Framingham Views

This Italian restaurant was located where you now enter the parking lot for Tweeter, and Bed Bath and Beyond, formerly Marshall’s. The building to the right is now a mattress and vitamin store, and before that was the Gaston Andrey dealership. Back in the 1950s, behind Giovanni’s, was a place called Mr Hamburg. Mr Hamburg had burgers for 19 cents. I think it was Framingham’s first fast food place. To the east, or left of Giovanni’s, was another small house, which was called Pet World. Behind Pet World, was swampland, and power lines. We used to find tadpoles in small puddles of water behind Pet World. I wish I had more photos of this long-gone stretch of Route 9.

 Statistic                                                  Framingham      Milford
 
Avg. single family tax bill                           $3,978        $3,248
Avg. single family property value      $298,845    $272,036
Population profile
Total population                                            66,161         28,273
% male                                                                48%             49%
% female                                                             52%             51%
Median age                                                        37                 37
% population under 19                                  24%              26%
% population 20-24                                         6%                6%
% population 25-39                                        23%               22%
% population 40-59                                        29%                30%
% population over 60                                     18%                17%
Education (Highest Level Attained)
% graduated college                                       15%                  16%
% with Graduate Degree                               9%                   9%
Households
% of households with children                     32%             39%
% of dwellings owner-occupied                     53%              67%
% of dwellings rental-occupied                     41%             29%
In current residence 5+ years                      45%             51%
Annual residential turnover                        18%             12%
Median dwelling age                                        40                38
% of vacant dwellings                                       7%               4%
Financial
Median household income                        $61,796      $56,428
Avg. household income                             $81,848      $73,783
Per capita income                                       $32,063      $28,048
Median household net worth                   $44,464      $44,023
Avg. household net worth                        $145,106    $145,889
Less than $24,999                                            20%         23%
$25,000 - $49,999                                           22%         23%
$50,000 - $99,999                                           32%         33%
$100,000 and up                                               25%         22%
Employment
% blue collar                                                        15%         18%
% white collar                                                     85%         82%
% of workers who work at home                     3%             2%
Median travel time to work                            23 mins    22 mins
Crime
Total crime index                                               59               17
Personal crime index                                        78                 9
Property crime index                                        57               26
Motor vehicle theft                                            44               38

(stats courtesy of the US Census)

I wonder what happened or didn’t happen in Milford Mass that made the downtown so vital, when compared with Natick and Framingham. One only has to drive through, as I did last Saturday, to see the difference. Lots of variety in the types of stores, from antiques, to hobby shops. Unlike Framingham, where it seems every other storefront is a hairdresser or a place to do your nails, Milford offers a wide variety. Not only that, but as you explore more, you find corner variety stores and other businesses all seeming to do well. Milford didn’t tear down the old buildings, either. The only thing missing is a movie theatre.
In Natick, the same comparisons can be made with downtown Norwood. Natick seems to enjoy the brick municipal buildings, and favored parking lots over old storefronts and the Center School. I don’t think newer is better, but some folks do.
As for Framingham, wouldn’t someone do the downtown a favor by explaining to Mike Moran that old firehouses aren’t necessarily the best location for folky coffeehouses? The old Pennies, or Woolworth would have made more sense, as it would have brought the destination up to where it belongs. In Natick it worked, because beyond the Clark Block, there was nothing vintage left. Framingham had a chance. Even the old Bell Shops or Gorins storefronts, now owned by the Fabric Place, would have been a better choice. Mike, please, lose that fire station fixation, and think about how to do it better!

The owner of Jordan Marsh used to live in this mansion which is still standing near downtown Framingham.

The Salvation Army parking lot is a treasure trove for those downtown who enjoy rummaging through the “donations”. However, it’s an unsightly mess. This photo is typical of how the spot always appears. You can go there tomorrow, next week, next month, and there’ll be lots of stuff.