Springfield (Massachusetts)

With economic reinvestment, Springfield is experiencing a cultural renaissance. New festivals such as the "Hoop City Jazz Festival", the "Springfield Vintage Grand Prix," which is the Vintage Sports Car Club of America's official race; and Springfield's "Gay Pride Week". Renovations to Gilded Age theaters like the Paramount (formerly the Hippodrome,) the Bing Cultural Arts Center, and Springfield's increasingly eclectic Club Quarter have made the city more exciting than at any time in the past half-century.

On June 1, 2011, large portions of the Springfield were devastated by two tornadoes that touched down within city limits. The U.S. National Weather Service rated Springfield's first of two tornadoes an E4 on the Fujita Scale (out of a possible E5.) Springfield's historic Main Street, with its attractive 19th century architecture, was left in shambles - particularly the commercial district of the historically Italian South End, the historic district surrounding Mulberry Street (of Dr. Seuss fame), Springfield College, and Springfield's more suburban outer neighborhoods.

Located on New England's most fertile farmland in the Connecticut River Valley, at the mid-point of America's major northeast trade routes between New York City, Boston, the Great Lakes, and Montreal, Canada, the City of Springfield (pop. 155,000) has been the technological and cultural center of the Connecticut River Valley since its founding in 1636. Having been burned to the ground during King Phillip's War in 1675, Springfield has rebuilt before.

It is nicknamed The City of Homes because of its ubiquitous Victorian architecture and The City of Firsts because of the numerous innovations that took place there during its first 375 years, including America's first American-English dictionary (1806), the first gasoline-powered car (1893), the first motorcycle (1901, Indian Motorcycles), modern fire engine and fire department (1905 & 1907), commercial radio station (WBZ AM & FM, 1920, located in the Kimball Towers), and UHF television station (1951, WWLP). Springfield is best known worldwide as the birthplace of the sport of basketball (James Naismith, 1891, located at Springfield College). The Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield beside the Connecticut River, is a major, international tourist draw.

Springfield is a highly walkable city, even by urban, New England standards - most of its major sites are in the Metro Center neighborhood; however, much of the city's attractive Victorian residential architecture is focused in its street-car suburb neighborhoods (e.g., Forest Park Heights).

From the early 1800s until the 1960s, Springfield was one of the United States' most financially prosperous cities, as is reflected in its celebrated Victorian homes. The Springfield Armory, the site of which George Washington and Henry Knox selected, made the city a center of invention, industrial innovation, and precision manufacturing from 1777 onward -- for example, America's first musket (1794), the first use of interchangeable parts and the assembly line in manufacturing (1819), and the discovery of vulcanized rubber by Charles Goodyear (1844) all took place in Springfield.

In 1968, during the Vietnam War, the Pentagon controversially closed the Springfield Armory. The United States' military's loss, however, is a Springfield visitor's gain - the Springfield Armory National Park features the largest collection of historic firearms in the world.

The Armory's closing in tandem with the growth of the interstate highway system and resulting "White Flight" to the suburbs left Springfield reeling for approximately 35 years (1968-2003), as it searched for a new identity. Springfield reached its nadir during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when it became financially insolvent. Luckily for Springfield, the city's financial woes focused regional and national attention on it, the problems needed to be fixed, and its development potential. Numerous organizations, most notably the National Urban Land Institute, studied Springfield and submitted plans for its revitalization.

Part of Springfield's resurgence has been due, in part, to its increasingly complementary relationship with Hartford, Connecticut. The bi-state Knowledge Corridor Metropolitan Area has benefitted both Hartford and Springfield, which once competed over the companies and workers. Increasingly, Hartford is taking on its role as the Connecticut River Valley's financial center, with its post-modern skyline and relatively wide thoroughfares; in complement, Springfield is taking on its role as the Knowledge Corridor's recreational center, with its walkable, increasingly residential Metro Center, lively Club Quarter, and Victorian architecture. In cooperating, both cities found their post-industrial identities.

