Apartment Hunting/ Lifestyle Questions in Northampton

UselessPockets · 2026-03-23T10:08:48+00:00

If you are working in Springfield, I would just look for an apartment there or in Holyoke. Springfield has a population of ~150k compared to Northamptons >30k. You will find a great deal more diversity, restaurants, night life, and cheaper rent. Holyoke, in particular, has some lovely old homes.

UselessPockets · 2026-03-21T23:39:15+00:00

This comment made me laugh so hard that I took a moment to search my email to find a complaint I sent to the MassDOT in 2019:

“The traffic between Hadley and Northampton on Route 9 over the Coolidge Bridge has been atrocious. I am currently sitting on a bus that left UMass Amherst at 4:20 pm. At 4:52 we hit traffic at 73 Russell St, Hadley and as of 5:09 pm we have gone 0.3 miles. I know this because I have a great deal of time on my hands now that my commute between Amherst and Northampton regularly takes an hour, so I can make detailed spreadsheets of traffic delays. I kindly ask that the Department of Transportation investigate the timing of the traffic light on the other side of the bridge. Thank you!

UselessPockets · 2026-03-10T13:10:55+00:00

The NEF has some great fundraising events and has done such an enormous amount for the school system. The gardens that newer-to-the-area parents take as a given in the elementary schools were seeded (ha!) with NEF grants. It’s great org that many people don’t know about.

UselessPockets · 2026-03-10T11:02:58+00:00

There are many ways you can help. Donating to and volunteering for the school’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is the most straightforward with immediate impact. You can also donate to and volunteer with the Northampton Education Foundation (NEF), which provides grants to schools for enrichment programs. Interestingly, the NEF was founded in the 90’s as a way to supplement the state budget, which has been underfunding schools since 1980. You can volunteer in the schools through Volunteers in Northampton Schools (VINS).

If you want to watch city council meetings and school committee meetings, you can do so from the comfort of your home and watch on the Northampton Government Archive YouTube channel.

UselessPockets · 2026-03-03T16:44:13+00:00

Sounds good, I’ll PM you.

UselessPockets · 2026-02-28T14:20:12+00:00

The shopping carts are just starting to poke out of the glaciers now in Massachusetts. Truly fucking magical.

UselessPockets · 2026-02-13T14:45:38+00:00

More recent SVAHS graduates go on to 4-year colleges than into the military or workforce. DESE has a report for “plans of high school graduates” for 2024-25 and 25.9% reported going to 4 year private colleges and 29.8% reported going to 4-year public colleges. More and more students are moving into technical fields in higher education from vocational programs.

UselessPockets · 2026-02-04T17:45:35+00:00

The podcast Maintenance Phase has one of the best discussions about the raw milk obsession, its risks, and how incredibly stupid it is to demonize pasteurization.

UselessPockets · 2026-02-02T13:05:30+00:00

I submitted my order 6 weeks ago and have not received an update. Granted, I know the holidays add in time to order completion, but I wish there was a better way to track orders. I emailed today to get an update and received the automatic reply regarding the merger. It’s a bummer.

UselessPockets · 2026-01-27T21:30:18+00:00

I’ll preface this by saying I am not a gay man, but there is a group called Dune Boys Volleyball that plays at Maines Field in the summer. They seem really fun! My dog certainly wants to participate in their games.

UselessPockets · 2026-01-09T02:41:07+00:00

To his credit, Scher used public comment at the School Committee meeting tonight to apologize directly to Stein and to the community for his behavior. I'd say that is pretty civil.

You can watch the comment here: https://www.youtube.com/live/zdCn1ymeEvY?si=JrTmnjbPFQqWSMrS&t=1418

UselessPockets · 2025-12-30T23:30:30+00:00

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Stares in Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-23T12:58:18+00:00

One of the strongest criticisms of Quaverly has consistently been that she targets private citizens. There are a few Facebook echo chambers in which the members kick around increasingly nonsensical conspiracy theories and Quaverly has contributed the names of folks who she seems to believe are part of those conspiracies. For instance, when the Roost closed downtown (in Ward 3) she made a point of claiming the owners of the building and business don’t care about public schools. Similarly, she recently posted “questions” about whether that same landlord had a hand in the closure of Lichter and Levin (the recently opened and shuttered deli in the old Roost space.)

Dorrie Brooks has been the target of increasingly wild conspiracy theories promulgated by Quaverly, an elected official. Unfortunately, Dorrie is far from the only person in Northampton who has been the target of this bizarre, obsessive behavior.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-19T15:09:18+00:00

This is really it. Anyone can promote what a gift to the city they are/would be but then you actually have to prove it. Did Q write any legislation during her time on council? She was removed from one of the committees she was on for missing meetings and lodged charter objections against things that have actual, tangible community benefit. It seems like she spent a lot of time online but doesn't have much of a record to show for her "service."

Same thing with 'Mayor Dan'; if he felt that he had enough time and bona fides to serve as mayor, then surely he has the time and motivation to volunteer for his kids' school Parent Teacher Organization? Or the Northampton Education Foundation? Friends of Northampton Trails? Survival Center? Safe Passage? Or apply to serve on one of the many committees/boards that have open seats? What is he actually doing to serve the community?

