I have told you all before that I am a Southwick native. 

I lived there my entire childhood and, like most kids, couldn’t wait to move out of my hometown.  (Incidentally, I moved all the way far away to Westfield).  It wasn’t until I was solidly in my adulthood that I started to look at Southwick with new eyes.  There was one day in my early 20’s that I vividly recall driving down College Highway and being smacked with the realization that Southwick was simply beautiful.  How had I lived there, driven up and down that very stretch of road daily and never noticed just how lovely the barns are with the rising mountain behind them?  How had I missed the lovely lines of a stately farmhouse or the rolling lushness of a fallow tobacco field?  How had I never noticed the rosy glow of the sunset over Congamond Lakes?  At that point, I made a vow to pay more attention to the beauty that was right there and relish the unexpected loveliness in the familiar landscapes.

Dedicated to this cause, I drove the streets and country roads that I had traversed thousands of times in my youth, but this time I really soaked it up.  I looked for the scenic spots and I stopped and took in the sights and scents of the area.  I immersed myself in all things Southwick and made an effort to spend more time being social in Southwick.

Do you know what happened next?

I fell in love.  I fell in love with my hometown of Southwick and I have never stopped loving it since.

While I retained my love for my hometown in the years after this, the vivid urgency in rediscovery had faded and I started to take this lovely town for granted again, until this past weekend.  I held an open house on Pineywood Road in Southwick last Sunday and a high school friend of mine came by to see the house and ended up staying the length of the event chatting.  In the course of our conversation we shared the reasons that Southwick tugs at our hearts and draws us geographically.  We have a mutual fondness for the scenery, but it is the people that make this town special.  There is a unique bonding to the residents and an old fashioned concern for neighbors, friends and even old classmates that isn’t as common as it should be.  Some people don’t like small town life or even Southwick, specifically, because they find that everyone is in everyone else’s business.  My friend and I decided a couple of things about that:  #1- they are usually only interested because they care about you somehow, #2- even those that are interested for the wrong reasons are not typically malicious and #3- when push comes to shove, Southwickians have each other’s back.

No matter how you look at it, Southwick, MA is an amazing small town in Western Massachusetts and there are many reasons to love it.  I decided to ask my Southwick friends on Facebook why they love the town and here are some of their responses along with my own additions to the “Top Ten Reasons To Love Southwick, MA”

#1 – The Summer House.

Did you know that the original Summer House was run by Friendly’s and was really only open in the Summer?  It was much smaller than it is now.  I lived on Sefton Drive and would take a shortcut through the woods and the yard of the Lutheran Church to get my ice cream cone there on a hot day.  Now it is a year round family style restaurant with fun outdoor seating and a wooden stationary train that the kids love.

#2- Mrs. Murphy’s

No question about it, these are THE BEST DONUTS ever.  I don’t even like donuts and I love Mrs. Murphy’s.  This hometown operation is legendary and people who move away make sure to take a special trip here when they are home.  It still has the old fashioned feel of a coffee shop and there is nothing more yummy than a cinnamon donut from Mrs. Murphy’s. My breakfast in high school was often a coconut donut from Mrs. Murphy’s purchased in the cafeteria.  If you live in Western MA and haven’t been, you need a road trip STAT.

#3-  The Congamond Lakes

I never appreciated the fact that Southwick is a lake community as a kid.  I am not sure why, but I do now.  A year or so ago, I took a lovely sunset cruise on the lake with some friends and we saw the most amazing sunset over a glass of wine.  Another day the kids were tubing and swimming and I always love to listen to the bands at Louie B’s.  Amusing geographical fact, the reason for the “jog” in the Massachusetts border is probably so that MA could retain most of the Congamond Lakes.  On my Facebook poll my boyfriend, Morriss, added this: “…Southwickians are keeping a whole bunch of land that ought to belong to Connecticut in the mitts of the Massachusettonians.”

#4- Farmstands

Many people in my informal Facebook poll said that they love all of the farmstands.  There does seem to be a  seasonal farmstand all over the place, but my year round favorite is Putnam Farms/ Blossoming Acres.  In Southwick you will find the best that Western MA produce can provide including corn, strawberries, asparagus, apples and much more!

#5- The Granville Gorge

Not just a spot for delinquent teenagers to hide out (not that I would know ANYTHING about THAT), the Gorge is an absolutely amazing spot for a hike, brisk dunk in the mountain waters or a picnic.  While the name would suggest it is in Granville, it is still within Southwick town borders and is worth a day trip for sure.  I hadn’t been in decades until last year when I made an impromtu stop with my girls who had a blast swimming in the chilly waters.

#6- The scenery

The scenery was mentioned by many people in my questioning and I agree.  Southwick is set in the lower Pioneer Valley and as such is verdant, green and blessed with many amazing views.  We are at the foothills of the mountains and there are many wide open farm spaces with lovely vistas.  We have gorgeous homes on tree lined streets and the lake area, too!

#7- The schools

Many respondents said that they love the family oriented nature of the town and the schools for their kids.  It was at least a decade after my high school graduation before I realized how lucky I had been with such a wonderful and caring background in my education.  One of my best friends from school is now a high school counselor and I am so glad that she is there to guide the next generation.

#8- Close but not too close

There is such a thing as being too far in the country for many homeowners.  There are a lot of people (myself included) who crave some level of country feel and solitude, but don’t want to live away from conveniences that a larger city provides.  Southwick is set in an ideal spot to solve that issue for most people.  Westfield, Agawam and Springfield are very close with even bigger cities like Hartford and Boston being a reasonable driving distance.

#9- Pizza!

Yes, little did you outsiders realize that Southwick is the hot bed of a long-lived pizza war.  Many of the participants change along the way, but the two main combatants are Roma Restaurant and Village Pizza.  Shout out to me…which slice is the best?  (I am a Roma girl, for the record).

#10- The People

I already mentioned this, but it bears repeating.  I see lovely outpourings of support and love for fellow Southwick natives EVERY DAY on Facebook.  We may not all live in Southwick, still, but it is still in our hearts and we still reach out to one another to share and assist.  There is something wonderful about a small town that fosters this level of caring concern and I am glad to have been raised in Southwick, MA.

I created a set of photos that I have taken around Southwick. 

Take a look at the beautiful scenes I have captured of Southwick, MA!

If you are looking to make a move in or to Southwick, MA, I would love to be your REALTOR. 

Lesley Lambert, Park Square Realty 413-575-3611

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