Northampton
is a lively, diverse community located in the heart of the
Five College Area of the Pioneer Valley. Home to Smith College,
Northampton also serves as the county seat of Hampshire
County. It is located at the intersection of a major
east-west highway which links Amherst and the University
of Massachusetts with the hilltowns to the west, and the
north-south corridor of Route 91. Calvin Coolidge once served
as mayor, while the city's first woman mayor, the Honorable
Mary Ford, was elected in 1991 and serves today.
Residents see Northampton as both traditional and innovative.
Several village centers provide focal points for outlying
residential areas while the downtown is alive days and evenings
with a wide selection of restaurants, coffee and
ice-cream shops, theaters including the only municipally
owned theater in the state, clubs featuring an array of
music, street musicians and a Center for the Arts. All of
this provides a perfect atmosphere for strolling, area. The
city also offers strong municipal programs in education,
recreation, public safety and public works. It is known
for its energy conservation program and its initiative to
improve handicap access to downtown establishments.
The community has a strong and diverse economic base consisting
of a resilient retail and commercial sector, a manufacturing
sector which shows a mixture of traditional operations
(wire protrusion, plastic molding) and innovative ones (production
of heat sensing devices) and a large institutional
base which includes county services, three hospitals and
Smith College. The vibrant small city atmosphere of the
community is enhanced by rich natural resources,
which include the Connecticut River, agricultural and
conservation lands and the Acadia Wildlife Sanctuary.
Residents believe Northampton has a rich history and are
confident that its future which will be built on its diverse
population base, solid economic base and abundant resources. Click
to download detailed profile (PDF) >>
Source:
http://www.mass.gov/dhcd/iprofile/214.pdf |
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