Final Project Approval Signals the Beginning of the New Nobscot Village

On Thursday, February 27, the Framingham Planning Board voted to approve the long-debated mixed-use development of apartments and retail stores at the Nobscot Shopping Center site on Water Street in Nobscot village. With that vote, the village truly entered a new era of redevelopment, and hopefully, vitality as a neighborhood center.

For well over a decade, residents and visitors have shaken their heads while passing by the dilapidated and increasingly vacant strip mall. Why did such a property exist in one of the most affluent sections of Framingham, and for so long? The reasons are complex and have been discussed ad nauseum, with blame cast in various directions, ranging from the property owner to town, and then city, government.

The good news from my perspective is that the plans for the project, called The Village at Nobscot, have been revised dozens of times, using feedback from residents, city officials, and third-party experts in architecture and planning, who participated in a mandated peer review. The result has been a significantly improved project from a design and functionality point of view. While no one among the major stakeholders --  the property owner, city government, or residents, got all of what they wanted, the end result is something that all of them can ostensibly live with.

And I'm willing to bet the project received much more oversight and scrutiny than the original Nobscot Shopping Center did before it was constructed in the 1950s. Back in the post-WWII suburban building boom, as open green space outside major cities was rapidly developed, drab, single-story, flat-roofed shopping centers fronted by large asphalt parking lots became ubiquitous in many towns, and there probably wasn't much resistance, since all of those new residents needed places to shop. Most of the other buildings constructed in the village in that era seem to reflect a similar lack of inspiration to build a coherent landscape with any unifying look, or the desire to value pedestrians as anywhere equal to the almighty automobile.

But we're in a very different era now. One where retail brick and mortar shopping areas have declined, and compete more and more with online shopping. Where there is a shortage of housing, and because of high prices, new developments are required to have a proportion of units designated as affordable, and increasingly, some also designated as "workforce" affordable -- a price point somewhere between affordable and market rate. Where the walkability of a community is considered as important as the ability to pack a lot of cars into parking spaces.

And aesthetics are increasingly important as well. One of the hardest-fought battles over the redevelopment of the Nobscot Shopping Center was the strong desire on the part of many residents to limit the height to three stories, rather than the four stories originally proposed by the owner. And the design guidelines that were developed for the village district as a whole focused strongly on making the buildings and adjoining areas well-designed and well-landscaped, with much consideration given for pedestrians rather than just vehicles.

Will the reality of this redevelopment fulfill its expectations? Time will be the only true measure. Residents will probably begin to see progress within a matter of weeks, with all project approvals now in place and the spring construction season nearly here. Passerby have no doubt noticed that the Nobscot Office Building has been gutted and will be torn down soon to make way for a new CVS store on that side of the property, and the historic Nobscot Chapel has had some of its clapboards removed so the building sills could be inspected before it is moved to its new home at the vacant lot that was once the site of a Texaco gas station on Edgell Road. Also coming up will be the demolition of the supermarket segment of the shopping center building. It will probably be a year and a half to two years before the project is completed.

2020 will also see the beginning of the crucial and long-overdue reconstruction of the intersection of Edgell Road, Water Street, and Edmands Road, using funds from a state grant. And the very likely, though not yet approved, razing and rebuilding of the Gulf gas station and convenience store on the west side of Edgell Road, which will also be subject to the village district design guidelines.

Change is difficult for any community. But I'm willing to bet that once the proverbial and literal dust settles a few years from now, most people walking or driving through Nobscot village will be glad that the long-argued about changes finally came to fruition.

City Council Ushers In a New Era in Nobscot Village With Approval of Zoning Change

Just after 9 p.m. last night, Framingham's City Council voted unanimously, 11-0, to approve the new B-4 Village Zoning District bylaw for Nobscot.

For the people that filled the Blumer Room in the Memorial Building for the City Council meeting, it was the culmination of years of effort by city officials, residents, and property owners, often filled with rancor, disagreement, debate, and ultimately, compromise. For a zoning change that was thought to have little chance of receiving the necessary two-thirds majority vote just a few short months ago, it was an overwhelming victory for its supporters.

In full disclosure, I was a strong supporter of the zoning change. As one of the founders of Nobscot Neighbors, the neighborhood group formed in 2008 with the goal of revitalizing Nobscot village, I have been a passionate advocate, working with residents, city officials, property and business owners, and other stakeholders in the community on this issue for over ten years.

I have chaired over 60 public meetings that involved the topic of Nobscot village and its challenges, help moderate two online forums where this issue has been discussed, debated, and dissected on a regular basis, and I created and maintain the web site nobscot.org at my own expense, because I am committed to seeing Nobscot village revitalized. I attended nearly every Planning Board and City Council meeting where the issue was discussed, and spoke at many of them. I wrote letters to the board and council, and talked to their members every chance I got.

Few would likely say that the new zoning, which allow for mixed use development and also contains extensive design standards and guidelines, or the proposed redevelopment plan that Andy Rose of Centercorp Retail Properties, the owner of the deteriorating and mostly vacant shopping center on Water Street that has been the focal point of so much community ire, is perfect. Rose's plan to demolish the shopping center and build a large, two-building, three-story mixed use complex of approximately 150 apartments as well as ground floor retail space has provoked opinions that range from it being either the salvation or utter destruction of Nobscot village. Concerns about traffic, lack of parking, overcrowding and density, more children being enrolled in the city's schools, and the need or wisdom of building more apartments were some of the many issues that stoked the debate.

But over a period of several months this spring, the factional divisions within the community began to lessen. The Planning Board and its administrator, Amanda Loomis, held public hearings and tirelessly incorporated numerous changes to the zoning based on community input, including limiting the building height to three stories, down from four. Both the full City Council and the planning and zoning subcommittee also held public hearings, deliberated, and made further revisions to the zoning. Property owner Andy Rose held public outreach meetings with both the residents of Whiting Road, which abuts the shopping center, as well as the Nobscot community at large, and affirmed his position that he could redesign his project within the three-story limit the community advocated for. Several city councilors who had voiced opposition to the zoning began to modify their positions as the zoning was refined and public sentiment shifted. Compromise, the bedrock of much societal progress in every setting from small towns to global politics, was paving the way forward.