Since approximately 2007, Springfield has reaped the rewards of the ULI's Plan for Springfield. Economic investment in aesthetics, particularly in the three riverfront neighborhoods, have helped to increase liveliness. As of 2010, Springfield fell to 51st in the annual U.S. "City Crime Rankings" after ranking 18th in just 2003. Increased liveliness and decreased crime will improve any city's quality of life.

Springfield is the most centrally located city in New England, between major tourist destinations like New York City, Boston, Vermont, the Berkshires, Upstate New York, and Canada. It features access from every direction, via every sort of transportation. Bradley International Airport is 12 miles (19 km) south of Springfield (equidistant to Springfield's twin city, Hartford, Connecticut.) Westover Metropolitan Airport is located 5 miles (8 km) north of Springfield in the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts.

The City of Springfield is a major railroad and bus nexus, with trains and buses arriving from all directions.

Springfield is one of the Northeast's most walkable cities. Most of its historic sites, points of interest, and entertainment venues are clustered in the Metro Center neighborhood (aka downtown, where the skyscrapers are.) Tourist sites are well marked, as are many architecturally significant buildings. The Basketball Hall of Fame and Forest Park — both of which are well worth visiting — are Springfield's only major tourist sites outside of Metro Center; however, the Basketball Hall of Fame is within walking distance (it's less than a mile south of Metro Center, along the Connecticut River.)

If you'd like to explore Springfield beyond Metro Center — perhaps experience Frederick Law Olmsted's Forest Park, his largest work next to NYC's Central Park — or further explore the artsy Pioneer Valley (maybe check out bohemian Northampton or Amherst, one of America's best-known university towns,) the clean, green, and reliable Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) offers service to every Springfield neighborhood, and throughout the Pioneer Valley's cities and towns north to Amherst. For $1.25 on the PVTA, you can ride the 15 miles (25 km) from Springfield to the counter-culture mecca of Northampton, or the 18 miles (30 km) to student-centric Amherst, and vice versa. Many of the routes that do not serve major points do not run after 7-8PM. Service on weekends is limited, especially on Sundays, when intervals between buses can be up to 2 hours. Check the schedule of the bus route your using.

Many use the PVTA or taxis to get to Springfield's attractions directly across the Connecticut River, like Six Flags New England and New England's State Fair, The Big E, Stanley Park, and Holyoke Mall.

Crime has fallen dramatically in Springfield, but be aware of where you are at all times. Avoid walking around Bay-McKnight, Mason Square, and certain parts of the North and South End late at night.

• 🌍 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, West Columbus Av., toll-free: +1-877-446-6752. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 10AM-5PM. Along the Connecticut River, in a stunning (and quirky) steel structure, it's a shrine to basketball in its birthplace. Adults $24, seniors (65+) $18, children 5-15 $16, under 5 free.. 
• 🌍 Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory St., ☏ +1 413 734-8551. The site that George Washington hand-selected for America's first armory, where the first American musket was made, and where the famous Springfield Rifle was made for several centuries. Half of the site is now a scenic United States National Park and museum, featuring one of the largest collections of firearms in the world. Behind the National Park is the reasonably scenic campus of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), which occupies several former Armory buildings. free. (updated Aug 2017)
• 🌍 The Quadrangle, 220 State St. A remarkable cultural grouping that consists of 5 museums, several of which are considered "world-class", the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, and the palatial Springfield City Library. The Museum of Fine Arts features a vast collection of European Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including works by Monet, Degas, and Gauguin; and also, a large collection of American painters, including Springfielders Whistler and Harding. The Museum of Science features the United States' first-ever planetarium (built in 1937), a large dinosaur exhibit, and replicas of exotic ecosystems. The George Walter Vincent Smith Museum is known worldwide for having the largest collection of Chinese cloisonné outside of China. It also features sets of ancient, Asian armor.Museum of Springfield History tells the story of "The City of Firsts": where the first American-English dictionary, first gasoline-powered automobile, first motorcycle, first modern fire engine, first commercial radio station, and first UHF television were invented (among other innovations). The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum shares the history of Dr. Seuss himself. 
• The Springfield Vintage Grand Prix, hosted by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (www.vscca.org).
• Springfield Symphony Orchestra, 1350 Main Street at Court Square, ☏ +1 413 733-2291. Housed in Springfield's beautiful, gilded-age Symphony Hall - one of only a handful of locations in the United States renowned for "perfect acoustics" - the highly regarded Springfield Symphony Orchestra is led by Maestro Kevin Rhodes. Rhodes is a true showman, known for his stage presence and innovative musical selections. $12-60. 
• City Stage at Symphony Hall, 1350 Main Street on Court Square, ☏ +1 413 788-7033. Springfield's most well-known theatre organization features plays, musicals, traveling Broadway shows, comedians, and lecturers. Programming varies widely. $5-65. 
• 🌍 MassMutual Center (formerly the Springfield Civic Center), 1277 Main Street, ☏ +1 413 787-6600 (box office for info only), toll-free: +1-855-278-4667 (ticket ordering). The MassMutual Center is an arena and convention center. Springfield's NBA Development League team, the Springfield Armor, play home basketball games here, as do Springfield's AHL hockey team, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The arena's capacity is over 7,000. price varies according to event. (updated Nov 2017)
• Hoop City Jazz Festival (presented by Hampden Bank), Main Street at Court Square. July. Annual Hoop City Jazz Festival presented by community stewards Hampden Bank. Expected to draw over 25,000 people. Free. 
• 🌍 Titanic Museum, 208 Main Street, Indian Orchard MA, ☏ +1 413-543-4770. M-Sa 10AM–4PM. Titanic Historical Society collection's of Titanic survivor artefacts, models and ephemera. Adult $4, child $2. (updated Nov 2021)

