Northampton: Lesbianville, USA
Page 3 of 3

Northampton isn't a huge hub of gay nightlife, but the one gay club in town, Diva's, is quite popular with students and a mostly 35-and-under crowd, and several of the mainstream nightspots in town have a strong community following. Diva's is a large second-floor space on the outskirts of downtown - there's a decent-size dance floor, and in good weather you can relax on the spacious patio. Queer-popular performers often play at the Iron Horse (Ani Difranco, Jane Siberry, Mary Gauthier, and Patty Larkin all performed there in summer 2006) or at the larger Calvin Theatre, which recently hosted Margaret Cho. The popular Pearl Street Nightclub also books great entertainment and is an appealing place in town for drinks or dancing. There are few more convivial places to munch on pub fare and socialize in a totally mixed gay/straight setting than Fitzwilly's, an old-fashioned tavern that's been a fixture downtown for decades.

As Northampton's cachet with tourists grows, new accommodations continue to pop up, both in town and elsewhere in the Pioneer Valley. Among larger properties, the Hotel Northampton occupies a stately 1927 building in the heart of downtown - it's the most opulent accommodation in the area, with an excellent on-site restaurant, too. A short drive from town, the gay-friendly Clarion Hotel & Conference Center has clean, comfortable rooms, a reputable steak house, and indoor and outdoor pools.

In nearby Easthampton, you'll find two charmingly furnished rooms at the gay-friendly McKinley House Bed and Breakfast, an attractive turn-of-the-20th-century house on a peaceful residential street. A tempting full breakfast is served in the morning. About 20 miles north of town, the gay-owned Brandt House is a luxurious white Colonial Revival estate on a bluff in historic Greenfield. It contains a mix of cushy suites and standard rooms, all with massive featherbeds and museum-quality antiques; a couple of rooms have working fireplaces and many have whirlpool tubs. Stroll the tree-shaded grounds, relax on the rear terrace, or take to the clay tennis court - this place is bliss defined.

Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other guidebooks.