While most of the focus has been on the dilapidated shopping center, the new zoning will apply the new standards and design guidelines to other village properties as well. In addition to the mixed use complex, Rose's firm also plans to relocate the Nobscot Chapel, which it purchased from the city, to the vacant lot on Edgell Road next to Gianni's Pizza, where the old Texaco station once stood,  and renovate it for use as a restaurant, and build a new, larger, free-standing CVS store on the corner of the shopping center property. Across Edgell Road, the owners of the Gulf gas station and convenience store had already announced plans earlier in the year to tear down the existing building and replace it with a new one with a larger retail presence.

And finally, the Rousseau family, which owns several properties on the north side of Water Street across from the shopping center, including CJ's Northside Grill and the Middlesex Bank building, publicly stated their support for the new zoning at the City Council meeting, with the hope that it will create more opportunities for their holdings as well. The city also has plans to improve the intersection of Edgell, Water, and Edmands Roads, which will hopefully improve some of the traffic woes that have long plagued the area.

In the next two to five years Nobscot village will undergo dramatic changes, and likely have a more unified architectural look than it has ever had, and more vibrancy than it has had in decades. There will no doubt be challenges to overcome, and more compromises ahead, but I am feeling more optimistic about its future than ever.

Saxonville Mills Embraces the Community and the Future While Still Preserving the Past

The Saxonville Mills, one of Framingham's strongest remaining ties to its industrial past, has been an integral part of the north side community for nearly two hundred years. Some recent changes have greatly strengthened its relationship to the city's residents.

This past weekend, I attended the open studios event at the mills. Unlike the open studios of past years, when I first moved to Framingham nearly twenty years ago, the last couple have provided access to not only the long-time artist studios, Saxonville Studios, but some other endeavors as well. A second group of artists, some of them formerly at the Fountain Street building downtown, are now working at the mill, as well other creative tenants like Damianos Photography, Fireseed Arts, and the Framingham Makerspace.  Local historian, and editor of the book The Saxonville Mills, Jim Parr, gave a historical tour of mill complex.

Over the summer the mill sponsored an outdoor movie night in one of the courtyards, complemented by food and beer vendors and live music. The recently-opened Saxonville Mills Café` and coffee roastery,  at the corner of the mill at Concord and Central Street is also gaining a lot of fans as a welcoming community gathering space.

In total, there are now over seventy businesses that call the mill home, using the space for a wide variety of purposes, including offices, manufacturing, R&D, storage, wholesale, and retail. And keeping in touch with its past as an energy producer, the waterfall being the original energy source for the mill, the complex now has solar panels that provide one third of the electricity used, as well as two electric car charging stations.

 A recent upgrade to the mill complex that is highly visible to passerby is the new, detailed signage, which provides improved wayfinding to business customers and visitors alike. The mill owner, Saxonville Realty Trust, led by John Finley, is to be commended for its outstanding work bringing this important part of Framingham's history into the 21st century, and welcoming the community to be part of the latest phase of its evolution.

Two Open Space Victories for Northwest Framingham

In the past several weeks, our city, specifically the semi-rural northwest quadrant, has seen two important events regarding both the protection and use of open space.

First, on June 27, Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT), a local land trust, announced that they had raised enough money to close on the purchase of Wayside Forest, two parcels totaling 52 acres on Wayside Inn Road.

Then, on July 1, the Metro West Daily News reported that Baiting Brook Meadow Farm on Nixon Road received planning board approval for the development of a horse barn and riding ring by Iron Horse Dressage, a locally-owned business that will board horses and offer riding lessons.

One thing both properties have in common is that they are/were owned by George and DD Harrington, well-known in Framingham for their Christmas tree business that they have run at Baiting Brook Meadow Farm. George is also a past director and past president of Sudbury Valley Trustees.

Less well-known is the tremendous positive impact the Harringtons have had on preserving open space in Framingham. Between 1983 and 2000, they donated three parcels of land they owned on Edmands Road to SVT. In 2007, they made a gift to SVT of a conservation restriction on all 80 acres of Baiting Brook Meadow Farm. And then, in 2011, they made another gift of a conservation restriction on the 18 acres along Edmands Road where their house is located.

With Wayside Forest, the Harringtons once again demonstrated both their generosity and commitment to land preservation by donating one of the two parcels that make up the property, which are almost the same size, to SVT, effectively allowing SVT to purchase the land for half price. So rather than another subdivision of homes, Framingham has another green space for recreation that is forever protected.

At Baiting Brook Meadow Farm, the horse barn and riding ring, plus a house for the farm's employees, will only take up four acres. The remainder of the property, which abuts Callahan State Park, will remain open for public use.

Both Wayside Forest and Baiting Brook Meadow Farm are excellent examples of caring and enlightened owners partnering with a local land trust to ensure open space is protected, and in the case of Baiting Brook, also partially developed for a purpose suitable for open space, which also reinforces and expands the rural and agricultural traditions of this part of the city.

The Harringtons, in partnering with SVT, deserve the eternal thanks of Framingham residents who will benefit from their generosity and foresight for generations to come. Hopefully they will inspire more property owners in our city to follow in their footsteps.

Full disclosure: I am both a member of and a volunteer for Sudbury Valley Trustees.

A Tribute to One of Framingham's Best

Last Saturday, our city said goodbye to one of its most beloved citizens, state representative Chris Walsh, who lost his battle with cancer last month. After a stirring but somber procession outside on Concord Street by the Massachusetts National Lancers, a ceremonial cavalry group, Nevins Hall downtown was filled with hundreds of people, from the governor to Framingham city officials, down to ordinary citizens, and everyone in between, from both public and private life.

The tributes that were made, from fellow politicians, friends, and family members, painted a portrait of not just a man of great talent and accomplishments, and an abiding love for Framingham, but deep humanity. And humor. Amidst the sadness, there were occasional outbursts of laughter. Former state rep and friend Tom Sannicandro recounted Chris introducing him over the years to a variety of exclusive whiskeys in the watering holes near the State House after the work day had ended, while friend and neighbor Steve Greeley told a tale of how he once helped Chris, who never met a problem he didn't want to solve, hoist a refrigerator up to the third floor window of his house when it wouldn't fit up the stairs, as the neighborhood looked on in fear and wonder.

I don't remember when I first met Chris, but it was at least a decade ago. It might have been at a Nobscot Neighbors meeting, Town Meeting, the Planning Board, or a Friends of Saxonville, Framingham Public Library, or Framingham History Center event. It could easily have been any one of those, since Chris was at seemingly every significant public meeting or event that took place in the city, even long before he was elected to represent us at the State House eight years ago.