• The Club Quarter - Over 60 nightclubs, bars, LGBT-oriented bars and clubs, and restaurants line the blocks surrounding Stearns Square and Worthington Street near the Connecticut River. Upper Worthington, west of Chestnut Street, remains a "Club Quarter;" however, much of that entertainment is rated X.
• The Connecticut River Walk - near the Basketball Hall of Fame, one can access this pleasant park and marvel at the Connecticut River scenic beauty. It's difficult to find an entrance to this park due to the inhibiting presence of Interstate 91 - a highway that virtually amputates Springfield from recreational opportunities on the Connecticut River. If you can find your way in, bring a partner at night.
• 🌍 Forest Park (featuring the Forest Park Zoo and Bright Nights), Sumner Avenue. One of the largest urban parks in the United States at 735 acres (295 ha), Forest Park was established via the donations of Springfielders like skating blade magnate Everett Hosmer Barney (whose family mausoleum is in Forest Park.) Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead of NYC's Central Park fame, Forest Park offers amenities including a sizable zoo, America's first public swimming pool, picturesque gardens, hiking and walking trails, athletic fields, whimsical sculptures (one can see where Dr. Seuss got his inspiration), and camping facilities. During the winter it serves as the venue for Bright Nights, a nationally known holiday light display. 
  • Bright Nights. In Forest Park, a nationally known, innovative, creative lighting display in Springfield's Forest Park, featuring various themes during the holiday season (Christmas, Chanukah, Dr. Seuss' characters, etc.) Nearly 2 miles, cars and buses drive through the lighting display, which seems to become more intricate each year. Bright Nights usually impresses both children and adults. November-January. $8. 
  • The Zoo at Forest Park. The Zoo at Forest Park features a wide variety of exotic and indigenous creatures found throughout North America and the world. Lions, kangaroos, reptiles, and birds of all sorts populate this well-maintained zoo. 
• 🌍 The Paramount Theater (formerly The Hippodrome), 1700 Main Street (Club Quarter), ☏ +1 413 787-0600. Equipped with state of the art sound, lighting, and video production facilities, this is the most technologically advanced club north of New York City. It features live performers, club nights, and movies. 
• 🌍 MGM Springfield, 1 MGM Way, ☏ +1 413 273-5000. (updated Aug 2018)

• American International College: A university located in Springfield's Mason Square neighborhood, notable for America's first "Model Congress" program.
• Springfield College: Founded in 1885 as Y.M.C.A. International College, basketball was invented at this institution by Dr. James Naismith. In addition to basketball, America's first physical education course was taught here in 1912. A $50-million student center was constructed here in 2011.
• Springfield Technical Community College: Located on 35 acres behind the Springfield Armory National Park, surrounded by the Armory's distinctive wrought-iron fence, STCC is Massachusetts' only "technical" community college. STCC continues Springfield's tradition of technical innovation.
• Tufts University School of Medicine: Baystate Health serves as the western teaching campus of Tufts University's School of Medicine.
• University of Massachusetts Urban Design Center: UMass opened an urban design center in Springfield in 2010, where it houses its urban design graduate program.
• Western New England University: University in Springfield's suburban Sixteen Acres neighborhood, featuring a pretty campus, prominent law school, and a new pharmacy school.

