Metro Center, Springfield, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Metro Center is the original colonial settlement of Springfield, Massachusetts
, located beside a bend in the Connecticut River
. As of 2011, Metro Center features a majority of Western Massachusetts
' most important cultural, business, and civic venues. Metro Center includes Springfield's Central Business District, its Club Quarter
, its government center
, its convention headquarters, and in recent years, it has become an increasingly popular residential district, especially among young professionals, empty-nesters, and creative types.
As of 2011, Metro Center includes approximately 690 acres of land where the city was initially established, aligned north-south, following the Connecticut River, and is bounded by Route 291 to the north, Union and Howard Streets to the south, Federal Street to the east and the Connecticut River to the west, although Metro Center is physically separated from the Connecticut River by Interstate 91
- a 1958 urban renewal project that separated the city from its riverfront.
and a group of pioneers, was originally called Agawam Plantation. At the time of its founding, Agawam Plantation was the northernmost settlement on the Connecticut River, and belonged to the Connecticut Colony
as opposed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
, to which it would later belong. Within less than a decade after its founding in 1636, differences arose between the leaders of Agawam (Springfield) and Newtown (Hartford) over how to treat the region's Native population. Springfield hoped to pursue peaceful relations with the Natives so as to better facilitate trade and communal farming, whereas Hartford - and many of Connecticut's early settlers - had fought the bloody Pequot War
to claim their territory, and thus took a more skeptical view of the Native population. This difference of opinion led to Agawam (Springfield) annexing itself to Massachusetts in 1640. At that time, William Pynchon was named magistrate of the settlement, and the town's name was changed to Springfield in Pynchon's honor. (Pynchon was from Springfield, Essex
.)
Metro Center Springfield was founded on the Connecticut River, just north of the River's first falls unnavigable by sea-going vessels, (the Enfield Falls.) Thus, in founding Springfield, the business-minded Pynchon assured that all northern river trade and travel ran through Springfield. In early colonial days, Springfield was the dominant trading post on the Connecticut River.
In 1675, during King Philip's War. the Metacomet-led Attack on Springfield
burned over 75% of Springfield, which was only Metro Center, including the saw and grist mills. Following King Phillip's War, thought was given to abandoning the settlement at Springfield; however, luckily, cooler heads prevailed and the settlement remained.
In 1777, noting Springfield's location on a major U.S. river, fertile farmland, and close proximity to Boston, Albany, New York City, and Montreal, George Washington
and Henry Knox
founded the U.S. National Arsenal at Springfield on a tall bluff overlooking Metro Center. Subsequently, Springfield developed neighborhoods other than Metro Center.
In 1813, the green in the middle of Metro Center was officially named Court Square
. Court Square had been the center of public and social life since the times when Native Americans roamed freely through Springfield's streets (pre-King Phillip's War,) and continued to be so until the building of Springfield's first train station in the 1830s.
The arrival of the railroad to Springfield in the 1830s brought great wealth to the city, again, due to its location. Goods from New York, Boston, Chicago, and even as far west as San Francisco travelled through Springfield on their ways to coastal distribution centers. Springfield, rather than Hartford, or Northampton, or Greenfield, became Western New England's railroad hub, perhaps due to the presence of the Springfield Armory
, but more likely due to the city's growing reputation for ingenuity, and that it served as a nearly equidistant point between Albany and Boston, Providence, and New York.
standards, where downtowns are frequently walkable like those in Europe, Springfield's is exceptionally so. It is composed of mixed-use residential, commercial, and institutional organizations. A majority of its buildings were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, giving it a Victorian look; however, there are numerous skyscrapers as well. Metro Center is cut off from the Connecticut Riverfront by Interstate 91, an 8-lane highway. Across Interstate 91 sits the Basketball Hall of Fame
complex, Springfield's largest tourist draw.
, who built the $57 million, 2008 U.S. Federal Court Building; Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, who built the $47 million, 2004 Basketball Hall of Fame; and TRO Jung Brannen
, who are building the $110 million, 2012 adaptive re-use of Springfield's original Technical High School – adapted to Springfield's human-scale to a create monumental buildings rather than attempting to "achieve monumentalism through over-scaling," as has happened in other cities. With energy prices rising, Springfield's 1908 building height limit now seems like an idea that was far ahead of its time.
, South Deerfield, Massachusetts
, and ultimately Brattleboro, Vermont
. After reaching Brattleboro, trains will connect with Montreal
.
, Albany
, New York City
, Montreal
, Hartford, Worcester
, and New Haven
convenient by car. This convenience, however, has come at a costly price. Due to poor initial, highway planning in 1958, I-91 has essentially amputated Springfield from the Connecticut River
- its most valuable economic, recreational, and tourist resource - and severed three riverfront neighborhoods, including Metro Center, from which the river is no longer visible. I-91 separates Springfield's Metro Center from the international tourist destination Basketball Hall of Fame complex, and prevents foot traffic between them. In 2010, Boston's Urban Land Institute
proposed a vision for Springfield's riverfront; however, as of 2011, Interstate 91 remains a physical barrier between Springfield, the Connecticut River, and the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The position of I-91 and its blockage of the Connecticut River - along with the cement covering of the Mill River - are challenges that Springfield will no doubt face in upcoming years. Recent academic papers have documented negative economic and sociological effects of I-91's placement in Springfield - it has fragmented three neighborhoods, inhibited the economic growth of Springfield's most valuable land - on the Riverfront and around the Basketball Hall of Fame - and essentially made the river inaccessible to people as a place for recreation and tourism. Recent internet city planning polls have Springfield's I-91 among the worst urban planning decisions ever made by an American city. The highway's inhibiting effects on riverfront development were exacerbated during the 1980s and 1990s, when giant, above-grade highway parking lots were built underneath I-91, and later when earthen, grassy mounds and 20-foot limestone walls were constructed around large sections of it, blocking all but the tallest Metro Center buildings' views of the Connecticut River, and discouraging economic and social interaction between Metro Center and the Basketball Hall of Fame
.
