>Assuming that you're going to Smith? Typically the students eat at the dining hall

Indeed, even compared to many other schools Smith seems to be very self contained with students rarely seen much beyond the immediate area of the campus

>If you need a real grocery haul, the Big Y in Northampton is a dang delight and is a bike ride away

Yes, but it's worth checking Stop and Shop, too. Some things are better at one, some at the other. And watch the sales each week, lots of stuff is a ripoff at its usual price and should only ever be bought on sale.

>(there is a bike path running past it!)

No, there's no bike path near Big Y. That's Stop and Shop.

To get to Big Y from Smith one could take State and get on the bike path behind Stop and Shop which then intersects Jackson Street, but that leaves Jackson Street itself and the goofy intersection with Cooke. Or one could just go up Elm to Woodlawn to Jackson, though technically turning left onto Elm on the return is not allowed.

There is technically bike lane (not "path") on the portion of King Street between Big Y and Damon/Bridge, but King Street is not a very sensible way to get there on a bike.

Ironically there is more or less "bike path" to the Big Y way over in Amherst but while Trader Joe's, etc that one would go past in Hadley are probably worth it (and until Northampton's opens late spring, Aldi) there'd be little reason to go to the Amherst Big Y rather than the Northampton one.

But the whole area is great to bike around - there are a tiny handful of roads to avoid but most of the ordinary ones are great.