Great Barrington

Even with a population barely over 7,500, this pleasant retail center, 7 miles south of Stockbridge, is the largest town in the southern part of the county. Rapids in the Housatonic provided power for a number of mills in centuries past, most of which are now gone, and in 1886 this was one of the first communities in the world to have electricity on its streets and in its homes.

Great Barrington has no sights of particular significance, leaving time to browse its many antiques galleries and specialty shops. Convenient as a home base for excursions to such nearby attractions as Monument Mountain, Bash-Bish Falls, Butternut Basin, Tanglewood concerts, and the historic houses of Stockbridge, it has a number of unremarkable but entirely adequate motels north of the center along or near Route 7 that tend to fill up more slowly on weekends than the better-known inns in the area. It is something of a dining destination, too, with 55 eating places, including, at last count, four sushi bars!

A farmer's market is held on Saturdays from 9:00 to 1:00 in season at the train station on Castle Street.

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce maintains an information booth at 362 Main St. (tel. 413/528-1510; www.southernberkshires.com), near the town hall. It's open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

Getting Outside

The Egremont Country Club, on Route 23 (tel. 413/528-4222; www.egremontcountryclub.com), is open to the public. Its facilities include a scenic 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, and an Olympic-size pool. Greens fees are modest; tee times required.

Butternut Basin, on Route 23, 2 miles east of town (tel. 413/528-2000, or 800/438-7669 for snow conditions; www.butternutbasin.com), is known for its strong family ski programs. There's day care at $8 per hour for kids 2 1/2 to 6 from December 23 until the end of the season, and the Mountaineer program for children 4 to 12 offers packages that include lunch, instruction, and lift tickets for $75 per day. Six double and quad chairlifts provide access to 22 trails. There are also 5 miles of cross-country trails. On weekends, full-day lift tickets cost $46 for adults, $36 for seniors and children 7 to 13, and $10 for children 6 and under. A 2-day jazz festival is presented in late August.

A little over 4 miles north of town, west of Route 7, is Monument Mountain, with two trails to the summit. The easier route is the Indian Monument Trail, about an hour's hike to the top; the more difficult one, the Hickey Trail, isn't much longer but takes the steep way up. The summit, called Squaw Peak, offers splendid views.

Shopping

Head straight for Railroad Street, the town's best shopping strip. Start on the corner with Main Street, at T. P. Saddle Blanket & Trading Co. (tel. 413/528-6500). An unlikely emporium that looks as if it had been lifted whole from the Rockies, it's packed with boots, hats, Indian jewelry, blankets, and jars of salsa.

Mistral's, 6 Railroad St. (tel. 413/528-1618), stocks Gallic tableware, linens, fancy foods, and furniture. Church Street Trading Company, 4 Railroad St. (tel. 413/528-6120), defies easy categorization, with walking sticks, dog collars, and candles all on display. The primary wares are sturdily stylish North Country sweaters, shirts, and pants.

Recently moved from around the corner on Main St., The Chef's Shop, 31 Railroad St. (tel. 413/528-0135), still features a bounty of gadgets and cookbooks as well as cooking classes. Across the street, La Pace, 313 Main St. (tel. 413/528-1888), is an upmarket Bed Bath & Beyond-style store with an Italian tilt.

In the north end of town, just before Route 7 turns right across a short bridge, Route 41 goes straight, toward the village of Housatonic. In about 4 miles you'll see a shed that houses the kiln of Great Barrington Pottery (tel. 413/274-6259). Owner Richard Bennett has been throwing pots according to ancient Japanese techniques for more than 30 years.

Stay on Route 7, going north of the center, and you'll pass a large mall with an anchoring Kmart. In that unlikely location is one of the best (and few) bookstores in the Berkshires, The Bookloft, Barrington Plaza (tel. 413/528-1521).

Nightlife

A grand old downtown cinema, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St. (tel. 413/644-9040; www.mahaiwe.org), has been restored to some of its century-old glory, and stages a surprising variety of music, dance, and drama. The Aston Magna Festival features classical music performed on period instruments. Concerts are held on five Sundays in July and August at St. James Church, Main Street and Taconic Avenue (tel. 800/875-7156 or 413/528-3595; www.astonmagna.org).

Live jazz is often presented at the Castle Street Cafe, and the Union Bar & Grill brings in DJs weekends. Club Helsinki, 284 Main St. (tel. 413/528-3394; www.clubhelsinkiweb.com) is a more regular music venue, with as many as 6 nights a week of rock, pop, bluegrass, reggae, and other forms throughout the year. The Triplex Cinema, 70 Railroad St. (tel. 413/528-8886), shows a mixed bag of independent and foreign flicks as well as major studio releases.