amputated from Metro Center and the rest of the city by Interstate 91. The South End is the focal point for Springfield's Italian community, featuring many Italian restaurants, pastry shops, and cultural institutions. The South End was hard hit by Springfield's June 1, 2011 tornado.

The North End comprises three separate neighborhoods, and is the center of Springfield's prominent and increasingly well-heeled Latino community. Springfield's three nationally ranked hospitals are located in the North End, as are several prominent parks (e.g. Van Horn Park.)

The McKnight District - known to urban planners worldwide as the United States' first planned residential district (1871) - contains over 900. Victorian "Painted Lady" houses. For decades it was the center Springfield's African-American and Jamaican communities; however, increasingly, McKnight and Metro Center have become centers of Springfield's increasingly prominent LGBT community. In 2011, The Advocate magazine rated Springfield #13 among the United States' new "gay cities."

Forest Park and Forest Park Heights contain numerous Victorian mansions, many of which surround Frederick Law Olmsted's 735-acre (430-ha) Forest Park -- one of the largest urban parks in the United States. This is where architectural aficionados should head to learn why Springfield is nicknamed "The City of Homes," as it features many parkways and elegant houses. Forest Park - the Olmsted park - contains a small but extensive zoo, a skating rink, 38 tennis courts, numerous sculptures, walking and hiking trails, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, tree groves, Victorian promenades and water gardens, a formal rose garden, paddle-boating and fishing on the 31-acre (12-ha) Porter Lake, bocce courts, lawn bowling fields, and the Barney Mansion restaurant and banquet hall, among other features.

Get in
Springfield is the most centrally located city in New England, between major tourist destinations like New York City, Boston, Vermont, the Berkshires, Upstate New York, and Canada. It features access from every direction, via every sort of transportation. Bradley International Airport is 12 miles (19 km) south of Springfield (equidistant to Springfield's twin city, Hartford, Connecticut.) Westover Metropolitan Airport is located 5 miles (8 km) north of Springfield in the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts.

The City of Springfield is a major railroad and bus nexus, with trains and buses arriving from all directions.

By train

 * Train operator:
 * Routes stopping at Springfield:
 * Amtrak Hartford Line operating 3-5 trips per direction daily between Springfield and New Haven with stops in Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, and Wallingford.
 * Northeast Regional operating twice daily between Springfield and Washington, D.C. with stops in Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, Wallingford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, New Rochelle, New York City, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and New Carrollton.
 * Vermonter operates daily between St. Albans and Washington, D.C. including stops in Essex Junction, Waterbury, Montpelier, White River Junction, Claremont, Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Windsor Locks, Hartford, Meriden, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and New Carrollton.
 * Valley Flyer operates twice daily between Greenfield and New Haven including stops in Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, and Wallingford. Travel time to Springfield from New Haven is 1.5 hours.
 * Lake Shore Limited operating daily between Chicago and Boston or New York City. It makes stops at most stations along the route, though it does not stop at some of the smallest stations. Trains consist of train cars from both branches between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer).  The trains split into separate branches between Albany (Rensselaer) and both Boston and New York City.  Stops between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer) include South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Schenectady. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and Boston include Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham.

By bus
Peter Pan Bus goes to Boston 9 times a day ($18-22, between 1 hr 30 min and 2 hr 45 min, depending on the time of the day) but it can often run into traffic on the Mass Pike (Interstate 90).

Peter Pan and Greyhound provide bus service from Albany, and points further west.

By plane

 * Bradley International Airport, 12 miles south of Springfield in Windsor Locks, Connecticut; this major airport serving the Knowledge Corridor region surrounding Springfield and Hartford, Connecticut is equidistant from both cities.
 * Westover Metropolitan Airport 4 miles north of Springfield in the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts. Westover is one of New England's largest military facilities; however, its runways are also used for commercial flights.

By car
Springfield is accessible via Interstate 90 aka "The Mass Pike," (east-west from Boston to Albany, NY;) Interstate 91, (north-south from the Canadian border to New Haven, Connecticut;) and Interstate 291 (a connector from I-90 through Chicopee to Springfield.)

