Urban adventure

As its nickname hints, the "Plastics Technology Center of the Nation " does not resemble the neighboring towns of Lenox and Stockbridge. This small industrial city slid from boom to bust during the last decades of the 20th century, after a long run with General Electric, whose predecessor, the Stanley Electric Manufacturing Co., was established in Pittsfield in 1890. GE plants eventually employed more than 13,000 local s. About 30 years ago, GE started closing or moving some of its businesses, finally leaving only 700 jobs behind. The shell-shocked downtown is only now seeing sparks of resurgence. Within the last year or two, some good restaurants, an espresso shop, a day spa, and some innovative retail stores have sprouted, encouraged by a few established businesses. Last year, the restored Colonial Theatre kicked off the city's new identity as an urban cultural center, complementing the arts offered in Becket, Lenox, Stockbridge, and Williamstown. The Barrington Stage Company is buffing up an old theater on Union Street, where the company will open its 2007 season. For now, think of a Pittsfield excursion as an urban adventure.

Do

Anyone who pines to check in at the upscale Canyon Ranch spa in neighboring Lenox but can't afford the rates can now receive the same expert treatments at an affordable, spanking-new day spa in downtown Pittsfield. Joanie Clevenger and her mother, Carolyn, opened Santé Skin Therapy and Spa (141 North St., toll-free 866-423-4756) at the end of last year. Both women work part time at Canyon Ranch, so hot-stone massages ($150/90 minutes) and ultrasonic facials ($100/50 minutes) are no mystery to them. The friendly staff creates a welcoming atmosphere without a whiff of snobbery.

Literary buffs may want to make a pilgrimage to the Arrowhead Museum, home of Herman Melville (780 Holmes Road, off Route 7/20 south, 413-442-1793, mobydick.org), about a five-minute drive from downtown. Between 1850 and 1863, Melville cranked out "Moby-Dick " and other classics here.

The Berkshire Museum (39 South St., 413-443-7171, berkshiremuseum.org) promises to fascinate just about everyone, with an aquarium, natural history exhibits, painting and sculpture, artifacts from ancient civilizations (including an Egyptian mummy), and wooden pull toys made by the sculptor Alexander Calder, who received his first public commission from the museum.

Fuel

For that bracing cup of morning joe, a light lunch, or an afternoon espresso with Wi-Fi, Bellissimo Dolce (444 North St., 413-443-1792, coffee/tea/espresso $1.50-$4.50, pastry $1.75-$4.25, and light lunches $5.35-$6.95) is the place. This artfully renovated storefront retains its original pressed-tin ceilings and ornate woodwork.

The Lantern Bar and Grill (455 North St., 413-448-2717), with its row of booths and well-polished barstools, will draw a sigh of recognition from film noir aficionados. Owner Mark Papas took over the spatula from his father, whose father started the place in 1926. He serves breakfast (10-11 a.m., $2.50-$6), lunch, and dinner (daily specials, sandwiches, steaks, and salads $3.50-$10) , including very popular burgers, and according to one customer, "the best Reuben north of the Bronx."

A few blocks down the street, the sophisticated new Spice (297 North St., 413-443-1234, spice-restaurant.com, lunch $9-$16, dinner entrees $16-$32) serves lunch weekdays and dinner Monday through Saturday. The kitchen delivers classically prepared seafood, steak, and chicken dishes with unusual condiments and sides: pan-roasted salmon with French lentils and mulled red-wine syrup, for instance. An adjoining lounge offers choice bar snacks ($7-$12).

Rest

A few blocks from the Colonial Theatre, a four-bedroom Victorian bed-and-breakfast, American House (306 South St., 413-499-1107, americanhouse-berkshires.com, double $110), boasts a gourmet breakfast.

The White Horse Inn (378 South St., Routes 7 and 20, 413-442-2512, whitehorsebb.com, double $85-$100 until Memorial Day) is a restored Colonial Revival house minutes from downtown.

