Fall is almost officially upon us with the month of September ushering in familiar crisp and cool mornings and the school year in full swing. And with this we all come to the realization that NOW is the time to get out and enjoy the last few warm afternoons that are left. Living in the Greater Boston area, there are lots of places and great activities to do just that. One such activity, suitable for all, is the Minuteman Bikeway.

Stretching from Bedford to Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Minuteman Bikeway, named the 6th best urban bike path in the U.S. by USA Today, makes for the perfect afternoon getaway, whether it's a quick walk or bike ride or traveling the full 10 miles from end-to-end, there's plenty to see and do on the way. One great stop is the center of Historic Lexington. With numerous shops and restaurants, it can prove to be a great stop for lunch or a just quick snack or to walk around and take in the historic sites.

Another great spot to stop and take a quick break or to have a nice picnic is Arlington's Great Meadow. Located right off the path, with multiple entry points, the views and wildlife offer a serene and calm setting. From the meadow, it's only a few miles to Arlington Center, which is located right near the corner of Mystic Avenue and Mass Ave. From shops to restaurants to the Arlington Center for the Arts, there is plenty to do.

From there, the last stretch of the bike trail leads into Cambridge's Alewife Station. However, before getting to Alewife there is another small park just after heading out of the center of Arlington. Spy Pond Park is yet another place to stop for a little rest with a fantastic view. Overlooking Spy Pond, onlookers can sit on a park bench and just watch the breaking waves juxtaposed with the fast paced traffic on Route 2 off in the distance. Once getting into Alewife Station, one can either turn back and head whence they came or continue their travel into the city of Boston either by the "T" or another bike trail. Either way, even a small trip on the bike trail can make for a great day.

Barrett Sotheby's International Realty is pleased to announce the addition of another Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) award to their portfolio. Awarded during MAR's 2013 Realtor of the Year dinner, Barrett Sotheby's International Realty took home the newest award "Technology Contest: Social Media All-Star."

Barrett SIR owner and CEO, Laurie Cadigan joyfully exclaimed, "We are very proud of the notoriety our Social Media Team has received. Our clients certainly benefit from all of the amazing on-line exposure that we provide locally and that Sotheby's International Realty® provides globally."

Understanding the rapid pace of technology, especially in real estate, MAR decided that having awards for "Best Agent and Broker Websites" as well as "Best Blog" just wasn't enough. Consumers, as technology progresses, are looking to interact more and more with the prospective companies they want to do business with. This year the MAR technology committee decided it was time to honor the top "Social Media All-Stars." The merit for the award was based on which individual Realtor and Brokerage best demonstrated how the use of Social Media is changing their business. The criterion used by the judges examined the effectiveness, total followers, originality, creativity and a demonstrated commitment to engaging and keeping in touch with their consumers.

To see Barrett Sotheby's International Realty in action when it comes to Social Media, like us on Facebook, add us to your circle on Google+, follow us on twitter, pin with us on Pinterest, and watch our channel on YouTube.

Barrett Sotheby's International Realty is pleased to announce that the company has been named to the 12th annual list of Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts by The Commonwealth Institute, a Boston-based nonprofit devoted to aiding women in business. Since 2002, the institute has compiled an annual list of for-profit women-led companies, based on revenues. This year for the first time, the Globe Magazine partnered with the institute to publish the list. There are nearly 200,000 women-owned companies in Massachusetts, employing more than 175,000 people, according to The Boston Globe.

"Each of the women on our Top 100 list," says The Commonwealth Institute's executive director, Aileen Gorman, "has made a significant impact on the Commonwealth's economy and has established herself as a visionary leader of a successful company."

Laurie Cadigan, CEO and Owner of Barrett Sotheby's International Realty, purchased the company in 2007 from Jane Barrett, who started J.M. Barrett & Co. in 1977.

Always striving to maintain an edge when it comes to deploying technology in the office for real estate agents or for consumers, Barrett Sotheby's International Realty is pleased to announce the presence of a virtual office located at 45 Commonwealth Avenue in West Concord, Massachusetts, right next to Forever Tile. Barrett SIR can now showcase properties for sale in an innovative way with an Interactive Real Estate Storefront from imageSurge Inc., with its sleek and visually appealing, award-winning unit that allows consumers to search through an ordinary office window, and view listings updated with real-time Multiple Listing Service (MLS) connectivity. An individual can specify search parameters tailored to their needs and consumers are able to view by the types of listings (like single-family house, condominium or rental), surrounding towns, price range, and the amount of bedrooms, all literally at the tip of a finger.

Using patent-pending, through glass technology, consumers use the touchscreen to select how to browse, as well as navigate through the search parameters and listings once presented, via small circular buttons located on the inside of the glass. All of which is then displayed on a sun-readable, non-blacking display that is properly backlit with LCD heat-resistant technology, to deliver outstanding quality, even under direct sunlight.

