<p>Can anyone advise if it's worth getting tickets for the jazz brunch vs just going our own way? Now that we've eaten in one great NH restaurant we are ready to try more.</p>
<p>Same question here, overwhelmedma. We are pondering the jazz brunch tickets. I’m still also wondering about where to park that rental car… </p>
<p>I hope some of us here on cc can actually meet each other at family weekend!</p>
<p>I think the only real benefit of the jazz brunch is that it’s on campus. I say this with love and affection but jazz is easily the weakest of all the Smitj music programs by FAR. I would go out to the place of your choice and enjoy more intimate time with your d</p>
<p>We always opted for the off-campus meals. More intimate time and sampling good restaurants at the same time. If you told me that I could only choose one restaurant, that would be easy but if you told me I could pick only three, that would be difficult.</p>
<p>There’s a large lot/structure downtown for parking and after a while you learn to sniff out the streets where you’re more likely to find a spot on the street.</p>
<p>Honestly I’m not a fan of Jazz to begin with 
and there are 4 of us to by tickets for. Since we can see our D relatively easily it was more about the chance to meet other parents but I’m thinking the dining hall brunch would have the same effect and since the jazz brunch has seating who know;s how it would time out.
We ate at Viva Fresh Pasta last time which was great - we want to hit local burger at some point on the parent weekend.
I hadn’t even thought about parking!</p>
<p>Ahhh…Noho parking…after my first encounter with the parking sticker system (I received a ticket that was waived because I was unaware of the system…certainly a gracious move by the authorities), I am always wary. The person I spoke with at the city office told me (words I’ll not forget), “Remember, there is no such thing as free parking in Northampton.” I have found one or two VERY short term spaces, though ;)</p>
<p>I’m thinking the dining hall brunch would be a good thing to do, too. D really wants me to eat in her dining room at some point in the weekend. And, since she’s from the southern US, we have a lot of winter clothing shopping to do which will probably take up most of Saturday. Any suggestions for winter shopping deals?</p>
<p>So, you can park on some streets in NoHo then without a sticker?</p>
<p>If you want to shop in town for winter clothes, I would try the Mountain Goat and see what they have on sale. It’s right on Main St. and is an outdoor clothing shop, so you can get good boots and coats there to survive any winter weather. </p>
<p>Another good place to try is Deals N’ Steals, which is kind of interesting discount store downtown. I would google it (it’s a little bit off the beaten track, on Pleasant St). They sell discounted natural and organic foods and have really good deals on coats and boots of all brands and varieties. </p>
<p>Or there’s always the mall. Though I would go to the big mall, the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, they have all the usual stores you would expect in a big mall. Plus it’s not easy to get there without a car so your D might appreciate the special trip. </p>
<p>Parking in Noho does not require stickers, you only need a sticker if you want to park on campus. There are some visitor spaces (they should explain this in the brochure) but a lot of spots on campus you can’t park in. In town itself, most of the parking is metered and even then it’s pretty hard to find a place when all the parents are in town, but my folks always managed somehow.</p>
<p>As for dining hall brunch vs. jazz brunch, I would go with dining hall brunch. That’s the best way to meet her friends and their parents in a quieter atmosphere and for her to show you off and show off her digs. Plus they bring in good food for the parent’s weekend brunches. My parents always came to the dining hall for at least one meal and it was always really fun.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great info S&P!</p>
<p>Thanks for clarifying the on campus parking, S&P. I was referring to the town, where the metered parking is not meters in front of each paking space…you put your money in for an increment of time and get a “sticker” to put on (or perhaps inside) your windshield. I never used one…I got the ticket instead!</p>
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<p>The first hour is free at the parking garage. After 6:00 PM and Sunday are free everywhere- except the parking garage. All the side streets around the college are free. Elm a bit west of the admission building isn’t metered </p>
<p>There are also $0.15/hour parking lots. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.northamptonma.gov/gsuniverse/httpRoot/parking/uploads/listWidget/2348/downtown_parking_lots.pdf[/url]”>http://www.northamptonma.gov/gsuniverse/httpRoot/parking/uploads/listWidget/2348/downtown_parking_lots.pdf</a></p>
<p>Ah, sorry, I was confused. Yes! You do need to put the sticker from the meter on your car window in order to park downtown, now that they have the new sticker-meters instead of the old kind.</p>
<p>CrewDad, thanks for the Northampton parking map–very helpful! What about the Smith parking garage? Is that a viable option at all? That’s where my husband parked for the April admitted students event.</p>
<p>We went to the Holyoke Mall last weekend since it poured rain during our day trip 
It is huge and has a lot of stores ranging in price options. However as a New Englander I would also consider looking on-line and Lands End or ll bean for winter jackets (maybe there is a beans at the Mall??) It’s hard to find something really warm and functional in the stores and even the Lands End at Sears has less than the on-line site. Don’t know if there is a Northface or REI at the mall - they would be good but high end options. And don’t forget hats and gloves My daughter goes through several pairs of gloves a winter and I imagine with the travel between classes losing them is not an unusual situation :)</p>
<p>Hats, scarves, and gloves are a great thing to purchase in the after Christmas sales - the coldest weather is usually January/February, so they’re discounted right before you REALLY need them. However, it’s still helpful to have a few pairs in November or December too - your D might need them for Celebration in November - it’s cold standing outside for the few hours of the program!</p>
<p>CrewDad, thanks for the map! Overwhelmedma and borgin, thank you for the cold winter clothing advice. I’ll be checking out the shopping in NoHo and the malls in a few weeks with D. Thank you to all of you who live closer to Smith and are willing to share more about the area. It really helps those of us who can’t make it there quite as often because of distance issues. D will not be making the trip home for Thanksgiving, so we’re trying to make sure she can stay warm at least until Christmas break!</p>
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<p>You can park in the Smith garage at no charge after 5:00 PM weekdays and Saturday and Sunday. Or anytime with a temp pass issued by the college
The parking spaces on campus with white lines (facility) can also be used on weekends or after 5.00 PM. .</p>
<p>But now that I’ve informed the world about free parking, good luck finding a space :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Truth be told, I completely forgot about the Smith garage. :o I never park there because it can’t be used weekdays before 5:00 PM without a permit or temp pass. Sorry for the oversight. Thanks for mentioning it.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, CrewDad, for your helpful information!</p>
<p>Tomorrow’s the day! Can’t wait to be at Smith and see what D’s been raving about. : )</p>