Inspired by a thread on Masslive's Northampton forum a couple of weeks ago, here's my list of Things I Love About Northampton.

Pedestrians having right-of-way

Transperformance

Not one but two places where you can get a free scoop of gourmet ice cream on your birthday

Not one but two completely cylindrical buildings, within a few blocks of each other

The dog park on Burt's Pit Road. It's a beautiful walk, even if you don't have a dog.

The name of Burt's Pit Road

The community gardens - $10 for a 10x10 foot plot for an entire season

The cutie-pie four-year-plan Smithie lesbian couples walking around downtown

The odd but peaceful culture clash between the patrons of City Cafe (regular Joes, girls who use tanning booths) and Harry's (indie-rock hipsters, smokers)

The statue of the gay sailor in front of Memorial Hall

City Hall, which looks like a low-rent theme park's castle

Sense of satisfaction in knowing ways of avoiding downtown traffic and parking problems

The Mill River. You can swim in it in the summer and skate on it in the winter. I've found some cool artefacts in it, too

Tiny prop planes always flying around, and on nice days, multiple sightings of skydivers

Walking on the dyke near my house. The view of the mountains is gorgeous, and in the afternoon the sun hits the face of the Summit House and it looks like it's glowing.

Chai at the Haymarket

Being able to walk to work

The peaches at the Saturday morning Farmer's Market

Even the panhandlers are (usually) polite

Helen Hills Hills Chapel (Helen married her cousin, and took his name)

Bag Day and sidewalk sales

The Academy of Music

Pleasant Street Video, an absolute gem of a video store

Broasted chicken (and BLTs, grilled cheese, fish sandwiches...) at the Bluebonnet Diner

The punk/hippie teens hanging out in front of Thornes 24-7. They seem so happy to just be together

Karaoke at the WWII Club (though I haven't attended for years) and the Club's working periscope

Don't know if they still do this but: Freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice for your gin and grapefruit at Ye Ol' Watering Hole, of all places

The enormous tree in front of the Dairy Mart

All of the strange, beautiful Victorian houses

Seeing Zeke Fiddler in his little orange car

The Listening Room, and Unmi for creating it

Thai Kitchen, La Veracruzana, India House, Osaka, Bakery Normand, and Teapot

Packard's somehow getting away with basically ignoring the town smoking ban

Even more later, maybe.