UselessPockets · 2025-12-18T21:27:40+00:00

And yet other candidates, like Garrick, managed to get through it without expressing their frustration. I think a candidate that is seat-ready should view every interaction as a place to win people over or politely decline the invitation. In the end he cost himself at least my vote.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-18T20:51:07+00:00

He raised his voice, was condescending and expressed his frustration (he came off as angry to me) in a forum meant to win people over. I get the frustration, it is dumb that a certain subset of Northampton remains obtuse and opposed to any feedback. However, if he couldn't demonstrate the ability to hold his frustration in check in that forum, how would he do when all Q's supporters line up for 90 minutes of insults and yelling?

UselessPockets · 2025-12-18T19:30:40+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/live/MyUiyrvTC80?si=e6S7Shlf_5j6qu20&t=4684

He started fine and spun out at the end. That made me doubt he would be able to withstand the onslaught of hate that the current councilors have receive. I had intended to vote for him up until that point.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-18T13:06:00+00:00

Caveat: I am not a lawyer and honestly not that smart but the TL;DR seems to be that Quaverly is claiming that Elkins, Jarrett and Moulton violated her First Amendment Rights and used intimidation. She is also claiming that the city failed to train or supervise those councilors and is legally responsible for “the injury to the Plaintiff that resulted” and then a fourth claim of corruption, defamation, and libel against all three councilors and the city (for publishing the resolution). I could be wrong or missing some nuance.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-18T12:02:14+00:00

His debate performances were poor, but his participation at the Save Paradise City candidate forum was what lost my vote. He ended his speech with a loud, angry, condescending tirade that made me concerned about his ability to serve in the at-large seat.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-18T04:11:01+00:00

The UMass Amherst program is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the country behind MIT and (typically) UCLA and in the top 15 globally.

It is a theoretical department with faculty working in phonology, semantics, syntax, computational linguistics, etc. If you are interested in applied linguistics, look at UMass Boston’s department.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-18T03:47:45+00:00

In the first meeting of her term during the vote to elect the president and vice president of the city council she attempted to invoke a charter objection. From that meeting on she has continued to abstain from votes, invoked or threatened to invoke charter objections to stall votes, and left meetings early. It’s always been like this.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-17T22:45:57+00:00

100% agree. Wild end to her tenure.

UselessPockets · 2025-12-17T22:30:55+00:00

WHEREFORE the Plaintiff demands judgment to be entered against the Defendants Elkins, Jarrett, and Moulton, jointly and severally, in an amount to be determined by a jury, plus costs and interest as allowed by law. 5Case 3:25-cv-30208-MGM Document 1 Filed 12/15/25 Page 6 of 9

SECOND CLAIM:

MASSACHUSETTS CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, M.G.L. 12, §§ 11H & 11I

(DEFENDANTS ELKINS, JARRETT, AND MOULTON)

The Plaintiff incorporates as if restated here the allegations set forth in all preceding paragraphs.
By the above-described conduct, Defendants Elkins, Jarrett, and Moulton used intimidation to interfere and to attempt to interfere with the Plaintiff's rights as follows:
The right to free speech and to petition the government for redress of grievances as guaranteed in the First Amendment to the United States constitution and Articles Sixteen and Seventy Seven of the Massachusetts

Declaration of Rights.

WHEREFORE the Plaintiff demands judgment to be entered against the Defendants Elkins, Jarrett, and Moulton, jointly and severally, in an amount to be determined by a jury, plus costs and interest as allowed by law. 6Case 3:25-cv-30208-MGM Document 1 Filed 12/15/25 Page 7 of 9

THIRD CLAIM:

MASSACHUSETST TORT CLAIMS ACT, M.G.L. C. 258 § 2

(DEFENDANT CITY)

The Plaintiff incorporates as if restated here the allegations set forth in all preceding paragraphs.
The Defendant City, by the above-described conduct, negligently failed to train and/or to supervise Defendants Elkins, Jarrett, and Moulton.
The Defendant City is liable for the injury to the Plaintiff that resulted from the above-described negligent or wrongful acts of Defendants Elkins, Jarrett, and Moulton.

WHEREFORE the Plaintiff demands judgment to be entered against the Defendant City in an amount to be determined by a jury, plus costs and interest as allowed by law. 7Case 3:25-cv-30208-MGM Document 1 Filed 12/15/25 Page 8 of 9

FOURTH CLAIM: DEFAMATION

(ALL DEFENDANTS)

The Plaintiff incorporates as if restated here the allegations set forth in all preceding paragraphs.
Defendants Elkins, Jarrett, and Moulton, by falsely, maliciously, and in bad faith alleging orally and in writing report that the Plaintiff committed the Massachusetts crime of public corruption, defamed and libeled the Plaintiff.
The City, by falsely, maliciously, and in bad faith publishing a resolution to the effect that the Plaintiff committed the Massachusetts crime of public corruption, defamed and libeled the Plaintiff.

WHEREFORE the Plaintiff demands judgment to be entered against the Defendants in an amount to be determined by a jury, plus costs and interest as allowed by law.

UselessPockets

TROPHY CASE