, to historic buildings adaptively re-used or renovated into condominiums, artists' lofts, and rental properties in the Apremont Triangle Historic District
. Notable examples include a former 4-star Sheraton
hotel, (The Kimball Towers;) a famous, Victorian high school (Classical High School Condominiums;) an architecturally significant factory (The McIntosh;) and a renovated art deco
apartment building, (Pearl Street Luxury Condos.) Rental properties include the adaptive re-use of the former Milton Bradley
toy factory, now called Stockbridge Court, as well as the adaptive re-use of the former YMCA building, 122 Chestnut Street.
Since 2005, Metro Center has seen a notable resurgence in market-rate residential real estate. Populations of 20-somethings, LGBTs, bohemians, urban professionals, and empty-nesters are attracted by its culture, entertainment, and urban setting. Major construction projects like the $75 million renovation of Metro Center's Union Station; the $1 billion Springfield - New Haven high speed rail line; the $78 million, northern intercity commuter rail from Springfield through Northampton, Massachusetts
, to Brattleboro, Vermont
, (and then ultimately to Montreal, Canada;) the $101 million adaptive re-use of Springfield's original Technical High School for Massachusetts' Data Center; the $57 million Moshe Safdie
-designed, architecturally award-winning Federal Courthouse; and Baystate Health
's $300 million "Hospital of the Future," have all contributed to Metro Center's resurgence.
is one of the few neighborhoods in the Knowledge Corridor
that remains lined with historic, restored red-brick Victorian row houses on both sides, and shaded by tree canopies. The Mattoon Street neighborhood features some of Springfield's most prestigious residential addresses, on Mattoon Street, Salem Street, Elliot Street, and others. It also features one of renowned architect H.H. Richardson's first works in the Richardsonian Romanesque
style, the current Hispanic Baptist Church. Early each Fall, the neighborhood hosts a large arts festival, "The Mattoon Street Arts Festival."
The Kimball Towers at 140 Chestnut Street - built in 1911 as the grand Hotel Kimball - was formerly "the leading hotel in Western Massachusetts," hosting guests like U.S. Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy
, kings, famous actors, and wealthy American capitalists. First named The Hotel Kimball
, and later The Sheraton
-Kimball Hotel; currently, it is known as The Kimball Towers Condominiums. The neo-classical red-brick building features condos, some of which remain priced well below their market value, because the building's original condominium developer filed for bankruptcy during the 1990s while the building was being converted from a hotel. Many units were left unfinished, particularly on the lower floors. Now under financially-stable ownership - as of its 100th anniversary on St. Patrick's Day, 2011 - the Kimball Towers has become Springfield's most notable address for artists, bohemians, and empty-nesters. It still features its trademark Grand Lobby, Grand Ballroom, and luxurious, Gilded Age architectural details.
Classical High Condominiums at 235 State Street, across from The Quadrangle
- built in 1897 as "the grandest high school in all of Massachusetts" - is "Springfield's professional address." Classical is protected by the Lower Maple Historic District, which ensures that its grandiose, Victorian architecture will be preserved. Classical High School educated many of Springfield's luminaries, from Dr. Seuss
to Timothy Leary
to Taj Mahal
and William Manchester
. Classical's current place as a premier Metro Center residence also makes it as vital and vibrant today as it was in the past.
McIntosh Condominiums at 385 Worthington Street - at the edge of Springfield's Club Quarter
- was built in 1913 as the McIntosh Shoe Factory. Springfield's most prominent example of the Chicago School of Architecture. the McIntosh is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its condominiums are both hard and soft lofts, which feature industrial chic details like exposed pipes, high ceilings, and brick walls.
Pearl Street Condominiums at 218 Pearl Street - across from the Springfield Armory
National Park
- were constructed in 1914 in the art deco
style. Lovingly restored in 2007, Pearl Street features large, luxury apartments with wrought-iron balconies, hardwood floors throughout, and gated parking. The condominiums feature French doors and a lot of old world charm. As of 2011, several units can still be purchased for less than $100,000.
on Chestnut Street. It features a fitness center and pool. Morgan Square at 15 Taylor Street, located in one of Springfield's most convenient locations, are gated and feature a fitness center. Stockbridge Court at 45 Willow Street - an adaptive re-use of the former Milton Bradley
Toy Factory - features colorful, upscale lofts for urban professionals. Armoury Commons at Salem and Elliot Streets - by The Quadrangle
- features hardwood floors and access to numerous parks. Colony Court at 156 Maple Street, although not technically in Metro Center, is a very close walk - and it features lovely apartments with hard-wood floors.
Juvenile Courthouse, designed by H.H. Richardson himself. Springfield's ornate, neo-classical Springfield Municipal Group
, dedicated by U.S. President William Howard Taft
, features a 300 ft. tall Italianate campanile
that towers over Court Square
. Other prominent civic buildings include "starchitect" Moshe Safdie
's new, $57 million, architecturally award-winning Federal Courthouse on State Street, and Massachusetts' new $110 million Data Center, an adaptive re-use of Springfield's original Technical Hgh School. The Springfield School Board recently moved into modern, $11 million renovated office space 1550 Main Street.
(behind Boston
's.) Metro Center also features three higher learning institutions: Cambridge College
at Tower Square, the University of Massachusetts Amherst
's Urban Design Center at Court Square
, and Springfield Technical Community College
, which enrolls over 6500 students.
, featuring numerous international, national, regional, and local businesses and headquarters. 17,000 businesspeople work in Metro Center. Businesses include the Fortune 100 MassMutual Financial, Peter Pan Bus, Hampden Bank
, NuVo Bank, Merriam Webster, Liberty Mutual
, Verizon, the American Hockey League
, the Northeastern headquarters of TD Banknorth
, Health New England
, Peoples' United Bank, United Personnel staffing, numerous attorneys, architects, accountants, other professionals, and literally hundreds of businesses. As of May 2011, Metro Center also features the headquarters of Massachusetts' third largest company, Baystate Health
.
