Whether you’re moving to the area from another state or another town, it’s sometimes challenging to get acclimated.  It can take weeks or months to find special restaurants and the resources for shopping, services, culture, and recreation that form the backbone of each day, and that contribute so much to your family’s contentment, joy, and quality of life in your new home.

It was with this thought in mind that I compiled the following list of local “go-to” people, places,  and businesses, to help make your transition to the central Massachusetts area as easy and stress-free as possible.

If you’re looking for something not listed here, by all means, please contact me, and I’ll be pleased to try to help you find it.  

Art

Handworks Gallery, 161 Great Rd., Acton 01720. Tel: 978-263-1707. Extensive collection of American crafts, including jewelry, pottery, fiber, woodenware, blown and stained glass, and sculpture. Interesting cards. Great for gifts!

Powers Gallery, 342 Great Rd. (corner of Rtes. 27/2A), Acton 01720. Original watercolors, acrylics, oils, pastels, and sculpture featured in a light-filled showroom. Monthly exhibitions; worth visiting, even if you're just browsing.

Bakeries

Concord Teacakes, 59 Commonwealth Ave., West Concord 01742. Tel: 978-369-7644.  Mint-frosted brownies, chocolate-dipped butter cookies, lemon and raspberry squares, pies, cakes, muffins, and award-winning scones and shortbread. Sandwiches and soups for lunch, too! 

Birds 

Audubon Shop, Drumlin Farm, 208 S. Great Rd. (Rte. 117), Lincoln 01773. Tel: 781-259-2214. Bird feeders, bird baths, binoculars, guides to birds and local wildlife, and fun stuff for kids. 

Boston Exotics, 271 Great Rd., Acton 01720. Tel: 978-263-9600. Parrots, african greys, cockatiels, cockatoos, conures, other exotic birds, as well as cages, supplies, and premium seeds.

For the Birds, 26 Concord Crossing, Concord 01742. Tel: 978-369-3718.  Premium wild bird seed, feeders, binoculars, bird baths, bird guides, bird houses and great advice for bird enthusiasts!

Bookstores

The Concord Bookshop, 65 Main St., Concord 01742. Tel: 978-369-2405. Wonderful independent bookstore in downtown Concord with good collections of New England titles and local authors.

Candy and Ice Cream

Hebert Candies, 78 Worcester Rd. (Rte. 12), Sterling 01564 (tel: 978-422-8877) and 47 Sugar Rd., Bolton (tel: 978-779-6586). America’s first roadside candy store. Chocolate, fudge, ice cream, yum!                             

Kimball Farm, 400 Littleton Rd., Westford 01886 (main location).  Tel: 978-486-3891. Over 40 flavors of scrumptious, rich homemade ice cream, mini golf  and pitch and putt golf courses, driving range, bumper boat pond, country store and café bar (open year round).  Also in Carlisle on Rte. 225.   

Day Camps

Camp Nashoba, 140 Nashoba Rd., Littleton 01460. 978-486-8088.  Camping on the natural shores of Fort Pond. Instruction in the arts, animal care, basketweaving, dance, drama, swimming, riding, tennis, and more. 

Concord Academy Summer Camp, Concord 01742. Tel: 978-402-2284. Day camp sessions of one to eight weeks, with half-day, full-day, or extended-day options.

The Fenn School’s Day Camp, 516 Monument St., Concord 01742. Tel: 978-318-3614. For girls and boys ages 6-15; one and two-week programs.  Activities include arts & crafts, athletics, ceramics, drama, mountain biking, music, photography, rock climbing, swimming, woodworking.

Star Camps, 45 Carr Rd., Concord, MA 01742. Tel: 978-369-8065. Weekly summer day camps offering baseball, basketball, field hockey, flag football, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball.

Daycare, Nursery & Preschool

Community Nursery School, 26 Central St., West Boylston 01583. Tel: 508-835-3845. Nonprofit preschool serving children ages 2.9 to 5.  Small class size.

Oak Meadow Montessori School, 2 Old Pickard Lane, Littleton 01460. Tel: 978-486-9874. Offers programs for children in preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1-8.  

