In 1851, opera singer Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale", declared Northampton, MA to be the "Paradise of America". Among the city's famous residents are: author William Cullen Bryant, the fire and brimstone preacher Jonathan Edwards; the ascetic health guru Sylvester Graham, namesake of the Graham Cracker; children's author and illustrator Eric Carle, Sojourner Truth, African American abolitionist and orator; Lydia Maria Child, authoress of the Thanksgiving poem "Over the River and Through the Woods"; musicians Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Chris Collingwood of Fountains of Wayne; Calvin Coolidge, who served as mayor of Northampton before becoming governor of Massachusetts and U.S. president.

The Northampton City motto appears at the bottom: caritas, educatio, justitia, which means Caring, Education, and Justice. These are three themes that continue to be important to the people who make their homes here.

Northampton, MA is renowned as an arts and entertainment destination in Western Massachusetts, named “Number One Best Small Arts Town in America” by author John Villani and one of the “Top 25 Arts Destinations” in the nation by AmericanStyle magazine.

Look Park, consisting of over one hundred & fifty acres, is located on the Berkshire Trail (Route 9) in the Florence section of Northampton, Massachusetts, in the heart of the Pioneer Valley.

It hosts attractions, concerts and several special events. Open 365 Days per year for all to enjoy.

Northampton is a city located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 28,978. It is the county seat of Hampshire County. Inclusive within the city limits are the villages of Florence and Leeds.

POLITICS

Clare Higgins is the Mayor.She was elected to her first term as Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts in November of 1999 and took office in January of 2000. She was re-elected in November 2005 and is still serving as Mayor.

HISTORY

The area now known as Northampton was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. They called it Norwottuck, or Nonotuck, meaning: "the midst of the river." Colonial Northampton was founded in 1654 by settlers from Springfield, Massachusetts.

Northampton today is a popular destination for tourists, who come to sample the city's shopping and restaurants. It remains a showplace for the arts, and was rated as the top "Small Arts Town" in the country by travel writer John Villani, author of "The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America" (3rd edition, published by John Muir Publications). It is an open and tolerant community, and is home to a sizeable lesbian community, earning it the nickname, "Lesbianville, USA". Author Tracy Kidder documented the many layers of "Noho" society at the end of the 20th century in Home Town.

UNUSUAL ATTRACTIONS

The old state mental hospital grounds. Wild, overgrown boarded up buildings. "Cider House Rules" was filmed here. People find it beautiful to walk around. There is a circular loop that goes through farm fields and woods and is a perfect place to walk your dog.

ALTERNATIVES