The small city that started as a paper mill town filled with Irish immigrants has grown to be home to more than 40,000 people from all over the world. The city, found in Western Massachusetts and located on the Connecticut River, is the place I call home.
1. You spent every spring and summer afternoon at Nick’s Nest
Nothing tastes better than a Nick’s Nest hotdog and popcorn on a hot, sunny afternoon. Since 1921, us Holyokers have made Nick’s Nest the go-to place to catch up with family and friends. Every sports player enjoyed a post-game hot dog at Nick’s Nest whether you won or lost.
2. You understand basic English and Spanish
In a city of great diversity, it only makes sense that the majority of the population speaks English or Spanish. Growing up here, you learned to catch on to both. You hear both languages spoken in the grocery store, at restaurants, and of course the mall. Even voter ballots are now offered in either language. In order to get by, you’ve mastered what you need to know for basic conversation in English or Spanish.
3. Your birthday parties were always at the Holyoke Children’s Museum
What was better than climbing up the ‘Curvy Climber’ for hours on end? Perhaps playing in the frozen shadow room. The toughest decision you had to make was whether to celebrate in the Exploration Room or Barnyard Room. You loved getting invited to birthday parties because you knew it meant getting to play at the Children’s Museum.
4. After those parties, you enjoyed a ride on the merry-go-round
After hours of running around at the Children’s Museum, you’d take the short walk over to the merry-go-round where you’d sit on a horse and go around and around for hours. Needless to say, a two-hour birthday party turned into a full day adventure when the merry-go-round was involved.
5. You never missed a St. Patrick’s Day parade
Since 1952, our city has been celebrating the heritage of those who founded the place we call home. Each year, over half a million visitors flock to Holyoke to watch a parade filled with floats, bands, sports teams, local businesses, and more. True Holyokers know that the parade is just the finale of the weekend. It all begins on Saturday with the annual Road Race. In traditional fashion, the majority of the city is not sober this whole weekend (which growing up made you want to be 21 as soon as possible). On this weekend, we all become Irish and know that it’s the greatest celebration of the year.
6. Most people call it ‘Route 5’, but you call it Northampton Street
The first time I heard someone call Northampton Street ‘Route 5’ was when I went to middle school in West Springfield. I looked at the person dumbfounded because I didn’t have a clue where Route 5 was. Turns out, people in Holyoke call it Northampton Street. Hearing it called ‘Route 5’ is another clue that that person is an outsider.
7. Anytime you hear someone say “the mall”, a picture of the Holyoke Mall appears in your head
Even though the mall has only been around since the 90s, it’s become the symbol for the city of Holyoke. With three stories and over 150 stores, the mall is the largest shopping center in Western Massachusetts. People travel from all over to get shopping done at our mall.
8. You took yearly field trips to the Holyoke Dam
With our location on the Connecticut River, we were given prime real estate to build a dam. It only makes sense that next to the dam we built a fishery. It makes even more sense that the fishery has turned into a museum with tours and viewing areas of the fish that live in the river. What makes the most sense is that all teachers in Holyoke find this the perfect destination to take a class on a field trip. It was pretty cool the first time, but it got old after that.
9. You hit one red light on Beech Street, you hit them all
You know that you’re playing a game of luck any time you turn onto Beech Street. If the first light you hit is green, you thank the traffic light Gods for being on your side. If you hit the dreaded red light, you know that you’ve just added five minutes to your travel. Sometimes you love that all 12 lights have the same timing and other times you cry over the fact that you have to go down Beech Street.
10. You pronounce Holyoke without the ‘L’
I can always tell whether a person is from Holyoke-based on how they pronounce it. For some reason that no one really knows, native Holyokers say Holyoke without pronouncing the ‘l’. It’s hoy-oak, not holy-oak.
No matter how far away you may be from Holyoke, you know that these 10 signs you grew up here will always be a part of what makes you who you are. We’re forever bound by our love for our hometown- the 01040.