When Chris first announced his intention to run for state office, he reached out and asked to meet with me. We sat down with a cup of coffee at Annie's Book Stop/Espresso Paulo in the Nobscot Shopping Center, and he talked about what he hoped to accomplish if elected, and asked for my support. I didn't need much convincing. I'd spoken to him one on one quite a bit and heard his thoughtful, measured opinions at many public meetings, and thought he'd be a very effective state representative for Framingham. And I never had second thoughts about my decision.

After he was elected, he still continued to attend many Nobscot Neighbors meetings, which I chaired, and whether the topic was the revitalization of Nobscot village, preservation of open space, development of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, or opening the MWRA aqueduct as a recreational trail, his voice was always one of the most informed and insightful in the room. I remember him telling me excitedly about how the aqueduct could serve as a green corridor connecting not only Nobscot and Saxonville, but Wayland as well. He didn't come to that conclusion solely from looking at a map or reading a report; he'd walked the path himself all the way into Wayland from Nobscot as part of his research.

The first time I saw him after his cancer diagnosis, I took him aside and asked how he was doing, and how he was dealing with what is for anyone a life-altering experience. "I'm not driving this bus," he replied, with his characteristic smile, and a mixture of fatalism and optimism. "We'll see how it goes." And then he was back to talking about whatever community issue or problem we were discussing that night. And that was Chris - his unending focus was on how he could improve the community he lived in, where he made his home, raised his family, and dedicated decades to making it the best place he could. A legacy we can all learn from.

One Framingham Group Unites Residents

In the run-up to last November's election, our first as a city, and with highly competitive races for mayor and city council,  emotions were high and tempers occasionally flared. Social media sites like Facebook and the FramGov e-mail list had hundreds of postings of both support and criticism of candidates, particularly in the mayoral race.

When the election was over, many agreed that we needed to do a lot of healing as a community. But one Framingham resident, Samir Parikh, turned that sentiment into action. He created a Facebook group called One Framingham and scheduled an informal get-together at Jack's Abby beer hall on a Friday night in December.

More than fifty people from across the city's political spectrum showed up to chat and have a beer together and One Framingham took off. Parikh has turned it into a monthly event at various drinking and eating establishments around the city, and has attracted everyone from hardcore political junkies to new residents who want to get to know their neighbors better, to Mayor Yvonne Spicer, and many city councilors and school committee members.

The next One Framingham event will be Friday, May 4, at El Mariachi (the former Chicken Bone Saloon), 358 Waverly Street, at 7 p.m.

Kudos to Samir Parikh for taking this one small but important step toward building a more united, friendlier Framingham.

Apartment Development Projects Signal New Era for Downtown

For years, perhaps decades, naysayers have said downtown Framingham would never be restored to its former glory as a shopping, dining, and entertainment destination. The reasons ranged from the traffic caused by having an at-grade railroad crossing, to the presence of homeless people due to the social service facilities located there, to the difficulties of getting development projects approved by the town, and the resulting reticence of businesses to invest there.

Regardless of what issues persist, downtown has clearly turned a corner, with several new luxury apartment buildings with hundreds of units approved, and construction slated to begin this spring. Town Meeting gave these efforts a major boost by voting to expand the central business district zone in 2015 to encourage transit-oriented development, since the commuter rail stop is right in the middle of the area. Developers evidently see an opportunity and a reason to finally invest in downtown in a big way. And our new city government is ready and eager to work with them.

While critics still point out potential problems, such as traffic, limited parking, and more children in already crowded schools, the impact of having hundreds of new residents, many of whom will likely be choosing the location because of the ease of taking the train to well-paying jobs in Boston, cannot be underestimated. There is already a critical mass of popular craft brewing destinations downtown, including Jack's Abby Beer Hall, Springdale Barrel Room, and Exhibit 'A' Brewing, that attract a younger, well-heeled crowd from near and far.

Add to that a hip new coffee house, Sofa Cafe`, popular ethnic restaurants like Pho Dakao, Pueblito Paisa, and Taqueria Mexico, and you've got a good base to build on. More residents downtown likely will mean more customers for these growing businesses, and opportunities for more businesses to open to serve these residents. It's also important to note that the 196-unit apartment building at 75 Concord Street, at the site of the former Sewfisticated Discount Fabrics store (rendering pictured above), will also include ground floor space for at least two new retail businesses. And the streetscape improvements that have been done downtown over the past couple of years already make the area more attractive and pedestrian-friendly.

One of the local blueprints for how these types of projects can invigorate a downtown area is Cronin's Landing on Moody Street in Waltham, which has a thriving downtown after decades of decline. While the Waltham revival is now twenty years old, a newer, similar pattern can be seen just to Framingham's east, in Natick Center. Both condos and new apartment complexes, and a new mixed use development under construction, have brought both new residents and businesses to what not long ago was a much less vibrant downtown.

Sometimes slow, incremental change can be hard to see. When I moved to Framingham in 1999, I began frequenting downtown, visiting a few ethnic food stores and restaurants, and on weekend nights I would go to The Happy Swallow and The Chicken Bone to hear local blues bands. Now I can also listen to jazz at Pho Dakao, rock at Exhibit 'A' Brewing or Danny Sullivan's, and a wide variety of world-class music and other entertainment options from theater to comedy at Amazing Things Arts Center. The number of restaurants and cuisines has increased dramatically, and the old train station has been beautifully renovated to house a great diner and pub, Depot 417.

A fund raising challenge in February by residents Adam Blumer and Sarah Guernsey, for Downtown Framingham Inc., the downtown's advocacy non-profit, brought nearly three hundred different people from all over Framingham into downtown establishments over twelve days, for over six hundred total visits, supporting nearly ninety different businesses. It was an amazing show of support for downtown, and likely converted some infrequent visitors into enthusiastic regulars. Just think of the potential positive impact on downtown businesses when hundreds of new residents live within walking distance.

My prediction is that downtown Framingham will undergo dramatic, positive changes in the next three to five years, thanks in part to the new development underway. Revitalization of town and small city downtowns is forming a huge wave across the country, particularly as major cities become increasingly gentrified and expensive, and Framingham is well-positioned to ride that wave.

A Changing of the Guard at Framingham Downtown Renaissance

It's not as if we didn't have sufficient notice.

Holli Andrews, former executive director of the Framingham Downtown Renaissance (FDR), who guided the non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing downtown for the past five years, did announce a full year in advance of when she would be leaving her position.

But as the months ticked by I was still saddened that we were going to lose such a dynamic and effective spokesperson for downtown. In my heart, though, I was glad we were able to keep her for five years, a time span that has seen a dramatic improvement in the vitality of downtown. What has changed during that time?

