This Is Framingham

This Is Framingham
Life in the 'ham

Goodbye Fabric Place :(

September 2nd, 2008


According to a comment on a previous post, Judith says she learned that our shiny star of downtown,  Fabric Place, will close it’s doors for good on December 31st.  I can’t even begin to say how dissapointed/devestated I am by this as a quilter and a resident of downtown.  Just what we don’t need, a great business in a large building closing up shop.  This is a dark day for Framingham. 
 I shall miss ye Fabric Place!

Bennigan’s

April 18th, 2007


I don’t know what’s going on with Bennigans but I kind of don’t care since I’ve only been here 3 times, the last time was 1996 for a co-worker’s birthday.  I can confidently say life hasn’t missed a beat without Bennigan’s in my life.  I only recently noticed it’s empty parking lot somehow and drove up to see if this establishment finally closed.

On the front door was this note:

Ah, the old “remodeling” note.  A tell tale sign of health code violations.  Now I won’t say I know this for sure and who knows, maybe they are just remodeling the kitchen but they don’t have any recent work permits for remodeling or anything else.
Also, out of curiosity, I called them to see when they might be reopening or anything and I got a recording saying the number has been disconnected and that no further information is available.
I hate to say it but, I hope it really is closed and something else (although it will probably be another chain restaurant) moves in.  Maybe Border’s who didn’t get their lease renewed with Ken’s could move there?  We miss Border’s in the area.

Anyway, good bye (I think)Bennigan’s.

Something I said?

April 3rd, 2007


I was driving by Ryan’s Pizza this morning and saw it closed up.  Sorry for the blurry pictures, I took them from my car. ivermectin merck

Some guys were doing something to the sign, checking the wires or something.  There were also some industrial cleaning vans parked outside

Nothing posted for any sort of work permits at this address so it looks like it won’t be turning into anything anytime soon.

Where’s the beef?

March 22nd, 2007


To my shock, yesterday I saw a “For Lease” sign and a note in the window of Hurwitz’s kosher butcher shop.  Yet another business walkable from our house that has closed. ????? ??? ???? ???????   Sometimes it’s so hard to be optimistic about the direction Framingham is going in, there are times where it’s ok, but places like this closing really bum me out. 
Last time I was in there, I was talking to the owner and asked him how business was, he said it’s hard but they manage mostly with orders from Worcester and other places west of Framingham.  It sounded like it was tough but I was hoping they would somehow manage. ?????   I just hope this will be turned into something useful but there was nothing like having a neighborhood butcher shop. 

I bought my first brisket here that I cooked myself (although I had my mom coaching me on the phone) and they were always good for a roast chicken on the way home when I didn’t feel like cooking and somehwere to quickly pick up a challah or a Dr. Brown’s soda.  I’ll miss having this place around. ???? ???
Shalom Hurwitz’s.

Bland Boring & Beyond

February 23rd, 2007


This Bed Bath and Beyond used to be the Marshall’s Mall.  I forget if that was the official name of it, but that’s what we called it.

In the late 90’s it was turned into the BB&B that it is today.  It’s an ok store, I don’t really have anything against it besides the fact that it’s there instead of the mall. It’s kind of an overkill too.  Since when did we need a store the size of a small mall for bed and bath products?  Ok, I know it’s goes “beyond” to kitchen stuff but still, it just seems like there should be room to share the space with some other shops. 

Although I didn’t have the foresight to take pictures when it was there, I’ve wasted about a half hour on the computer creating what I remember the mall looking like (and this was the best I could do):

 The Marshall’s Mall was great because it was small enough that it wasn’t super hectic, parking was easy and was it well lit (I think they had sky lights).  Plus it had a nice variety of stores.  Along with Marshalls, some of the tenants were a card store, shoe shop, hit or miss and Bop City comics had lived there for a while at one point too.
Even though I never made it into either of these, I distinctly remember the Pewter Pot restaurant and the Big and Tall men’s store that got street exposure.  I also remember in the late 70’s/early 80’s there was some sort of health food cart in the middle of the mall and they had soft serve frozen yogurt.  My mom asked me if I wanted some and I said ok because it was in a cone and looked just like ice cream but this was before frozen yogurt tasted like it does today.  I took one lick and was disgusted/shocked that it was so sour.  That turned me off of health food for a while.

It’s too bad a lot of the small malls have been turned into mega-stores, it’s nice to have a little variety. 

Et tu, Farmer’s Exchange?

August 10th, 2006


This past spring was our first ant season here in Framingham and a few people had recommended going to the Farmer’s Exchange on Pearl Street so I went down there to check it out. 

They had a wide assortment of products (including boric acid) to get rid of the jerky ants and anything that had to do with lawn needs too (you could buy grass seed by the handful if you wanted).  They even had a great assortment of birdfeeders and pet supplies.
It was so great to have such a resource that is a small business like that tucked away in downtown!

Unfortunately, last month it went the way of Friendly’s and abandoned us, (the grass is greener in Ashland?), leaving us who live in downtown without ice cream and now without lawn/pest/pet care products, just more empty stores.
I’m afraid to like something because it might go away (don’t you leave us Chicken Bone!) I really hope this doesn’t become a trend.

Farmer’s Exchange, we hardly knew ye!

I miss you!

July 5th, 2006

whats left
Especially when the weather is nice out, I miss having the old Shoppers World around.  All that’s left are these steel beams at Rt. 30 and Speen Street that used to hold the neon sign.  I know some people say it was ratty and ugly (and outdated towards the end) but I think it was really special.
It was so great to just walk around from shop to shop without having to worry about getting mowed down by a car and getting some fresh air at the same time.  Where else could you find a Windsor Button Shop, a House of Zodiac AND see live reindeer all at the same mall? 
I remember going there with my mom and sisters when we were little, shmying around and taking train rides, being a teenager and going to the movies with my friends and working at Joan and Ed’s deli when I was in college.  I feel like Shopper’s World was such a terrific place and now it’s just chain stores and asphalt.  I don’t want to sound like an old lady shaking her cane into the air but, the new shoppers world isn’t even worthy of the name Shoppers World!  They should call it Another blob of generic stores you can find anywhere in America with bland, unoriginal structures and no trains or reindeer”
I know it would be a big sign but they can afford it.
Check out this link  and this link to see some great old shoppers world photos.
Also thanks to Mitch Cohen, here’s a last look at Jordan Marsh before the old girl was torn down.

no!

Feel free to comment about any of your favorite stores or experiences at Shoppers World (the real Shoppers World).

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