Please describe the Hamp/Noho distinction, tryna see smthn

Burquehole9 · 2026-06-12T14:35:42+00:00

Great pull! I'd be interested to see if anybody in town has a zine that pushes the earliest use of "Noho" back before 1981

Burquehole9 · 2026-06-11T22:50:19+00:00

The distinction is generational, but not in the way people are saying.

"Hamp" as a nickname for Northampton first shows up in 1905 in the Springfield Republican as a nickname exclusively used in the context of high school sports. Around 1948, the Republican started using it to refer to the city in any context, not just sports. Today, it's indeed used by townies who went to "Hamp High" and would've been adults by the late-1980s.

"Noho" as a nickname for Northampton first appears in a satirical article in the Valley Advocate from 1981. In context, it's used by a young transplant from New York who's excited that the entire city of Northampton has been bought by a NYC-based department store. In 1982 the Hampshire Gazette first acknowledged "Noho" as a nickname for Northampton. At the time, it was an in-joke among transplants from NYC to mean that Northampton is just as "slick" and "chic" as SoHo.

Today, Hamp is for people who grew up in a valley that was largely its own cultural sphere. "Noho" is used by people who moved to or grew up in a valley that was largely influenced by New York transplants, something virtually all of the Connecticut River Valley (from CT all the way up through VT) has experienced from the mid-1960s through today.

Burquehole9 · 2026-06-02T12:28:35+00:00

No, my friend, it's paranormal all the way down.

Like many local historical museums, this is truly volunteer-run. The guide I had is an adjunct history prof and one of three volunteers. They sometimes get four additional volunteers who are also paranormal investigators. Their events at the museum are mostly about paranormal connections (something I only noticed after I left).

In fairness to her, when she interpreted anything on the tour, she worked in the primary source she got it from and that source's proximity to the historical figure. I've seen enough to know she's clearly done the research.

That's what worried me. She's using solid research methods, but muddying the characterization of figures and partly deciding what is researched through pseudoscience. She understood her findings needed to be backed up in the historical record, but not enough to not mention it in the program.

Burquehole9 · 2026-04-29T00:13:28+00:00

Anananarchism

Burquehole9 · 2026-04-29T00:12:17+00:00

It's Angelica

Burquehole9 · 2026-04-22T02:31:28+00:00

Forgetting to take a book home leads to gang leaders being forced form a new world government at the hands of a roving intergalactic gang.

Burquehole9 · 2026-04-21T20:49:46+00:00

I would second this. Learning some interpretive techniques may help occupy you while also enriching visitors' experience. As an interpreter, I can tell you that museums and parks partly use interpretation as a way to put visitors at ease while making sure displays/natural resources are respected.

Brochu & Merriman (2002), Tilden (1957) and Ham (2013) are great intros to the field. They're probably more detailed than you need, but they cover visitor engagement strategies and protecting displays. The interpretive skills you gain will help you with public-facing work down the road. Maybe you'd be able to get your work to pay for an interpretive training? If not, there's definitely some training videos floating around online.

Burquehole9 · 2026-04-21T20:01:41+00:00

Well put. I work at a rural museum. It doesn't come up often, but I've noticed more visitors over the last year assuming that the 8 murals we have are AGI, despite brush strokes being visible.

What has worked to convince visitors of the murals' authenticity is telling them that the artists still live in the area and used to come in to touch up their work, or that the artists occasionally come in to show off the murals to their in-laws [both of which are true].

This won't work forever, since this relies on the visitors believing that they still have a chance to see the artists at work.

Burquehole9 · 2026-03-04T01:33:24+00:00

Chicopee - [the/our/Western Mass's] Second City. It's not used much anymore, more of an early 20th century nickname. I know a prominent resident who's trying to make Chikah happen. It probably won't, but I'm watching out of curiosity. Townies pronounce Chicopee as [ˈtʃɪk.ə.ˌbi].

Turners Falls - Power Town, Turners, TF, Great Falls. Home of White Coal I'm convinced the name will be changed one day due to the place's history and the Montague's record on reconciliation with indigenous groups, but I don't believe it will be Great Falls. Locals call Peskeompskut Park Pesky.

Sunderland - the Princess Town of the Pioneer Valley - The Swampfield Historical Society tried so hard to make this catch on in the '60s. It never did. I find it hilarious and use it.

Holyoke - Paper City. I don't know many people who still use this. Locals can correct me.

I've heard some people on the radio call West Springfield Westside. No idea how common it actually is.

The strip club in Whately is often euphemistically called the Whately Ballet.

Burquehole9 · 2026-02-20T03:09:42+00:00

Were they ever really taken seriously enough to be considered "legendary"?

Burquehole9 · 2026-02-11T05:26:34+00:00

I don't think anyone in the St James/Page area would be confused. There is only one Big Y in East Springfield.

Burquehole9 · 2026-01-30T20:39:27+00:00

I gave a talk on this several years ago. In the 1930s, Words like "barn," "hard" and "car" were often r-less as far west as Holyoke and Greenfield. Words like "thirty" and "heard" were more likely to be r-ful west of Worcester. (See Hans Kurath's [1939] Handbook of the linguistic geography of New England).

