Around Natick

The Natick Pharmacy was located at the intersection of Speen Street and Route 9, in a group of stores which also included the Coach House Candy, Kinney Shoes (now called Pet World) and a Bickford’s Pancake House. (now the site of Pizza Hut).

A trip to the pharmacy always included a visit to the toy department downstairs, where the owner, Mr Finklestein used to keep close watch on whatever the neighborhood kids were up to. Occasionally, someone would tease him and he’d start yelling, chasing the perpetrators up the stairs and out the doors.

On the main floor of the Pharmacy, was a soda fountain, where we would buy creme soda with vanilla shakes. On a Sunday, the routine was usually to park in the back of the Pharmacy to buy the Sunday newspaper, then walk across Speen St. to Dunkin Donuts for a dozen honey dipped. This black and white photo may be the only one in existence, of this great place.

Natick’s rail trail can be a great rollerblading venue, as this photo shows. Just go to the left column under “Blogroll” and click on the topic “Rail Trail Tour” to see what it looks like. If you’re wondering why I called it the Eliot Rail Trail, I guess it’s because that might be the name chosen, or maybe it will be called the Sassamon Trail. Either way, once the trail is paved, it’ll be a fun way to travel. You’ll be able to park at the 11, er, 13 Mechanic St. lot, and skateboard or rollerblade all the way to the Naked Fish on Speen Street. Cool!

For those who haven’t traveled throughout our town in recent weeks, take a ride by “Natick” as I think they deserve a huge thank you for the great landscaping going on right now. Click on the picture for a larger view.
Nouvelle is getting to be a destination.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

The intersection of South St. and Washington St. in downtown Natick has begun it’s transformation into a pleasing corner, with the cables and wires placed underground. There’s one solitary pole left, which may come down within a few days. They’re waiting for NStar to give it up. (someone there said the pole was in too good a condition to be removed.)

The news published an interesting article today, about the Belkin Lookout Farm in Natick. Seems there are lots of farms in the area with a similar slant on how to fit well with family and friends. Here’s the link: http://www.townonline.com/natick/news/x1201791021

Thousands of families enjoyed a day at Lookout Farm, last summer, last autumn, and Christmas Season.  I thank the farm for bringing a bit of something special to the town.  Families had a day together, picking apples, strawberries, and even a few hours admiring the carved pumpkins with their kids. The Christmas light show was spectacular.  The events there were exciting, the stuff traditions are made of.

And yet in typical cliche fashion there’s always a rotten apple to spoil the bunch. There are a few well connected folks who aren’t happy. They want their neighborhood to remain rural. All around the town is growing, but “south” Natick should be like a gated community.   They feel the farm threatens their property values.  How misdirected their complaints. Not only does the farm add value to a town, its festivals strengthen family. Life is short enough and time with family too precious to be so greedy as to think property value diminishes with activity on a farm for a handful of weeks each year.

Those residents who complain about people from around town coming into their neighborhood for a few hours each year for some family fun,  think nothing of coming into other neighborhoods to shop or to work. Natick’s not an island to itself. We have the Mall , the Mathworks and Boston Scientific, and so many other places located in other parts of town, that neighbors in Dover, Medfield, Millis, Milford, Medway and beyond are traveling through our town to work and to play.  (Any chance they’ll be suggesting tolls on Rte 126 in the near future?)

The handful of weeks per year devoted to special events are a joy to thousands. Let’s have a balanced perspective on how the farm has continued to be what it always has been, and thank them for what they’ve added to our community.

Here’s a teaser of the shopping center at rte 9 and 27, taken in the mid 1960’s. You can see Woolworths and Stop & Shop on the right, and to the left, a Thom McAn where Hollywood Video is now.  Thank you to the library for finding this one.

 If you go to Google, and search Smart Growth Natick, this blog is the number one choice.

Cool!

Here’s the postcard view that everyone is familiar with. The building to the left became the Pancake House.

If you needed a smoke after paying them a visit, you could always light up with matches they offered at the cash  register.

Take the kids to Barbers on Rte 135 this week, to see the spectacular display of Dept 56 houses. Three giant tables with town layouts are probably as close as one can get to the old fashioned displays they used to have in department and toy stores in the 1950’s. The difference being those used to have model trains running through them.

Be sure to bring the kids to Lookout Farm this week for the light show.
I’ve uploaded more photos if you click this photo which links to Flickr. They do train rides through the field, to Santa’s house, and some reindeer. You can have the kids picture taken with Santa (not free.)
A bit pricy for admission, ($16 each)but it’s still a nice thing to do with the really young kids.