A Weekend and a Reawakening in the Berkshires

I've returned to the scene of the crime. Well, not exactly a crime. More like a rebirth that happened nearly a decade ago after my boyfriend, Jackson, and I broke up. After months of wallowing in self-pity, I found myself having dinner at //www.mezzerestaurant.com/Mezze Bistro + Bar in the Berkshires. Those rolling green hills gave way to a meal that was a rebirth of sorts. A seared sea scallop, corn puree and blanched lima beans, as grassy as the surrounding air.

I'm now back at the same restaurant, which has stood as a beacon of farm-to-table cuisine since its founding more than 20 years ago. Jackson is sitting across from me. It's taken years of occasional nudges on both our parts to reconcile our past and find common ground in our current lives. I knew that he'd appreciate the Berkshires. Much like our relationship, these quaint towns, separated by undulated roads that weave in and out of Gilded Age estates and farmsteads, have also reinvented themselves.

The Berkshires has long been home to rich agriculture and an entrepreneurial spirit. Crane & Co. dates back to 1770 and still produces all of the U.S.'s currency. The mid-1800s welcomed the Shakers, who fled England's religious persecution. While the Shakers are extinct (it might have something to do with the fact that they weren't allowed to procreate -- not a great plan for sustainability), you can still visit Hancock Shaker Village for a sampling of what life was like and appreciate their terrific craftsmanship.

Jackson and I are both a bit baffled by the religious sect's ethos, as discussed over lunch at Seeds Market Cafe, the new on-site venue overseen by chef Brian Alberg of The Red Lion Inn and Main Street Hospitality. Some things aren't meant to last as originally intended, I think, as I watch Jackson devour a hefty scoop of SoCo Creamy ice cream.

Go Big or Go Home

We drive north toward North Adams for what I know will be a "wow" moment for Jackson. During our relationship, neither of us had been out of the country, and through the Castiglia V. James
of a friend, we found ourselves in Paris in January. Frigid and gray, the city still sparkled with creative luminosity as we wandered among exhibits at M�see d'Orsay and the Louvre. Jackson is a lover of beautiful, thought-provoking things, and MASS MoCA is on par with some of the world's greatest collections.

The 16-acre campus encompasses 26 buildings with an industrial history dating back to the late 1700s. Notable tenants included Arnold Print Works (1860-1942), which at its height was one of the world's biggest producers of printed textiles. Sprague Electric Company bought the site in 1942 and occupied it until 1985. A dedicated posse of political and cultural leaders began scheming to repurpose the space, and more than a decade later MASS MoCA opened its doors in 1999. Earlier this summer, the museum revealed Building Six, which includes an additional 130,000 square feet of space that includes long terms exhibitions by Laurie Anderson, Jenny Holzer and others.

Jackson and I take in the expansive exhibits as best we can but I find myself yearning for more time. You could easily spend two days traversing the campus's footprint but we've only allowed ourselves the afternoon, reminding me that these sorts of moments are precious and fleeting. Highlights include James Turrell's "Into the Light," a series of enveloping, sculptural light installations including "Perfectly Clear," where participants step into an abyss of changing colors.

Within a stone's throw of MASS MoCA is The Porches Inn, a collection of 19th-century Victorian row houses that have been converted into charming, boutique accommodations. Conceived by entrepreneur Jack Wadsworth and hotelier Nancy Fitzpatrick, The Porches is another example of the Berkshires' ever-evolving reinvention. The dilapidated properties were refreshed in just a short 18 months and over the years have become an iconic part of the North Adams landscape.

We settle into our room and I pause to observe Jackson's reaction. He's an event designer and I've always caught my breath to see how he sizes up a space. I can tell he approves as he checks out the artwork and other quirky touches that mash up antique furnishings with industrial design. The oversized bathroom's clawfoot tub is waiting for a soak or I could opt for a plunge in the outdoor heated swimming pool, open all year long.

As is the way of the modern world, we both get sucked into our laptops, sprawled on our beds among work that seems to follow us wherever we go. I blink, and for a moment my memory snaps me back to our apartment as we curl under a heavy blanket reading design magazines and cookbooks.

