College Town

Here is a city with the urban flair of Coolidge Corner in Brookline or the South End in Boston — that is, until you set foot in a crosswalk. Cars stop — magically. Politeness toward pedestrians — and pretty much everyone else — is a way of life. A civility exists here in the state’s west that is rare east of Route 128. It could be the area’s laidback attitude, left-leaning politics, or simply the slower pace. But the combination of culture and calmness makes this place an ideal escape.

Residents are being asked to look into Franklin's future and help create a master plan to guide land-use decisions for the next 10 to 20 years. Members of the town's Master Plan Committee, which is preparing the document that will become the blueprint for decision-making, asked the handful of residents in attendance at the first of two scheduled public hearings about their vision for the town. "We want to find out from the community what type of town they want us to be," said Town Councilor Jeff Roy, chairman of the Master Plan Committee.

Bostonians often regard Providence as just another restaurant district, a little farther south than the South End, but close enough to eat and get back in time to send the baby sitter home before curfew. But there's more to "Renaissance City" than boites and bistros. Sure, there are similarities to Beantown in the merchant-prince manses on a hill, the river down the middle, and even a disruptive highway relocation project. Like Boston, Providence is a college town, with the Rhode Island School of Design raising the level of visual effervescence and Johnson & Wales University, Brown University, and Providence College...

"Is anyone afraid of fire?" the instructor says as I take a seat at a wooden table in a shed-turned-art studio. Nope, not here. Moments later, thrusting a rod of glass into a blue flame a few inches from my face, I think twice. Playing with fire is very different from cozying up to a hearth. But this is no place for fear. I have joined an intrepid mix of artists, glass enthusiasts, and a mother-and-daughter team in the foothills of the Berkshires to bond over alchemy.

Dashiell Hammett, tycoon Robert Wood Johnson II, Jaws author Peter Benchley, and retired president Grover Cleveland numbered among the many notables who chose to make it their home, and as soon as you arrive, you’ll understand why. Princeton brims with finely scaled architecture and landscaping, a palpable sense of sophistication and engagement, and an uplifting calm. A couple of days in this university burg, loaded with shopping, eating, museums, and theater on gracious tree-lined streets, will leave your spirit recharged and your balance restored.

The 19th-century soprano Jenny Lind called it "the Paradise of America," spawning the moniker "Paradise City. " Various news outlets have dubbed it "Lesbianville, USA" because of the town's sizable Sapphic community. Some locals call it "Hamp," others "Noho," a nod to its perennial artiness. Call it what you will, sometime between its Puritan beginnings and its milltown heyday, Northampton became a magnet for artists, writers, and other free spirits. The founding of Smith College for women in 1871 fueled the flow of intelligentsia.

Much more than a college town, Brunswick, which was first settled in 1628 and became a township in 1717, and its neighbors mesh culture with outdoor activities and fun shops with good restaurants. STAY Smack downtown and facing the town green is Brunswick Inn on Park Row (800-299-4914, www.brunswickbnb.com, $145-$195), a handsome Greek Revival mansion and adjacent carriage house. Two other inns are within walking distance of downtown: the recently renovated, full-service Captain Daniel Stone Inn (10 Water St., 877-373-2374,...

NEWARK, Del. -- These days, chain restaurants dominate the American food landscape. For travelers, it's too easy to stop at a familiar place rather than take a chance on an unknown local eatery, even though that's the best way to appreciate a region. On a recent visit to the nation's second smallest state, the college town of Newark (pronounced NEW-ark) seemed a likely place to find the local touch. The hometown of the University of Delaware, the state's oldest and largest university, should generate creative thinking on the food front.

Here in the Granite State’s pastoral southwest corner is this lively small town infused with the collegiate energies of Keene State, a liberal arts school in its centennial year. Red brick abounds, a testament to Keene’s textile roots. Stroll its broad, leafy Main Street - billed as the country’s widest - lined with shops, cafes, restaurants, museums, and, of course, students. Stay The Carriage Barn (358 Main St., www.carriagebarn.com, 603-357-3812; off-season rates from $79 for a double)

The Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will began 2013 by renewing their rivalry at one of North America's most iconic stadiums. The two Original Six foes will play in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1 at Michigan Stadium, part of an outdoor showcase that will also include minor league and college hockey games at Detroit's Comerica Park. Toronto will become the first Canadian team to play in the Winter Classic when the Maple Leafs and Red Wings face off in Ann Arbor, about 45 miles west of Detroit.

Designer Tory Burch spoke at Northeastern as part of the Startup America Partnership's one-year celebration on Tuesday, and she told the Globe during her visit that she thinks we're a stylish city. "I think Boston has its own style. It reminds me of Philadelphia in a way. It's slanted a bit more conservative, but it has other elements as well. It's such a great young college town. "

With demolition of the dilapidated InTown Mall in Lawrence underway, Northern Essex Community College is poised to help transform the former mill city into a place where tomorrow's health care providers will learn the skills they need to care for patients across the Merrimack Valley. The three-story Common Street mall is being razed to make way for the Northern Essex Community College El-Hefni Health & Technology Center. When construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013, the $27.4 million center will house the majority of the...

Northern Essex Community College plans to significantly expand support services to prospective and enrolled students at its Lawrence campus with the help of newly awarded federal funds. The college is receiving a five-year, $2.74 million grant under a US Department of Education program that supports efforts to expand educational opportunities for Hispanic students and boost their academic achievement. Northern Essex qualified for the grant because a large proportion of the students at its Lawrence campus - 50.6 percent - is Hispanic.

1. NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS The Five Colleges region of the Pioneer Valley is the perfect weekend retreat, especially when fall foliage turns the rolling hills crimson and a bursting apple orchard seems always just around the bend. Start your tour biking on the 10-mile Norwottuck Rail Trail, which stretches east from Northampton to Belchertown. For a rush, pedal across the Connecticut River on a 1,400-foot-long bridge. Or simply stroll the expansive grounds of Amherst, Mount Holyoke, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Hampshire, or Smith – its landscaping was...

The door is open and she's standing in the light of the entryway. She is very pretty. Certainly he notices this. When he gives her the signal, she steps up, smiles a nice smile, and hands him her ID. It is the real driver's license of a pretty 21-year-old girl, but the girl is not her. The doorman looks down at the ID closely and without looking up asks her for backup, which at Mary Ann's means he wants to see her Boston College ID. As...

With demolition of the dilapidated InTown Mall in Lawrence underway, Northern Essex Community College is poised to help transform the former mill city into a place where tomorrow's health care providers will learn the skills they need to care for patients across the Merrimack Valley. The three-story Common Street mall is being razed to make way for the Northern Essex Community College El-Hefni Health & Technology Center. When construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013, the $27.4 million center will house the majority of the college's 17 health...

The door is open and she's standing in the light of the entryway. She is very pretty. Certainly he notices this. When he gives her the signal, she steps up, smiles a nice smile, and hands him her ID. It is the real driver's license of a pretty 21-year-old girl, but the girl is not her. The doorman looks down at the ID closely and without looking up asks her for backup, which at Mary Ann's means he wants to see her Boston College ID. As...

It’s been a big year for big moves for Patriots linebacker Dane Fletcher. The 24-year-old rookie is new to the NFL, new to Boston, new to the inside linebacker position, and after last week’s critical sack of Green Bay quarterback Matt Flynn on the first play of the game’s final series, he’s new to the national sports spotlight. But before he could get his feet straight on the Patriots’ line, Fletcher needed to figure out how to get around in Massachusetts. “It took some getting used to,’’ Fletcher said yesterday, choosing his words as politely as...