Framingham, Massachusetts - My Hometown
Written: Sep 10 '02 (Updated Apr 08 '03)
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Pros: Diversity and every store known to human kind (except Krispy Kreme!).
Cons: Crowded, very little land left. Congestion due to stores, stores and stores.
The Bottom Line: Framingham has a lot going for it but it isn't the quiet suburban town of long ago. You'll find a diverse population and a shopping mecca.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Framingham |
I grew up in Framingham, MA, USA. I still go there, although it is over an hour away from my new home about every three months. Recently my mom was visiting and stayed in Framingham for 2 weeks. This is my 500th review and I decided that a review of my hometown, located halfway between the cities of Boston and Worcester about 30 minutes west of Boston made sense.
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When my parents moved to Framingham in 1957 we had deer in our backyard and our street was a dead end. We moved to a new development, one of many that were popping up 25 miles from Boston. At that time there were no superhighways from Framingham to Boston where my father worked. My relatives all of whom lived close to Boston thought my parents were crazy to move to the “sticks.”
Framingham had been farmland and a golf course before the development happened and it happened at an alarming rate. Before we knew it, we had shopping malls and the little country stores were replaced with department stores the likes of which few towns know!
3 1/2 years ago my husband and I sold our house and moved from a heterogeneous suburban neighbor to a homogenous beach community.
General Information
We decided to leave my hometown because we found ourselves empty nested in a big house with a big mortgage. Framingham, Massachusetts had become in the 45 on and off years I had lived there as “the "biggest town in the country". Some cite the town as the most populace municipality in the United States with a town meeting form of government.” (http://www.pe.net/~rksnow/macountyframingham.htm)
In 1951 with a population of 28,000, Framingham modified its government from an open Town Meeting to a representative Town Meeting. On October 4, 1951, Shoppers World, one of the nation's first regional shopping malls opened. In 1957 as part of the new interstate highway system, I-90, also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike opened with two exits in Framingham. (WWW. Framingham.org). This turnpike allowed my father to travel from home to work in less than an hour. Before the turnpike the trek would have been twice that!
With a population of about 65,000 people (http://www.framingham.com/ask-fram.htm) the town has grown from a country town “somewhere West of Boston” to a town known for the one President Clinton came to visit on October 16, 1994 to sign an education bill and address a political rally at Town Hall.
It is also known nationwide as the home of Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space. She died in 1986 when the spaceship, Challenger, exploded in front of the nation’s eyes. One of the town's 2 libraries has been named after her.
Framingham has become a hub of shopping malls, restaurants and Papa Gino’s! When I left Framingham there was little land left to develop of the approximately 26 square miles. The strips mostly on Route 9 (Also known as Worcester Road) and Route 30 (Also known as Cochituate Road) have virtually every store that is available in Massachusetts. A brand new Wal-Mart on Route 9 just went in to where Caldor's was for years and years. The old Howard Johnson's has been replaced by a Best Western where my mom stayed across the street from Wal-Mart.
When growing up in Framingham I never expected to be raising my children there. Not only were they raised in my hometown, they graduated from the same high school as I did!
However when I went to Framingham North High School, there was also a Framingham South High School. In the mid 90s the schools merged and the one high school that remained was Framingham North to be called Framingham High. The school system is very good. It cannot compare with some very wealthy neighborhood towns such as Weston and Sudbury. In spite of that, one daughter went on to an Ivy League University and another to a top ranked University.
Framingham is one of those towns that is literally divided in 1/2 by train tracks. The town made what I look at as futile attempts to integrate North and South but really to no avail. After combining the two high schools they added new zip codes and what do you know? The Southside and Northside had different zip codes. So much for integration.
"For 25 years, US Census data show that in inflation adjusted dollars, the mean family income in the southern-most census tracts has remained at about $29,000. In the northern-most census tracts, there has been a steady climb from $46,000 in 1969 to $82,000 in 1994. Statistically, Framingham has gone from a bastion of the middle class in the 1960s to a gulf of inequality in the 1990s."
(http://www.boston.com/globe/metro/packages/framingham/)
What to see and where to eat
If you find yourself in this town I want to recommend 2 restaurants, one of which I ate in just a couple of weeks ago. They are on Cochituate Road (or Route 30) and are virtually next door to each other.
One is Bella Costa Restaurant. This one is Italian, very reasonably priced and delicious; the other is the Aegean Restaurant. This is Greek, also delicious and reasonably priced. They both have lunch and dinner specials and I highly recommend either restaurant. The famous Finally's Michael's has been torn down but Ken's Steak House on Route 9 next to Shopper's World still remains and in my opinion has always only be just mediocre.
I would also recommend Rasoi which serves Indian food. This is on Route 9 just north of downtown Framingham where you will find the Town Hall and railroad tracks.
If you are in the mood for delicious pasty and bread stop in at the Bread Basket, which is in the same small complex as Bella Costa.
If you are in the mood to play pool, Mr. Billiards is on Route 9 with Pearl’s Candy store a few stores down if you feel like some sweets.
Framingham is not what one would call a destination. There are some sights to know about, though. Framingham State College which is on the corner of Route 9 and Union Avenue is here as is the Danforth Art Museum, which is in the downtown area on Union Avenue between the main library, Town Hall and the police station. If you want to take a walk through beautiful flowers and trees go to Garden in the Woods at 180 Hemenway Road (http://www.newfs.org/garden.htm) or if you feel like a little hiking Callahan State Park on Millwood Street (http://www.state.ma.us/dem/parks/call.htm) is here.
Shopper's World is still in existence but in name only. You can't miss it especially since it is between both Route 9 and Route 30! It is no longer a connected mall without a roof with a playground and train for children. You will now find a parking lot surrounded by stores. Borders is next to Barnes & Noble. You will find T.J.Maxx across the parking lot from Marshalls. There is virtually nothing in this town you may want that you cannot find.
Trader Joe's stands next door to Bread and Circus on Route 9 with an environmentally friendly dry cleaner in its midst.
Framingham is also known for The Framingham Heart Study. "For 50 years, the Framingham Heart Study and the residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, have been synonymous with the remarkable advances made in the prevention of heart disease in the United States and throughout the world." http://www.framingham.com/heart/backgrnd.htm This, for us, was one of the most exciting accomplishments.
Framingham is now home to MetroWest Medical Center, on Union Avenue a respected hospital. It has come a long, long way from the days I knew it as Framingham Union Hospital!
One day when my youngest daughter started high school she came home with a new friend whose last name sounded very familiar. I looked it up in the phone book and sure enough I had gone to high school with both her parents. The circle was closing and it felt ok to be back in my hometown as unlikely as it would have seemed to me as a teenager.
In summary
Framingham has a lot going for it but it isn't the quiet suburban town of long ago. If diversity, shopping and a decent school is what you are looking for, Framingham is a good choice. If you are staying in Boston, Framingham is not a tourist destination unless you plan on spending the day shopping.
As an aside, although there are a few ponds in which to swim and a large lake in a neighboring town, Framingham is not known for its beaches. I am not sure why that picture represents the town!
If you are planning a trip to Framingham or passing through, please let me know. There isn't much I don't know about this town.
There are many websites on this town which I have cited throughout the review. Another one is:
http://www.digital-neighbors.com/city/ma/framingham139.htm
Best Western in Framingham
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
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Member: Jo
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