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Sturbridge Day Trip
The Publick House in Sturbridge MA
On Tuesday, my parents and I celebrated my birthday with a day trip to Sturbridge MA. It couldn’t have been a better day.
Sturbridge is just an hour from Cambridge and its proximity makes Sturbridge an excellent weekend or day trip destination. Head out the Mass Pike to Exit 9 and you’re there.
Our day was spent antiquing with lunch at one of our all-time favorite restaurants, the Publick House.
Sturbridge is an antique collector’s dream. Continue down Route 20 and you’ll come to Brimfield, home three times each year to the famous antique flea market. But year round you’ll find plenty of places to shop for antiques in the stores that line Route 20.
You’ll also find a number of home furnishing stores and a variety of gift shops and boutiques. It’s shopping heaven – primarily of the independent New England variety. Even the chains, like Country Curtains and Yankee Candle are New England born.
Our day started at the antiques group shop, The Fairgrounds Antique Center. It’s one of the first places you come to when you get off the Mass Pike and take the Route 20 exit towards Sturbridge / Brimfield. Years ago I sold antiques in a booth at The Fairgrounds and it’s still one of my favorite shops. Fortunately, it’s next to a McDonald’s so my dad was able to have a cup of coffee and read the paper while my mother and I shopped.
We planned to visit the Old Sturbridge Village Gift Shop and Bookstore next. Old Sturbridge Village is probably the biggest draw in Sturbridge and you can easily spend the entire day there. The bookstore and gift shop is absolutely worth a stop even if you don’t go through the museum grounds. Sadly, it turned out that at this time of the year, OSV is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Old Sturbridge Village is a magical place. It’s a recreation of a New England village in the early 1800s with a working farm, a school house, church, mills, and much more – more than 50 period buildings in all – set on over 200 acres. Interpreters in costume work throughout the village. My favorite times there have always been when visitor attendance is low – the better to feel transported to a time two hundred years ago. I’m hoping to head back the next weekday we get unseasonably warm temperatures.
With all that shopping and browsing we had worked up an appetite and headed to the Publick House for lunch. The Publick House, built in 1771, is an inn and restaurant. The restaurant and tavern serve classic, delicious New England-style food. Over the years, we’ve visited many times, often for holiday meals at Christmas or Easter. On Tuesday, we had lunch in the tavern for the first time. The Publick House’s dining rooms are lovely, but with its golden painted paneled walls, wood burning fireplace, and shelves filled with antique crocks, the pub has more atmosphere than most restaurants you’ll find nowadays.
Thus fortified, we were ready for phase II of our antiquing expedition. Sturbridge Antique Shops is on the other side of the Pike, heading down Route 20 towards Charlton. It will be on your left and if you hit Wal-Mart (ugh! – when did that happen?) you’ve gone too far. This group shop is huge - much larger than it looks from the street. It has two full floors of booths and cases and we found plenty of treasures. Happily, there was a sale at the shop - the winter sale runs through February 29th – and most of our finds were bought at a discount of 10 – 30%.
Sturbridge is an excellent day trip destination and worthy of a weekend or more. There are plenty of motels (and rooms at the inn at the Publick House) if you want to stay overnight. You could easily fill several days with shopping and Old Sturbridge Village.
If you want to add miles of antique flea market browsing to the mix, the next Brimfield Flea Markets are scheduled for May 6 – 12, July 8 -14, and September 2 – 8, 2012. See you there!
Best Places to Buy Thanksgiving Turkey, Pies and Sides
Get Your Thanksgiving Turkey at the Mayflower Poultry Co in Cambridge
It seemed like I was ahead of the game when I set out today to order the turkey and pies for Thanksgiving. Turns out I’m late to the party – some places stop taking Thanksgiving orders tomorrow. So if you still have some shopping to do here are the best places to buy Thanksgiving turkey, pies and sides.
Live Poultry Fresh Killed in Cambridge
You have through Friday (November 18, 2011) to place your turkey order at Live Poultry Fresh Killed aka the Mayflower Poultry Company for their it-doesn’t-get-any-fresher-than-this birds. Our Thanksgiving turkey from LPFK was a hit last year so I’ll be swinging by the Mayflower Poultry Co. at 621 Cambridge St in Cambridge on Wednesday to pick up my Thanksgiving turkey. Orders for turkey or “Turducken” (turkey-duck-chicken) can be placed in person, by phone at 617-547-9191, or online.
