[Hidden-tech] Very nice gathering at GoNomad tonight

[Chris Hoogendyk]

Phil wrote:
> Hi Maria:
>  
> If you must do business in Amherst I recommend checking out the 
> Creamery Building on Fearing Street.
>  
> For any location you try to meet near the center parking is a disaster.
>  
> http://www.amherstparkingtrap.com/
>  
> Regards, Phil

Having lived in Amherst for 17 years (and in Easthampton before that), I 
find that website to be a highly offensive diatribe that launches into 
extremely negative opinions of every aspect of Amherst. While people may 
have legitimate differences of opinion about how to run a town 
(Northampton, Hadley, Amherst and Easthampton all being Highly different 
from one another), I don't think it is appropriate to launch into 
blanket complaints, accusations and opinions about everything related to 
a particular town.

I enjoy living in Amherst. I'm comfortable negotiating parking when I 
drive, although I travel on foot, by bike, or by bus more than 90% of 
the time. Contrary to the statements on that web site, we have a 
substantial number of local businesses. Just to mentions some, we have a 
few good local book stores and a library, a few good local restaurants, 
a good local office and school supplies store, a worker owned copy shop, 
an excellent local bakery, ice cream shop, coffee shops, local clothing 
stores, a dry cleaners, a local shoe repair shop, bicycle shop, flower 
store, and more that are not chains. In fact, the chains are a very 
distinct minority, and some that tried to move in have gone. I would 
also note that the chains mentioned on that web page also exist in 
Northampton. Amherst doesn't have as lively a downtown as Northampton, 
nor does it have the parking facilities of Northampton necessitated by 
that lively downtown. It also doesn't have the commercial sprawl of King 
Street or route 9 through Hadley, although it abuts the Hadley sprawl.

There are quite a few restaurant/bar combos that cater to the UMass 
student crowd, and I still mourn the closing of the Seasons Restaurant 
out on the edge of town -- the owners decided they wanted to focus their 
attention on their "more profitable" locations that catered to students. 
But there are plenty of other restaurants and businesses. If you want to 
avoid the likes of Starbucks, we have at least 5 other locations where 
you can get specialty coffees and baked goods that are all local businesses.


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Chris Hoogendyk

-
   O__  ---- Systems Administrator
  c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments
 (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

<hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>

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Erdös 4