South Deerfield, Mass: The Joy of Small Town Living

Sometimes I think about my life and realize it’s kind of a throwback to an earlier time.  Here’s why.

I do almost everything without leaving my small New England village.  I love it. Here is what I can do in South Deerfield with a minimum of driving and never, ever a traffic jam or parking problem.  This is a great recipe for a stress-free life.

I work at home, so my commute is simply a few steps down into my lower floor offices.  Snow days present no problems, and there’s always time to do the laundry.

My doctor’s office is right in the village, and so is the blood lab where I can get my blood drawn before appointments.

I shop for hardware, electrical, plumbing, and lumber at the Leader Home Center in the village.

I got my haircut at Kim’s salon, which is located in my old office space in the village.

If I have to ship a package, I can pop over to the UPS depot, a mile away in Whately.

My dentist, Jared Reid, of Sugarloaf Dental, is right on the town common.

When I need a prescription filled, I ride my bike to Bob Fedenkenvetz’ Deerfield Pharmacy, where I can also get town gossip along with my medications.

If I want organic vegetables, I drive a very short distance up Route 5 to the Atlas Farm Store, where a $90 purchase gets me a card with $100 value.

For my daily exercise habit, I jog around the streets of the village or down the hill and across the Sunderland bridge.

If I want a good, healthy, organic pizza, or even a gluten-free pie for Mary, I drive a short way to Hillside Pizza, on Routes 5 &10, five minutes tops. Now they’ve opened a 2nd location at Yankee Candle so I can get some tapers with my pie.

If I want a great burrito or a quick slice, I pop into Primo’s Pizzeria and it’s fast and fresh.

For car repair, I have Richard’s Automotive, in town, or Nate Zononi just a mile down Route 5. Between the two of them, there’s nothing they can’t fix.

And now there’s a great Italian Restaurant opening up in the village called Gianni Figs. It’s a lively scene and the pasta is wonderful.

When I wanted a big renovation and addition done, I called Lance at Haydenville Woodworking and Design, in nearby Whately, and I’ve worked with Steven Mizula, another Deerfield based builder.

For dinner, if I don’t want to cook, I can walk to Damn Yankee Barbecue. They have amazing chicken, pork and beef barbecue, and you can sit outside on tables and watch the world go by.

Up the road aways is Bitter Sweet Bakery Cafe, where I can get a breakfast sandwich, some pastries and coffee to go.

COMING SOON

A new restaurant is opening later this year in the center of South Deerfield village called Leo’s Table.  The thrift shop is re-opening in the former Bank of America branch which used bo the Deerfield Arts Bank.  A large commercial bakery is being built in the center of town in the area that was once the pickle factory.