Petsi Pies in Somerville and Cambridge
Petsi Pies stops taking orders for its Thanksgiving pies on Friday at 7 pm (November 18, 2011). I put in my order for mixed berry pie today (believe me – you never forget your first taste of Petsi Pies’ fresh mixed berry pie). Petsi Pies has pies for Thanksgiving including: brown butter pecan, chocolate bourbon pecan, sweet potato, apple pear cranberry, pumpkin and more. Yum! Petsi Pies is located at 285 Beacon St Somerville and 31 Putnam Ave Cambridge.
Pemberton Farms in Cambridge
You have until Monday at 5 pm (November 21, 2011) to place your Thanksgiving order at Pemberton Farms. Pemberton offers several versions of Thanksgiving dinners with all the fixings – traditional, organic, turkey breast or half-turkey. The dinners come with several sides, gravy and rolls. Pemberton also has pies, tarts, and a bakers dozen of sides that can be ordered a la carte. Orders can be placed in person at 2225 Mass Ave in Cambridge or by phone at 617-491-2244.
Russo’s in Watertown
Russo’s in Watertown has a large Thanksgiving menu. In addition to being a super place for produce, Russo’s has a large catering department. You can order all sorts of appetizers, side dishes, deli platters and desserts. Not sure you want turkey this Thanksgiving? Russo’s also has lasagna, pork loin or ham on the menu. To order visit Russo’s at 560 Pleasant Street in Watertown or call 617-719-4107.
Wilson Farm in Lexington
Procrastinators take note – Wilson Farm will take Thanksgiving turkey orders through Tuesday though all sizes may not be available. A week before Thanksgiving and Wilson Farm was already bustling (isn’t it alway?!). They have beautiful Fall flower arrangements and centerpieces, Autumn wreaths, dazzling produce, and a glorious array of food and fixings: homemade pies, desserts, cheese plates, fruit bowls, vegetable platters, more than 20 side dishes, and in addition to turkey they offer geese, duck, beef. pork of lamb for those who want something different for Thanksgiving. They also offer full heat-and-serve- turkey or ham dinners. Wilson Farm is located at 10 Pleasant Street in Lexington – just off Mass Ave or heading West on Route 2 take exit 57.
Verrill Farm in Concord
The pumpkin pie from Verrill Farm in Concord has become my parents’ favorite indulgence so they headed out to Concord today to place a Thanksgiving pie order. Check out the mouth watering menu of sides and pies. Verrill Farm turkeys are from Vermont’s Stonewood Farm. I love Verrill’s Thanksgiving centerpieces in pumpkins – if you want one you’ve got to get your order in by Friday (November 18. 2011). Verrill Farm at 11 Wheeler Rd in Concord is a quick (and scenic!) drive from Cambridge.
Do you have any other favorites? Let us know what you think are the best places to buy Thanksgiving turkey, pies and sides – before it’s too late!
My Favorite Full Serve Gas Stations
Gulf Station at Mount Auburn & Aberdeen. Don't judge the prices by the photo - that's like comparing mortgage lenders with quotes two weeks apart - interest rates and gas prices often change daily
Let me start out by saying that I don’t pump gas if I don’t have to – and I almost never have to. I also don’t bag or ring through my own groceries but that’s a topic for another post.
So, I’m always on the lookout for a good full serve gas station. It’s simply not true that the price is always higher than at self serve gas stations. In fact, you’ll often find full serve gas stations (and truly the definition of that nowadays is that they pump the gas – and in a pinch might check your oil if you ask nicely) within yards – and in full view – of self serve gas stations with comparable or even slightly higher prices. Go figure. American consumers often aren’t on the ball it seems.
But I have strict standards for full serve gas stations. I *did* pump gas at one point – in high school I worked briefly one summer pumping gas. So I know how it’s done. It’s pretty simple – you go to the driver’s window, get the order, pump the gas, and return to the window for payment. And you’re friendly and pleasant while you’re at it.
Somehow many gas stations have lost track of the basics. The new method is to go to the passenger window - if it’s closed, bang on it – and take the order and the cash from afar, making the driver stretch across the seat. To put an end to this ongoing battle I may just choose my next car by virtue of its driver’s side gas tank but in the meantime I’ll go elsewhere.
