When it comes to things she loves about our neck of the woods, Kristen van Ginhoven has a long list. The Artistic Director of WAM Theatre, Kristen very much enjoys all the cultural opportunities our region provides us, but she also spends a significant amount of time outdoors. Here she tells us why she settled down and made Lee her home. Pancakes have something to do with it. My husband, Nick, and I moved to the Berkshires in 2008. We were both living and working in Europe and he got a job offer in Upstate New York and I got a grad school offer in Boston. The Berkshires seemed halfway. We thought it might be temporary but then, like so many others, we fell in love with the Berkshires. Now, five years later, we both have our green cards (I’m Canadian, Nick is British), jobs we love and a house we adore in Lee. Sometimes we’ll walk down to Otto’s in Lee. The three-mile walk slightly offsets my pancakes and Nick's corned beef hash. We recently went to the Southfield Store for brunch with friends, which was delicious. I also love Haven in Lenox for breakfast, lunch or just a cup of cinnamon tea. I love the food and always run into someone I know. I also enjoy Cakewalk and Pho Saigon in Lee. In the summer for outdoor adventures I go canoeing on Stockbridge Bowl and hiking on the Appalachian Trail. I always end up going up Monument Mountain in Great Barrington. I love the view from the top and the length and challenge of that hike are perfect for a day’s workout. I also love Kennedy Park for walking and cross-country skiing. It's nice and close to Chocolate Springs Café for a post-workout hot chocolate! The plethora of culturally rich organizations, natural beauty and outdoor adventure, plus the proximity to New York City and Boston make the Berkshires a paradise. For my husband and me, the combination of high quality arts and culture and amazing outdoor adventure, plus all the smart, fun, down-to-earth people we continually meet here, make this the perfect place for us to be.
