Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
Created | Updated Aug 16, 2005
If you’ve found yourself in Springfield, Massachusetts, you either are on your way to someplace else, broken down, need use of moderately clean facilities, on a business trip, or you desperately need to rethink your holiday planning. If you have decided to settle in this part of the world hopefully you can someday get it together and move on from this unfortunate chapter in your life. While this is an unfavourable situation to be in ,the Greater Springfield area can serve all of your needs and make your stay as pleasant as possible.
Location:
Springfield is conveniently located on the bank of the Connecticut river, and is accessible from both Interstate 91 and Interstate 90, locally known as the Mass. Pike. Interstate 90 runs north -south and will take you to Maine, New York City, and many other more interesting and exotic locations within the United States. Interstate 90 Runs East -west and will take you to Boston, upstate New York and eventually to the West coast of America if you should choose. So as you can see there are plenty of escape routes from the area ,causing one to wonder exactly what keeps the locals in their places.
History:
Springfield was founded in 1636 by William Pynchon and a small group of men from Eastern Massachusetts. Known by its Native American name of Agawam until 1640, it was renamed Springfield that year in honor of Pynchon's home town of Springfield, England. Pynchon, a shareholder in the Massachusetts Bay Company, was drawn to the area for the fur trade. Pynchon and his son, Major John, were the first of the Connecticut Valley's "River gods," the name given to the men of wealth and influence whose vision and ambition shaped the future of the county.
The town was nearly destroyed by fire in an attack by Native Americans in 1675 during King Philip's War, but the settlers were determined to remain and rebuild. The threat of Indian attack , however, continued to keep the locals wary. During the American Revolution the area was visited by both General Washington and Knox, en route from Fort Ticonderoga with cannon destined for Boston, passed through Springfield. These visits by the Generals led to the construction of a federal armory, a bold move for a country that was not yet federated. In 1787, Springfield's courthouse and arsenal were the sites of the agrarian insurrection of Daniel Shays and his followers, who sought to close the courts with weapons seized from the Arsenal to prevent further foreclosures on their farms. General William Shepard led the successful defense of the arsenal and dispersed the rebels.
Springfield grew , like many river towns, into a river city, with industry replacing farming and trapping as chief forms of commerce. The city also boasts many historical firsts. The Duryea automobile was manufactured first in Springfield before Henry Ford drove them out of business. basketball was invented in one of the local colleges and though the city does have a Hall of Fame it has no actual basketball team.
Crime:
Like in any city violent crime is a factor, particularly in Springfield. As of 2005 Springfield is on Track to becoming the per capita murder capital of the United States. If you are not murdered while in Springfield there are a number of other violent crimes that you are statistically likely to experience. The forcible rape and aggravated assault rate are much larger than the national average. Springfield also surpasses the national average in all other major crimes. Statistically 1 out of every 10 people will be a victim of a crime, so be sure not to stay too still for too long, and if traveling with a group it may not be a bad idea to sleep in shifts.
Due to recent political and financial problems in the area there have been large cuts in the police force and other public safety organizations, so things are likely to get much worse before they get better, but you shouldn’t let that keep you from enjoying all the city has to offer.
Entertainment:
In between trips to the emergency room and police station there are quite a few things to do in Springfield.
The amount of alcohol served in the city limits in Springfield is staggering. There are a number of bars specializing in many different tastes and styles from martinis to warm cans of beer. The bars and nightclubs stay open until 2 A.M. in the city limits. The center of all night life takes place in the down town area on a street named Worthington. On this street the for the better part of four city blocks the only business that exist deal in the service of alcohol or serving over priced food to the city’s many, many drunks. These clubs run the course from small intimate bars where you can go for a drink and conversation to all out dance clubs, to strip bars, to hardcore punk rock clubs. When closing time is called the streets fill with different types of people from all walks of life at a time when they are least likely to accept other ideas, beliefs, lifestyles, cultures, body parts, opinions, religions, languages, choice of hair style, favorite sports team, sex, gender, economic status, skin color, type of running shoe, ancestral lineage, smell, beverage selection , or manner of dress. One such cultural gap exists where the city’s largest strip club is right next door to the city’s largest gay dance club. It is a good idea, if you are going to drink in Springfield to do your research and plan for the best route of escape lest you become one of the aforementioned crime statistics.
Springfield does have slightly more than drinking and fighting to offer a potential visitor. The large civic center is home to the Springfield Falcons, a second rate AHL hockey league. For the uninitiated Hokey is a sport that consists mostly of watching fighting whilst drinking.
Springfield also has a symphony,. It is not a great symphony as a matter of fact it is not even a particularly good symphony, but if you do wish to hear poorly preformed symphonic music there will always be tickets available. The symphony hall also hosts touring Broadway shows about 12 times a year, so if you make it into Springfield and can’t make it the extra two hours to New York to see an actual Broadway play that option is available to you.
Springfield is also home to a play house. It is a black box theater that shows touring plays as well as locally produced material. The plays sell fairly better than the symphony, so be sure to call ahead to book tickets before heading to the theater.
The city is home to , a natural history, fine arts , a statuary, and a local history museum, Admission to all four can be purchased for one fee of ten dollars. The museums exhibits are not as exotic as some museums in larger cities.
