Style + Beauty

A Shopping Destination

Zanna offers a personalized shopping experience Article by Tina Lesniak | Photography by Hannah Josephine Photography A longtime staple of the downtown Amherst community, Zanna has been providing high-quality women’s clothing and shoes and exceptional customer service for more than 50 years. “Zanna is known for its service and building friendships with customers,” said Amy Benson, owner of Zanna. “We want to help our customers look and feel their best for any occasion. We know our customers'...

April 2024

Real Estate

Building Entrepeneurs

The Sphere Northampton provides support and guidance for new female business owners Article by Tina Lesniak | Photography by Hillary Lynn Photography For those starting a business, knowing where to turn for assistance is hard. For women business owners, this can be even more difficult as there have been traditionally fewer of them. The Sphere Northampton aims to give business owners the tools they need to succeed. “We place a strong emphasis on community and supporting one another with advice...

April 2024

Health + Wellness

The Mediterranean Diet

A Smart Choice for Seniors Article by Jayda Bruscoe With so many fad diets circulating pop culture right now, it’s hard to know which one is the best across a range of ages, body types and lifestyles. The Mediterranean diet was recently named the “#1 Best Diet” by U.S. News & World Report for the seventh year in a row, and since its inception, the diet has continuously had scientifically proven benefits to cognitive and cardiovascular health at any age. Popularized in the 1990s by Harvard...

April 2024

Real Estate

Home Satisfaction

Experienced realtors help clients achieve their goals Article by Tina Lesniak | Photography by Hannah Josephine Photography With nearly 40 years of real estate experience between them, Andrea Kwapien and Lisa Carroll, of Delap Real Estate, have the skills to make the home buying or selling process easy and pain-free. Both agents had earlier jobs that helped them develop customer service and people skills. Delap Real Estate is an agent-owned office located at 158 N. King St. in Northampton. ...

April 2024

Professional Services

Couture Photography

Preserving memories to last a lifetime Article by Hannah Sarat | Photography by Hannah Josephine Photography In an era where everyone has a camera in their pocket, having your photo taken isn’t as formal as it once was. You have galleries of memories at your fingertips, but what is the legacy you’re leaving future generations to remember? From Fine Art to Avant Garde, let’s create a lasting memory that will highlight your family history books. With my expertise in Couture Gowns and...

April 2024

Shopping

A Mother's Day Gift Guide

Curated at Stay Golden and Cedar Chest in Northampton Article by Katie McLaughlin | Photography by Hannah Josephine Photography Cedar Chest, an anchor store of Thornes Marketplace, and Stay Golden, an on-trend boutique, offer everything to celebrate Mom or the mom-figures in your life this Mother's Day. From expanding soaps to stationery to books, home goods to fashion accessories, Cedar Chest and Stay Golden have it all. 150 Northampton St, Northampton explorecedarchest.com ...

April 2024

Food + Beverage

A Sustainable Future

Simple ways to make a large impact Article and Photography by Niki Lankowski At Grow Food Northampton, when we talk about the concept of investment, our thoughts go less to stock portfolios and more to this definition of the word: an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result. In 2024, join Grow Food Northampton in committing to investments in. . . The Earth Planting native species - Choose native plants for...

March 2024

Home Services

Investing in Your Home

Making the renovations that work for you Article by Tina Lesniak In today's dynamic housing market, where prices soar, more homeowners are opting to renovate and update their existing homes rather than face the challenges of buying new ones. Amidst this surge in home improvement endeavors, Construct Associates, Inc. emerges as a beacon of expertise and innovation, offering comprehensive design and construction services to help homeowners realize their vision of the perfect living space. “I...

March 2024

Life + Culture

Investing in Our Communities

The Valley offers numerous ways to give back Article by Tina Lesniak One of the best ways to improve and better our communities is to invest our time and resources in them. That can look different for everyone as people strive to best use their strengths and capabilities to improve the world around them. Here is a list of possible ways for local residents to invest in the communities around them.  Northampton Survival Center The Northampton Survival Center is an emergency food pantry...

March 2024

Arts + Culture

WinterFest Brings Easthampton Together

Businesses and residents invest in and celebrate the Easthampton Community Article by Tina Lesniak | Photography by Colin McGahan Photography Once again, the Easthampton community came together to invest their time and support in WinterFest and raise much-needed funds for Nashawannuck Pond. The 11th annual event on Feb. 10 included over 35 events and countless volunteers all across the city.  “We encourage businesses and organizations to think outside the box, working together to support each...

March 2024