Quaint town with a lot of quirky traits
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9/18/2020
I lived in Amherst for 3 short years. Moved from Southern California for grad school on this adventure. I hated it so much when I first moved, but after everything... I miss it.
Before moving, I would have appreciated a long breakdown of what it’s like to live here. If you don’t want to read my novel, feel free to pass on to another review.
If you plan on moving here (and not a student), you are more likely than not, in possession of a secure, academic position. It is otherwise risky and maybe lonely, because that's what the majority of people’s careers when living in Amherst. Farming is not a bad profession, but you may be intensely competing with people who already have a great camaraderie with the UMass dining services (your main buyer). Restaurants do alright with business, but when weather hits or people leave town for other things, there is some struggle for incoming traffic.
There’s a bit of culture to offer, but the locals expect you to know about it. You are in the former abode of some of the greatest American minds in its history and can even walk the trails or visit the home of that which they wrote their masterpieces. Some of the literature seemed to make more sense, finally connecting the dots with allusions to the surrounding nature. I used to find myself stop during my walks throughout downtown and some of the hiking areas and marvel at whose footsteps were there before mine. Do some more digging, and you’ll find interesting, quirky finds about the Pioneer Valley.
Amherst has an interestingly unique set of contradictions. You have a very "young" town (I felt like I aged 20 years when I first moved out here, because there's a large college population) due to the five-college system, yet, when the undergrads leave, it's the grad students, faculty, and "townies" that are left, and it becomes a much more mature community (we LOVE these times of year). It's quite peaceful during the summer and school breaks because most of the college students are from the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic and drive home. The folks that actually live here and raise their children, are more likely than not, very friendly—possibly naïve—and do not emulate the "M*******" qualities that you may see in other areas of the state. Funnily, I have had the best intellectual conversations with people in this area, ranging from high school dropouts to established professors, all within several levels of genius. Not to say *everyone* is a genius, but you'll find more people interested in topics beyond celebrity gossip and social media (and still be social enough to talk about last week's drip).
It's a rural feel, but if you compare it to landlocked corn fields, it definitely has more of a suburban character. When I moved here, I was told the buses were adequate (and due to reasons, you're much better off with a car) but quickly got over the level of sad emptiness once I bought said car. As a result, the international students may really struggle (often without a car; cultural hurdles—it's a vastly white area to be frank; and from my academic experiences, there are issues that are flown over because there's more effort to attract students than to take care of some of the current ones), but once there are people who support them, it's a bit more manageable to live in the area. I found my ethnic grocery stores, and while it's very expensive to eat here, compared to California, I took a lot of joy in adapting to the New England foods while incorporating that which made up my palate. You MUST be-rid yourself of any high food standards because:
1) Why would you expect city-quality food in a town where 1-lane roads permeate throughout the barn sprawl and,
2) Why not learn new foods in an area that actually has decent apples, dairy, maple syrup, and amazing seafood, among local farms? (Yeah, you have to drive a bit to Boston for crustaceans and NYC for grubs, which can be a bummer, but learning the discipline to savor foods and delayed gratification... is a worthwhile quality. It’s also a good investment to make friends who like to spend car time with you.)
I actually experienced some of the best meat products, as well as vegan foods, here, in New England. There are people who are really passionate about food (and some who have no clue what a good casual restaurant is). Check out university ratings too: food science and hospitality at UMass are well-regarded in the nation.
I was once told I live above the "tofu curtain" (drive down the 91 and you'll eventually see the other side of the coin) and while I have mixed feelings for a lot of the political activity on either side of that stance, I preferred living in an area where I can forget to lock my car, and my neighbor, while also minding their own business, is probably waving at me from their window (or even down the hall, when I lived in an apartment), because they noticed I might get towed for being in the way of snow plowing. With some of the Taxachusetts antics you need to encounter in the tundra, this kind of compassion is really heart-warming.
Housing costs can be ATROCIOUS. There are a lot of places with outdated (everything) and while there are some very sturdy buildings from Paul Revere’s time, they’re sometimes not very well-kept and you have to be mindful of the winter costs (to your wallet and your soul) on top of the overly expensive rates. With that said, you can definitely find amazing deals if you look beyond the overpriced apartments and accept that you may have to live with roommates. It’s a good rule of thumb to physically check out the area to get a feel of what you want and where you want to live, because it’s hit or miss with a lot of the housing choices. I was very fortunate to find the house I rented with two roommates (with a lot of storage space, full kitchen, beautiful backyard, extra parking, and CHEAPER than some of the apartments some friends shared with more roommates) after I got a feel of all the real estate in the area. Don’t. Settle.
On the same page of moving and leaving, be careful not to overspend on your furniture. It’ll hit you really hard when you see a nice furniture set at a tag sale or on the side of the road in great condition. Despite me leaving with my furniture, my roommates quickly replenished what I took with me due to the high influx of things students are willing to get rid of when they quickly leave the area. There’s this fun culture of home furnish exchange throughout the interwebs and even face-to-face, because so many students come and go over time. It’s something to celebrate and grow sorrowful with, over time.
There's a sense of community, once you find it. Contrary to "flake culture" back home, I once had a friend take the bus through a snowstorm to make it to our 6 o' clock dinner *several minutes early* (I would have picked her up but I didn't have a car at the time, nor stepped foot out when it was 0.5" of snowfall) during my first year. She wasn’t the only person like that either—once I visited home and was so upset at some of my family and friends (because I had forgotten about flake culture) that I realized most of the people living in Amherst follow a similar code of interaction and compassion. Of course, you can argue that there’s “nothing to do” but you really have to make with what you have, and sometimes you’ll find a lot of great moments based on some of the struggle and inconveniences that you experience and eventually get used to. Some of my best friendships and most profound life lessons were found here, outside of the classroom.
When I left I realized I really missed what I had here.
Michelle | Amherst Center, MA