Change is in the air. People in our community are once again out of their homes and onto the streets. Thousands of masked protesters turned out in Northampton last Saturday to protest racism and police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. As it happened, this reawakening coincided with the second phase of Gov. Charlie Baker’s reopening plan.
I watched over the past week as businesses prepared for this moment, and people emerged to shop in-person at their favorite retail stores and to dine outside at some of their favorite restaurants after an 11-week wait.
I saw Carrie Lenard, who designs the front window displays at Thornes Marketplace, sweeping out the spaces on Monday. She said she hadn’t been there since February.
“I just took the snowflake decals off the windows … and this is June,” she said. “It’s like a time capsule; like time stood still.” Later in the day, she was inflating balloons of different colors and sizes and tying them together to create her newest spectacle.
Half of the stores in Thornes were open Monday, and others were planning to open later in the week or early next week. Among those open was Rebekah Brooks jewelry store. Clerk Mary Dipesa said she had about 12 customers. “It went well. It was good,” she said. A customer who had looked at some antique jewelry in January returned to buy it.
Erica Cole, the manager of downtown Northampton stores Shop Therapy, Penny Lane and The Vault, was talking to one of her employees, John Olivares, about proper pandemic protocol. “We want people to feel comfortable walking back in,” she said. “It’s good to see everyone in the community again.”
Justin Clay of West Hartford looked through shorts on racks outside Penny Lane, but said he was hoping to find wall art and tapestries for his new apartment. He is on furlough from his work and said, “I have all this time, so why not spend the day in Northampton?”
At Essselon Cafe in Hadley on Tuesday, owner Mark Krause said he is “cautiously exited.” About a dozen customers were spread out on the cafe’s garden patio at lunchtime. Among them were Hannah Horak of Belchertown and Terra Szuhay of Amherst. They hadn’t seen each other since January. “I don’t think I’ve had a coffee I haven’t made myself in three months,” Horak said. “This is so much more special.”
Krause said a tent was going up on Wednesday that would seat another 36 customers.
Late last week, Robbie Bocon, the general manager at Eastside Grill in Northampton, prepared for a New Orleans-themed outdoor seating area in an alley next to the restaurant. “The big question is whether people will want to come out,” he said, “but we have loyal customers. Hopefully, this will attract some people who haven’t been here before.” Brick walls in the alley showcased murals painted by Jean Zampiceni of East Longmeadow and Robert Markey of Ashfield, and the space was spruced up with planters of flowers and gates made from an antique headboard and footboard.
A stroll through Hampshire Mall on Monday was a bit like walking through a ghost town, though some of the stores, like Dick’s Sporting Goods, were open for foot traffic. As I entered the store, a man raised his arms over his head and shouted, “Sneakers!” as he headed in their direction. Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, which had been limited to the sale of mask-making materials, is now fully open. Nearby, diners lunched at Arizona Pizza.
At Mountain Farms Mall on Monday, I met Karen Anderson of Bondville as she left Michaels arts and crafts store. She wasn’t shopping for any particular item, she said: “I just wanted to get out. It feels like I’ve been in prison forever.”