Going to visit Hampshire College with my son mid-week next week. Looking for a decent place to stay in Amherst within walking distance to good restaurants/shops. Any suggestions?

Well that's easy. The Lord Jeffrey Inn. It is the only hotel in the center of town. You can walk to everything.
(Do you want restuarant recommendations? what kinds of food are you looking for.)

There are 3-4 other B&B/small motels in Amherst -- but you'd have to drive to town center.

Other than that, you have to stay in Hadley (a mall/strip area); or there may be a hotel in the center of South Hadley, I'm not sure.

I second the suggestion of the Lord Jeffery Inn. Rooms are kind of small, but the location can't be beat.

If the Lord Jeff is full, there are several options in downtown Northampton, which is also a short drive from campus. The 5-College Bus system goes to both towns, and I strongly suggest investigating each one.

South Hadley (where Mt. Holyoke College is) is devoid of hotels or useful shops. Skip it unless also looking at MHC.

Thanks - I'll try the Lord Jeffrey. And yes, restaurant recommendations would be great - someplace somewhat hip, but also where my son won't be embarrased to be eating with his Mom - ie some people over the age of 30?!

Ok, let's see, hip dinner places where there are grownups...

Monkey Bar: very trendy and tasty
ABC (Amherst Brewing Co.): bar/pub
Panda East: Chinese and japanese/sushi

Also nice for dinner and visible from the Jeff:

The Boltwood Inn (at the Jeff, kind of stodgy though).
Amherst Chinese: more like chinese-home cooking than fancy party food (see Panda above).
Pasta e Basta: great Italian.


Memorable lunch places nearby...

Fatso's: incredible burgers/fries
Bueno y Sano: amazing burritos
Antonios: best pizza in town

My favorite restaurant in Amherst is Judie's. They have a wide selection of food and are also know for their popovers.
Not a restaurant really, but Bart's ice cream is good too.

My daughter is a third year student at Hampshire. If you have questions, I'd be glad to give it a shot!

Thanks everyone - I got a reservation @ the Lord Jeffrey ($99 rate for one night including breakfast) and I really appreciate the restaurant suggestions - we'll check them out!

Thanks again

CAPH52 - thanks for the offer - is there a way for me to contact you directly thru this site?

Caph52: my sons dear friend is also at Hampshire and loves it ! You likely have far more good advice for crcunning than I would, as I only visited the area once with my daughter when she was college hunting - but I would say to her, and maybe you would too, that it is definitely worth it while looking at Hampshire to do a quick drive around the others included in the 5 college consortium - to get a feel for the bus loop/ the offers of integrated courses and other activities - just to see the whole picture of what all those excellent institutions offer including Hampshire !

Lucky you getting to visit that part of the state and your child being there - just gorgeous area with so much to do in the different surrounding towns and colleges.

I think that's excellent advice, escargot!

And I do feel very lucky! Unfortunately, so far I usually only manage to get out there when we take her at the beginning of the school year. But I always really enjoy it. Except, of course, for the fact that it means leaving her!

BTW, she loves Hampshire too. I think Hampshire definitely takes a certain "mindset". But, for the ones who "fit", it's wonderful. There's just no doubt in my mind that Hampshire is the best place for my daughter at this time in her life.

crcunning, I'd be very happy to exchange e-mail with you regarding Hampshire. But I'm a little nervous about posting my address. Those who've been reading my posts on Freaky Friday Rants and Raves can figure it out pretty easily. So it's probably silly to worry about it. But...Anyone, have any suggestions for the best way to do this?

Caph...get a yahoo address to use only for this purpose.

I went to school in Amherst (UMass) a zillion years ago. Lord Jeff was the only show in town then and I'm happy to hear it is still thriving. I can still picture its spot on the square. (I hope the square is still there!) What a pretty little town that is.

Is Chez Albert still open in Amherst? If so, that would be a good place for a special meal. It's the only place in the 5 College Area to get the real deal in terms of French food.

I also love the Monkey Bar--lots of fun, and the food is as expensive as Chez Albert, but it's definitely more trendy cuisine instead of classic.

Amherst Chinese is great for veggies. The owners have a huge organic garden, and in fact many other restaurateurs get much of their produce from them.

Lots of folks love Judie's, but I'm afraid I cannot recommend the place. I do like their signature popovers, however.

