What Massachusetts Towns Remind You of Small-Town America?

Article and Photo (of Lord's Department Store, Medfield, MA) by Eric H.

I recently started a thread on City-Data.com asking readers "What Massachusetts Town Reminds You Most of Small-Town America?"

As we see elements of New England become supersized with big box stores, faceless strip malls -- and preservation taking a back seat -- we can thank certain communities for maintaining their small-town, local flavor. A small town feeling might include, for example, a 1940s/50s looks with tree-lined streets, old-fashioned values and a historic downtown area with, maybe, a diner, hardware store, ice cream shop, and an overall traditional, family-oriented feel. In another words, the town might have a "Leave it to Beaver" look.

What would be your idea of an idyllic, traditional small town in Massachusetts? I'll start the discussion here with Medfield. Its downtown features a department store with luncheonette (Lords), a historic old-fashioned library and Town Hall, tall white steepled church, an independently-run book store, a park area with Gazebo, and a bakery (Honey's). The streets leading from the downtown feature attractive, tree-lined streets with Colonials and Victorians, a swimming pond, and even farms. Visiting Medfield is certainly a nice way to return to yesteryear -- and it's only about a 35-minute drive from this southwest suburb to Boston!

Comments

Marc said…
I can think of a few that come close. Great Barrington, Ipswich, Wellfleet, and Hingham all have that feel. Each one has their own problems, of course, but I think that they are definitely representative of small-town America.
January 31, 2009 at 10:47 AM
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