National Park
, which includes a museum featuring the world's largest historic firearm collection. A block west of the Armory is The Quadrangle
, an extraordinary grouping of world-class and regional museums, each with a different focus. The Quadrangle features the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum, which is known worldwide for having the largest collection of Chinese cloisonné outside of China. It also features the Museum of Fine Arts, which features a particularly strong European Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection, including paintings by Monet, Degas, and Gauguin, among others. The American Collection features works by Springfielder James McNeill Whistler
. The Springfield Science Museum features the first-ever American planetarium
(built 1937,) Dinosaur Hall, and a live animal center. The Quadrangle's two regional museums are the Connecticut River Valley History Museum, the most extensive compilation of information on the historic valley and its people; and the new Wood Museum of Springfield History, which showcases Springfield as The City of Firsts in the context of American History.
at Court Square
features famously "perfect acoustics," and frequent performances by the innovative Springfield Symphony Orchestra
. It also features traveling performances of Broadway
shows. Also, close by, the Community Music School of Springfield, located at 127 State Street, features musical programs during the day and evenings. Across the street, the MassMutual Center
features arena-scale rock concerts, conventions, and is home to two of Springfield's professional sports teams: the NBA D-League's Springfield Armor
- affiliated with the NBA's New Jersey Nets
- and the American Hockey League
's Springfield Falcons
- affiliated with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets
.
Within close walking distance are Rascal's, a comedy club at 1 Monarch Place, and Springfield's famous City Stage playhouse - a tiny modern playhouse that produces a range of works from philosophical modern plays, to Shakespeare, to children's entertainment. If you plan an excursion to City Stage, it is best to check ahead to see if what's showing meets your tastes.
has been Springfield' Club Quarter for over 120 years. As of 2011, Springfield's Club Quarter
continues to expand, now featuring over 70 clubs, bars, restaurants, and even historic gathering places. For example of the latter, the Duryea brothers built the first, American gasoline-powered car at a still existant building on Taylor Street - one of the few buildings in the district at that time, which was not a bar or club. An 1893 model Duryea stands in a small park outside of what is today Alumni Club at 90 Worthington Street, mere feet from the historically important Duryea shop. Springfield's most popular bars and clubs are an eclectic mix, featuring Skyplex, a three-level bar and club directly on Stearns Square; Theodore's - voted America's best blues club; Oz, one of Springfield's five LGBT
clubs and bars, (not counting the numerous clubs and bars that sponsor LGBT nights;) Shekago's, a martini bar featuring live jazz and piano-playing; and Fat Cat's Bar & Grill, which features punk, industrial, and other live rock bands. In Springfield's Club Quarter, many different "scenes" co-mingle peaceably, including hip-hop, rock, LGBT, jazz, strip clubs for both men and women, and blues.
The restaurants and clubs by the Basketball Hall of Fame
also feature live music (Pizzeria Uno's, Mama Iguana's,) Las Vegas-style shows (Pazzo's,) and of course, several sports bars, such as Samuel's and Max's Tavern.
will become a 98-bed Holiday Inn Express
.
, the city's one constant topographical feature since its founding in 1636; Stearns Square
, designed by the creative "dream-team" of Stanford White
and August St. Gaudens, then as now in the heart of Springfield's Club Quarter
; Tower Square Park, a green park atop a skyscraper in downtown Springfield; Center Square on Main Street, a well-landscaped park that borders the Club Quarter and Downtown Central Business District; Merrick Park, by The Quadrangle
, the sole function of which is to exhibit Augustus St. Gaudens' most famous outdoor bronze sculpture, The Puritan
; Pynchon Park, a modernist concrete park with trees and a distinctive elevator in the brutalist architectural style - one of the more unique looking city parks in the United States, arguably; and Connecticut River Walk Park
, a walkway and bikeway that was devastated by the 2011 Springfield tornado, and which previous to it, was rarely used due to Interstate 91
physically blocking Springfielders' access to it. Regardless, if one can make it there, it affords beautiful views of the river, valley, skyline, and mountains surrounding them all.
) to become an intermodal transportation center, with Peter Pan Bus' headquarters, PVTA's headquarters, and Greyhound
all relocating to the new facility. This project will conincide with the start-up of Springfield's two new rail lines: the $1 billion, southbound Springfield Hartford New Haven rail line, which will reportedly reach speeds up to 110 mph, making it the United States' first true "high-speed" train; and the $80 million, northbound Knowledge Corridor Intercity Commuter Rail, which will connect Springfield with its northern neighbors along the Connecticut River (e.g. Northampton, Massachusetts
) and terminate in Brattleboro, Vermont
. Ultimately, this renovation of the old Montrealer line will take passengers to Montreal, Canada.
While billions of dollars are funding Springfield's north-south rail expansion, a more modest, combined $25 million recently improved Springfield's two main thoroughfares, Main Street and State Street. Both now feature artistic crosswalks and ornate streetlights, which add to the eclectic and increasingly whimsical atmosphere of Metro Center. Unfortunately, the 2011 Springfield tornado reversed much of Main Street's progress.
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, located beside a bend in the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
. As of 2011, Metro Center features a majority of Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
' most important cultural, business, and civic venues. Metro Center includes Springfield's Central Business District, its Club Quarter
Club Quarter
The Club Quarter is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the Metro Center district surrounding historic Stearns Square. Stearns Square is bordered by Worthington Street to the north and Bridge Street to the south; however, the Club Quarter extends for several city blocks north, south, east,...
, its government center
Springfield Municipal Group
The Municipal Group of Springfield, Massachusetts is a collection of three prominent municipal buildings in the city's Metro Center district. Consisting of a concert hall, City Hall, and a clocktower, the Group is a center of government and culture in the city.-Layout:Bounded by Court and Pynchon...
