Framingham, Massachusetts

North Framingham, near Sudbury, tends to have the more expensive houses. Framingham center has lots of Brazilian immigrants and small shops. The Saxonville area of Framingham has some old mill buildings which now contain artsy crafty stores and performance spaces.

Just a bit of clarification. Framingham Center is located at the junction of Route 9 and Edgell Road where you will find the historical center, the original town hall and Framingham State College. This was the business center way back when Route 9 was the major route from Boston to New York. The Downtown area is often mistaken for the Center. "Downtown" is where you will find many small shops and restaurants and the commuter rail station. A very vibrant and diverse community.

Rte 9 runs right through the middle of Framingham. It's a divided two lane road with numerous stores, shopping malls, restaurants and movie theaters right there.Rte 9 continues on into Natick which provides more of the same. Shopping heaven!

The Danforth Museum of Art is a nationally recognized museum located at 120 Union Avenue in Framingham (30 miles west of Boston). The Danforth has a collection of American art, as well as changing exhibits by contemporary artists, classes and workshops, and a variety of community outreach programs. The museum may also be rented for meetings or events of up to 300 people.

More information may be found at danforthmuseum.org or by calling 508-620-0050.

The Heritage Chorale is a group of singers from Metrowest (western suburbs of Boston) that perform three major concerts per season in the Framingham area. The Chorale was founded in 1937. Call the Info-Line at 508-270-3999 for information or tickets. The Chorale's web site may be found at heritagechorale.org.

The Metrowest Youth Symphony Orchestra, based out of the Framingham campus of the Massachusetts Bay Community College, is an orchestra comprised of dedicated young musicians that performs two concerts per academic year (one in the winter, and another in the spring). More information about their concerts and programs can be found at metyso.org.

Saxonville Studios is a community of artists located n the old Saxonville mill building on the Sudbury River in Framingham (1602-B Concord St). Be sure to check out their Annual Open Studios event, which is held every spring, and at some other select times during the year. More information may be found on their web site saxonvillestudios.com.

The unCommon Coffeehouse is located at the First Parish Church at 24 Vernon Street in Framingham (near the Framingham Common). The unCommon Coffeehouse features live musical performances every month throughout their September through May season. More info may be found on their web site at uncommoncoffeehouse.org or by calling 508-875-3318.

The Boston Renegades are a franchise of Massachusetts Premier Soccer (MPS), and play in the W-League of the United Soccer League (www.uslsoccer.com). All Boston Renegades home games are played at Bowditch Stadium in Framingham. The Renegades won back to back National Championships in 2001 and 2002. Their season typically runs May through August. More information may be found on their web site - www.mpsbr.com/renegades/about.html.