The multistory Crowne Plaza Pittsfield (1 West St., 413-499-2000, berkshirecrowne.com, double $99-$159) is the biggest hostelry in town, with the convenience of a central location.

Other options include a pet-friendly Comfort Inn (1055 South St., 413-443-4714, pittsfieldcomfortinn.com, double $99) and a Ramada Limited Inn & Suites (1350 West Housatonic St., 413-442-8714, pittsfieldramadainn.com, double $99).

Party

Nightclubs are still scarce downtown, but with classy venues like Brix Wine Bar (40 West St., 413-236-9463 , brixwinebar.com, wines $6-$11 a glass or $22-$42 a bottle, entrees $12-$20), adults of drinking age can enjoy a superlative night out. This chic bistro boasts a Parisian-style zinc bar top and more than 120 wines, bistro meals, bottled beers, and nonalcoholic beverages in addition to a full bar.

The Lounge at Spice restaurant (see Fuel) is another popular watering hole. It hosts free rock or jazz on Thursday nights, but so far, no weekend entertainment.

The Jazz Bar at Asters, a restaurant on the Lenox/Pittsfield line (1015 South St./Routes 7 and 20, 413-499-2075, berkshiredining.net/index.html#JAZZ) features music on Friday and Saturday nights 6:30-9:30.

Play

Minutes from downtown, the classic Bousquet Ski Area (Dan Fox Drive, 413-442-8316 , bousquets.com) dates from the 1930s. Today it is updated for alpine skiing and snowboarding, as well as snow tubing, with 21 trails and a vertical drop of 750 feet. Ample snowmaking ensures the slopes will be open.

Those who prefer a quiet walk in the woods can take to the 30 miles of trails at Pittsfield State Forest (1041 Cascade St., 413-442-8992, mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/pitt.htm), for a sweet hike, with or without snowshoes. In the forest's northeast corner, Balance Rock State Park sports a little natural wonder: a 165-ton limestone boulder balanced on bedrock.

The Colonial Theatre (111 South St., 413-997-4444 , thecolonialtheatre.org), the flagship of the city's cultural rebirth, reopened in 2006, restored to its Golden Age splendor. Designed by a famous theater architect, the Colonial opened in 1903 and hosted such performers as Eubie Blake, Anna Pavlova, and Will Rogers before closing in the Depression. Now the theater again hosts performances year-round, from the Patsy Cline Show to the Boston Symphony Chamber Players to the delightfully foolish Fred Garbo Inflatable Theatre Co.

Spend

North and South streets (Route 7) form Pittsfield's main drag, one continuous axis separated by a central rotary. The retail resurgence starts north of North Street with the Black Market (438 North St., 413-499-8791). This inexpensive women's clothing boutique, festooned with prayer flags and bright fabrics, stocks goods from Katmandu to Cuzco: vests, dresses, jackets, bags, shawls, and jewelry include some more-intriguing-than-usual pieces.

Next door, Greystone Gardens (436 North St., 413-442-9291), an antique clothing and jewelry store, has held down this block for 27 years. Selling not only to passersby but also to theatrical costumers, owner Lynda Meyer says her Victorian wedding dresses and Edwardian velvet dressing gowns have graced stages from Broadway to Williamstown.

Berkshire Fine Handcrafts (431 North St., 413-441-6926) sells the wares of local artisans. Shoppers will find beautiful bargains among the moderately priced pottery, jewelry, woodcarvings, clothing, and baskets . A companion gallery displays paintings and handmade furniture.

Wild Sage (333 North St., 413-447-7000) operates three adjacent stores that will stop yard-salers and antiques shoppers in their tracks. Two stores are open, one selling inexpensive used furniture, the second purveying higher-end art and antiques. A third shop offering an intermediate mix of old and used stuff will open this spring.

Steven Valenti Clothing for Men (157 North St., 413-443-2569) has kept the doors open through 23 years of thick and thin with au courant business and casual attire in an elegant old-fashioned store.