Small Town Living in Massachusetts
In
this world of overdevelopment, there are still Bay State communities
that have not changed much through the years -- these are classic towns
to live in, or, in some cases, as part of your New England vacation
plans!
Shelburne Falls, Mass.
by Eric Hurwitz. Article updated on 11/20/16
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Many Massachusetts communities that we think of as classic
small towns have become supersized. Due to growing tourism and other
types of community development towns like Plymouth and Salem -- while
essential New England travel destinations -- are no longer quiet, small
towns. Still, Massachusetts does have some towns stuck in time,
thankfully having no ambition to become other than what they always
have been. They are relatively undeveloped towns in comparison to
other communities in the region. While the storefront names might have
changed and there might be some more boutiques and galleries than
before, the small town feel strongly remains in the following New
England towns, filled with peace and quiet:
Boston Suburbs
Wrentham does have the
gargantuan Wrentham Shopping Outlets on the outskirts of town, but the
rest of this classic New England community is quintessential New
England with a beautiful downtown featuring a handful of shops and
restaurants (inlcuding the very good Gavel House)), a large,
tree-shaded town common, church with tall white steeple, and public
schools schools -- a typical, traditional combination for a New England
town . Lake Pearl and Lake Archer are true jewels, making
Wrentham feeling like a vacation destination. The Big Apple Farm, in
the quaint Sheldonville section of Wrentham, is a pleasant place to buy
produce, pick seasonal fruit and enjoy a Richardson's ice cream at the
ice cream stand. Sheldonville, by the way, is a sight to behold,
consisting of a post office, general store and lots of scenic open
spaces and farms off the main road (Route 1A). It's hard to believe
Wrentham is a Boston suburb, given its Vermont village feel and the
beautiful rural drives that seem so rare in in the suburbs.
Right next to Wrentham is Norfolk,
one of the last truly unspoiled small towns in the Boston
suburbs. The town center, while still a work in progress (it's not
finished yet, amazing for a town first incorporated in 1870!), has a
beautiful town common with a gazebo, old-fashioned clock, a new library
that fits in well with the "old" look of the town, a big white church,
well-maintained colonial homes, and nice town common sidewalks to
stroll. Norfolk also has Jane and Paul's Farm, a nice hideaway where
you can buy some of its fresh produce and enjoy communing with the
goats, chickens, rabbits and ducks. It's a great place to go
apple and pumpkin picking in the fall, and strawberry and blueberry
picking in the summer. Norfolk also features numerous ponds and lakes.
Mass Audubon's Stony Brook Reservation features an extensive boardwalk
system to allow you to view a row of beech trees at Kingfisher Pond and
turtles, muskrats, great blue herons, various duck species and more.
It's a beautiful rural hike, seemingly located in the middle of
nowhere. Norfolk is a true, community-oriented town with a friendly
feel and also a skating rink where three generations of local family
teach locals how to skate. There's also "restaurant row" on Route
1A -- the Horse and Carriage for straightforward but excellent chicken,
steak , seafood and pizza dishes, Novato's for traditional and modern
American cuisine, and the Eagle Brook Saloon with its western
bar/restaurant look, curved staircase and some of the best steaks
around. Overall, Norfolk might seem unerwhelming, but it's
overwhelmingly beautiful for those in search of small town New
England. Here's some more validation of Norfolk's small town
feel: they still have an independently-owned weekly newspaper called
the Boomerang, and no major highways touch this quaint town!
Concord still retains a small
town feel, which is unusual for a town that could have gone "touristy"
given its Revolutionary War history. The lovely Monument Square,
the quaint 1792 Colonial Inn hotel and restaurant, a few blocks of
upscale yet low profile shops, the charming Concord Public Library
built in 1873, and nearby famous Walden Pond (great for swimming and
hiking) and the visually beautiful historic Old North Bridge area make
Concord a relaxing vacation choice for those who don't want to be too
overwhelmed during their travels.
Neighboring Maynard is a
hiddden gem. While it is not exactly refined and is still rebounding
from the closing of Digital Corporation, you'll find a sunny downtown
area and tree-lined neighborhoods with modest homes that seems stuck in
the 50s. The downtown features a growing restaurant scene,
offering many types of ethnic food. Some of our favorite Maynard
memories: the old school style China Ruby Chinese restaurant, the "It's
a Wonderful Life" look of the Maynard Outdoor Store, and the last of a
dying breed, Fine Arts Theater, that recalls the days of going to the
local downtown movie theater. There's also Babico's for diner
comfort food and delicious donuts. On the outside of town is
Erickson's, a classic ice cream stand has brought in summer crowds
since 1937.
