When I got back from winter break, my friends and I planned a trip to Northampton the Sunday before classes started. For a lot of my friends, it was their first time visiting Northampton, and though I thought I wasn’t super familiar with the downtown area, when they asked me about which stores we should visit, I realized that I’d been to Northampton about four times and knew the area more than I thought I did. So, after my post about my favorite places in downtown Amherst, I decided to write about my favorite stores in Northampton.
Downtown Northampton is easily accessible by taking the B43 line, which stops by Hadley Mall and runs every hour. The bus is usually on time during the weekdays, but when it gets really busy on the weekend, there can be delays.
As a comic book enjoyer, one place I visit frequently in Northampton is Newbury Comics. It has a great selection of mainstream comic books, both individual issues and collected editions, as well as a plethora of pop culture items, such as Pop! Figures, manga, posters, and K-pop albums. There’s another comic store located about a five-minute walk from Newbury Comics called Holeymoleys Comics and Collectibles. Though it’s open on fewer days, this store is more like a traditional comic store as it has a wider selection of single-issue comics, including classic and niche comics from the 1980s.
Northampton has a large selection of bookstores, including Broadside Bookstore, which sometimes carries signed editions of Ocean Vuong books since he’s a local author. Raven’s Used Books is another great bookstore that carries used books at a low price. Another bookstore I’ve been to is Booklink Booksellers, located in Thornes Marketplace, a small shopping mall with tons of cute stores – there’s even a candy store on the bottom level of the mall. Cedar Chest is one of my favorite stores at Thornes because it has a great selection of gift-worthy trinkets, aesthetic $5 posters, and plant decor.
One of my favorite local thrift stores named Born Again Vintage Consignment is also located in Northampton. They have a great selection of vintage clothing, and I bought a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses for a great price at this store. I also love the clothing store 25 Central – though the store’s clothing tends to be on the more expensive side, they have a great selection of affordable jewelry and accessories, such as headbands, hair clips, rings, and earrings. There’s also an Urban Outfitters that looks like a bank and has a really interesting layout that’s fun to explore (and a ton of mirrors for mirror selfies)!
Northampton also has some really great niche stores. Turn It Up! sells vinyl records, CDs, and DVDs for a cheap price. It even has a bin of vinyl records that only cost $1. Even though I’ve been to Northampton several times already, I can’t wait to return as I love that I can find great accessories, gifts, and comic books while also supporting local businesses.