One of our favorite places to get away is The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA. Their website and writing is as delightful as the place itself, so here is a copy/paste description from their site:
The spectacularly located and formerly overlooked city of North Adams is being revitalized through ART — cutting edge, contemporary art, no less! And it has called to a few of us in a big way. Our hook was the block of seriously dilapidated but sturdily built, beautifully detailed Victorian row houses that dominate the view from Building Five, MASS MoCA’s vast splendid exhibition space.
Porches, you see, was inspired by MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) the visionary array of galleries and performance spaces taking root in a sprawling 19th-century mill complex. Phase I of MASS MoCA, 300,000 square feet of award-winning renovation completed in 1999, celebrates artists of today and the best of their big ideas.
Porches is the most visible manifestation, to-date, of the changes sparked by MASS MoCA. Its 47 rooms of retro-edgy, industrial granny chic ambiance make a spirited lodging statement in New England and beyond. Leisure travelers surrender to tony comfort and attitude-free service while itinerant techies avail themselves of WiFi connections and bandwidth galore.
Imaginative renovation includes long verandas and bold inside/outside spaces. The interiors mix striking, colorful style with homage to the generations of mill workers’ families who lived here.
The best rates are off-season and during the week, and there is always plenty to do. The porches website keeps you up-to-date with that information too, so check out their blog. And, yes, they have free WiFi throughout the entire property, a pool, a fitness center and an amazingly delish complimentary breakfast which includes locally made granola (the best we’ve ever tasted). Even in the chilly weather, we hop into the outdoor whirlpool and take in the mountain view as the sun sets, or sit on one of the many rocking chair-filled porches drinking coffee in the morning. The views of the 17 building retro-industrial MASS MoCA across the street are thrilling, the art and decor could not be cooler, and the hospitality is A+. They also have a pretty large collection of DVDs on-hand, so don’t forget to ask for the list when you check in. We have stayed in fireplace suites, suites with skylights and whirlpool tubs, deluxe rooms with their own porches and basic rooms — all of them charming and beautifully adorned.
Our trips always include a visit to MASS MoCA which incidently has a nice collection of books in their gift store and a great cafe. (And, kudos to Doug Bartow — now of ID29 — for the excellent design and signage he imparted on his tenure there!) On your way in-or-out of MASS MoCA, check out HUDSON’S — one of the locations of Jeff and Jane Hudson’s eclectic mix of must have things. (Bumping into Jane last year was an extra bonus for me, as I remembered her and Jeff from when they were professors at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). Talented, fun and super nice folks!
Not far away are The Sterling and Francine Clark Institute and Williams College Museum. The Clark is free off-season November 1 through May 31 and $15/adult any other time. MASS MoCA admission is $15/adult year round, but you can purchase a dual ticket at either museum for a reduced rate. The Williams College Museum is free all year. Do make sure to check the museum schedules before you book if your trip is art-driven!
There are plenty of local restaurants and Porches includes the list in each room. However, the rooms are so interesting and cozy that you might want to try take out. Last visit, we found the Wild Oats Market was the perfect solution for us. They have natural and organic foods, including a hot bar and salad bar for take out which allowed us to hang out watching movies the we borrowed including: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Big Lebowski — while still able to work and play on our computers and sketch in our journals — bliss!
