Berkshire County: The Idyllic Town

Great Barrington embodies the Berkshirian lifestyle; pleasant and unconcerned. People stroll down the main stretch of town smiling at strangers and making friendly observations to one another. This openness has attracted an eclectic population of residents. You have all-American families wearing blue jeans and t-shirts, punks in their twenties, retired hippies, part-time residents from New York and artists inspired by the surrounding beauty. While the locals sport all different styles of dress, like in a fashion-forward city, it seems to a be a comfortable and fun expression of identity rather than a cultivated manifestation of ego. 

Everyone is just hangin out, living their lives, unjudged. The types of businesses you find on the main stretch follow a similar trend. They've got a well-curated aesthetic and soundtrack, but they cater to the whole community with no agenda other than to make you feel welcome. 

There's "Fuel" an intimate cafe decorated with art deco light fixtures and a klimtesque palette. People sit for hours working on their computers, reading and catching up with friends. The much loved SoCo Creamery has ice cream churned to perfection. There's an old-fashioned candy shop, a vintage clothing store and a couple of new agey boutiques that smell of incense and handmade soaps. 

Despite the population of barely seven-thousand, the town boasts fifty-five restaurants all of which are worth trying. The community places a large emphasis on locally-made products, so you can assume most meat, cheese, eggs, milk and other staples on the menu were bought from a farm up the street. 

Prosciutto, Fig and Gorgonzola Pizza at Baba Louie's

Last year, Great Barrington was chosen as the number one small town in America by Smithsonian magazine. You can visit all its establishments in about half a day if you're popping your head from one shop into the next. If you acclimate to the slower pace that surrounds you, you'll find the simplicity and contentment of the Berkshire way contagious. And really--- there's no sense in rushing when you have nowhere to be but where you already are.