A short drive away on Rte. 9 (the road that runs between Amherst and Northampton) in Hadley is Carmelina's, which specializes in Italian style tapas. You can full size entrees there, too, but my husband and I never seem to make it past the tapas and salad menu.

If you want to go all the way into Northampton from Amherst (20 drive if traffic is moderately heavy), there are TONS of great restaurants in a variety of cuisines and price ranges. Amherst has a lot to offer in terms of its downtown area, but Northampton has it beat hands down in terms of shopping, food, art galleries, etc. The notable exception is book stores. Amherst has two good new book stores and a nice used one. Northampton only has good used ones.

Oh...I fell in love with the finer clothes in life while at school there. There was a little boutique women's shop off to the left side of the square as you faced the Lord Jeff...English woolens and tweeds. Tres cher...the beginning of a love affair and an expensive lifetime habit!

Some general advice for visiting the 5 College Area:

- Give your child 1-2 hours of free time without you in either Amherst Center or Downtown Northampton. They will live there without you for 4 years. Give them a little taste to see if it's a good "fit". Also include 30-45 minutes of "alone time" on campus so they can wander and perhaps meet people without your supervision.

- Walk around at least one other campus other than the primary one you are visiting. The colleges are so closely linked and so easy to get to on the Free Buses that it's important to realize what the other places look like and to contrast-and-compare.

- If visiting midweek, consider taking the Bus from Amherst to the Hampshire Campus to get a real feel for what it's like. There is a bus stop 1 block from the Lord Jeff in front of Converse Hall at Amherst College. Take the bus marked "Mount Holyoke via Hampshire". At Hampshire, get off at the main bus stop at the flagpole, then walk downhill to Admissions. You can get detailed directions at the Library (big red and concrete building with stilts). To return, take the "UMass/Haigis Mall" bus.

- If visiting Hampshire, don't miss Atkins Farms, located a short jog down the road southbound along Rte. 116. Pickup some fresh cider and donuts for the ride home.

- If you have a full day, eat one meal in Amherst and one in Northampton.

- It's not necessary to visit Holyoke or Springfield to "get a feel", as they are a little off the Valley beaten path.

- capxxx has excellent food suggestions.

- Antonio's Pizza (Amherst) is iconic and should not be missed. As a NYC native, I can say it is some of the best pizza I have ever had. Everyone eats there. They put a McDonalds next door out of business back in the day.

- Judie's (Amherst) is vastly overrated.

- Packard's (Northampton) has the best burgers.

- Do not try to cross the Connecticut River (Rte. 9) between Hadley and Northampton at rush hour. Insane traffic, there's only 1 bridge for 30 miles.

Thank you all for the great input - CAPH - it you are comfortable leaving your email address on a voicemail phone number that I have, you can call 671-434-0555 (it's strictly a voicemail account - phone doesn't ring anywhere) I agree that I'd rather not post my email account on the board either. If you don't want to do that don't worry about it

Hi, crcunning. I tried to call the number but must be doing something wrong. It rings and rings, doesn't give me an opportunity to leave a message. I will be glad to try again though if you tell me what to do!

Add us to the list of people who feel Judie's is overrated. Everytime we're in Amherst we puzzle over the fact that there's always a wait to get in. We've eaten there twice and weren't impressed.

We really like Northampton Brewery and Bub's Barbecue (which is in Sunderland). When we took her back earlier this month, our daughter insisted that we have lunch at a relatively new place (I think) called Fresh Side. It's on Main Street, very close to the Lord Jeffrey. Ordering was a little aggravating as the person taking orders at the counter was also stopping frequently to deliver food to the tables. So the line got quite long and moved slowly. But the food was very good, mostly Asian pastas, noodle soups and excellent little sandwich roll/wrap type things.

I also strongly second the recommendation for a stop at Atkins Farms! A trip to Amherst wouldn't be complete without a stop there! Besides the cider doughnuts, we like their cherry preserves and jalapeno jelly. I also really like their selection of teas. I always find something I haven't seen around here.

Check out www.valleydiningguide.com

I am so sorry - my area code is 617 , not 671 - my apologies!

No problem! You have a message.

Sorry but Bueno y Sano is not particularly good Mexican food. Neither is Veracruzana.