Plenty.

Jack's Abby Craft Lagers, with its cavernous beer hall adjoining its large production brewery, and its next-door barrel-aged ale subsidiary, Springdale Barrel Room, invested millions of dollars in a former Dennison Manufacturing Company building, bringing dozens of jobs and hundreds of visitors downtown from not just the Boston area but around the country and beyond. And another craft brewer, Exhibit 'A' Brewing, opened in the former Jack's Abby space on Morton Street. There's even a weekly visit to downtown's breweries from Boston beer tourists on the Mass Brew Bus.

The historic train station was refurbished and turned into the Deluxe Depot Diner, a popular restaurant and night spot. Millions of dollars were also invested in improving downtown's streetscape, and transit-oriented development zoning changes have opened up the area to new residential projects, with two major apartment complexes being planned. Other restaurants and small businesses have opened, bringing an even more diverse array of products and services.

Andrews' tenure at FDR ended this month, and she is being ably succeeded as executive director by Courtney Thraen, who joined the organization last fall as Program Coordinator. Thraen brings a wide variety of experience and education to the position, including graduate degrees in both public policy and city planning, and stints in academia, government, digital media consulting, and as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

Thraen's coming out party of sorts was last Friday night, as she led FDR's Shamrock Stroll, a St. Patrick's Day pub crawl that visited six downtown establishments, beginning at Exhibit A Brewing, then Springdale Barrel Room, Taqueria Mexico, Deluxe Depot Diner, Tropical Cafe, and ending the evening at Danny Sullivan's (formerly The Tavern). This type of event started last December with a similar holiday stroll, with dozens of people gathering at each stop for drinks, noshing on food, greeting old friends and making new ones. As a veteran of both strolls I have to say it's the most fun I've had downtown in my eighteen years of living in Framingham.

A huge thank you to Holli Andrews for everything she did for downtown Framingham, and a hearty welcome to Courtney Thraen!

Framingham Author Releases New Novel

Erica Ferencik, a Nobscot resident, has a long-established reputation as a writer, having authored both a biography and a screenplay, and previously self-published two successful novels, Cracks in the Foundation, and Repeaters (which has been optioned to become a feature film by a Hollywood production company).

But with her latest novel, The River At Night, which was released this month by Gallery/Scout Press, a literary imprint of New York's Simon and Schuster publishing empire, she has hit the big time. The River At Night has been described as a female version of Deliverance - four middle-aged women go on a white-water rafting trip in the wilds of Maine, and it soon becomes a battle for survival when the vacation goes terribly wrong.

It is both a page-turner of a thriller and a work of poetic beauty, as she describes both the primal allure and the harrowing dangers of being on a remote river deep in the Maine woods, where both nature and some off the grid locals are conspiring to bring the trip to a tragic ending.

Last night at Barnes & Noble at Shoppers World on Route 9, Ferencik gave a talk about the book to a large and appreciative crowd, a literary homecoming of sorts to the town where she has lived for two decades. She described her own experiences white water rafting in Maine, and the week-long road trip she took there alone to meet and interview people who choose to live off the grid and off the land, deep in the woods and far from any neighbors.

The River At Night is receiving wide praise, from Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Entertainment Weekly, to The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia. You can buy it online at Amazon, or better yet, head down down to Barnes & Noble and pick up one of the copies Ferencik signed last night, while they last.

But despite this latest triumph, Ferencik is not resting on her laurels for very long. She is under contract to write another novel for her publisher, and will be traveling to the Amazon rain forest in Peru later this year to research that book, which she described as another tale of survival in a forbidding environment.

But for now, you can satisfy your desire for armchair suspense and adventure with The River At Night.

Exhibit 'A' Brewing, Springdale Barrel Room Solidify Downtown Framingham as a Craft Beer Destination

When I wrote a blog post in April that Framingham overall was becoming a craft beer destination, little did I know that six months later I'd be writing another post that downtown Framingham specifically was becoming a craft beer destination of its own.

 Sour and barrel-aged beers are two of the hottest segments of the growing craft beer market, niches that Jack's Abby has been in, but will now put much more emphasis on. That downtown Framingham will be home to such a cutting-edge venture is astounding.
But here we are, and after I was enchanted over the summer with the debut of Exhibit 'A' Brewing, Jack's Abby Craft Lagers launched an October surprise of its own this week, announcing that they will be opening a subsidiary at their Clinton Street property by winter that will focus on barrel-aged ales.

The new venture, Springdale Barrel Room, will be adjacent to the current brewery and beer hall, and will have a tap room with seating for a hundred people, and offer games like ping pong and corn hole, and retail space on the ground floor, and over 30,000 square feet of warehouse space on the second floor, housing thousands of wooden beer barrels, aging brews ranging from sour ales to IPAs and saisons.

But back to Exhibit 'A' Brewing. In several visits I've been mightily impressed by both the quality and diversity of the beers, and the enthusiasm and hospitality of owner Matt Steinberg as he works the room, effusively chatting up his customers. The energy and positive vibe in the tap room as locals and visitors gather to try the latest brews and buy some to take home is infectious.

The brewery is making good on its promise to become a supportive member of the community, already having hosted a fund raiser for pediatric cancer and a fund raising exercise class. And to bring another fun urban touch, they had a Jamaican food truck parked out front one day as a dining option for their customers.

With the opening of Springdale Barrel Room within a few months, downtown Framingham, with three craft beer outlets, will reach critical mass as a destination for folks who relish these brews. People are already talking about organizing pub crawls. With all three establishments within easy walking distance, it's a sure-fire way to increase the foot traffic in downtown. 

And with several new, large apartment complexes being proposed for downtown to target young professionals also attracted by the proximity to the commuter rail to Boston, the area is poised to become even more of a vibrant scene for Framingham and indeed all of MetroWest.

Some Welcome New Eateries in Framingham Centre

Since the closing of Red Pepper, the Chinese restaurant at the foot of the east side of Edgell Road, the area abutting it, with two buildings containing retail and office space, had been decidedly less vibrant at night.

That's changing now, with the recent opening of Dulce D Leche Gelato Cafe at 5 Edgell Road, which specializes in Argentinian-style gelato, as well as as fruit sorbet, handmade chocolates, coffee drinks, and other baked goods. Open from early morning until 9 p.m. most days - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the shop has decidedly increased the number of people in the area at night.

