Once described by Thoreau as the “city of the woods,” Carlisle, Massachusetts is next on tour for our Loving Local Life series. Our second-to-last stop, Carlisle continues to be a natural community, with over 30% of land remaining under a conservation effort.

Great Brook Farm is a large destination for those around the town, open each day 11 am to dark (dependent on weather) from April to October. A modern dairy farm, Great Brook has 61 flavors of ice cream for visitors to enjoy after exploration of the trails. Perfect for biking, hiking, or a picnic, it is great for family and friends alike.

The Malcom Preserve is another outdoor adventure for those seeking one in Carlisle. This 11 acre reservation includes trails that suggest a minimum of one half hour to explore, with one wheelchair accessible trail spanning one half mile long, lined with crushed stone. The Malcom Preserve also leads to a larger protected landscape of 1,300 acres in surrounding towns.

The Carlisle Cranberry Bog continues the theme of natural enjoyment and agriculture that is prevalent in Carlisle. Cranberries have been grown here since 1904, currently with 19 acres of active production. The bog provides another outdoor experience, especially grand in autumn.

With local companies such as Kimball Farm to stop at for more ice cream, and Ferns Country Store for any of your other needs, Carlisle is a great trip to make, for all!

The next town along the “Patriot’s Trail” that we’re stopping at for our Loving Local Life series is Lincoln, MA.

Following with our trend of historical towns, Lincoln is no exception! Lincoln is home to the Thoreau Institute, part of the Walden Wood Project. The Thoreau Institute Library holds over 60,000 items, all pieces of Thoreau-related material. There are conservation efforts, a farm, and plentiful educational elements to the Walden Woods Project, where the Thoreau Library is located.

Lincoln is also home to the Gropious House. The Gropious House was designed by the founder of the Bauhaus design school, and follows the Bauhaus style combining traditional elements of New England architecture. Anyone interested in Historical Architecture (especially in New England) will love a visit here!

The Codman Estate is another historically-steeped element of town. Known to some as “The Grange,” this estate has been passed through generations. Not only is it a landmark to visit, but the Codman Community Farm is a Lincoln staple, which has been in continuous operation for over 150 years.

If the farm has peaked your interest in heading to the great outdoors, the Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary is another great place to go. Drumlin Farm is a working farm, with 206 acres total, and four miles of trails to explore, with two Universally Accessible trails.

For something with a bit of indoor and outdoor choice, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum makes a great local day trip! deCordova is a welcome place for new visitors and return guests alike, supplementing the 3,500 piece Permanent Collection in several media with ever-changing Upcoming Exhibits.  

Finally, no visit to Lincoln is complete without a stop at Ponyhenge. An eclectic display, a local property owner found that each time they went away they would return to a new pony figure or statue left on their land. When driving, pull off at 39 Old Sudbury Road in Lincoln and look across to find this display to complete your tour!

For the second week of our Loving Local Life series, we’re highlighting Bedford, Massachusetts. This history-steeped town is another we are fortunate to be a part of!

With the oldest known flag in the United States, Bedford remains a part of history, often associated with the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The Pole Capping, an ‘act of defiance’ predating the revolution, is reenacted in April each year to commemorate the participation of the town in this historical event. Similarly, Bedford Day is another annual event, occurring each September, celebrating the incorporation of the town. The Bedford town website has extensive information about the history and events in the community (click here for A Citizen's Guide to Bedford). 

With our office centrally located, and many active Realtors® who work and live in Bedford, we’re in a great place to be a part of all the festivities. Bedford is family-friendly, active, and has a lot to offer those passing through.

In fact, Bedford has many visitors by chance! With the Rail Trails converging at Depot Park, residents and tourists from far and wide get some exercise. This great addition to the town and surround communities brings great value to those who take advantage of the easy, fun opportunity. With three trails, those going for a ride, walk, or run can choose where they visit each day. Of the three options, the most notable in length is the Minuteman Bikeway, at 10.5 miles long and begins in Bedford passing through adjacent towns, reaching West Cambridge.

Springs Brook Park is another element of the town, with a water park, a playground, and a yearly events schedule. In the past there have been magicians, yo-yo tricks, reptile events, and more. During the summer, there are also Fourth of July events and swimming lessons!

