Why Easthampton Matters

Lately I've had some downtime (and it is true that "idle hands are the devil's workshop") and have been spending it in Easthampton. More than a decade ago, this town of roughly 16,000 was in dire straits. Sandwiched between upscale Northampton and whitebread Southampton at the base of Mount Tom, downtown Easthampton wasn't a destination. With the reformation of town government in 1996, Easthampton's first mayor, Mike Tautznik was the catalyst in revitalizing the crumbling downtown. Under his leadership, industry and the arts have flourished in Easthampton.

Here are a few of my favorite things about Easthampton:

1. "Buns-on-Wheels" Street food is important to any downtown economy. This one at the rotary (across from Pulaski Park) is one of my favorite gastro-intestinal stressors. Run by the "Portuguese Lady of Chicopee," cheap dogs and burgers are the order of the day. Occasionally some ethnic flavors are on the menu--and that's a plus in my book.

2. "The Brass Cat" There aren't any shortages of places to drink in this town. What sets this bar apart from the others is the jukebox--loaded with home-made playlists of local artists, hipster indie-pop and classic slacker rock. Chances are you'll find a semi-famous singer-songwriter nursing a whisky in the corner, or your drunk ex-girlfriend hustling at the pool table.

3. "BearFest" Everyone's an artist in this town (some are just edgier), and the bears that line the streets of downtown are a testament to that. Designed to boost the visibility of downtown, the bears have become news themselves.

4. "Flywheel" This arts collective is gearing up to re-launch after a nearly three year hiatus. Famous for booking some of the craftiest music shows in the New England area, the Flywheel outgrew its original spot and now will be located at Easthampton's old Town Hall.

5. "Lloyd Cole" Leader of the 80's Brit-pop band, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, this resident of Easthampton keeps a low profile. On tour in far-flung countries most of the time, Cole likes to hang out at the Brass Cat.

6. "Eastworks" This old Stanley Home products factory houses some of Easthampton's most exciting arts and industries. Folks who lease space include Sonic Youth's "Ecstatic Peace"label, Luke Cavagnac's "Invisible Fountain"gallery and the wonderful Apollo Grill.

7. "Mayor Mike Tautznik" While it's an election cycle this year, and one candidates' platform is "Change?," this hardworking LEADER is in no danger of being ousted.

8. "La Casita Azteca" Please God, don't let this Mexican eatery go out of business--please?!

9. "Nashawannuck Pond" The visual centerpiece of downtown is about to be dredged by the Army Corp of Engineers, restoring the pond's aqautic life back to what it once was.

10. "Big E's" A local grocery store fighting for its life, this throwback to the super stores is a great place to get some kapusta or my favorite beers.