The business is owned by a Framingham husband and wife team, Samanta Stavar and Jules Remenar, who are seeking to recreate the treats she missed from her native Argentina.  In Buenos Aires, the famous Italian ice cream was adapted by Italian immigrants to Latin American tastes by often blending dulce de leche, a confection made of heated sweetened milk, into some gelato flavors. After working my way through some of its more than twenty flavors (they gladly offer samples to help you decide) on multiple visits since they opened earlier this month, it's quickly become my favorite local ice cream shop.

And opening in August or September about one hundred feet away in the same plaza, at 1 Edgell Road, is a second location of Volturno, a 120-seat artisanal Neapolitan-style pizzeria (they also serve other Italian fare such as pasta), which will have a full liquor license and outdoor patio seating. A highly-acclaimed eatery since it opened three years ago on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, Volturno is also locally owned and hoping to expand its success eastward, attracting more diners from the Boston area. Having dined at the Worcester location, and eaten pizza in its birthplace in the Italian city of Naples, I can definitively say Volturno is the real deal.

Now, if we can only get a new restaurant in the old Red Pepper space (I'd love to see a farm-to-table style gastro pub with a creative selection of craft beer, wine and cocktails) we'll have a veritable triangle of food and drink options in close proximity in Framingham Centre.

Framingham As a Craft Beer Destination

It's said that success begets success, and in Framingham's growing craft beer scene, that's becoming increasingly apparent.

First we had the meteoric success of Jack's Abby Craft Lagers put downtown on the map for craft beer fans all over eastern Massachusetts and beyond. Now, by summer, a second craft brewer, Exhibit 'A' Brewing, will be producing beer from the old Jack's Abby facility on Morton Street. Owner Matthew Steinberg, a veteran brewer, was quoted in Boston Magazine as saying that he plans to make Framingham a beer destination.

Add to that the two brewpubs in the Route 9 corridor, John Harvard's Brewhouse and Framingham Beer Works, plus, also on Route 9, a location of the regional beer bar chain British Beer Company, and you've got the biggest concentration of craft beer establishments between Boston and Worcester.

Travel & Leisure magazine lists Boston as number 16 on its list of the top 20 beer cities in the United States, and typically, nearby locations with good craft beer offerings get a fair amount of visitors as well. The state's Mass Grown web site, targeted at visitors seeking made in the Bay State agricultural products and culinary tours, includes Framingham's brewers on its craft brewers map.

There's also a Route 9 location for the Craft Beer Cellar, a retail store chain that offers about 650 craft brews for those who want to stock up for later consumption. Pubs and restaurants that are making downtown a culinary and entertainment destination, including the Deluxe Depot Diner, The Tavern, and Pho Dakao are also increasingly offering more (and particularly local) craft brews as well.

In total, we've got quite the critical mass of craft beer destinations within our town borders.

Truth be told, I knew we had turned a corner when I started meeting people in the Jack's Abby tap room a few years ago who had traveled from all over the Boston area as well as other states, to try and buy Jack's Abby beers. Like the guy from Weymouth standing in line with six empty growlers, who told me he and two friends took turns making a run to Framingham to get their growlers refilled. And then last fall, while eating dinner at the new Jack's Abby beer hall on Morton Street, a group of twenty-something hipsters from uber-cool Somerville told me they wished there was a Jack's Abby location in their city.

With the amount of business travelers the Framingham area gets during the week, I suspect there's a decent percentage of them who end up at one of our craft beer destinations after the work day ends, for an evening out for a few pints and dinner. And with the summer vacation season approaching, I'm betting there will be more than a few beer tourists adding Framingham to their itineraries as well.

Downtown Revitalization Gains Momentum During 2015

Like  the proverbial train picking up speed and gaining momentum as it moves down the track, downtown Framingham's revitalization saw several key milestones achieved that point towards an even brighter future in 2016.

The opening of the new Jack's Abby brewery and beer hall/restaurant on Clinton Street in October (see photo at left) was the signature event of the year. Downtown Framingham became a sought-after destination for craft beer fans and foodies alike as the 175-seat beer hall was standing room only not just for the grand opening but for weeks afterward, even on week nights that are typically slow in the restaurant business. Both locals and out of towners, some venturing from Boston and beyond, have been filling the seats at the long, communal tables to sample some of the 24 beers on draft and enjoy the pizzas and other food offerings, many produced from the kitchen's custom-made, wood-fired brick oven.

Town meeting passed a set of critical zoning changes in the fall, centered around transit oriented development (TOD), which seeks to capitalize on the public transit assets of downtown by introducing new mixed use and multi-family development. Some of the key provisions include expanding the central business district zoning to areas within a ten minute walk to the commuter rail stop, and simplifying permitting requirements for new development.

Another related, and very important development downtown has been a series of street infrastructure improvements being done by the state Department of Transportation on Concord Street and Hollis Street. While improving traffic flow, safety, and walkability are some of the primary objectives, aesthetic upgrades like brick accent pavers in the sidewalk, nearly a hundred new ornamental streetlights, and sixty new street trees are also part of the project and will give downtown a nice face lift.

2014 saw several new key businesses open downtown, including the Vietnamese restaurant Pho Dakao and the Deluxe Depot Diner in the old train station building, which kicked off a restaurant boom and defied the idea that downtown dining was mostly limited to Brazilian or other Latin American fare. And don't get me wrong, that food segment is one of downtown's greatest strengths, and increasingly draws patrons from far beyond Framingham because it is the most unique collection of ethnic restaurants between Worcester and Waltham. Indeed, Tacqueria Mexico, which was formerly on Route 9 and has another location in Waltham, this year relocated to Concord Street downtown, a ringing endorsement of the perception that downtown is becoming the place to be. When's the last time you heard of a business leaving Route 9 for downtown, since the flow for decades has been in the other direction?

So what lies ahead for 2016? The former Chicken Bone Saloon on Waverly Street, a legendary restaurant and nightspot for many years before it closed in 2014, is poised to be reborn as Louie's Restaurant, operated by the same team that ran The Aztec, the long-time Mexican restaurant just down the street. And today's MetroWest Daily News reported that automotive dealer Herb Chambers plans to build a sales and service center for high-end auto brands like Mercedes, BMW, and Land Rover on the site of a former Dennison building on Bishop Street, bringing with it 45 new jobs.

So it's clear that the downtown revitalization train is throttling up even more - all aboard!

