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.

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...

So gorgeous and affordable for the most uniques and stunning items for your home. I am so thrilled…read moreto be in the store every time I go there.

Cute collection of stores from artisan shops to whole food and restaurants. All under one roof.read more

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.

I totally heart this place! Very homey, welcoming attitude and really neat things at ridiculously…read morelow prices. I saw a beautiful raku(?) vase and figured it would be way out of my price range, but I couldn't resist carefully lifting it to have a look. It was under $50! I seriously was expecting the sticker to say something like $350, it was THAT gorgeous. They always have special pottery pieces here, and they have some fantastic jewelry. All right alongside a plastic sushi that will crawl across the table when you wind it up, tie-dyed infant onesies, and... chocolate-covered sesame seeds? Weird and great mix of stuff, and the people who work there will tell you the story behind each and every thing they have...who made it, where it came from, etc. Seems like they carry lots of things from emerging artists, which is something I love to support. I get how it got its name... it's impossible to leave there not feeling happy!

What an adorable store, with so many beautiful things to admire! We stumbled in here on a Saturday…read morenight when almost everything else on this street was closed (around 9:20 pm). We were so excited to find a store that was open and had such interesting items for sale. Tons of local art including pottery, paintings, jewelry, children's clothes, toys, art for your garden, etc. They have something for anyone in this store. I ended up finding and purchasing two small bags of seeds, in which a local woman had spent time gardening and developing unique versions of plants and then collected the seeds to sell. What?! So cool! Not only does the store have the most unique and beautiful items, the woman who owns the store could not be more friendly and sweet! If you're in the area, make sure to stop by this shop!

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.

Now THIS is a toy store! It had absolutely everything you could possible think of for kids toys…read more Even having some older kid variety and toddler items. The bathrooms were decorated with murals and were so entertaining. What I also loved is there is a section that they put our new toys for the kids to try out while they are there. Priced pretty well too!

This is the world's BEST toy store, bar none. Nice to see it hasn't changed much in 20+ years.read more

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!

writing on behalf of a friend…read more "I was in a few weeks ago and this clerk Vikki was incredibly rude and sexually inappropriate"

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.