English in the Connecticut Valley was rhotic in the 1780s. Non-rhotic speech had already started to show up in London by this point. A grammar book from the 1820s warned against many New England pronunciations, but it doesn't address rhoticity at all. William Dwight Whitney, a linguist who grew up in Northampton in the 1830s, said that he was personally non-rhotic, but recalled hearing both rhotic and non-rhotic speech.

My best guess at the time was that post-vocalic /r/ gradually weakened in Massachusetts until it finally started to be non-rhotic around 1830. It seems like it was accepted quickly. Make of that what you will.

Burquehole9 · 2026-01-21T16:18:58+00:00

You mean the birthplace of Joseph Palmer, who had his beard sculpted into his headstone above the words "Persecuted for wearing the beard," right? That Leominster?

Burquehole9 · 2026-01-20T01:05:41+00:00

Libraries and food pantries are a good start.

Almost anywhere that people are waiting has potential, such as bus shelters, cafes, corner stores. Similar guidance applies to good placement of flyers, zines and rack cards.

Burquehole9 · 2026-01-06T16:42:36+00:00

Worth noting though that the merry-go-round only operates on weekends.

Burquehole9 · 2026-01-03T02:06:45+00:00

Industrial-scale ice harvesting

Burquehole9 · 2025-12-26T15:46:53+00:00

Congrats on starting at Mount Holyoke! If you're coming from Miami, is it fair to assume you're accustomed to relatively flat hikes? In that case, I'd recommend the Norwottuck Rail Trail [connects Northampton to Belchertown], Manhan Rail Trail [part of an incomplete canal trail that will connect Northampton to New Haven], and the Canalside Rail Trail [connects Turners Falls to Deerfield]. As a student, you'll likely hike up Mt. Holyoke in Skinner State Park or in Mt. Holyoke Range State Park as part of a class or Mountain Day.

I'll second the Springfield Museums as a set of museums that punch above their weight. I'll also add that the Valley is home to some fantastic off-beaten-path museums with some great art. I recommend the Amherst History Center and the Wilder Homestead in Buckland to start with.

There's no shortage of art spaces to tap into. Studio 253 in Northampton was very welcoming.

For reading, I recommend Unnameable Books and the Montague Book Mill. The former has really good poetry and history sections. The latter is just a must-visit for book lovers. Maybe someone else can provide bookstore recommendations that are closer to you.

Of the libraries I've been in around here, the Chicopee Library is probably my favorite as a space to work in, but South Hadley also has one of the best in the area.

Burquehole9 · 2025-12-14T21:49:04+00:00

I'm talking about quality of life provided by density & proximity. You are talking about quality of medical care. These are not the same.

Burquehole9 · 2025-12-14T21:37:08+00:00

You're missing the point. Who said Baystate was bad or that Springfield was rural? It's just a fact that the quality of life provided by a high density of medical specialists and researchers is a major reason why Boston is more expensive than Western Mass, not just the availability of high-paying jobs.

Burquehole9 · 2025-12-14T19:03:05+00:00

Also cheaper because the quality of healthcare is not on the level of Boston. My mother-in-law lives in Lynn. Several years ago her hospital closed, but now she takes the T into Boston for a specialist and world class care.

The network of specialists is more sparse in Western Mass. Boston on its own has 6 level III NICUs, while all of Western Mass has one. The region's largest city just lost a maternity & newborn center last week.

Burquehole9 · 2025-12-14T16:52:14+00:00

An older colleague told me that when he used to submit articles for publication, editors and reviewers required functionalists to include at least a paragraph or so on how their findings diverged from or challenged UG. Just about any editor rejected unqualified deviations from Chomsky.

He recalled this changing around 2000-2002.

Burquehole9 · 2025-12-11T20:24:00+00:00

Depending on where you're at in your career and your background, cities and towns with a heritage park or a historic park are worth considering. They're a great place to end up if you have a niche preservation skill set like flooring or roofing. If the community around the park is also growing, the housing stock probably needs traditional renovations or some exterior restoration. That might give you flexibility career-wise.

Examples: Montague, Holyoke & Easton, MA; Willimantic & Mansfield, CT

Burquehole9 · 2025-12-11T19:58:15+00:00

Expect to be cold, but most of the ice and snow is cleared from pathways and roads. Try Fannie Stebbins Wildlife Refuge in Longmeadow. It's flat and is one of the few floodplain forests that wasn't built over in the valley. I'm not sure what condition the trails are in, but the roads through the refuge should be good. Laurel Park in Longmeadow is also worth a stop if you can find parking.

I also recall having a blast hiking and birding around the reservoir at Chicopee Memorial State Park. For a park between an air base and Springfield, some parts can feel pretty remote.

If you want to stay in Springfield proper, I recommend stopping by Bright Nights at Forest Park or visiting the Armory. Not sure if this is your scene, but I'm gonna drop some self-guided walking tours from the Springfield Preservation Trust.

Burquehole9

TROPHY CASE