The University of Massachusetts Amherst
is located in the valley of the Connecticut River, also known
as "the Pioneer Valley," and often referred to
simply as “the Valley” by its residents. Only
a few hours drive from Boston, New York City, and Montreal,
the Pioneer Valley offers all the advantages of a large metropolitan
area, but without the hustle and bustle of the city.
Writers
and artists are consistently drawn to the area for its
natural beauty, friendly local communities openly supportive
of gender,
ethnic,
and
cultural
diversity,
and rich heritage in the arts. Amherst, Emily Dickinson's
birthplace and home, and its surrounding
communities
have also been home to Robert Frost and a number of
notable poets and writers since the eighteenth century,
including
the first African-American poet, Lucy Terry Prince. A wide
array of contemporary writers and artists, children’s
book illustrators, sculptors, and painters have also lived
the Valley at various times.
Complementing the
scenic beauties of rolling hills, remnants of the Appalachian
ridge to the south, east and west, museums
with exquisite permanent collections are within easy reach—the Smith
College Museum of Art, the Mount
Holyoke College Museum of Art, the Mead
Art Museum at Amherst, the National
Yiddish Book Center and the Eric
Carle Museum of Picture Book Art at Hampshire College,
along with several lively galleries on the UMass
campus, to name a few. The Massachusetts
Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) is a short
drive away in North Adams. Also within easy reach are
Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts, homes to world-renowned
summer music and theatre festivals.
The Norwottuck
Rail Trail, one of a number of bicycle trails in the
Valley, connects the University in Amherst with Northampton
across the river to the west.
A network of no-fee public transportation provides easy
and comfortable transport to surrounding communities,
and in
particular to the four private colleges.
The Pioneer
Valley combines the scenic beauty, safety and quiet of
a rural
area with the diversity and cultural wealth of a big
city, offering
a comfortable setting for nearly all personalities
and interests.
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