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.

Super fun, cool store with 2 floors of vintage treasures~ a bit of everything. Nice service,…read morepleasant and engaging. Definitely worth the trip.

The amount of things I could say about this place is quite endless. For starters-yes they have very…read moreunique and quite cool vintage things, but for the price of my left kidney, I think I'll pass. If you want to go here don't forget your gas mask for the top floor. It smells like moth balls and wet spent cigarettes. I'm giving this place five stars because the dogs let me pet them!

Every day I have my morning coffee in a mug I got at Pinch some 15 or more years ago. I pop in…read morewhenever I am in Northampton, and always walk out with something unique. I've always found the staff to be friendly but not pushy, and they can provide a complete backstory on the artists. Over the years I've bought wine openers, wallets, jewelry, lighting, and of course, pottery.

Pinch is a wonderful shop! The cutest hand crafted wares and the friendliest staff! I especially…read morelove the bowls and mugs, but it's also worth going for their artisan jewelry. I try to buy an ornament from here every Christmas while shopping for gifts!

I had the chance to revisit Kestrel, and it's just as beautiful as I remember it, if not more. I…read morealso love that they let us bring our little pup into the store! Immediately when you walk in, you will feel a sense of warmth and good vibes come over you (greenery just does that for me). This is such a wonderful little store. Their focal point is obviously their plants and succulents-- they have a gorgeous selection of mini/succulent babies, air plants, vases and more. They still feel a little pricey compared to the ones I buy in Cleveland, but the store itself is so unique, that if I lived in Northampton, I'd probably purchase exclusively from here. Having visited Northampton a few times now, no trip would be complete without a stop to Kestrel. It's a great place to buy a gift or something special for yourself. They also have modern/dainty jewelry, baby gifts, and high-quality coffee table books. It seems as if they are constantly curating and adding to their collection of lovely items! The staff is always super friendly and helpful and always buzzing with customers. Love!

No greeting...treated like a nuisance when I commented on the lovely items in the shop. Rude and…read moresnooty! I will never give them my business.

I visited Sticks and Bricks for the first time yesterday. I have wanted to go in for a couple of…read moreyears, but they are always closed when I am around. If I lived in Noho, I'm sure I would have visited sooner. I recommend familiarizing yourself with their hours before expecting that they are open. I am giving this 5 stars for the following reasons: consistent aesthetic locally-made items repurposed items variety of prices unique That said, I would love to see the store expand their offerings a bit. I walked out with a couple of antique glass bottles, a hand-painted watercolor card (only $3!!!), and a few skeleton keys. My daughter liked the place a lot and liked the owner who popped herself out from working in the back when we needed to ask questions. She was quirky and charming and it's good to see a craftsperson (artist) working at what they do. I liked that you had a view into the work shop area. We will be back.

Sticks & Bricks in Northampton, MA is a treasure. Everything they make tells a story. They…read moreepitomize the unique style of the area--rustic & charming, reclaimed & transformed. They have a custom furniture service, so whatever you can dream up for your house or garden can be built for you--from kitchen hutches to tables to sideboards to custom shelving. We just bought our first house and wanted a showpiece farm table for the dining room. It was the first piece of furniture that we have ever custom-ordered. We were amazed with the result. Liz totally "got" our design and style perfectly. Not only is the farm table EXACTLY what we wanted (7'ft long...seats ten ppl easily), it was literally half the price of West Elm tables. AND she made it for us with reclaimed wood a local grain mill. Major bonus. They are local business that really cares about the community.

I've been in here several times, seeking my counterculture fix -- harder to find with each passing…read moreyear -- and it doesn't disappoint. For old time residents of Northampton, this is in the old Beyond Words building, and I don't doubt that the spirit of beloved Maple, the bookstore's cat, would be pleased that ST keeps a store cat of their own. Dodging the cat (unlike with Maple, the owners prefer you not poke their kitty), there's a good selection of jewelry, clothing, incense and knickknacks, and at reasonable prices for this overpriced college town. My most recent purchase was a pair of Nepalese cotton shirts with nice muted patterns for $16 apiece, a tie-dyed pillow for my computer chair, and a colored paper lantern that fits nicely over a lamp. Places like the Mercantile and Faces are long gone, but ST's here to pick up the slack. Give them a shot.

the epitome of northampton lies inside shop therapy, where you can find clothes, accessories,…read moresunglasses, jewelry, incense, glassware, toys, and more. i always stop here when visiting the area. helpful service and great value especially upstairs.

I found this little gem in Northampton ma. I was on a mission to find the perfect dress for a…read moreformal event. I was not disappointed. The service was friendly and fun. I'll be going back soon....

What service? I…read morewalked in and no one was there. And I looked through the racks for over 20 minutes! For a $$$ consignment store, the clothes weren't really organized by size. There were sections for S,M,L,XL & plus size, but the majority of the labels were faded or not on the clothes; this is normal. But the sizes weren't written on the price tags anywhere. I understand if the store is busy and there are sizes mixed in a good amount. I understand if Ms are mixed in with Ls because that's the way they fit, because that benefits the customer. I'm a true medium and there was nothing I could wear that I would even consider trying on. It's May, and the majority of the inventory is for winter. Who wears a nice pair of leather pants when it's 70+ degrees out except a rock star? I don't know anyone who would wear a gorgeous heavy sheepskin coat now. Maybe if they were in a posh frozen vodka and caviar bar in NYC? Yes, they have bathing suits. But I don't shop for resale bathing suits or underwear. If you're petite don't even think about walking through the door. A good majority of the nicest clothes are long gowns. I was so miffed that I'm in my car writing this review now. Fortunately it's Sunday, so I didn't have to feed the meter. Btw, parking tickets in Northampton are expensive. In conclusion, I'd rather drop a month's salary at a full price boutique with a nice sales person who helps me find something that fits and flatters me. The only plus side is they have a lot of plus size clothing.

Brooklyn Yelper L P. said it best when she described Acme as having a "totally random selection of…read morecheap crap". Well done L.P. !! This store is a real trip - you will find one helluva totally random section of cheap crap everywhere. They have a wall full of "Slightly Out of Date" over the counter cold remedies and pain killers, cheap greeting cards, cheap Tee Shirts, cheap baseball caps, cheap school supplies, cheap socks and candy and sunglasses, and more varieties of masking tape than I ever knew existed. We picked up a long sleeve T shirt and some packing tape for a fraction of what we would have paid anywhere else. LOL- totally random stuff indeed !

How have I never reviewed ACME?? We visit this spot every time we're in Northampton. It's one of…read morethose places that you can find everything from school supplies to oddball hardware items to strange looking halloween masks (off season). Perhaps you need gardening tools? Or a Saturday Night Live inspired coffee mug? Perhaps a magnet with something about your horoscope? Rubber gloves? Cheap sweatshirt? Socks? Butt paste for babies? Seriously - this store is a blast. We always find awesome randomness that we didn't know that we needed (or even wanted) before we walked in there. Last year we found fantastic, really old baseball cards (don't eat the gum!!) and this time a combination of a great little gardening item, electrical tape, doorstops and a Northampton magnet! Love me som Acme Surplus!!