Mountain Farms — Local services in Hadley

Mountain Farms Shopping Mall. What a fascinating place. I rarely if ever go into any store except Barnes and Noble or Walmart or Panera. That’s it. I’ve been in EMS a couple times, Paper store a couple times, the art supply store a couple times and the one on the end but mainly for the bathroom. My kids are at the Chinese school next door. If anyone actually monitors these Google posts, I have to ask a question. My oldest has been at the school since Kindergarten. He’s now currently in 11th grade. We’ve known the school for a while. I cannot remember the last time the mall and the school were on happy terms. I am not sure why. I can understand the argument of liability in a parking lot. I understand about the busy-ness of the parking lot. But why NOT have a good relationship. We from time to time get a memo from the principal about NOT parking at the mall. The school has such a small place to park it’s not even funny. There’s a gate that links both parking places. The school would alleviate so much traffic on route 9 if they allowed an exit gate to open into the parking lot. Parents would drive in the driveway, they would exit into the parking lot. Boom. Neighbors would be happy. People would be encouraged to drive in front of the mall. Has anyone suggested giving a discount to parents and family from the school? Even a 5% discount, I might buy something instead of just using the bathroom at one of the stores. You know the kids have a way to go AROUND the fence to empty out into the parking lot. Did you know I pick my kids up there every afternoon? In the parking lot? A couple signs around claiming you cannot be sued, and the principal will encourage us all to spend our money there and do our shopping there. But no, you have to be nasty, you have to argue and in turn we all hate the mall and look down on the mall and I refuse to spend my money there since the attitude towards the school is so bad. If anyone is monitoring these posts, please talk to your superiors and respond. Let’s start a discussion on how to deal with these problems in a...

Having visited here for the majority of my sheltered western mass life, Mountain Farms has something for everyone who isn't willing to travel to Holyoke's Ingleside Mall. Walmart needs no introduction but their kitchen wares and tech sections are highlights for me. Barnes and Noble is my go-to place for art books and inspiration. There's always something there that surprises me. Panera Bread had decent drinks and sandwiches but isn't my go-to. (That would be Big Y up the street). Eastern Mountain Sports is a bit on the pricy side for specialty weather and travel clothes but I consider them top quality. Gamestop is hit or miss but sometimes surprises me. Michael's Art Supplies had everything a casual traditional artist could need for a new project. Whole Foods isn't my cup of tea but it's there if you're a health nut. Marshall's has decent used clothes and variety products. Don't buy electronics there. Also Bed Bath and Beyond went out of business which is a shame since I got lots of cool stuff there over the years. I probably missed some stores but those are the ones I can think of. The Hampshire Mall is also...

Great place to do all of your shopping. Need some general goods? Well there is a walmart for that. Need high quality groceries, well they have a whole foods too. This little shopping plaza has everything you need in one place, making it super convenient.

One downside to the place is that the "sidewalk" (I hesitate to call it that) isn't very good, so I would suggest driving from store to store to do your shopping. You could walk, but there are often people busking or just loitering in some areas which can make it kind of awkward to walk (having to step off the path and walk in the firelane, that sort of thing). Luckily there is plenty of parking so finding a spot to park isn't...