So here’s my short list of the best full serve gas stations in the area with excellent service and good prices. I haven’t had repairs done at any of the stations but these are my regular places to fill up:
Best Full Serve Gas Stations
Teele Square Auto in Somerville on Broadway at the corner of Victoria Street This busy gas station offers a lower price for cash purchases (pay in cash - it helps keep your local service station in business) and is open 7 days a week. They service and repair cars, do inspection stickers, and have a towing service. Teele Square Auto is at 1284 Broadway.
Gulf Station in Cambridge on Mount Auburn Street at Aberdeen Ave (aka Route 16) Their super friendly service can’t be beat. This gas station is on Mount Auburn Street across from Mount Auburn Cemetery. Getting gas is a pleasure here – they service cars and do inspection stickers too.
Mobil in Arlington on Mass Ave across from Jimmy’s restaurant Friendly, courteous service – unlike the other big chain station nextdoor. Don’t get confused – it’s the Mobil you want. The neighboring gas station would make it on my worsts list if I did one. Why not go to Mobil for service with a smile?! And they do work on cars here as well. Mobil is at 1116 Mass Ave in Arlington Heights
Do you have a favorite full serve gas station? Let us know.
Antique Shops In and Near Cambridge
Discover antique shops in and near Cambridge
Do you ever get the bug to go antiquing? You don’t need to head to Western Mass or to NH – there are a variety of antique shops in or within an hour or so of Cambridge. Most of these are group shops – antique stores where dealers rent booth space which means inventory is always changing and you can often find a deal or two. Here are some of my favorites:
Cambridge has a large group shop in East Cambridge, the Cambridge Antique Market. Booths are spread out over five floors. I tend to have so-so luck here but there are deals to be found and it’s an easy way to get your antiques / vintage fix without leaving the city. Cambridge Antiques Market, 617-868-9655, is located at 201 Monsignor O’Brien Highway. The shop is open every day but Monday from 11 am to 6 pm. It’s right by the Lechmere T or if you’re driving there’s a parking lot.
Waltham’s not far and I tend to always pick up something when I visit Downstairs at Felton Antiques. It’s a group shop with a combination of open booths and locked display cases. The shop is having its annual sale November 11 – 28, 2011. Downstairs at Felton Antiques is open every day but Tuesday from 10 am to 5 pm and stays open until 8 pm on Thursdays. You’ll find the shop at 100 Felton Street in Waltham. 781-894-2223.
Head out to Concord where you’ll find three group antique shops on Walden Street in the center of town. I’ve always loved Upstairs Antiques at 23 Walden. It’s got a really nice ever changing array of antiques and collectibles. Thoreauly Antiques at 25 Walden Street has fun smalls, linens, ephemera, Concord themed books and plenty more. Across the street at 28 Walden you’ll want to stop in at North Bridge Antiques. By my estimation it has the highest priced stock of the three shops. It also has, in a booth tucked in the back, used and antiquarian books from the former Books With a Past, a long time favorite bookstore that closed after many years on Walden Street. All three of these shops are open open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays noon to 5 pm.
Concord’s shops can easily fill a day. If you want to peruse an excellent selection of old books be sure to stop in at the Barrow Bookstore at 79 Main Street. I always leave with a full bag or two. Another delightful shop – mixing vintage items with new, creative and unique pieces - is Nesting on Main, on the second floor at 44 Main Street across from Walden Street.
Upton House Antiques in Littleton is a lovely antique shop. The store features a lot of country style antiques and primitives with plenty of turn of the century cookware, old blanket chests, ironware, and more. The prices are very reasonable and I’ve picked up a number of favorite pieces here. The antiques shop is located at 275 King Street in Littleton, not far from Littleton Center, and is open every day but Monday from 10 am to 4 pm. 978-486-3367.
Back in Littleton Center take Route 119 west to Townsend. In the center of town take a left on Route 13 and eventually you’ll get to Jeffrey’s Antique Co-op Mall in Lunenburg. It’s a bit of a drive from Cambridge but if you want to hit the aisles of a really large antique shop this store can be worth the trip. Like many group shops sometimes the stock seems better on some visits than on others but you’ll usually find something that strikes your fancy. Jeffrey’s Antiques is located at 54 Chase Rd in Lunenburg MA and is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm and open until 8 pm on Wednesdays. 978-582-7831.