Sterling Nursery School, 123 Rowley Hill Rd., Sterling 01564. Tel: 978-422-6014. Preschool for children 2.9 to 5 years old; full or part-time child care for school age children; summer camp.

The Barn School, 33 Ayer Rd. (PO Box 522), Harvard 01451. Tel: 978-456-3561. Nonprofit community preschool.  Extended daycare available.

Village Nursery School, Box 184, Harvard 01451. Tel: 978-456-3993. Preschool, morning kindergarten, extended daycare, summer camp.

Farm Stores

Berlin Orchards, 200 Central St. (Rte. 62), Berlin 01503.  Tel: 978-838-2400.  A converted antique dairy barn is the home of this homey indoor market, with its own Christmas shop, fresh pressed cider, home-baked pies and cider donuts, gourmet foods, ice cream, and farmer’s pancake breakfast. Pick your own apples in season.  Open 7 days, year-round.  Seasonal festivals.  Fun! 

Bolton Orchards, 125 Still River Rd. (Junction of Rtes. 110/117), Bolton 01740. Tel: 978-779-2733.  Homegrown apples, pears, peaches, plums, and cider.  Gift baskets, home-cooked deli specials, bakery products, flowers.

Idylwilde Farm, 366 Central St. Acton 01720. Tel: 978-263-1662.  Fabulous produce, gourmet food, deli, pre-cooked entrees, desserts, cut flowers and garden center.    Take it from an Idylwilde addict!

Meadowbrook Orchards, 209 Chace Hill Rd., Sterling 01564. Tel: 978-365-7617. Farm store and bakery, homemade jams, fresh fruit; lunch served daily.  

Fitness

Advanced Fitness, 76 Central St., West Boylston 01583.  Tel: 508-835-3424. One-on-one instruction to suit all activity levels; fully-equipped weight and aerobic training machines.

Bolton Fitness Center, 626 Main St., Bolton 01740. Tel: 978-779-6509.  Fitness classes, yoga classes in various styles.

Global Fitness, 117 Great Rd. (Stow Shopping Center), Stow 01775. Tel: 978-897-5300. Strength and cardiovascular fitness classes and training, pilates.

Orchard Hills Athletic Club, 100 Duval Rd., Lancaster 01523.  Tel: 978-537-8387.  Full-service athletic club with indoor jogging track, indoor/outdoor pools,  tennis, fitness classes, weight training, summer camp. 

The Thoreau Club, 275 Forest Ridge Rd., Concord 01742. 978-369-7349. Year-round fitness, tennis, and swimming. Summer day camp.  

Gardening and Plant Supplies

Ballard Hill Garden Center, 1865 Main St. (Rte. 117), Lancaster, MA. Tel: 978-365-7525. Large greenhouse, pottery planters, fresh flowers and arrangements.

Cataldo Nurseries, Rte. 110, Littleton, MA 01460. 978-486-9576.   Located in a renovated dairy  barn, Cataldo’s has a huge selection of perennials and annuals, a celebrated Christmas shop, everything for flower arrangements, a gift shop, bird shop, and friendly staff.

Great Brook Farms, 356 Main St., Bolton, MA. Tel: 978-779-6680.  Café with gourmet sandwiches, yummy baked goods, candy, New England gifts. Landscaping design services, perennials, shrubs.  

Lancaster Gardens, Rte. 110 at Five Corners, Lancaster, MA. 978-365-2579. Plants, containers, hanging baskets, seasonal flowers, friendly staff.

Russell’s Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Rd. (Rte. 20), Wayland. Tel: 508-358-2283.  Huge garden center and more!  Decorations, gifts, wild bird supplies, fountains and statuary, with a terrific selection of plants, bulbs, and plant supplies.

Sterling Greenery, 44 Redemption Rock Trail (Rte. 140), Sterling, MA. Tel: 978-422-0071.  Nursery, florist, silk and dried flowers, shrubs, landscaping, walkways, water gardens.   Open all year. 

Gourmet and Deli

Amy’s Provisions, 9 Depot Sq., Ayer. 978-772-7210. Handmade chocolates, gourmet food, corporate gift baskets, wines.