Manchester-by-the Sea is a
wealthy North Shore town, just 20 miles north of Boston. With a
beautiful harbor, the cozy Singing Beach on the ocean, historic sea
captains homes and buildings, and a modest but pleasant choice of
downtown restaurants and shops, Manchester-by-the-Sea really turns on
the coastal New England charm to the highest degree possible. It is
also close to Rockport and Gloucester, two renowned New England coastal
vacation destinations.
Southeastern Massachusetts
Marion, a charming residential
seacoast community, offers a general store, neighborhoods with
well-maintained large homes with white picket fences, and water views
along Buzzards Bay near Cape Cod. Marion is home to Tabor
Academy, a renowned private school.
Middleboro, near Cape Cod, has
a spectacular 1870s Victorian-style town hall that is rumored to be
haunted, an old-fashioned downtown with a nice mix of mom and pop
shops, and plenty of room on the large outskirts of town
to run around -- it is the second largest town in Massachusetts in
terms of square mils -- yet hasn't succumbed to overdevelopment. Also
impressive is the Main Street USA look just off the downtown with its
concentration of spectacular, big old homes. On Route
28, check out Dave's Diner, offering great comfort food in a retro 50s
diner atmosphere.
Central and North Central Massachusetts
West Brookfield, has one of the
prettiest town commons you'll ever see and features summer little
league games and concerts, fall events and tree lighting ceremonies
during the Christmas season. The entire downtown district is on the
National Register of Historic Places and has a few nice stores
including the Book Bear used book store, an old-time hardware store and
a variety store. It is home to the Salem Cross Inn, a historic Colonial
restaurant featuring New England charm and fare, including some
delicious prime rib, Yankee pot roast, chicken pot pie, Atlantic
salmon, apple raspberry roasted duck, Indian pudding, butternut squash,
pumpkins muffins, homemade breads, clam chowder and the amazing pecan
pie and apple pies.
Groton has perhaps the most
accurate New England look, with two prep schools, a downtown anchored
by a classic white church and town common, the Stagecoach Inn and
Tavern built in 1768, a beautiful public library and historic old
homes. The Natural Market health food store is housed in the former
town post office, and there are several area antique shops. Groton also
features several apple orchards and farmstands, perfect stops when
traveling the rural backroads of New England.
Western Massachusetts/Berkshire
Mountains
If you really love old homes, then check out the 330-year-old,
mile-long Main Street in Deerfield.
It's a spectacular architectural tour of early New England with many
homes built in the 1700 and 1800s. One of the old homes is the
Deerfield Inn, built in 1884 and a favorite traditional New England
lodging destination. To add some more New England presence, the famous
Deerfield Academy graces the Main Street with dignity and an aura of
academia. For those in search of something more modern, the
Yankee Candle Company in South Deerfield features more than 160 candle
varieties, 16,000 square feet of home furnishings, a candle making
museum, foods from fudge to gourmet dinners (and Chandler's
Restaurant), a car museum, a Bavarian Christmas Village with themed
holiday shops and a 25-foot Christmas tree!
Shelburne Falls cleverly
combines the look of a small town -- coffee shop, local pharmacy, book
store -- with the presence of upscale galleries and boutiques. With its
vibrant, yet laid-back old-fashioned-looking downtown and the amazing
Bridge of Flowers -- an old railroad bridge featuring 400 ft. of more
than 500 flowers, plants and twigs and a stunning view of the Shelburne
River -- this cozy town is truly a nice place to be -- sort of like
Mayberry RFD with a bowtie.
Stockbridge, for all its fame,
has essentially remained a small town with a peaceful aura and a look
that Norman Rockwell so famously captured in his art work. Located in
the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, this beautiful valley
town features the stunning Red Lion Inn established in 1773, historic
mansions, the Berkshire Theater Festival, the old-fashioned and very
old Stockbridge Public Library, a working fountain built in 1881, and a
19th century village green. The Elm Street Market confirms the
small-town living presence -- it's an old-fashioned standalone market
with a counter to grab a meal.
Cape Cod
Welfleet might just be the most
unspoiled, attractive small town on Cape Cod. Seventy-five miles out
into the Atlantic Ocean, Welfleet is a rural coastal town, with 61
percent of the area being part of the Cape Cod National Seashore
Park. That means great ocean beaches for you to enjoy! The
Central Village area represents quaint Cape Cod at its finest with a
nice variety of shopping and dining oppoortunities -- it is a great
place to stroll. Welfleet also features fresh water ponds and one of
the last drive-in theaters in the area. What a great place to vacation,
the type of Cape Cod destination you'd expect from this region -- as
opposed to the overcommercial areas in other towns that have been
changing the area.
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Eric
wrote these helpful, fun New England travel books just for you...
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