Turner falls

​When you are reading about me living for a few weeks in the US, what do you imagine, what is my neighborhood alike? Are you imagining a scenery with skyscrapers like from the Sex and the City? Or mountains of Montana? Or lights and casinos like in Las Vegas? Or Texas cowboys?   

The answer is that I am spending my days in New England college town, having a lot of beautiful places around me. There are nice nature trails (not breathtaking like the ones around Grand Canyon, but Connecticut river and Berkshire Hills, which are part of the Appalachian Mountains, can provide nice views). Moreover, there are really cute towns all around me and I try to get off my workstation (adjustable high desk, decent monitor, or a sofa chair, where I do my reading), and go for a trip and explore them.
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Today I went to Turner Mills, a place near Montague in Franklin County. A town sitting on a bank of Connecticut river. 

​This village, having population around 4000 people now, has seen better times. It was established at the second part of 19th century, and was part of industrial community, using Connecticut river as the power base (hydropower!). At that time dam and canal were constructed, as well as paper mill. The idea of town’s development was to sell mill sites along the power canal to companies (who can use canals for transportation of the goods, plus hydropower) and to sell individual building lots to mill workers who would come to work in the mills. And that worked for a long time.

Wandering though the streets of Turner falls, you can enjoy the red brick houses and pavements, as built at the beginning of 20th century during the golden age of turner falls. But this was the time the paper mill brought people to the place, offered jobs, offered business. This has changed now. It seems that main business at the town is for hairdressers and barbers.  Wandering through the streets, I can see places that out of business. Covid restrictions have taken their toll as well. The streets are dominated by crazy squirrels and barefooted artist kids. As the rents are half the price they are in Amherst, artists have found cheap places to live. Even shop chains there are different.
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If you were to come to visit me, I would suggest an afternoon walk through these streets, dominated by red brick, used at the beginning of 20th century, we could find a place for afternoon snack or drink (there are some still), and if you would like to have a haircut or manicure, this is definitely the place to go.

Please take notice of "rock-paper-scissors" game in the first picture!  The second and the third are just tiny bit crazy. I love it.

red brick pavements and red brick buildings..

even the church is in red brick..

Pick us - you can get a beet on a street!