The Chip-In-Farm is a local company, open year-round. The farm sells locally sourced food as well as fertilizer during the spring and fall. There is a petting zoo for visitors to enjoy, birthday party accommodations, and a farm camp for kids during the summer.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be doing a series focusing on the towns we serve and why we love them! Check back each Monday for a new town.

This week, we’ll start where we got our start! You guessed it – Concord, Massachusetts.

Whether you’re looking for an afternoon filled with history, nature, or literature, you can find it here! Minuteman National Historical Park brings history alive where the first battle of the Revolution began. The park has a rotating schedule of events, a Junior Ranger program that you can guide yourself through and earn a badge, as well as programs for parents and teachers alike.

If you’re interested in the nature aspect of Concord, the conservation land is abundant! The Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge with an entrance on Monson Road includes trails and both a wildlife observation tower and platform. Hapgood Wright Town Forest, or “Fairyland Pond,” is another option for trails and relaxation in the conservation land of Concord.

For more varied exercise in nature, the South Bridge Boat House is open for kayak and canoe rentals throughout the warmer weather.

Nature and literature collide here in many ways, as well. A local (and tourist!) favorite is Walden Pond. This gorgeous location is brought to life throughout the year with the warm and changing air, the fall colors, and the tranquil feeling that accompanies the winter months.

Many choose to continue their literature tour of Concord by paying tribute to our great authors at Author’s Ridge in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, leaving a pen in homage to their legacy. Coming full-circle, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House welcomes visitors to appreciate the history that Concord offers in literature at the “Home of Little Women!”

Even if you’re not looking for a long tour of history, nature, or literature, Concord still has a lot to offer. The community we are a part of here welcomes small business ventures, with local favorites such as The Concord Cheese Shop, celebrating 50 years in Concord this July, and Nesting on Main for lunch and treasures to be found!

Still not sure what you’re doing this Memorial Day Weekend? The towns we serve, and Greater Boston, have a lot of opportunities for you! 

In Bedford, MA the Memorial Day Ceremony and Bedford Memorial Day Parade take place. The events are said to start at 11:15am on Monday, at the Old Burying Ground in Bedford. 

In Lincoln, MA there will be a Memorial Day Barbecue for Veterans. This will be held at Bemis Hall, 15 Bedford Road, Lincoln from 11:30am - 1pm. However, Veterans must RSVP (contact: 781.259.8811, as per the website).

In Lexington, MA the weekend starts off with the Annual Discovery Day in the Municipal Parking Lot on Muzzey Street/Waltham Street. This event will be held from 1am - 3pm, followed by a free concert by The Nowhere Men from 3:30pm - 5:30pm. The day awaits you with dancing, food, shopping, clowns, and tables from each Town Department. Free parking and Lexpress Rides will also be available throughout the day for your convenience. 

On Memorial Day, Lexington will have wreath-laying ceremonies starting at 8:45am. For a full schedule, visit the town website here. 

If you are looking for something further out, Boston also has various events this weekend. 

For a summer feel, the Boston Pops present Jaws in concert on Thursday and Friday evening starting at 8pm. The iconic movie will be coupled with live score for an evening to really start the warmer weather.

Throughout the weekend the Memorial Day Flag display will be on the Boston Common. 

While you are in the city, there will also be free admission to the Museum of Fine Arts on Monday, from 10am - 4:45pm.

With all of this in mind, you can plan ahead and enjoy the weekend! 

Every Saturday and Sunday between April 29th and October 29th from 10am - 4pm, local vendors and artisans gather together to create the SoWa Open Market in Boston, MA. Locals and visitors alike are welcomed to the various venues along Harrison Avenue, predominantly between Paul Sullivan Way and Union Park Street. The goal? To build community and support small, local businesses. 

Visit the SoWa Arts Market at 460 Harrison Avenue to meet the artisans who set-up shop for the weekend, 75-100 at a time. Carefully curated, this event provides the perfect opportunity to select art for your home, daily life, and more. Every First Friday of the month galleries open to the public from 5pm - 9pm for a night of new culture.

The SoWa Farmers Market is located at 500 Harrison Avenue, providing the ability to do some light (or heavy) shopping in place of your weekly stop to the grocer's. 