, its convention headquarters, and in recent years, it has become an increasingly popular residential district, especially among young professionals, empty-nesters, and creative types.
As of 2011, Metro Center includes approximately 690 acres of land where the city was initially established, aligned north-south, following the Connecticut River, and is bounded by Route 291 to the north, Union and Howard Streets to the south, Federal Street to the east and the Connecticut River to the west, although Metro Center is physically separated from the Connecticut River by Interstate 91
Interstate 91
Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...
- a 1958 urban renewal project that separated the city from its riverfront.
Settlement and early history
Metro Center, founded in 1636 by William PynchonWilliam Pynchon
William Pynchon was an English colonist in North America best known as the founder of Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. He was also a colonial treasurer, original patentee of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the iconoclastic author of the New World's first banned book...
and a group of pioneers, was originally called Agawam Plantation. At the time of its founding, Agawam Plantation was the northernmost settlement on the Connecticut River, and belonged to the Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
as opposed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, to which it would later belong. Within less than a decade after its founding in 1636, differences arose between the leaders of Agawam (Springfield) and Newtown (Hartford) over how to treat the region's Native population. Springfield hoped to pursue peaceful relations with the Natives so as to better facilitate trade and communal farming, whereas Hartford - and many of Connecticut's early settlers - had fought the bloody Pequot War
Pequot War
The Pequot War was an armed conflict between 1634–1638 between the Pequot tribe against an alliance of the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies who were aided by their Native American allies . Hundreds were killed; hundreds more were captured and sold into slavery to the West Indies. ...
to claim their territory, and thus took a more skeptical view of the Native population. This difference of opinion led to Agawam (Springfield) annexing itself to Massachusetts in 1640. At that time, William Pynchon was named magistrate of the settlement, and the town's name was changed to Springfield in Pynchon's honor. (Pynchon was from Springfield, Essex
Springfield, Essex
Springfield has been a civil parish of the Borough of Chelmsford, Essex, England since 1907. The parish takes in the portion of the town north of river Chelmer and west of the A12 bypass and originally comprised the manors of Springfield Hall, Springfield Barnes, Cuton Hall, and in part New Hall...
.)
Metro Center Springfield was founded on the Connecticut River, just north of the River's first falls unnavigable by sea-going vessels, (the Enfield Falls.) Thus, in founding Springfield, the business-minded Pynchon assured that all northern river trade and travel ran through Springfield. In early colonial days, Springfield was the dominant trading post on the Connecticut River.
In 1675, during King Philip's War. the Metacomet-led Attack on Springfield
Attack on Springfield
The Attack on Springfield was an Indian attack on the settlement of Springfield, Massachusetts during King Philip's War. It was the second major New England settlement burnt to the ground in the war...
burned over 75% of Springfield, which was only Metro Center, including the saw and grist mills. Following King Phillip's War, thought was given to abandoning the settlement at Springfield; however, luckily, cooler heads prevailed and the settlement remained.
In 1777, noting Springfield's location on a major U.S. river, fertile farmland, and close proximity to Boston, Albany, New York City, and Montreal, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
founded the U.S. National Arsenal at Springfield on a tall bluff overlooking Metro Center. Subsequently, Springfield developed neighborhoods other than Metro Center.
In 1813, the green in the middle of Metro Center was officially named Court Square
Court Square
Court Square in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, is a park and National Historic District in the heart of Springfield's urban Metro Center neighborhood. Court Square is the City of Springfield's only topographical constant since its founding in 1636...
. Court Square had been the center of public and social life since the times when Native Americans roamed freely through Springfield's streets (pre-King Phillip's War,) and continued to be so until the building of Springfield's first train station in the 1830s.
The arrival of the railroad to Springfield in the 1830s brought great wealth to the city, again, due to its location. Goods from New York, Boston, Chicago, and even as far west as San Francisco travelled through Springfield on their ways to coastal distribution centers. Springfield, rather than Hartford, or Northampton, or Greenfield, became Western New England's railroad hub, perhaps due to the presence of the Springfield Armory
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts - from 1777 until its closing in 1968 - was the primary center for the manufacture of U.S. military firearms. After its controversial closing during the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory was declared Western Massachusetts'...
, but more likely due to the city's growing reputation for ingenuity, and that it served as a nearly equidistant point between Albany and Boston, Providence, and New York.
Urban fabric
Even by urban New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
standards, where downtowns are frequently walkable like those in Europe, Springfield's is exceptionally so. It is composed of mixed-use residential, commercial, and institutional organizations. A majority of its buildings were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, giving it a Victorian look; however, there are numerous skyscrapers as well. Metro Center is cut off from the Connecticut Riverfront by Interstate 91, an 8-lane highway. Across Interstate 91 sits the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
complex, Springfield's largest tourist draw.
Legislature skyline height limit
From 1908 until 1971, Springfield was subject to a skyline height limit - imposed by the Massachusetts State Legislature - of 125 feet, and thus Springfield has a relatively lower skyline than comparable cities of its population and economic and cultural importance. This trait is now looked on as a positive by developers at the Urban Land Institute, who have written "Metro Center now stands out from its peers, most of which long ago demolished the human-scale architecture that made their downtowns livable." During Springfield's resurgence in the new millennium, prominent architects – like Moshe SafdieMoshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie, CC, FAIA is an architect, urban designer, educator, theorist, and author. Born in the city of Haifa, then Palestine and now Israel, he moved with his family to Montreal, Canada, when he was 15 years old.-Career:...
, who built the $57 million, 2008 U.S. Federal Court Building; Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, who built the $47 million, 2004 Basketball Hall of Fame; and TRO Jung Brannen
TRO Jung Brannen
TRO Jung|Brannen is the largest international design architectural firm headquartered in Boston. The firm celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. The firm has offices in Boston, Beijing, Birmingham, Alabama, Dubai, Memphis, Tennessee, and Sarasota, Florida. The current firm is as a result of the...