Head back to Route 119 and continue west to West Townsend. Take a right on Route 124 and you’ll immediately be able to pull in to shops on your right or left. The Hobart Village Antique Mall has booths and cases on two floors and you’ll find everything from smalls to furniture. The antiques shop, at 445 Main Street, West Townsend, is open every day but Tuesday from 10 am to 5 pm. 978-597-0332. Across the street you’re in for a treat at Delaney Antiqe Clocks located in the carriage house behind a glorious brick colonial. Home to the country’s largest collection of tall-case clocks, aka grandfather clocks, it’s almost an out-of-body experience to be in the shop at the turn of the hour when the clocks begin to chime. This is a place to dream – the clocks are exquisite and often in the 10s of thousands of dollars. In addition to tall-clocks the shop carries wall clocks, carriage clocks and shelf clocks. The clocks are restored and in working condition. Delaney Antique Clocks at 435 Main Street is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.
A bit further down Route 119 you’ll find Antique Associates at West Townsend. This is a group shop that features fine antiques including furniture, art and accessories in 15 rooms. It’s in a different league than the other group shops in our mix. Open seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm at 473 Main Street, West Townsend. 978-597-8084.
These are my regular haunts and admittedly the outer reaches of my antiques trail are probably a bit over an hour. If an hour’s drive is doable that also puts Sturbridge within reach – but that’s a day’s worth of shopping and worthy of another post.
Do you have favorite antiques shops nearby? Leave a comment to let us know!
First Impressions
Jellybean Rugs at Tags Hardware in Cambridge
When you’re selling your house or condo in Cambridge the first impression your home makes on real estate agents and buyers is critical.
Often that first impression comes at your doorway. When your house is for sale it’s time to replace that worn and faded old welcome mat. Nowadays, with stylish doormats available at your local hardware store, it’s easier than ever to spruce up your front entrance.
These rugs, displayed near the entrance to Tags Hardware in Porter Square, are just what you need to add a splash of color outside your door. The indoor / outdoor mats are washable – said to wash “better than your jeans” – and come in a variety of bright, colorful designs. Dog lovers take note – several have cheery designs featuring Labs and other dogs. No cats, however, so I bought one of the more traditional patterns – the pineapple welcome mat seen below.
The Jellybean rugs cost $29.99 – a small investment for a big return when you’re selling your home.
Visit Tags Hardware in the Porter Square shopping center, 29 White Street, Cambridge MA 02140.
Red Carpet Sidewalk
Red Carpet Sidewalk Outside Yayla in Cambridge
The sight of all these rugs on the sidewalk outside Yayla Tribal Rugs on Broadway in Cambridge gave me a chuckle. In fact, everybody who walked by / on the rugs had a smile on their face. Passersby tended to tiptoe around the rugs despite the sign, pinned to the rug in front, that encouraged people to walk on the rugs.
Yayla, at 283 Broadway in Cambridge MA, is popular with real estate agents who sometimes rent rugs from the shop for staging properties for sale.
Jumbo Cash
Jumbo Cash In Medford
I was surprised to see this Jumbo Cash Accepted banner on the Tasty Gourmet on Boston Ave. I was psyched – I thought Medford had gotten its own alternative currency.
The alternative currency I had heard a lot about was Berkshares. Berkshares is a local currency for the Berkshire region in Western Massachusetts. It’s intended to encourage people to shop locally and works just like cash in over 400 establishments in the Berkshires. It’s a very interesting way to actually see how shopping locally keeps money in the community.
Turns out, however, that Jumbo Cash is simply the Tufts debit card. It’s sort of an expanded meal card. The Jumbo Cash card is now accepted at more than 20 local off-campus stores and restaurants.
Jumbo Cash – convenient but not world changing.
Cambridge Bookstores
Cambridge Bookstores After a particularly unsatisfying trip to Barnes & Noble I’m recommitting to shop at the wonderful independent bookstores that remain in Cambridge.
I’m a frequent book buyer – never leaving the store without a big bag. While I do spend plenty at bookstores in Cambridge sometimes when a book buying urge struck I would head out to Burlington. Typically the Barnes & Noble there would have a good selection in that day’s targeted subject plus plenty of other enticing books. More than once I’ve left an armful of books on the counter the better to free my arms to find more books.