• Main Street features hundreds of shops and of restaurants.
• State Street features many ethnic shops and restaurants.
• Eastfield Mall on Boston Road has a large movie theater and all that one would normally expect of an American mall.

• Red Rose Pizzeria, 1060 Main Street (South End). An Italian, South End classic! Truly excellent pizza, pasta, and meatballs. Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright claims that Red Rose has "the best meatballs in the world." 
• Adolfo's, 254 Worthington Street. Excellent Italian restaurant on Stearns Square, in the heart of Springfield's entertainment district. Adolfo's, named for a well-known former Springfield Mafia Don, is one of the city's best restaurants. 
• Family Kitchen, 19 St. James Av (off State Street), ☏ +1 413 732-9417. Daily 6AM-7PM. Come for a full breakfast (includes grits). Ask for the chicken & waffles. 
• The Student Prince, 8 Fort Street (off Main Street). German food, locally famous. Make sure you get a good look at the truly massive collection of steins on the walls. 
• Max's Tavern, 1000 West Columbus Boulevard. Beside the Basketball Hall of Fame. Serving exceptional American fare. 
• The White Hut, 280 Memorial Avenue. In West Springfield, according to the Food Network, the White Hut is one of "The Top 10 Burger Restaurants" in America. Serving burgers and hot dogs in the most Spartan setting imaginable. Across the Memorial Bridge on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield, it's well worth the trip. 
• 350 Grille, 350 Worthington Street. Located next to Springfield institution, The Mardi Gras, the 350 Grille is Springfield's see-and-be-seen lunch destination for local movers-and-shakers. The atmosphere is upscale but not pretentious, just like the food. It has a patio so diners can enjoy sunny days or moonlit nights. 
• Pazzo's, 1000 West Columbus Boulevard. Inside the Basketball Hall of Fame. Classy but casual Italian, located conveniently inside the Basketball Hall of Fame. Pazzo's is owned by the owners of the Italian South End's former Ristorante Carmela. Pazzo's features Pazzo's After Dark, nightly entertainment, Las Vegas style. 
• Pho Saigon, 398 Dickinson St, ☏ +1 413 781-4488. Excellent Vietnamese soups and entrees. Though not as widely known as other city restaurants it has a prominent cult following; visit and you will understand why. 
• Frigo's, 90 Williams Street. In Springfield's South End (its "Little Italy"), diners have an excellent selection of Italian food from which to choose - and Frigo's stands out above most of them. Its lasagne is amazing. Frigo's chef offers popular Italian cooking classes. 
• Milano's, 988 Main Street. Be sure to stop in and visit Milano Imported Fine Foods in the South End of Springfield. From the finest in imported olive oils and Italian tomatoes to fresh deli meats and cheeses and homemade pasta, this is the area's best Italian Import Store. 
• Mom and Rico's, 899 Main Street. This is a nifty little Italian grocer with a small takeout buffet. They have lots of Italian food specialties along with some local favorites like sauce and meatballs and more. At the buffet you can get anything from Fettuccine Alfredo to Eggplant Parm. You can take it with you to heat later, or they'll heat it for you to eat right away. 
• La Fiorentina Pastry Shop, 883 Main Street. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure to check out La Fiorentina Pastry Shop in Springfield. When you taste one of their freshly baked pastries, you'll understand perfectly why they've been around since 1947. 
• Sitar Restaurant, 1688 Main Street. Springfield's most popular Indian restaurant, Sitar is the more elegant sister of Sitar Restaurant by Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Known for its Tandoori specialties, including lamb saag and Navratan Korma. 
• Three Cafe, 684 Belmont Avenue (Past The X), ☏ +1 413 733-3332. 8AM-3PM. For breakfast and brunch only, 3 Cafe uses eggs from its own organically-raised, free-ranged chickens, and bakes its own bread continually. The food is as local as it gets, as fresh as it gets, and spectacularly good. $5-15. 
• Salsa's Gourmet Mexican, 403 Dickinson St., ☏ +1 413 746-4456. Authentic, and tasty, Mexican and Central American food. Stop in for lunch and order authentic Mexican Coca-Cola with your meal. $2-12. 

