One of the things that makes Northampton, well, Northampton, is Essentials. I started shopping at…read moreEssentials almost twenty years ago, and it's been a staple of my quirky life ever since. It's changed hands twice in my awareness, and just keeps getting better and better with age. This is a design-focused, design-heavy shop, and there are things I can pretty much only get AT Essentials; for instance, they've got a cut-to-custom-length ribbon bar, and some of that ribbon is vintage, and my absolute favorite is the hand-dyed silk. Also, they've got the best collection of Tintin and other European character favorites (like Barbapapa and Babar) this side of the pond. Oh, and the staff is wonderful. Knowledgable, friendly, thoughtful, and creative. Over the years, the cast of characters has changed, but it's always top-shelf. One giant boon: they've helped me put together a gift in no time, saving my bacon on numerous occasions! On a typical day, you can find stationery of all kinds, the indier the better; dishware; rubber stamps; intriguing books (think Chronicle); bath goods; bags of all shapes, sizes, and purposes; clothes and scarves; eight million things for kids, from blankies to onesies to stuffed alligators; jewelry; small home goods; special pens; DIY kits; custom furniture; large sheets of beautiful artisan paper; and a ton of things I'm forgetting. And one other thing about Essentials I am not forgetting, but which I saved for last, because it's my favorite. Essentials has an in-house design and print studio. And they also work with a select group of indie designers and printers who create everything from business cards to party invites. Here is where Colette, the current owner, really freaking shines, in my opinion. There was one thing I wanted when it came time to get married. One. Thing. That one thing was letterpress wedding invitations from Essentials. Colette took us from beautiful nebulous idea to flawlessly-executed product without ever breaking a sweat. I don't know if you've ever worked with people who are about to get married, but we are not always the most poised, cool-headed, or unflappable of people; Colette sat us down in the big comfy chairs and made sketches and phone calls, and really made our family feel like we were the only people in the entire world. Go see what I'm talking about - our invitation is probably still hanging in its golden-framed, green-paper-backed glory. Nearly four thousand miles away now, and I'm still bouncing in my chair as I look forward to my next trip to Essentials, whenever it may be.

I like this store and their merchandise. The prices are high, as the merchandise is of a high…read morequality. However their store policies are not up par with many upscale stores. We received a lovely gift of several girls garments, however we have a male child. The store manager, who did not have the courage to call us, rather made a sales associate do their work, informed us without a receipt we can not get a store credit. So wonderful Essentials, you made some money from this sale, but you lost a lot more revenue from this here shopper.

As a West Coaster I have many bookstores to patronize and usually order from Amazon as I read as…read moremuch as I can. However after finding this little gem of a bookstore I can now say I order from Broadside! The shipping is more than reasonable and the selection is as all encompassing as I see online. The staff is tenured and reliable, one of the staff "Brenna" keeps a running log of what I read and like and when they have three or four they go ahead and charge my card and ship them out. It is so delightful to find a package of books waiting for me when I get home, I just dive right in. Thanks Broadside, Brenna and the rest of the fabulous crew for making reading even more fun.

Very cute new book store in Northampton! It's across the street from the Smith College Academy of…read moreMusic, in front of a "15 minute free" curbside parking spot. In addition to books of all genres, they sell a lot of adorable book related accessories - I do regret not getting the book earrings, but love my ribbon bookmark (the purchase of which helps with community hunger). They also have POSTCARDS! There's a bunch of local cards for Northampton and Smith, and the rest of vintage pictures, political, or just best described as random (but would be perfect for someone out there). Masks are required as of April 2022.

Fine Script Studio / Jessica wrote out cards for my wedding seating chart earlier this month. She…read morewas extremely responsive, easy to facilitate drop off and pick up with, and really fair with pricing. The cards were absolutely beautiful and her calligraphy added so much character. My guests and I were equally impressed! Would highly recommend Jessica & Fine Script Studios for any calligraphy needs!

I would highly recommend Fine Script Studio. Jessica led me through the process and offered great…read moresuggestions for my project. She was timely at responding to my messages. I couldn't have been happier with the finished product. She was very accommodating when it was time to pick up my product and her price was very reasonable!

My now-husband and I drove from Boston out to Northampton, MA to purchase our wedding rings at the…read moreDon Muller gallery. After being disappointed time and again by jewlers in Boston that were too busy to really care about us, meeting Don was a total dream come true. Not only was he having a trunk show of our favorite designer (Alex Sepkus), but he was also able to offer us some excellent suggestions for a "dorky" ring for my chemist husband. We walked out of the store feeling fully understood, appreciated, and completely excited about our purchases! They specialize in sophisticated-whimsy! This is the place to go if you want someone to really pay attention to your preferences and style.

This place is wonderful. Its a great place to find gifts or some new decor for your home. Also, it…read morecarries a wide array of fine jewelry that is designed by local artists. They also do custom pieces. A sure fire place to look for an engagement ring...

My wife was super psyched on her gear with our dog on them…read more Was easy to communicate with as well Thank you!

Great selection of clothing that the owner designs prints and sews himself plus other cool socks,…read moresunglasses and nick nacks. But the best for me is he does custom embroidery of kids drawings on shirts and hats. I got one for a gift for someone else and I now I want my own!

Booklink is an independent bookstore in Thornes Marketplace in Northampton. It has been at this…read morelocation for 25 years now. This bookstore is so beautifully set up. The upstairs section is children's books. Given that I am an elementary school teacher, I was very impressed by this section. There was a good amount of books I haven't seen before. They have all the book categories you'd find in most bookstores, but books popped out at me that I hadn't seen before, that I'd love to dive into. Their selection of greeting cards was also beautiful. You won't find Hallmark here, but independent maker cards that are worthy of being framed. I was pleasantly surprised that they only charge $3.00 for them. The downstairs will lead you to more non-fiction and fiction for adults. This bookstore also sells a really nice amount of tea. I didn't get any this time. But the line of bottles of loose tea went on forever. They have some books on sale, unfortunately the sale prices are still very close to the retail price. Booklink is such a lovely independent bookstore. You're guaranteed to find something new here!

Hearing the rational "We are a small independent establishment" to try to justify the creation of…read morenon-reasonable/non-friendly customer service policies is becoming very old. Booklink is an establishment with bothersome and questionable quirks. I visited this seller with the intention of purchasing a specific book. I examined the half dozen copies on the shelf to choose the one that was in the best gift quality condition. A bearded man (owner) suddenly approaches me with "Can I help you? (No, thank you); Do not disrupt our displays (I am not); What exactly are you doing? (My plan is to purchase a book). He walked away, I purchased the book from the associate at the counter, and I immediately felt like a fool for doing so. Never again will I purchase from Booklink. There are other independent bookstores in this town, nearby towns, and of course on-line.

Lots of beautiful decorations and accessories made by countries and cities of lower economic…read morestatus. Prices are higher given where they are sourcing it from but for a good cause. I recommend coming to check them out as it's perfect for gift giving!

We find the staff very helpful and well informed about the merchandise. They share what is new in…read morestock and what is on clearance. Great place to shop for fair trade items and know that you are supporting the artisans to make a living.