Northampton: Lesbianville, USA
By Andrew Collins

One wonders what Calvin Coolidge, were he alive today, would think of Northampton, Massachusetts. Long before his unremarkable ascent to the nation's presidency, Coolidge practiced law and local politics in this once-quiet college town on the fringes of Western Massachusetts' picturesque Berkshire hills. Northampton's not so quiet these days. Some years back the community was dubbed "Lesbianville, USA" in a typically subtle headline run by America's popular tabloid, the National Enquirer. The article's subtitle, "10,000 cuddling, kissing lesbians" suggested, with near apocalyptic urgency, a town overwhelmed by sapphic swarms of these affectionate face-sucking creatures.

Of course, a good many of the lesbians in town got a kick out of the momentary stir created both by the tabloid article and a feature on TV's 20/20, which also investigated this mind-boggling phenomenon: Many, many lesbians living more or less harmoniously together in a seemingly ordinary New England town. In fact, a walk through downtown Northampton reveals a pleasant enclave of trendy restaurants, urbane shops, and worldly denizens. Same-sex couples and rainbow bumper stickers are commonplace, but lesbians are not quite the formidable army dreamt up in the pages of the Enquirer.

Northampton continues to evolve from merely a great place to live to one of New England's top gay and lesbian vacation destinations. It's in the heart of central Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley, a region rich with history, outdoors activities, culture, and fine shopping and dining. And it's just 30 miles east of the Berkshires, a region famous for its art galleries, music festivals, and chichi restaurants and country inns. The town and the surrounding area are also home to a sizable population of gay men - the area truly defies pigeonholing, with one of the most eclectic social scenes you'll ever find: lesbians and gays, students and professors, empty nesters, artists and musicians, self-employed professionals and telecommuters, and young families.

The charming campus of Smith College, one of five institutions of higher learning in the immediate area, is poised on a hill above the Northampton's historic commercial district. Smith, and nearby Mt. Holyoke, admit only women; the college's presence in Northampton has clearly helped foster a climate where feminism, enlightened politics, and tolerance prevail (Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan are among Smith's most distinguished alums).

Visitors typically take advantage of the community's outstanding, and often queer-oriented, fine- and performing-arts offerings, including myriad galleries and live-music venues, excellent regional theater, and one of the oldest opera houses in the country, the Academy of Music, which presents art films and live music and theater. In winter there's cross-country and downhill skiing just minutes away; in fall you can view splendid foliage; and in spring and summer there's hiking, horseback riding, and swimming throughout the region. Locals also blade, pedal, or jog along the 8-mile Norwottuck Rail trail, a paved-over railroad bed that passes through town.
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