I could tell you all about growing up in western Massachusetts– which is way different than eastern MA, and we’re the same state. They have the accents. We don’t. They’re the ones who pahk the cah and drink beeyah. We park cars, and drink beer (on rare occasions). They get all the good state money because they have Boston. We scrounge for funds and try to make our lawmakers remember us out here. Area code 413.
High school proms are never at the school, but at local restaurants or catered wedding venues. We have a few diners (but not like New Jersey, now they have diners). Everyone has been to the White Hut for burgers (with grilled onions, the only way to go at White Hut). We’ve had cider donuts at Atkins Farms.
We’ve smelled Bondi’s Island (not a vacation destination). We’ve boasted that we have the Basketball Hall of Fame. We’ve been to Holyoke (my birthplace, pronounced Hoy-oke if you’re down with the 413) for the St. Patty’s Day parade, and we’ve spent days at the Big E (Eastern States Exposition).
We’ve shopped, dined, or bar-hopped in Northampton. We’ve partied at the Res (reservoir, water source) and hiked Mt. Tom, the inspiration for the Grinch’s mountain home. The Whos down in Whoville actually live in Easthampton. Dr. Seuss grew up here, too.
As kids, we all gathered fall leaves and pressed them between two sheets of wax paper, or climbed trees for apple-picking. We hung out at the mall. We saw Santa at Yankee Candle.
As adults, we’ve gone looking for antiques or visiting outlets in Deerfield, Brimfield, or the Berkshires. We’ve listened to Beethoven while picnicking on the lawn at Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Yes, I’ve moved to CT, but my heart is still in the 413.
I could tell you all about it, but I will let my friend Dr. Westchesterson show you. It’s way more fun. 
Where did you grow up? What are your fondest memories of your old hometown? Or do you still live there?
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome post, Sherri! I grew up in a small NC town and still live here. It’s Andy Griffith’s hometown and the town that Mayberry is loosely based on. Floyd’s Barber Shop and Snappy Lunch is still here. Everywhere you look there’s something from Mayberry. We have Goober’s, Barney’s, and Aunt Bea’s restaurants, Opie’s Candy Shoppe, Mayberry Mall… I could go on and on. There’s also a museum and every September we have Mayberry Days and a lot of the show’s stars come and hang out with everyone. “Thelma Lou” still actually lives here.
We also have the Autumn Leaves Festival every October. It’s not a place to live if you like a lot of things to do, but it’s great if a laid back life is your kind of thing. And it IS my kind of thing!
That sounds lovely, Nissie!
I grew up in Miami Florida, which is made up mostly of Northerners. Huge city, lots of people, sunshine and beaches. I miss the ocean and LOL looking great in a bikini.
Beaches! I love beaches. Have never lived near one, but love to vacation there, and I think I would miss it, too.
Loved the video by Dr Westchesterson.
I grew up in Mountain View, California, in the 415 area code. Once I thought everyone in Mass. spoke with a Boston accent and that Long Island, NY was totally urban. What a shock to find that there are farms on LI!
Of course that was a long time ago. I have fond memories of field trips to San Francisco to see live plays at ACT (The Crucible, for one) or musical theater (Oliver) at the Circle Star in San Carlos. The Grateful Dead also came and played at my high school! Good times.
Good times, the Grateful Dead, wow!
Grew up in Birmingham, AL, but I’ve lived lots of places, mostly in the South. Loved your post, Sherri! I’m afraid I do lump Mass to the Boston area. Nice to learn more about how the other half lives!
Common mistake to think all of MA has that accent. It’s really just close to Boston, and there are variants of it in parts of New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island.
My dad’s grandparents on his mother’s side settled in Alabama from Ireland. My Alabama connection.
I grew up in Flint, Michigan (yes, THAT Flint). Growing up there in the 60s was great. Factory jobs were considered lifetime jobs and the middle class was in good shape. Flint had an excellent public school system and what was considered to be one of the best library systems in the country. I had Art and Music classes all through school and it didn’t seem that anyone had to fight to keep them. Sadly, that Flint only exists in memories these days.
I also forgot to mention that when I was growing up, Flint was in the 313. It’s like we grew up next to each other or something!!
The 313! We’re practically related!
I grew up on Long Island and lived there until we moved to Atlanta in 1994. So many good memories but my favorite part was being near the beach and the summers spent boating on the south shore.
Long Island! You can leave, but you still carry some of it with you. So it is with hometowns.
It sounds absolutely wonderful…
We moved every two years, so I don’t really have a true hometown. But there was always something wonderful to be found in every place we lived. And I love remembering my time in each and everyone one of them.
Dee, I think this probably helped you develop a wide range of tastes and interests as well as a sense of diplomacy and sensitivity in dealing with many different types of people. My mom grew up that way, too.
Daytona Beach, Home of Spring Break, Bike Week and Nascar. So many treasured memories! I grew up in the PERFECT time, back in the 80′s, when Mtv made Spring Break Daytona their home. I saw many many bands, partied and danced and lip sang with the best of them. I saw the damage the Beastie Boys did which got Mtv banded from Ormond (just north of Daytona) and I have seen things that Mtv did NOT want you to see. My high school was practically on the beach and we got all the free tickets to concerts (Who are the Bangles? hahaha noone knew who they were!!). I used to sit next to Lisa Anderson in English (she became the number one female surfer in the world) who is almost as famous as her brother, Kelly, who has several video games. I was stuck in traffic when the helicopter flew over my car, carrying Dale Earnhardts body to the hospital. I had just left work and was trying to get home. Richard Petty used to bring his whole team to my school when I was 7-8 years old and let us see all the tools, the cars everything. The Vienna Boys Choir played football (soccer) with my school.
When I needed me time, I walked on the beach. After a really good storm you hit the beach. Amazing the things you can find. South of Daytona is Cape Canaveral (Kennedy Space Center) and between there and Daytona is a Spanish shipwreck, and a nude beach.
I have lived through tornadoes, hurricanes and was pregnant during the firestorm which kicked us out of our home. My accent was ever changing. Most of my family are tobacco farmers in NC, and many of my friends are rednecks, surfers, yankees and midwesterners. I sound southern yankee and Valley all mixed into one. lol Actually I slip into a southern twang when relaxed (drunk) and most people here in the UK think its Canadian. LOL!!!
Ti, we need to hang out. Surprising CT fact: tobacco is one of our best crops. Everyone thinks tobacco growing only happens in the south. There are tobacco barns and fields all over my new town.
Oh Sherri (I feel a Journey song coming on….) Yes I agree. We do.