• 🌍 Theodore's (Blues, Booze, and BBQ), 201 Worthington Street (Club Quarter), ☏ +1 413 736-6000. Named "The Best Blues Club in the United States" by the Blues Foundation and Keeping the Blues Alive, Theodore's is a regional draw for music, food, and libations. Its baby back ribs are smoked for six hours. $5-20. (updated Aug 2017)
• The Mardi Gras Club (New England's Largest Gentlemen's Club), 91 Taylor Street (Club Quarter), ☏ +1 413 733-5057. noon-2AM. With over 300 "Gras Girls" from around the world on monthly rotation and even its own magazine, the Mardi Gras Club is one of the East Coast's largest and most lavish "gentlemen's clubs." Every Thursday night is "bull-riding night," although each night features specialties. 
• The Pub Lounge (The Friendly Bar), 382 Dwight Street (Club Quarter). An LGBT bar in Springfield's Club Quarter, catering to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people - and anyone of any orientation, really - is, according to its slogan, "where old friends... meet new friends." Downstairs, adventurous patrons will fine "The Quarry," which features drag shows, and all-male revues. 
• Oz Nightclub (Springfield's Hottest Alternative Dance Club), 397 Dwight Street (Club Quarter), ☏ +1 413 732-4562. 10PM-2AM. An LGBT dance club in Springfield's Club Quarter catering to a crowd between 18 and 35. Often Oz will feature karaoke, drag shows, and best DJs. 
• Pure, 234 Chestnut Street (Club Quarter, by Union Station), ☏ +1 413 205-1483. noon-2AM. Neighborhood LGBT bar with free pool all day and night. Hosts a popular bunch on Sundays. 
• Club Xstatic (Massachusetts' Nude Male Dancers), 240 Chestnut Street (Club Quarter, by Union Station), ☏ +1 413 736-2618. 1PM-2AM. A club featuring nude male dancers, patronized by men and women (but mostly men.) 
• Fat Cat Bar & Grill, 232 Worthington Street (Club Quarter). A college crowd generally gathers at Fat Cat Bar & Grill. Live rock every Tuesday night. Other nights feature DJs. Hot bartenders are the draw, as is a patio that is particularly pleasant during the summer and fall. 
• Samuel's (At The Basketball Hall of Fame) (Basketball Hall of Fame), ☏ +1 413 731-7267. A sports bar featuring an extensive wine list and bar. 
• Alumni Club, 90 Worthington Street (Club Quarter). A popular bar with three separate levels (each generally playing different music to suit one's mood), a dance floor, stage, outdoor patio, and a smoker's area, the Alumni Club is very popular among a variety of different crowds. 
• Skyplex (Springfield's Best Place to Party), 10 Stearns Square (Club Quarter), ☏ +1 413 827-9000. Three clubs - Skybar, Pure, and Vivid on three levels, offering a different atmosphere for everyone. Features a VIP Lounge. 

• 🌍 Springfield Marriott, 2 Boland Way, ☏ +1 413 781-7111, fax: +1 413 731-8932. (updated Oct 2016)
• 🌍 Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel, One Monarch Place, ☏ +1 413 781-1010. Springfield’s largest hotel, Sheraton Springfield offers 325 guest rooms featuring the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bedding, with Internet access, a spacious work area and in-room coffee. (updated Oct 2016)
• 🌍 Hilton Garden Inn, 800 Hall of Fame Ave (Next to the Basketball Hall of Fame), ☏ +1 413-886-8000. (updated Oct 2016)

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