Nobscot Shopping Center Redevelopment Concept Gets Mixed Reception

On November 12, more than a hundred Framingham residents, primarily from Nobscot, gathered in a meeting room at Heritage at Framingham on Water Street to hear about the long-awaited economic development action plan for Nobscot village.

At first the presentation, given primarily by Economic and Community Development director Art Robert, was standard issue revitalization action steps: a design vision, marketing and reinvestment, public realm improvements, and a regulatory strategy. A holistic plan, not just for the problem aspects of the village, but also to capitalize on its assets, such as the large amount of open space for recreational opportunities.

Then the big news came out: that the owner of the nearly-empty and decrepit Nobscot shopping center on Water Street, which has been spiraling downward ever since the supermarket closed a decade ago, has, after years of inaction and lack of engagement with the town, stepped forward with a proposal to redevelop the property.

While Framingham officials, including both Art Robert and town manager Bob Halpin, preferred to call it a "concept" rather than a firm proposal, the essence is that the property owner has expressed an interest in tearing down the existing building and replacing it with a 150 unit apartment complex, a freestanding CVS pharmacy with a drive-through, as well as an additional ten thousand square feet of retail space to be available in two other buildings. It's a bold idea, which would involve not just removing the existing shopping center building, but also the former Texaco station on Edgell Road that has been shuttered for at least fifteen years, as well as the office building at 880 Edgell Road, home to Nobscot Dental and other businesses, and the town-owned Nobscot Chapel at the corner of Edgell and Water Street.

Audience reaction ran the gamut, from begrudging acceptance that almost anything would be better than the present situation, to firm opposition. Robert and Halpin answered a multitude of questions and patiently listened to more than one passionate outburst, and then residents were given an opportunity to review and provide feedback on a variety of design plans for the proposed project.

By the next day, particularly after what some saw as a misleading story about the meeting ran in the Metro West Daily News, the public conversation really took off on the Nobscot Neighbors Facebook group and e-mail list, as well as on the FramGov e-mail list. Some of the most-cited concerns about the apartment complex component were that it would increase the density of the village to an unacceptable level, with a four-story building more urban than village in appearance, increased traffic, and possibly inject a significant number of new students into the school system.

Some people felt that allowing such a project was only rewarding the property owner for its failure to maintain and keep the property fully occupied, or that we should hold out for what many have insisted for years - that a full-service supermarket should be the anchor store again for the shopping center. A few even insisted that the current situation, in which the only stores occupying the main building are a CVS and a Chinese takeout restaurant, while the rest of the building continues to deteriorate and the chapel and the shuttered gas station sit vacant, is preferable to the proposed mixed-use proposal of apartments and retail stores. There were others that argued that while not ideal, the proposal, with some negotiated changes, could be acceptable, and that regardless of what residents want, the property owner and principal lessee are only going to do what's economically feasible and in their best business interest.

The proposed redevelopment project would require a zoning change, which would likely take about a year before it could be drafted and sent to town meeting for approval. If passed, it would likely be another year or two as the project made its way through the Planning Board and if approved, was actually carried out. So best case scenario, it would probably be two to three years before this long standoff between the town, the property owner, and other various entities, including the lessor, a bank, and the master lessee, the parent company of Shaw's supermarket, could end. Without the necessary zoning change and project approval, the situation could potentially remain largely unchanged for several decades, due to the length of the current property lease.

What Framingham residents and elected officials will have to decide in the coming months is while neither option may be fully acceptable to all parties, which one is the lesser evil and will be best for the future of Nobscot village.

Full disclosure: I am a Nobscot resident and one of the founding members of Nobscot Neighbors, the group of residents that has been advocating for a revitalization of the village for the past seven years. I am, however, presenting this as my personal observation, not one endorsed by or representing Nobscot Neighbors.

Main Street in Hudson: A Model for Downtown Framingham?

Main Street in downtown Hudson has, in a short time, become a very happening place. First came Rail Trail Flatbread, a gourmet pizza and craft beer gastropub, which opened about two and a half years ago at the top of Main Street, just off the Route 85 rotary.

Since then, all within a five minute walk on Main Street, three other key food and drink establishments have opened that have breathed new life into the town's downtown area. The latest, from the same owners as Rail Trail Flatbread, is New City Microcreamery, an upscale ice cream and coffee shop right across the street, which features savory flavored ice cream like olive oil, beet, and popcorn as well as new takes on classics like vanilla and chocolate.

A few blocks down is Medusa Brewing Company, which opened about a year ago, and goes with the West Coast taproom model of offering lots of its own draft beers but only light bar snacks, but encourages patrons to bring their own food or have it delivered from another local restaurant. Anchoring the far end of Main Street is Amaia Martini Bar, which opened early this year and offers a list of signature cocktails as well as an array of inventive tapas to wash down with your drink.

Last Friday night all four establishments were packed and many people were out strolling, in a scene, though much smaller, more reminiscent of Worcester's restaurant row on Shrewsbury Street, Moody Street in Waltham, or Boston's South End rather than a small town like Hudson. There are other older, more established restaurants in downtown Hudson, the Horseshoe Pub on South Street in particular, that have long been popular, but with these new, urban-styled upstarts on Main Street, the town now has a bona-fide dining district and is attracting both locals and people from afar and garnering rave reviews from both professional restaurant critics and social media like Yelp and TripAdvisor.

So what does this have to do with downtown Framingham's emerging dining district? Everything. It shows that you don't need a huge amount of establishments, just a few of the type that will bring people in to try something unique and high quality that are within walking proximity. That success begets success, competition is good, and tends to attract both more businesses and more patrons.

I've posted before about the new bright spots in downtown Framingham, including Jack's Abby Brewing, Pho Dakao, and the Deluxe Depot Diner, as well as the plethora of Latino and Brazilian establishments, including Pueblito Paisa, Mi Cochina, and Tropical Cafe. And did you know that downtown also has an Indian restaurant, Delhi Hut, and that Taqueria Mexico closed their Route 9 location to relocate to Concord Street downtown? When's the last time you heard of that happening?

But what I think is going to be the real game changer is when Jack's Abby Brewing opens its new,  much larger location downtown, with a pub and full service restaurant. If you've visited the tap room at their current location on Morton Street, where they pour beers but don't serve food, you know that they have a loyal and diverse clientele that packs the room, particularly on weekends. I predict that when the new location opens on Clinton Street towards the end of this year, it will coalesce with the existing establishments (and hopefully more new ones) to bring a vitality to downtown that hasn't been seen in many years.

Now all we need downtown is a gourmet ice cream shop.

