What would a great resource for new residents to Amherst look like?
When I moved to Amherst in 2018, I had to stumble upon many things to discover them, sometimes long after I first needed them. I couldn’t always find the information I wanted online, and I wished there was a series of guides to help newcomers like myself find their way around the town as they settled in.
So I started doing what any slightly obsessive newcomer does. I documented things. Took photos (I have a habit of doing this wherever I go). Made notes. Kept a running record of the places I found, the questions I had, the answers I eventually tracked down, and the things I wished someone had just told me on day one.
And I wondered that very question: What would a great, useful resource for new residents in Amherst look like?
That was over seven years ago.
Building the resources from years of Amherst documentation
Besides the notices, which form the core pillars of this site, what you see on Amherst Now; the photos, the guides, the ideas, are the visible tip of all that work. Over those seven years I accumulated hundreds of photos, documented dozens of events, and built up a record about life in Amherst.
But it all lived in folders and on hard disks for many years as I worked on other projects. When Amherst Now launched in 2024, that archive finally had a home.
The team at Owwtreach, the digital marketing agency I founded in Amherst, helped pull it all together. They are helping take seven years of living here and turning it into something navigable, searchable, and genuinely useful for the people who need it most.
Over the last few months, we started publishing some of those Amherst area photos and launching some of the guides to life in Amherst that we have been working on.
And! Finally launching two key guides
Today we’re launching two key resources for new Amherst residents, or people thinking of moving to this beautiful college town, that have come out of this work.
The first is the Complete Guide to Living in Amherst, MA, covering housing, neighborhoods, nearby towns, schools, groceries, shopping, health care, recreation, transit, rentals, the four seasons, and practical tips for new arrivals.
The idea was to create something comprehensive that wasn’t too voluminous; the kind of thing I would have devoured in my first weeks here.
The second is 101 Questions Newcomers Ask About Amherst, every common question we could find about making the move, with links back to the full guide where you need more depth.
Both are fully searchable, making them very user friendly.
Going forward, we will partner with other photographers and grow the number of people who contribute to our blogs and guides sections to continue to make this a truly helpful resource for people curious about Amherst and surrounding towns.
If you’re new to Amherst, these are for you. If someone you know is heading here, send them the links.
Open skies,
Fungai Tichawangana
PHOTO: Fungai Tichawangana in the famous bedroom at the Emily Dickinson Museum.
