I was wondering what the campus and surrounding area are like at Amherst. Are there things to do nearby? How often do students go into town?
The quaint town of Amherst begins right across Spring Street from the campus. Bookending the other side of the town is UMass. There are dozens of restaurants within 5 blocks of the Amherst College campus, along with bookstores, bars, donut and ice cream, movie theatre, banks, and all that sort of stuff. Here’s a map, but it is not complete. The AC campus is the bottom border of the map. the UMass campus begins just off the top border of the map.
The town itself is small, but truly beautiful. It has the quaintness of a small New England town, while also having the vibe of a big college town too. The downtown area that @ThankYouforHelp is basically a few steps away from campus, so I’m sure you’ll spend a lot of time there.
There’s also a lot neighboring places to go around Northhampton as well, if you have a car.
Amherst is an awesome little town. Lots of stuff to do.
^ you don’t even need a car @aoeuidhtns .
Students at the 5 colleges can use the PVTA buses for free. Buses run to Northampton and all over the valley year round.
@ceoh1234, If you have the opportunity, I suggest a visit to the Quabbin Reservoir. It’s extremely beautiful and an excellent place to hike and cycle. Steven King spent time at the reservoir doing research for his book the Dreamcatcher.
The reservoir also plays a prominent role in the film version of the book.
Post 9-11, barricades block car access to the large parks and dams because the reservoir is a water supply for Boston. However, foot access is still allowed to the parks and dams.
https://www.mass.gov/locations/quabbin-reservoir
https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-history/lost-towns-quabbin-reservoir/
Well worth watching. http://video.wgby.org/video/2365046325/
I think Amherst is probably one of the best college towns bar none. It’s small but there’s so much to do. Great restaurants plus Northampton is just a stone’s throw from Amherst (with easy access thanks to bus service). My older son attended one of the other five colleges but after his own college, took most of his classes at Amherst college. The five college consortium is pretty hard to beat.
I’m not a student at Amherst College, but as a prospective student who has visited Amherst several times, I’ve been able to get a feel for the Campus and the surrounding area.
As someone from a big city, the town felt very small, almost stiflingly so. While there are many things to do, it remains a small town where stores close early, and where there isn’t a lot going on, especially when it gets cold. For me that was a deal breaker, but many will enjoy size of the town and what it has to offer despite it’s size and location. I’d recommend visiting, and getting an idea for yourself.
With respect to the 5 college consortium, there is movement between the 5 member colleges, but the majority of your time will be spent on your home campus. For that reason, I wouldn’t necessarily count on other colleges to be your main source of things to do.