Hope Springs Eternal for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Framingham

It was welcome news last week that a meeting and site walk has been scheduled for April 29, between Sudbury and Framingham town officials and CSX Corporation. CSX is the international transportation giant that still owns the New Haven Railroad Framingham & Lowell line right of way from Route 20 in Sudbury to Route 9 in Framingham.

First proposed nearly thirty years ago by its namesake, who was a state representative from Chelmsford,  progress on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail has been surging in recent years. Beginning at the Lowell-Chelmsford line, the first phase of the 25-mile route is complete and opened in 2009, ending in the town of Westford (pictured at left), and encompasses 6.8 miles. All of the other sections of the trail, with the exception of the final one on the southern edge of Sudbury to Framingham Centre, have been obtained from CSX and are either in the design or construction phase. 

Full disclosure: I am an abutter of the railroad right of way, and when I purchased my home in Nobscot in 2007, the future prospect of a rail trail running behind my property was a strong incentive to move to the neighborhood. I have been an enthusiastic user of rail trails throughout the region and believe they bring many benefits to the communities in which they exist.

The fact that progress on the Framingham section of the trail has been stalled for years was discouraging, since it could be an important piece of the puzzle to revitalizing Nobscot village. The rail bed runs right next to Hemenway School, the site of the new McAuliffe branch library, presently under construction, and the moribund Nobscot shopping center. Imagine a day when students, library users, and shoppers could walk or bike to all of these locations and more on a paved trail through the woods, away from motorized traffic.

Rail trails, as studies have shown, are linked to higher local property values, lower crime rates, and often are a strong economic development driver for communities, as businesses spring up to serve trail users, such as bike shops, restaurants, coffee and ice cream shops, even bed and breakfasts and other types of lodgings, particularly on long distance trails. One need only pay a visit to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, which is slightly shorter than the BFRT, and gets about 400,000 users a year, to see the transformative effect a rail trail can have on an area. 

Kudos to Framingham town manager Bob Halpin for getting this project back on the town's radar. If, like me, you're a believer in the benefits the BFRT will bring to our town, let Bob, the Board of Selectmen, and town meeting members know the project has your support.

Downtown Restaurant Launches Live Music Series

Pho Dakao, the Vietnamese restaurant that opened downtown at 101 Concord Street last year, has launched a Friday night live music series for the month of March that has the potential to become a very popular late-night destination.

The debut act on March 6 was a jazz quartet led by vocalist Ron Murphy. Murphy and his band deftly delivered a mixture of jazz standards, R&B, and even a blues tune or two to an appreciative crowd sipping drinks and slurping pho soup, the restaurant's signature dish. The audience was as diverse as the town, tilting toward middle age on average, and also included a film crew from the Access Framingham cable TV station. The music volume still allowed normal conversation, unlike many nightspots, and the overall vibe was relaxed and friendly. After the brutal winter, a lot of folks just seemed thrilled to be having an evening out and running into friends they hadn't seen in months.

Upcoming performers include soul singer and recording artist Ralph Graham on March 13, the Lance Martin Jazz Trio on March 20, offering jazz and funk (leader and flutist Martin is renowned for a large repertoire and asking for audience requests), and Alexei Tsiganov, a professor at New England Conservatory, will present jazz with Latin, Brazilian and Russian influences on March 27.

All shows begin at 9 p.m. and run until 12:30 a.m. There is no cover charge. The music series is being produced by NCeptive Entertainment, run by Framingham resident Greg Hayes, who was on hand as MC and circulated through the crowd on March 6 talking to patrons, enthusing about both the musicians on stage and the quality acts to come in the series.

Pho Dakao is using this music series as a trial run to determine if they'll have live music on a regular basis, so stop by for a Mai Tai or a pint of Jack's Abby beer, some pho, and some great tunes if you want to see more of this type of entertainment in downtown Framingham.

On Friday, March 13, recording artist Ralph Graham, a fixture in local venues like Ken’s Steak House, will sing popular hits from Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and Lionel Ritchie in a rich baritone voice that’s been described as sweet “like chocolate.”

On Friday, March 20, the flute-led jazz and funk band, the Lance Martin Jazz Trio featuring John Baboian and Dave Clark, will perform a delectable mix of jazz standards, rhythm and blues and pop.

On Friday, March 27, Alexei Tsiganov, a professor at New England Conservatory, will serve up an enticing entree of jazz with Latin, Brazilian and Russian flavors.

- See more at: http://framingham.wickedlocal.com/article/20150225/News/150227564#sthash.TJczJ5lw.dpuf

On Friday, March 13, recording artist Ralph Graham, a fixture in local venues like Ken’s Steak House, will sing popular hits from Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and Lionel Ritchie in a rich baritone voice that’s been described as sweet “like chocolate.”

On Friday, March 20, the flute-led jazz and funk band, the Lance Martin Jazz Trio featuring John Baboian and Dave Clark, will perform a delectable mix of jazz standards, rhythm and blues and pop.

On Friday, March 27, Alexei Tsiganov, a professor at New England Conservatory, will serve up an enticing entree of jazz with Latin, Brazilian and Russian flavors.

- See more at: http://framingham.wickedlocal.com/article/20150225/News/150227564#sthash.TJczJ5lw.dpuf

On Friday, March 13, recording artist Ralph Graham, a fixture in local venues like Ken’s Steak House, will sing popular hits from Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and Lionel Ritchie in a rich baritone voice that’s been described as sweet “like chocolate.”

On Friday, March 20, the flute-led jazz and funk band, the Lance Martin Jazz Trio featuring John Baboian and Dave Clark, will perform a delectable mix of jazz standards, rhythm and blues and pop.

On Friday, March 27, Alexei Tsiganov, a professor at New England Conservatory, will serve up an enticing entree of jazz with Latin, Brazilian and Russian flavors.

- See more at: http://framingham.wickedlocal.com/article/20150225/News/150227564#sthash.TJczJ5lw.dpuf

On Friday, March 13, recording artist Ralph Graham, a fixture in local venues like Ken’s Steak House, will sing popular hits from Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and Lionel Ritchie in a rich baritone voice that’s been described as sweet “like chocolate.”

On Friday, March 20, the flute-led jazz and funk band, the Lance Martin Jazz Trio featuring John Baboian and Dave Clark, will perform a delectable mix of jazz standards, rhythm and blues and pop.

On Friday, March 27, Alexei Tsiganov, a professor at New England Conservatory, will serve up an enticing entree of jazz with Latin, Brazilian and Russian flavors.