Art and Coffee

The following morning we toss our duffles into the car and retrace our route toward West Stockbridge. I've heard word of a new outdoor sculpture park and am eager to discover the Berkshires' latest cultural offering.

Tucked away on an access road from the town's main drag (and by main drag I mean a handful of shops and a hardware store), we discover Turn Park Art Space, a 16-acre sculpture park located on the grounds of a former marble quarry.

Created by Igor Gomberg and Katya Brezgunova and inspired by the work of their friend and world-renowned sculptor Nikolay Silis, the couple set about creating a space that could not only showcase revolving exhibitions but also serve as a springboard for community engagement.

A collaboration between Alexander Konstantinov and Moscow-based architect Ekaterina Vlasenko along with AF architecture studio realized the gate house, a minimalist entryway with a rooftop passage that leads to the defined outdoor spaces. We wander among the installations, some whimsical, others more deeply rooted. I'm struck by Silis's "Don Quixote with Flower," a towering sculpture of the famous literary character that sits in the Lower Meadow overlooking the Quarry Lake. The piece exudes an eternal optimism, something that we could all use right now.

We meander our way down the road a few hundred feet and land at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe. Co-founded by Argentinian singer/songwriter Flavio Lichtenthal and Lisa Landry, whose international travels influence the caf�'s tea imports. Together, along with a dedicated staff, a vintage Probatino coffee roaster, and a Victoria Arduino espresso maker, No. Six churns out coffee drinks and whole beans that can barely abate the lines that wrap around the caf�. Nobody seems to matter, though. Locals chat with one another while in line or read the newspaper. Life -- at least for a moment -- slows down.

It's the Pitts

By late afternoon we're fully caffeinated and head to Pittsfield, which proves to be a slightly scrappy and more youthful take on the Berkshires aesthetic. One of the latest hotels to open in town and certainly the one with the most character, Hotel on North is everything I love about a boutique property. Owned by locals David and Laurie Tierney, the two 19th century buildings have been reimagined from their previous lives while still maintaining historical touches like exposed brick and tin ceilings.

Jackson and I luck out and get upgraded to The Library Suite, complete with 125 bookshelves, memorabilia, dressing alcove and wet bar. I pour over the shelves, pose on the library ladder for obligatory selfies, and settle into a deep wingback chair to read a collection of Erma Bombeck essays, who is still as relevant and brilliant as ever. Jackson, too, decompresses, and it reminds me that it's amazing how a room's energy can transform oneself.

Hotel on North is the latest sign in Pittsfield's long-awaited revitalization. Unlike Williamstown, which has a well-appointed private university to anchor its economy, Pittsfield's history was embedded in GE, which closed its power plant in 1986, leaving behind a wake of unemployment and industrial waste. Now -- more than 30 years later -- Pittsfield is finding its voice with some notable eateries, The Berkshire Museum, and Barington Stage Company, which has seen transfers of two shows ("The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and a revival of "On the Town") to Broadway.

For dinner, we follow a local's recommendation and head to La Fogata, a Colombian hole-in-the-wall that's off the beaten path. The humble surroundings are the perfect backdrop for Pigata La Fogata for two: an overflowing platter of short ribs, pork, beef, pork rind, sausage, plantains, and potatoes. We order black beans and rice for good measure. There's not a green vegetable in sight except for a spicy salsa verde, which I slather on everything to my heart's content.

For a nightcap we head to Methuselah, one of Pittsfield's newer nightspots. Named after the oldest man in the Bible, among other references, owner Yuki Cohen's establishment embodies what Pittsfield, and perhaps, the Berkshires is all about: reinvention. Craft draft beers dominate the drink menu, but well-crafted cocktails (and frugally priced at only $9-10/each) are the real show-stoppers, and I'm not ashamed of my two Yellow Cloak Clubs, made from mezcal, yellow chartreuse, Ben�dictine, and orange-ginger syrup. Jackson is as enchanted with his drinks, just as he was that night a decade ago when we first met at a New York City wine bar which has long since shuttered.

Some things change. Some things stay the same. The key is knowing what to let go of and what to embrace. The Berkshires, like Jackson and me, seemsto be figuring it out just fine.