, who are building the $110 million, 2012 adaptive re-use of Springfield's original Technical High School – adapted to Springfield's human-scale to a create monumental buildings rather than attempting to "achieve monumentalism through over-scaling," as has happened in other cities. With energy prices rising, Springfield's 1908 building height limit now seems like an idea that was far ahead of its time.
Train Transportation Boom
In 2012, Springfield Union Station, an ornate railroad terminal that has been abandoned since 1973 will be renovated, and once again become the hub of two, new major new rail lines - the Knowledge Corridor intercity high-speed rail from New Haven to Springfield, and an intercity commuter rail that heads northward from Springfield through Northampton, MassachusettsNorthampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, South Deerfield, Massachusetts
South Deerfield, Massachusetts
South Deerfield is a census-designated place in Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to the well-known Yankee Candle Company.South Deerfield is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and ultimately Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
. After reaching Brattleboro, trains will connect with Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Interstate 91's placement inhibiting economic growth
Metro Center provides quick access to I-91 and I-291, both of which connect to I-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), making commutes to BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Hartford, Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, and New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
convenient by car. This convenience, however, has come at a costly price. Due to poor initial, highway planning in 1958, I-91 has essentially amputated Springfield from the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
- its most valuable economic, recreational, and tourist resource - and severed three riverfront neighborhoods, including Metro Center, from which the river is no longer visible. I-91 separates Springfield's Metro Center from the international tourist destination Basketball Hall of Fame complex, and prevents foot traffic between them. In 2010, Boston's Urban Land Institute
Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a non-profit research and education organization with offices in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London...
proposed a vision for Springfield's riverfront; however, as of 2011, Interstate 91 remains a physical barrier between Springfield, the Connecticut River, and the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The position of I-91 and its blockage of the Connecticut River - along with the cement covering of the Mill River - are challenges that Springfield will no doubt face in upcoming years. Recent academic papers have documented negative economic and sociological effects of I-91's placement in Springfield - it has fragmented three neighborhoods, inhibited the economic growth of Springfield's most valuable land - on the Riverfront and around the Basketball Hall of Fame - and essentially made the river inaccessible to people as a place for recreation and tourism. Recent internet city planning polls have Springfield's I-91 among the worst urban planning decisions ever made by an American city. The highway's inhibiting effects on riverfront development were exacerbated during the 1980s and 1990s, when giant, above-grade highway parking lots were built underneath I-91, and later when earthen, grassy mounds and 20-foot limestone walls were constructed around large sections of it, blocking all but the tallest Metro Center buildings' views of the Connecticut River, and discouraging economic and social interaction between Metro Center and the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
.
Residential real estate
Metro Center's housing stock was, for centuries, Springfield's most prized. As of 2011, it is fast regaining that status among people attracted to urban living without the high expense - bohemians, artists, empty-nesters, and LGBT residents have constituted the first wave of Metro Center's recolonization, which began only in the new millenium. Current housing stock consists of various architectural styles, from detached Victorian houses and attached red-brick row-houses in the Quadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic DistrictQuadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic District
Quadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic District is a historic district in Springfield, Massachusetts, bounded by Chestnut Street to the West; State Street to the South; and includes properties on Mattoon, Salem, Edwards and Elliot Streets...
, to historic buildings adaptively re-used or renovated into condominiums, artists' lofts, and rental properties in the Apremont Triangle Historic District
Apremont Triangle Historic District
Apremont Triangle Historic District is an historic district in Springfield, Massachusetts, located at the junction of Pearl, Hillman, Bridge, and Chestnut Streets in its Metro Center district...
. Notable examples include a former 4-star Sheraton
Sheraton
Sheraton may refer to:*Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, a hotel chain*Sheraton, County Durham, a village in County Durham, in England*Sheraton Centre, a mall complex located in the parish of Christ Church, Barbados....
hotel, (The Kimball Towers;) a famous, Victorian high school (Classical High School Condominiums;) an architecturally significant factory (The McIntosh;) and a renovated art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
apartment building, (Pearl Street Luxury Condos.) Rental properties include the adaptive re-use of the former Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley , an American game pioneer, was credited by many with launching the board game industry in North America with Milton Bradley Company....
toy factory, now called Stockbridge Court, as well as the adaptive re-use of the former YMCA building, 122 Chestnut Street.
Since 2005, Metro Center has seen a notable resurgence in market-rate residential real estate. Populations of 20-somethings, LGBTs, bohemians, urban professionals, and empty-nesters are attracted by its culture, entertainment, and urban setting. Major construction projects like the $75 million renovation of Metro Center's Union Station; the $1 billion Springfield - New Haven high speed rail line; the $78 million, northern intercity commuter rail from Springfield through Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, to Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
, (and then ultimately to Montreal, Canada;) the $101 million adaptive re-use of Springfield's original Technical High School for Massachusetts' Data Center; the $57 million Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie, CC, FAIA is an architect, urban designer, educator, theorist, and author. Born in the city of Haifa, then Palestine and now Israel, he moved with his family to Montreal, Canada, when he was 15 years old.-Career:...
-designed, architecturally award-winning Federal Courthouse; and Baystate Health
Baystate Health
Baystate Health is a not-for-profit health care system headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, serving Western Massachusetts and the Knowledge Corridor Region of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The system has 4 hospitals, over 80 medical practices, and 25 reference laboratories...
's $300 million "Hospital of the Future," have all contributed to Metro Center's resurgence.