Cap your time at the SoWa Open Market with the Food Truck Bazaar and the Beer Garden, both located at 540 Harrison Avenue. The Food Truck Bazaar hosts 10-15 of Boston's best food trucks, weekly. The Beer Garden is the first weekly, outdoor venue of it's kind in Boston, hosted by eatBoston. 

Countless restaurants, studios, and stores are open throughout the year - including the Vintage Market at 450 Harrison Avenue. Selling antiques, vintage items, and oddities, this store is open all Sundays 10am - 4pm and alongside the Open Market on Saturdays 11am - 4pm.  

The weekends of mid-spring to mid-fall allow the ability to host a variety of events, workshops, and shopping opportunities in the South End, but the festivity does not end there! This community continues various gatherings throughout the year. The Power Station, once the world's largest electric power generation plant, has been renovated and restored as a venue for events of all kinds. For more, the continually updated calendar can be found here.

Many kids and adults alike can recall having tea parties with their favorite dolls and stuffed toys. On December 4th, a special tea party was held, where girls and their favorite adults brought their most cherished dolls to the Pierce House in Lincoln to attend a "Dolly and Me Tea Party" benefiting Horizons for Homeless Children ("Horizons").

The girls and their dolls decorated canvas totes, crowns, and bracelets. They feasted on mini croissant sandwiches, cookies and brownies, tea, and hot cocoa. Andrea Thodorakos of Glamorous Cupcakes and Specialty Cookies provided cookies with the American Doll logo, adding a special touch.

Those attending had the chance to receive door prizes of the 2017 American Girl Doll of the Year donated by Sofia's Angels, and Bruin's Tickets donated by Laurie Cadigan of Barrett Sotheby's International Realty.

Terese Surette and Anna Travias, Realtors® at Barrett Sotheby's International Realty, located in Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln, planned and coordinated the event, with 100% of proceeds donated to Horizons.

Travias serves on the board of Sophia's Angels, a Massachusetts non-profit organization that works, "To inspire and practice kindness in ways both big and small, by helping others in need."

Surette said, "I personally volunteered at a Domestic Violence shelter with homeless children weekly for this organization [Horizons], and so it is near and dear to my heart."

The Playspace Program created by Horizons, which Surette volunteered through, is a yearlong commitment where PALs (Playspace Activity Leaders) spend two hours per week with kids 0-6 years of age. These time slots are often in conjunction with financial literacy courses, parenting classes, case management meetings, and other programming that parents need but would not otherwise be available for without the support of the PALs.

Monetary donations made to Horizons go towards programming and the necessary items to execute the scheduled and planned activities. To learn more, visit Horizons for Homeless Children online.

Sylvester (Ziggy) Barbato grew up in Stoughton, Massachusetts, as a member of a first-generation Italian American family. One of nine children, he grew up knowing that Christmas mornings would be sparse, with no presents to open, and certainly no toys.

When he started a family of his own, he was determined to make Christmas merry for his kids. With five children to provide for, Mr. Barbato had to work multiple jobs to support his family and make sure they had toys to play with on Christmas morning. He shared his story with his children of a Christmas without the gifts, and taught them that there are always families in need "especially around the holidays."

His children heard his message and hoped to continue the same tradition and merriment that their father provided for them. Each year, the whole family gathers together to share their Christmas cheer with others. Mr. Barbato gives his children money to bring their children to the toy store where they all pick out gifts for Toys For Tots. On Christmas Day, the family shares in the happiness of knowing that kids, who otherwise may not have been able to open gifts on Christmas morning, are sharing in their joy, just as Mr. Barbato has always hoped.

As clients of Rosina Harlem, the Barbato family has donated annually to the Toys for Tots efforts at Barrett | Sotheby's International Realty, as organized by Ms. Harlem. On behalf of Barrett | Sotheby's International Realty, thank you to the Barbato family, for your generous donations.

To donate to Toys for Tots this holiday season, visit any of the five Barrett | Sotheby's International Realty locations by December, 15th, or visit Toys For Tots online.

The following are the 2016 tax rates for our Greater Boston communities. We are happy to provide this comparison as a real estate resource in Greater Boston for over 30 years. If you are considering a home purchase or rental in the area and would like assistance in comparing these towns on other important factors, please call us at 978-369-6453 or email us at info@barrettsothebysrealty.com. We look forward to assisting you.