Smith's Botanic Garden was a place to stop and daydream. Bees and butterflies were thick upon the flowers, and a sun-warmed herbal scent filled the air. The garden is adjacent to the Lyman Plant House, built as a memorial to a long-ago student, where visitors can stroll through aisles of orchid plants, palm trees and clambering vines. Evidence of the work here in plant reproduction and preservation is seen in photographs of student projects on the bulletin board, and notices warning people not to buy illegally collected samples of endangered woodland plants. Northampton is often described as a center of education, art, music, and good book stores.
Shops selling hand-crafted gifts and clothing, jewelry, pottery and ceramics abound.
On this summer weekday downtown, groups of teenagers wearing retro punk gathered on steps along Main Street. Street musicians performed along the sidewalks, and a man played a game of chess with himself at one outdoor cafe. The city is built along the Connecticut River, and the blocks closer to the water have a grittier feel. There's an all-night diner, quiet back streets and a railroad overpass. There are five colleges or universities either in or just outside of the city, in addition to Smith, including Hampshire, Amherst and Mount Holyoke colleges and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.