Notable properties: for sale
The Quadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic DistrictQuadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic District
Quadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic District is a historic district in Springfield, Massachusetts, bounded by Chestnut Street to the West; State Street to the South; and includes properties on Mattoon, Salem, Edwards and Elliot Streets...
is one of the few neighborhoods in the Knowledge Corridor
Knowledge Corridor
The Knowledge Corridor is term for the area comprising north-central Connecticut and the south-central Connecticut River Valley in Western Massachusetts...
that remains lined with historic, restored red-brick Victorian row houses on both sides, and shaded by tree canopies. The Mattoon Street neighborhood features some of Springfield's most prestigious residential addresses, on Mattoon Street, Salem Street, Elliot Street, and others. It also features one of renowned architect H.H. Richardson's first works in the Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
style, the current Hispanic Baptist Church. Early each Fall, the neighborhood hosts a large arts festival, "The Mattoon Street Arts Festival."
The Kimball Towers at 140 Chestnut Street - built in 1911 as the grand Hotel Kimball - was formerly "the leading hotel in Western Massachusetts," hosting guests like U.S. Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, kings, famous actors, and wealthy American capitalists. First named The Hotel Kimball
Hotel Kimball
The Kimball Towers Condominiums are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, at 140 Chestnut Street, in Metro Center's Apremont Triangle Historic District...
, and later The Sheraton
Sheraton
Sheraton may refer to:*Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, a hotel chain*Sheraton, County Durham, a village in County Durham, in England*Sheraton Centre, a mall complex located in the parish of Christ Church, Barbados....
-Kimball Hotel; currently, it is known as The Kimball Towers Condominiums. The neo-classical red-brick building features condos, some of which remain priced well below their market value, because the building's original condominium developer filed for bankruptcy during the 1990s while the building was being converted from a hotel. Many units were left unfinished, particularly on the lower floors. Now under financially-stable ownership - as of its 100th anniversary on St. Patrick's Day, 2011 - the Kimball Towers has become Springfield's most notable address for artists, bohemians, and empty-nesters. It still features its trademark Grand Lobby, Grand Ballroom, and luxurious, Gilded Age architectural details.
Classical High Condominiums at 235 State Street, across from The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle is a cluster of five museums in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Chestnut Street in Metro Center. Five museums and the Springfield City Library surround the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden...
- built in 1897 as "the grandest high school in all of Massachusetts" - is "Springfield's professional address." Classical is protected by the Lower Maple Historic District, which ensures that its grandiose, Victorian architecture will be preserved. Classical High School educated many of Springfield's luminaries, from Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
to Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
to Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
and William Manchester
William Manchester
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, notable as the bestselling author of 18 books that have been translated into over 20 languages...
. Classical's current place as a premier Metro Center residence also makes it as vital and vibrant today as it was in the past.
McIntosh Condominiums at 385 Worthington Street - at the edge of Springfield's Club Quarter
Club Quarter
The Club Quarter is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the Metro Center district surrounding historic Stearns Square. Stearns Square is bordered by Worthington Street to the north and Bridge Street to the south; however, the Club Quarter extends for several city blocks north, south, east,...
- was built in 1913 as the McIntosh Shoe Factory. Springfield's most prominent example of the Chicago School of Architecture. the McIntosh is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its condominiums are both hard and soft lofts, which feature industrial chic details like exposed pipes, high ceilings, and brick walls.
Pearl Street Condominiums at 218 Pearl Street - across from the Springfield Armory
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts - from 1777 until its closing in 1968 - was the primary center for the manufacture of U.S. military firearms. After its controversial closing during the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory was declared Western Massachusetts'...
National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
- were constructed in 1914 in the art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style. Lovingly restored in 2007, Pearl Street features large, luxury apartments with wrought-iron balconies, hardwood floors throughout, and gated parking. The condominiums feature French doors and a lot of old world charm. As of 2011, several units can still be purchased for less than $100,000.
Notable properties: for rent
Apartment buildings in Metro Center include 122 Chestnut, an adaptive re-use of the former YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
on Chestnut Street. It features a fitness center and pool. Morgan Square at 15 Taylor Street, located in one of Springfield's most convenient locations, are gated and feature a fitness center. Stockbridge Court at 45 Willow Street - an adaptive re-use of the former Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley , an American game pioneer, was credited by many with launching the board game industry in North America with Milton Bradley Company....
Toy Factory - features colorful, upscale lofts for urban professionals. Armoury Commons at Salem and Elliot Streets - by The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle is a cluster of five museums in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Chestnut Street in Metro Center. Five museums and the Springfield City Library surround the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden...
- features hardwood floors and access to numerous parks. Colony Court at 156 Maple Street, although not technically in Metro Center, is a very close walk - and it features lovely apartments with hard-wood floors.
Civic
Metro Center features Springfield's and Western Massachusetts' most prominent civic institutions, including the Greek Revival Springfield City Hall, the Springfield School Board, the Hampden County Courthouse and Richardsonian RomanesqueRichardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
Juvenile Courthouse, designed by H.H. Richardson himself. Springfield's ornate, neo-classical Springfield Municipal Group
Springfield Municipal Group
The Municipal Group of Springfield, Massachusetts is a collection of three prominent municipal buildings in the city's Metro Center district. Consisting of a concert hall, City Hall, and a clocktower, the Group is a center of government and culture in the city.-Layout:Bounded by Court and Pynchon...
, dedicated by U.S. President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, features a 300 ft. tall Italianate campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
that towers over Court Square
Court Square
Court Square in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, is a park and National Historic District in the heart of Springfield's urban Metro Center neighborhood. Court Square is the City of Springfield's only topographical constant since its founding in 1636...
. Other prominent civic buildings include "starchitect" Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie, CC, FAIA is an architect, urban designer, educator, theorist, and author. Born in the city of Haifa, then Palestine and now Israel, he moved with his family to Montreal, Canada, when he was 15 years old.-Career:...
's new, $57 million, architecturally award-winning Federal Courthouse on State Street, and Massachusetts' new $110 million Data Center, an adaptive re-use of Springfield's original Technical Hgh School. The Springfield School Board recently moved into modern, $11 million renovated office space 1550 Main Street.