Get around
Springfield is one of the Northeast's most walkable cities. Most of its historic sites, points of interest, and entertainment venues are clustered in the Metro Center neighborhood (aka downtown, where the skyscrapers are.) Tourist sites are well marked, as are many architecturally significant buildings. The Basketball Hall of Fame and Forest Park — both of which are well worth visiting — are Springfield's only major tourist sites outside of Metro Center; however, the Basketball Hall of Fame is within walking distance (it's less than a mile south of Metro Center, along the Connecticut River.)

If you'd like to explore Springfield beyond Metro Center — perhaps experience Frederick Law Olmsted's Forest Park, his largest work next to NYC's Central Park — or further explore the artsy Pioneer Valley (maybe check out bohemian Northampton or Amherst, one of America's best-known university towns,) the clean, green, and reliable Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) offers service to every Springfield neighborhood, and throughout the Pioneer Valley's cities and towns north to Amherst. For $1.25 on the PVTA, you can ride the 15 miles (25 km) from Springfield to the counter-culture mecca of Northampton, or the 18 miles (30 km) to student-centric Amherst, and vice versa. Many of the routes that do not serve major points do not run after 7-8PM. Service on weekends is limited, especially on Sundays, when intervals between buses can be up to 2 hours. Check the schedule of the bus route your using.

Many use the PVTA or taxis to get to Springfield's attractions directly across the Connecticut River, like Six Flags New England and New England's State Fair, The Big E, Stanley Park, and Holyoke Mall.

Crime has fallen dramatically in Springfield, but be aware of where you are at all times. Avoid walking around Bay-McKnight, Mason Square, and certain parts of the North and South End late at night.

See

 * The Springfield Vintage Grand Prix, hosted by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (www.vscca.org).
 * The Springfield Vintage Grand Prix, hosted by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (www.vscca.org).
 * The Springfield Vintage Grand Prix, hosted by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (www.vscca.org).
 * The Springfield Vintage Grand Prix, hosted by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (www.vscca.org).

Do

 * The Club Quarter - Over 60 nightclubs, bars, LGBT-oriented bars and clubs, and restaurants line the blocks surrounding Stearns Square and Worthington Street near the Connecticut River. Upper Worthington, west of Chestnut Street, remains a "Club Quarter;" however, much of that entertainment is rated X.
 * The Connecticut River Walk - near the Basketball Hall of Fame, one can access this pleasant park and marvel at the Connecticut River scenic beauty. It's difficult to find an entrance to this park due to the inhibiting presence of Interstate 91 - a highway that virtually amputates Springfield from recreational opportunities on the Connecticut River. If you can find your way in, bring a partner at night.

Learn

 * American International College: A university located in Springfield's Mason Square neighborhood, notable for America's first "Model Congress" program.
 * Springfield College: Founded in 1885 as Y.M.C.A. International College, basketball was invented at this institution by Dr. James Naismith. In addition to basketball, America's first physical education course was taught here in 1912. A $50-million student center was constructed here in 2011.
 * Springfield Technical Community College: Located on 35 acres behind the Springfield Armory National Park, surrounded by the Armory's distinctive wrought-iron fence, STCC is Massachusetts' only "technical" community college. STCC continues Springfield's tradition of technical innovation.
 * Tufts University School of Medicine: Baystate Health serves as the western teaching campus of Tufts University's School of Medicine.
 * University of Massachusetts Urban Design Center: UMass opened an urban design center in Springfield in 2010, where it houses its urban design graduate program.
 * Western New England University: University in Springfield's suburban Sixteen Acres neighborhood, featuring a pretty campus, prominent law school, and a new pharmacy school.

Buy

 * Main Street features hundreds of shops and of restaurants.
 * State Street features many ethnic shops and restaurants.
 * Eastfield Mall on Boston Road has a large movie theater and all that one would normally expect of an American mall.

Radio
Radio stations serving the Springfield area include:


 *  News/Talk : WFCR 88.5 FM (NPR), WHYN 560 AM (conservative)

Television
Television stations serving Springfield include:


 * WSHM Channel 21: CBS.
 * WWLP Channel 22: NBC.
 * WGGB Channel 40: ABC.
 * WGBY Channel 57: PBS.

Go next

 * Hartford, Connecticut
 * Boston, Massachusetts
 * Amherst, Massachusetts
 * Northampton, Massachusetts