On the banks of the Connecticut river the city has recently built a new gigantic basketball Hall of Fame. It is a state of the art facility with exhibits about the start of the sport, some of the better players and just about anything you might want to know about basketball. It has a variety of interactive exhibits and is a good place to bring children particularly if they are basketball enthusiasts.
Location:
Springfield is conveniently located on the bank of the Connecticut river, and is accessible from both Interstate 91 and Interstate 90, locally known as the Mass. Pike. Interstate 90 runs north -south and will take you to Maine, New York City, and many other more interesting and exotic locations within the United States. Interstate 90 Runs East -west and will take you to Boston, upstate New York and eventually to the West coast of America if you should choose. So as you can see there are plenty of escape routes from the area ,causing one to wonder exactly what keeps the locals in their places.
History:
Springfield was founded in 1636 by William Pynchon and a small group of men from Eastern Massachusetts. Known by its Native American name of Agawam until 1640, it was renamed Springfield that year in honor of Pynchon's home town of Springfield, England. Pynchon, a shareholder in the Massachusetts Bay Company, was drawn to the area for the fur trade. Pynchon and his son, Major John, were the first of the Connecticut Valley's "River gods," the name given to the men of wealth and influence whose vision and ambition shaped the future of the county.
The town was nearly destroyed by fire in an attack by Native Americans in 1675 during King Philip's War, but the settlers were determined to remain and rebuild. The threat of Indian attack , however, continued to keep the locals wary. During the American Revolution the area was visited by both General Washington and Knox, en route from Fort Ticonderoga with cannon destined for Boston, passed through Springfield. These visits by the Generals led to the construction of a federal armory, a bold move for a country that was not yet federated. In 1787, Springfield's courthouse and arsenal were the sites of the agrarian insurrection of Daniel Shays and his followers, who sought to close the courts with weapons seized from the Arsenal to prevent further foreclosures on their farms. General William Shepard led the successful defense of the arsenal and dispersed the rebels.
Springfield grew , like many river towns, into a river city, with industry replacing farming and trapping as chief forms of commerce. The city also boasts many historical firsts. The Duryea automobile was manufactured first in Springfield before Henry Ford drove them out of business. basketball was invented in one of the local colleges and though the city does have a Hall of Fame it has no actual basketball team.
Crime:
Like in any city violent crime is a factor, particularly in Springfield. As of 2005 Springfield is on Track to becoming the per capita murder capital of the United States. If you are not murdered while in Springfield there are a number of other violent crimes that you are statistically likely to experience. The forcible rape and aggravated assault rate are much larger than the national average. Springfield also surpasses the national average in all other major crimes. Statistically 1 out of every 10 people will be a victim of a crime, so be sure not to stay too still for too long, and if traveling with a group it may not be a bad idea to sleep in shifts.
Due to recent political and financial problems in the area there have been large cuts in the police force and other public safety organizations, so things are likely to get much worse before they get better, but you shouldn’t let that keep you from enjoying all the city has to offer.
Entertainment:
In between trips to the emergency room and police station there are quite a few things to do in Springfield.
The amount of alcohol served in the city limits in Springfield is staggering. There are a number of bars specializing in many different tastes and styles from martinis to warm cans of beer. The bars and nightclubs stay open until 2 A.M. in the city limits. The center of all night life takes place in the down town area on a street named Worthington. On this street the for the better part of four city blocks the only business that exist deal in the service of alcohol or serving over priced food to the city’s many, many drunks. These clubs run the course from small intimate bars where you can go for a drink and conversation to all out dance clubs, to strip bars, to hardcore punk rock clubs. When closing time is called the streets fill with different types of people from all walks of life at a time when they are least likely to accept other ideas, beliefs, lifestyles, cultures, body parts, opinions, religions, languages, choice of hair style, favorite sports team, sex, gender, economic status, skin color, type of running shoe, ancestral lineage, smell, beverage selection , or manner of dress. One such cultural gap exists where the city’s largest strip club is right next door to the city’s largest gay dance club. It is a good idea, if you are going to drink in Springfield to do your research and plan for the best route of escape lest you become one of the aforementioned crime statistics.
Springfield does have slightly more than drinking and fighting to offer a potential visitor. The large civic center is home to the Springfield Falcons, a second rate AHL hockey league. For the uninitiated Hokey is a sport that consists mostly of watching fighting whilst drinking.
Springfield also has a symphony,. It is not a great symphony as a matter of fact it is not even a particularly good symphony, but if you do wish to hear poorly preformed symphonic music there will always be tickets available. The symphony hall also hosts touring Broadway shows about 12 times a year, so if you make it into Springfield and can’t make it the extra two hours to New York to see an actual Broadway play that option is available to you.
Springfield is also home to a play house. It is a black box theater that shows touring plays as well as locally produced material. The plays sell fairly better than the symphony, so be sure to call ahead to book tickets before heading to the theater.
The city is home to , a natural history, fine arts , a statuary, and a local history museum, Admission to all four can be purchased for one fee of ten dollars. The museums exhibits are not as exotic as some museums in larger cities.
On the banks of the Connecticut river the city has recently built a new gigantic basketball Hall of Fame. It is a state of the art facility with exhibits about the start of the sport, some of the better players and just about anything you might want to know about basketball. It has a variety of interactive exhibits and is a good place to bring children particularly if they are basketball enthusiasts.