If this sounds like something you need to see to believe, we're going to agree with you. So what are you waiting for? Get up and get out to West Concord to see it for yourself!!!

As Concordians may have noticed, downtown Concord, Massachusetts was recently buzzing with much activity. Walden Street from Hubbard Street to Main Street and from Keyes Road to Monument Circle was closed down on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 for the shooting of a movie scene. Tumbledown, starring Jason Sudeikis and Rebecca Hall is a comedy-romance slated to come out in late 2014 about a wife who loses her husband, a famous folk singer, and a New York writer who makes her confront, not just her loss, but the uncertain circumstances surrounding his death.

The company responsible for the production of the movie is based out of Devens, Massachusetts and they have been using several towns in Massachusetts, such as Princeton and Concord, to shoot scenes for the movie. Rumor has it many of the cast and crew were spotted getting a delicious treat from Haute Coffee, shopping at local establishments and taking in the quintessential sights Concord has to offer.

Here's a list of places in and around Greater Boston to celebrate the 4th of July in 2014. Ten spots (listed alphabetically) to choose from...some of them have *fireworks*, all of them include *fun*...like parades, live music, food, games and much, much more. Enjoy!!

• Acton Mass. July 4th Celebration at NARA Park, Acton MA, July 4, 2014 from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm with family fun activities, live music and *fireworks* beginning at 9:30 pm.

• Arlington Independence Day Celebration at Robbins Farm Park, Arlington MA, July 4, 2014 with musical entertainment provided by the "The Reminisants", refreshments, and of course, the Boston Pops Orchestra and Fireworks on the giant screen (fireworks start at 10:30pm). The event is free and open to all.

• Boston Harborfest is favorite yearly destination for 4th of July festivities, running from July 2nd - July 6th 2014. Activities include Scavenger Hunts, Harbor Cruises and the annual USS Constitution Turn-Around. The Boston Pops *Fireworks* Spectacular with this year's performers: The Beach Boys, Megan Hilty, The Phantom of the Opera and The Boston Children's Chorus. And don't forget, you can see the concert on July 3rd but there won't be any fireworks.

• Chelmsford 4th of July Parade and Country Fair, Chelmsford, MA The fair will be held on Thursday, July 3, 2014 from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm and on Friday, July 4, 2014 from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. The parade starts at 10:00 am on Friday, July 4, 2014.

• Concord Picnic in the Park, Concord MA at Emerson Field, on July 4, 2014 from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm Scheduled to have tethered balloon rides, a bicycle parade, live music, and family activities.

• Harvard Mass. 4th of July Events at Fruitlands Museum and Harvard Center, Harvard MA, July 2 - July 4, 2014 featuring a parade, live music, field events and *fireworks* on the 2nd beginning at 9:15 pm.

• Lexington 4th of July Carnival and Fireworks, Lexington, MA Carnival to be held at Hastings Park on Tuesday, July 1, 2014 through Saturday, July 5th with *fireworks* on Wednesday, July 2, 2014, after dusk.

• Lincoln Independence Day Activities, Lincoln, MA July 4, 2014 Activities include a 2.5 or 4 mile road race, parade, Boy Scout BBQ, concert and *fireworks*. The day's events begin at 7:45 am and continue through the evening

• Newton July 4th Celebration, Newton, MA July 4, 2014 Scheduled events include children's activities, Open Air Market, amusements rides, live music and *fireworks*.

• Waltham 4th of July Celebration, Prospect Hill Park and Leary Field Waltham, MA On Friday, July 4, 2014 at Prospect Hill Park from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm there will be a family event featuring children's inflatables, pony rides, animal shows, music, and much more! That evening at Leary Field, Back in Time will be performing at 5:30pm followed by *fireworks* at 9:30pm.

For lots more ideas for places in Massachusetts to celebrate Independence Day, check out massvacation.com.

Photo credit: Beverly & Pack / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Barrett Sotheby's International Realty sponsored the 2014 Scarecrow Classic 5K held Sunday, October 19th. This popular run winds through scenic roads, fields and trails in Lincoln MA. The proceeds benefit the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust which manages over 2000 acres of land and 80 miles of public trails; and is one of the oldest land trusts in the country.

Recently the Sotheby's auction houses in New York and Hong Kong sold some of the best wines from the renowned cellar of Silicon Valley entrepreneur James H Clark. It's hard not to imagine the delight one of these wines would bring to a group of friends and family members gathered around an elegant table for a holiday meal. Well, maybe we cannot taste it for ourselves, but we can dream . . .

http://www.sothebys.com/en/news-video/blogs/all-blogs/sothebys-at-auction/2014/11/tech-stock-clark-wine.html