Savoury Lane, 251 Arlington St., Acton 01720. Tel: 978-263-8743.  Fresh, homecooked lunch and dinner specials daily, wonderful soups & salads, desserts. Catering.  One of my personal favorites!  

Healing

The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden, 145 Bolton Rd.,Harvard 01451. Tel: 978-456-3532.  Private nonprofit haven, in a beautifully landscaped tranquil setting, offering a range of complementary therapy services for women with breast cancer, with no financial barriers to treatment.

Health Food

Debra’s Natural Gourmet, 98 Commonwealth Ave., West Concord 01742.  Tel: 978-371-7573. Fresh organic produce and prepared food, hard-to-find special ingredients, vitamins, natural healthcare and homecare products.  Friendly staff, special events, free newsletter.  “Eat well, be happy!”  

Inns

The Chocksett Inn, 59 Laurelwood Rd., Sterling 01564. Tel: 978-422-3355.  Specializing in relocations and long-term stays, with 26 deluxe guest suites. Full-service meeting rooms.

Concord’s Colonial Inn, 48 Monument Square, Concord 01742. Tel: 978-369-9200.  On the town common, and within walking distance to the Old Manse and Old North Bridge, this cozy historic inn is a welcoming place to stay or have a bite to eat.  Summer dining on the porch is delightful; afternoon high tea is served daily. 

Museums

Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord 01742. Tel: 978-369-9763. Distinguished collection of 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th-century decorative arts, all with histories linking them to noteworthy figures in Concord’s history.

DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln 01773. Tel: 781-259-8355. Modern and contemporary art and sculpture; museum school; café.

The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 978-264-4200. Two complementary museums with interactive exhibits for children of all ages.

Ecotarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester 01604. Tel: 508-929-2700. Extensive natural history collection with living wildlife exhibits; summer camp.

Fitchburg Art Museum, 185 Elm St., Fitchburg 01420. Tel: 978-345-4207. Art classes and workshops for adults and children, exhibitions of New England art. 

Fruitlands, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard 01451. Tel: 978-456-3924. Open May through October.  Lots to enjoy:  Indian Museum, Shaker Museum, Picture Gallery, Fruitlands Farmhouse, woodland trails, and a wonderful tea room with spectacular views.

Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester 01609.  Tel: 508-799-4406. Contemporary, American, Asian, European, and Greek and Roman collections. 

Orchards

Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Rd., Harvard 01451. Tel: 800-286-3916. Pick your own apples, blueberries, peaches, pumpkins, and raspberries; tour the 140-acre farm and cider mill. 

Clearview Farm, 4 Kendall Hill Rd., Sterling 01564. Tel: 978-422-0442. 32-acre seasonal farmstand and orchard with 27 varieties of apples, berries, peaches, pears, vegetables, cider, pumpkins, maple syrup, baked goods; hayrides in harvest season. Open mid-August through the holidays.

Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Rd. (Rte. 110/111), Harvard 01451. 978-772-4139.  Blueberries, apples, Christmas trees.

Nashoba Valley Winery, 100 Wattaquadoc Hill Rd., Bolton 01740. Tel: 978-779-5521. Pick your own apples and berries in season; fruity wines produced on the 55-acre grounds; weekend winery tours; gourmet lunches and dinners at J’s Farmhouse Restaurant; wine-tasting and harvest festivals. 

Westward Orchards, 178 Mass. Ave. (Rte. 111), Harvard 01451. Tel: 978-456-8363. Open May 1-December 31 (closed Tuesdays).  Pick your own apples, blueberries, pumpkins (in season).  Fabulous peaches in August!  Annual apple pie contest in November.

Maureen Harmonay, CRS, GRI, ABR
Licensed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Your Country Property Specialist

RE/MAX Traditions

1084 Main Street
Bolton, MA 01740
MHarmonay@YourCountry-Home.com
Direct: 978-502-5800
Toll-free: 866-666-8880
Fax: 978-389-0073

Visit my companion sites:

Harvard Country Homes and Massachusetts Country Homes

This site designed for Netscape 4 & up..
screen resolution 800 x 600
All rights reserved.