But B&N seems to have made a distinct shift in emphasis - the store seemed markedly different than just a couple of months before. Much book space has been given over to toys and to promoting their electronic reader, the Nook. The books that were on display were a disappointment – lowest common denominator sort of books - the “masses” in mass market seem to be the target.
So I’m resolved – next time the book buying urge strikes I’m heading to a Cambridge bookstore. Sadly there are fewer independent bookstores in Cambridge nowadays – I still miss Reading International, Wordsworth and Paperback Booksmith. All the more reason to frequent the bookstores in Cambridge that we still can.
Bookstore hours and phone numbers are included below. Before planning a visit a call to confirm store hours would be a good idea.
Cambridge Bookstores – New Books
Porter Square Books – Years ago there was a bookstore in the Porter Square mall that I used to pop into to find something to read on the train back to Concord. After it closed Cambridge was without a bookstore north of Harvard Square for many years. Happily some folks from the Concord Bookstore – another wonderful independent bookstore – opened Porter Square Books several years ago. It’s become very popular – at Christmas the cash register line stretched to the back of the store – a sight that warmed book lovers’ hearts. There are frequent author appearances, a buyer reward program, and a cafe that’s become a popular neighborhood destination.
Porter Square Books is in the Porter Square Mall by the T station. 617-491-2220
Open M-F 7am - 9pm, Sat 8am - 9pm and Sunday 9am - 7pm
Harvard Book Store – Located in Harvard Square on Mass Avenue, the Harvard Book Store has been a favorite of Cambridge book lovers for over 75 years. It’s difficult to walk past their windows without spotting a must-have book. The Harvard Book Store has one of the best lecture series in Cambridge and when admission is charged you get a coupon for a discount at the store. A super destination for new books, there is also has a strong selection of used books downstairs.
The Harvard Book Store is located at 1256 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA.
Open Mon – Sat 9am – 11 am and Sun 10am – 10pm. 617-661-1515
Globe Corner Bookstore – the Globe Corner Bookstore in Harvard Square specializes in travel books and maps. I shop here when looking for guidebooks about various regions and countries and always make it a point to stop in when shopping for my Dad who appreciates the hiking books, maps, atlases, etc. I’ve bought here over the years. The owners have announced plans to sell the store so Cambridge book lovers have fingers crossed that they will find a buyer to keep this local treasure going.
The Globe Corner Bookstore is located at 90 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge
Open Mon – Sat 9:30am – 9pm and Sun 11am – 7pm. 617-497-6277
Cambridge Bookstores – Used Books
Bryn Mawr Book Store – This used book store has an excellent selection of fiction and non-fiction. You can find recent bestsellers at used book prices as well as rare books here. The store regularly holds sales of books by subject matter – one week (or is it month? I’m not sure) gardening books will be on sale, the next week sociology books will be discounted, etc. Proceeds from book sales fund scholarships to Bryn Mawr College.
Bryn Mawr Book Store is in Huron Village at 373 Huron Ave, Cambridge. 617-661-1770
Open Mon – Sat 10am – 5:30pm. May to December on Thursdays open until 7 pm.
McIntyre and Moore Booksellers- McIntyre and Moore has long been one of my favorite used bookstores in Cambridge and I’ve followed them around from their first(?) location in Harvard Square, to Davis Square and now to their current spot in Porter Square near Bob Slate Stationery. McIntyre and Moore specializes in scholarly books in wide range of subjects. You can also find fiction, children’s books, cookbooks, and books on sports, games, gardening, health, finance and much more.
McIntyre and Moore bookstore is in Porter Square at 1971 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
Open Mon – Thurs 10am – 6pm, Fri & Sat 10am – 8pm and Sun noon – 6pm 617-229-5641
Rodney’s Bookstore – Rodney’s, in Central Square, is a big store for a used bookstore with a very good selection in all sorts of popular subjects. They’ve recently added a second floor for remainder books and also offer pine bookshelves if you’re looking for some new bookcases to hold all those books you just bought.
Rodney’s Bookstore is in Central Square at 698 Mass Ave, Cambridge.
Open Mon – Sat 9:30am – 9pm, Sun noon – 8pm. 617-876-6467
These are my favorites but there are more used bookstores and specialty bookstores in Cambridge. Feel free to put in a plug for your favorites in the comments below.
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