Libraries, Colleges, and Universities
The City of Springfield's palatial Public Library is located in Metro Center. It features the second largest library circulation in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
(behind Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's.) Metro Center also features three higher learning institutions: Cambridge College
Cambridge College
Cambridge College is a private, non-profit college based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in adult education.It offers distance learning and blended learning programs toward undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, counseling, psychology, management, health care management, and...
at Tower Square, the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
's Urban Design Center at Court Square
Court Square
Court Square in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, is a park and National Historic District in the heart of Springfield's urban Metro Center neighborhood. Court Square is the City of Springfield's only topographical constant since its founding in 1636...
, and Springfield Technical Community College
Springfield Technical Community College
Springfield Technical Community College was built on the site of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. The armory, established by George Washington was an important supplier of US armaments for over a century and a half before closing in 1968...
, which enrolls over 6500 students.
Corporate and professional
Metro Center is the central business district of Western MassachusettsWestern Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
, featuring numerous international, national, regional, and local businesses and headquarters. 17,000 businesspeople work in Metro Center. Businesses include the Fortune 100 MassMutual Financial, Peter Pan Bus, Hampden Bank
Hampden Bank
Hampden Bank is currently one of two banks headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, Established in 1852, Hampden Bank is a full-service bank that serves both families and businesses in Hampden County, Massachusetts, and in surrounding communities...
, NuVo Bank, Merriam Webster, Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual Group, more commonly known by the name of its primary line of business Liberty Mutual, is a diversified global insurer and the third largest property and casualty insurer in the United States based on 2010 net written premium. It is the 82nd company on the Fortune 500 list for 2011...
, Verizon, the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, the Northeastern headquarters of TD Banknorth
TD Banknorth
TD Banknorth, formerly just Banknorth, was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank which conducted banking and insurance activities, primarily serving the northeastern area of the United States, headquartered in Portland, Maine...
, Health New England
Health New England
Health New England is a managed care organization that has been serving western Massachusetts since 1985. Because of its commitment to accountable, personal service, more than 100,000 members and 5,000 employers select HNE as their choice for health care coverage, administrative services and...
, Peoples' United Bank, United Personnel staffing, numerous attorneys, architects, accountants, other professionals, and literally hundreds of businesses. As of May 2011, Metro Center also features the headquarters of Massachusetts' third largest company, Baystate Health
Baystate Health
Baystate Health is a not-for-profit health care system headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, serving Western Massachusetts and the Knowledge Corridor Region of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The system has 4 hospitals, over 80 medical practices, and 25 reference laboratories...
.
Cultural
Metro Center features the majority of Western Massachusetts' most important cultural institutions. For example, it features the Springfield ArmorySpringfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts - from 1777 until its closing in 1968 - was the primary center for the manufacture of U.S. military firearms. After its controversial closing during the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory was declared Western Massachusetts'...
National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, which includes a museum featuring the world's largest historic firearm collection. A block west of the Armory is The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle is a cluster of five museums in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Chestnut Street in Metro Center. Five museums and the Springfield City Library surround the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden...
, an extraordinary grouping of world-class and regional museums, each with a different focus. The Quadrangle features the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum, which is known worldwide for having the largest collection of Chinese cloisonné outside of China. It also features the Museum of Fine Arts, which features a particularly strong European Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection, including paintings by Monet, Degas, and Gauguin, among others. The American Collection features works by Springfielder James McNeill Whistler
James McNeill Whistler
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born, British-based artist. Averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger...
. The Springfield Science Museum features the first-ever American planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
(built 1937,) Dinosaur Hall, and a live animal center. The Quadrangle's two regional museums are the Connecticut River Valley History Museum, the most extensive compilation of information on the historic valley and its people; and the new Wood Museum of Springfield History, which showcases Springfield as The City of Firsts in the context of American History.
Live entertainment near Court Square
Springfield Symphony HallSymphony Hall, Springfield
Symphony Hall is a concert venue in Springfield, Massachusetts. Constructed between 1911-1913 and originally known as "The Auditorium," Symphony Hall is renowned as much for its "perfect acoustics" as it is for its Greek Revival architecture...
at Court Square
Court Square
Court Square in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, is a park and National Historic District in the heart of Springfield's urban Metro Center neighborhood. Court Square is the City of Springfield's only topographical constant since its founding in 1636...
features famously "perfect acoustics," and frequent performances by the innovative Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Springfield Symphony Orchestra
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Springfield, Massachusetts. It performs at Symphony Hall, a part of the Springfield Municipal Group....
. It also features traveling performances of Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
shows. Also, close by, the Community Music School of Springfield, located at 127 State Street, features musical programs during the day and evenings. Across the street, the MassMutual Center
MassMutual Center
The MassMutual Center is a multi-purpose arena and convention center, in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. Built in the city's Metro Center across from Court Square, the facility opened in 1972 as the Springfield Civic Center and was at that time considered to be the largest arena in the...
features arena-scale rock concerts, conventions, and is home to two of Springfield's professional sports teams: the NBA D-League's Springfield Armor
Springfield Armor
The Springfield Armor is a basketball team located in Springfield, Massachusetts, which plays in the NBA Development League. The Armor plays its home games at the MassMutual Center in Springfield's Metro Center neighborhood. The team is owned by HWS Basketball, LLC which is principally owned by...
- affiliated with the NBA's New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
- and the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Springfield Falcons
Springfield Falcons
The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center and are the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The Falcons' two main rivals are the Connecticut Whale and the...
- affiliated with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Within close walking distance are Rascal's, a comedy club at 1 Monarch Place, and Springfield's famous City Stage playhouse - a tiny modern playhouse that produces a range of works from philosophical modern plays, to Shakespeare, to children's entertainment. If you plan an excursion to City Stage, it is best to check ahead to see if what's showing meets your tastes.