- See more at: http://framingham.wickedlocal.com/article/20150225/News/150227564#sthash.TJczJ5lw.dpuf

Brewery Relocation Plan and Train Station Renovation Are Latest Milestones in Downtown's Renaissance

It's been a heady few weeks of positive developments in downtown Framingham as the calendar edges toward the end of 2014.

 First, after more than a year of anticipation and extensive renovations, the Deluxe Depot Diner opened last week in the historic former train station at the intersection of Waverly Street and Concord Street, in a nineteenth century gem of a building designed by noted architect H.H. Richardson,

The restaurant, which seats 220 patrons, is the third one owned by the husband and wife team of Don and Daryl Levy, who also run similar businesses in Newton and Watertown. One of their claims to fame is serving hearty breakfasts all day, but there is also an extensive lunch and dinner menu as well as a full bar. The interior design is a stunner, incorporating both original aspects of the building structure with Victorian-influenced "steampunk" fixtures. Initial reviews have been quite positive, with many people remarking that this is the kind of eatery that will bring them downtown regularly.

 Then, this week, came the long-rumored announcement from Jack's Abby Brewing, the South Side craft brewery that has grown meteorically in just three years, that they will be relocating to a much larger facility in one of the former Dennison Manufacturing buildings downtown on Clinton Street, just a short distance from their present location on Morton Street.

The brewery, which has won numerous awards for its beers, will grow from its current 12,000 square foot home to 67,000 square feet, including a 5,000 square foot restaurant. Construction will begin next spring with an anticipated opening by the end of 2015.

 The significance of this announcement and its positive impact on downtown Framingham can't be underestimated. First, it will mean that a major manufacturing facility bringing several dozen new jobs will be operating in the heart of downtown. Jack's Abby estimates that they will hire about 25 new employees for the new facility, doubling their present head count. Second, the addition of a restaurant serving up to 24 of the brewery's beers on draft will become a magnet for bringing people downtown for a pint, dinner, or both.

Just step into the tap room at the current brewery on a Friday night or Saturday to see the demand for their products as people line up to buy growlers of beer or hang out for a while, working their way through a sampler of the brewery's offerings or a pint of their favorite brew. And, as a big craft beer fan, having visited microbreweries and brewpubs all over North America for twenty-plus years, I can tell you that they are often bellwether businesses that have infused new vitality into many small towns and big cities alike, and attract additional businesses in the food, beverage, and entertainment industries.

2015 should be an interesting year in Framingham as dynamic businesses like the Deluxe Depot Diner and Jack's Abby Brewing continue to attract more people downtown.

Framingham's Italian Culture Lives On in Tripoli

When I moved to Framingham fifteen years ago, I knew very few people in town. I grew up in a close-knit, heavily Italian-American neighborhood in Quincy, Massachusetts, and when I was a child, a lot of people in my neighborhood spoke Italian, and for some it was their first language. In Framingham I got used to hearing people speaking Spanish, Portuguese, and sometimes Russian, but not Italian.

Then one day at the supermarket I passed a middle-aged woman in one of the aisles speaking to what appeared to be her very elderly mother in Italian. I was so excited I walked up to them and told them in Italian how good it was to hear the language again. I think I startled them with my exuberance but we chatted for a minute, and probably told each other where our families were from in Italy, because no matter where in the world you meet someone with Italian roots, that's the first thing you talk about.

So began my search for Framingham's Italian-American culture. Most of it is centered in Tripoli, the south side neighborhood astride Waverly Street (Route 135) at the edge of downtown, near the Ashland line. The area began to fill with Italian immigrants in the 1880s during the huge immigration wave that brought so many Italians to the United States over the next twenty or thirty years. A large Italian-American community grew and thrived there, but as the old generation passed on and the newer generations assimilated and moved out, the community shrank and other newcomers took their place.

So what are the remaining institutions of Tripoli's Italian past, where you can step back in time a bit, and experience a taste of Boston's North End or New York City's Little Italy (also both greatly diminished) in Framingham? Not surprisingly, given the emphasis Italians put on what they eat, they're mostly food-centric.

La Cantina at 911 Waverly Street is still going strong after over sixty years as one of Framingham's favorite and most beloved Italian restaurants. They also have a product line of salad dressings and pasta sauces marketed under the Fanny label (named after Fanny Mencoboni, who started the restaurant with her husband Leo) that is sold in supermarkets all over New England. Within the past few years they completed a major renovation and expansion so clearly their offerings of traditional fare like chicken or eggplant parmigiana, fettucine alfredo, and sausage and peppers has a loyal following.

The Waverly Market, at 684 Waverly Street, is a family owned and operated Italian food store that opened in 1929. They are renowned for their homemade porchetta, sausages, meatballs, sauce, and pasta, as well as the many food items they stock that are imported from Italy. They also have takeout sandwiches, soups, and salads as well as cappuccino.  The store has been featured on Boston area television shows like Chronicle and The Phantom Gourmet and has been run by three consecutive generations of the Stefanini family.

The Framingham Baking Company at 840 Waverly Street has been producing baked goods for the community since 1917. While you can certainly get the expected items like Italian bread, biscotti, and pizzelle, they offer a veritable global array of items ranging from croissants to challah to Portuguese sweet bread. What many people flock there for are their famous sheet pizzas, which have fueled many a family gathering in town.

The Columbus Club at 11 Fountain Street is a social-fraternal organization that has been a cornerstone of the Framingham Italian-American community since it was founded in 1908. But you don't have to be a member to experience this century-plus marvel. One of the best-kept secrets in town is the fact that they serve lunch to the public Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This fact is not even included on their web site, curiously, though they do some print advertising once in a while.

Just walk in the side door to the lower level of the building and you'll find yourself in a lively room full of postal workers, trades people, and assorted townies in the know, chatting away as they dig into hearty plates of pasta with meatballs and sausages, soups, sandwiches, as well as daily specials like chicken parmigiana (Saturday is tripe day), all at very low prices. They also have an all-you-can-eat dinner Tuesday nights from 5 to 7 p.m. - soup, salad, garlic bread, two types of pasta, meatballs, and dessert and coffee, incredibly, for only $7.00.

The genesis for this blog post was a recent discussion on the Framingham Downtown Renaissance Facebook page when someone said downtown Framingham needed some places where you could buy homemade, old family recipe items like sausages and bread. As I pointed out, in Tripoli you still can, and have been able to, for about a century, thanks to Framingham's Italian American community.

Buon appetito!