The Club Quarter
The area surrounding Stearns SquareStearns Square
Stearns Square is an urban, city square located in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, in the heart of Metro Center's Club Quarter. It was designed by the famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and the equally renowned landscape architect Stanford White, to accompany Saint-Gaudens' now-iconic statue,...
has been Springfield' Club Quarter for over 120 years. As of 2011, Springfield's Club Quarter
Club Quarter
The Club Quarter is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the Metro Center district surrounding historic Stearns Square. Stearns Square is bordered by Worthington Street to the north and Bridge Street to the south; however, the Club Quarter extends for several city blocks north, south, east,...
continues to expand, now featuring over 70 clubs, bars, restaurants, and even historic gathering places. For example of the latter, the Duryea brothers built the first, American gasoline-powered car at a still existant building on Taylor Street - one of the few buildings in the district at that time, which was not a bar or club. An 1893 model Duryea stands in a small park outside of what is today Alumni Club at 90 Worthington Street, mere feet from the historically important Duryea shop. Springfield's most popular bars and clubs are an eclectic mix, featuring Skyplex, a three-level bar and club directly on Stearns Square; Theodore's - voted America's best blues club; Oz, one of Springfield's five LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
clubs and bars, (not counting the numerous clubs and bars that sponsor LGBT nights;) Shekago's, a martini bar featuring live jazz and piano-playing; and Fat Cat's Bar & Grill, which features punk, industrial, and other live rock bands. In Springfield's Club Quarter, many different "scenes" co-mingle peaceably, including hip-hop, rock, LGBT, jazz, strip clubs for both men and women, and blues.
The restaurants and clubs by the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
also feature live music (Pizzeria Uno's, Mama Iguana's,) Las Vegas-style shows (Pazzo's,) and of course, several sports bars, such as Samuel's and Max's Tavern.
Hotels
Metro Center features several 3 star and 4 star hotels, including the Springfield Marriott Hotel; the Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place Hotel; the Hilton Garden Inn Springfield; and currently under construction (as of 2011) the Neo-Classical Epiphany building across from the MassMutual CenterMassMutual Center
The MassMutual Center is a multi-purpose arena and convention center, in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. Built in the city's Metro Center across from Court Square, the facility opened in 1972 as the Springfield Civic Center and was at that time considered to be the largest arena in the...
will become a 98-bed Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express is a mid-priced hotel chain within the InterContinental Hotels Group family of brands. As an "express" hotel, their focus is on offering limited services and a reasonable price. Standard amenities lean toward the convenient and practical which cater to business travelers and...
.
Parks
Metro Center features seven prominent parks: Court SquareCourt Square
Court Square in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, is a park and National Historic District in the heart of Springfield's urban Metro Center neighborhood. Court Square is the City of Springfield's only topographical constant since its founding in 1636...
, the city's one constant topographical feature since its founding in 1636; Stearns Square
Stearns Square
Stearns Square is an urban, city square located in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, in the heart of Metro Center's Club Quarter. It was designed by the famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and the equally renowned landscape architect Stanford White, to accompany Saint-Gaudens' now-iconic statue,...
, designed by the creative "dream-team" of Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
and August St. Gaudens, then as now in the heart of Springfield's Club Quarter
Club Quarter
The Club Quarter is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the Metro Center district surrounding historic Stearns Square. Stearns Square is bordered by Worthington Street to the north and Bridge Street to the south; however, the Club Quarter extends for several city blocks north, south, east,...
; Tower Square Park, a green park atop a skyscraper in downtown Springfield; Center Square on Main Street, a well-landscaped park that borders the Club Quarter and Downtown Central Business District; Merrick Park, by The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle
The Quadrangle is a cluster of five museums in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Chestnut Street in Metro Center. Five museums and the Springfield City Library surround the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden...
, the sole function of which is to exhibit Augustus St. Gaudens' most famous outdoor bronze sculpture, The Puritan
The Puritan
The Puritan, or the Widow of Watling Street, also known as The Puritan Widow, is an anonymous Jacobean stage comedy, first published in 1607. It is often attributed to Thomas Middleton, but also belongs to the Shakespeare Apocrypha due to its title page attribution to "W.S.".-Date and...
; Pynchon Park, a modernist concrete park with trees and a distinctive elevator in the brutalist architectural style - one of the more unique looking city parks in the United States, arguably; and Connecticut River Walk Park
Connecticut River Walk Park
The Connecticut River Walk is partially-constructed park and bikeway in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, along the banks of New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. Currently, Springfield's section of this park is 3.7 miles long, running from Chicopee, Massachusetts to the South End...
, a walkway and bikeway that was devastated by the 2011 Springfield tornado, and which previous to it, was rarely used due to Interstate 91
Interstate 91
Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...
physically blocking Springfielders' access to it. Regardless, if one can make it there, it affords beautiful views of the river, valley, skyline, and mountains surrounding them all.
Transportation
In 2012, as noted above, Springfield's grand 1926 Union Station will receive a $75 million renovation (including $4 million pledged by ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
) to become an intermodal transportation center, with Peter Pan Bus' headquarters, PVTA's headquarters, and Greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
all relocating to the new facility. This project will conincide with the start-up of Springfield's two new rail lines: the $1 billion, southbound Springfield Hartford New Haven rail line, which will reportedly reach speeds up to 110 mph, making it the United States' first true "high-speed" train; and the $80 million, northbound Knowledge Corridor Intercity Commuter Rail, which will connect Springfield with its northern neighbors along the Connecticut River (e.g. Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
) and terminate in Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
. Ultimately, this renovation of the old Montrealer line will take passengers to Montreal, Canada.
While billions of dollars are funding Springfield's north-south rail expansion, a more modest, combined $25 million recently improved Springfield's two main thoroughfares, Main Street and State Street. Both now feature artistic crosswalks and ornate streetlights, which add to the eclectic and increasingly whimsical atmosphere of Metro Center. Unfortunately, the 2011 Springfield tornado reversed much of Main Street's progress.