Days 22 & 23: Passing Through Auburn

For the next two days, I'm still traveling in a southwesterly direction, skirting the center of another town, this time Auburn.

505 US 20 to 503 Washington St, Auburn

Auburn is a town that was settled in 1714, as a part of several towns in the surrounding area. It was incorporated in 1778. It currently has about 16,000 citizens. It is known for being the place where Robert Goddard, according to Wikipedia, "launched the first liquid-fueled rocket from Pakachoag Hill, on his aunt Effe Ward's farm, in Auburn on March 16, 1926."

Once again, the area I'm traveling through seems rather undistinguished--industrial, commercial, and travel-oriented. I suspect that the exits off I-90 and I-290 that lead to US-20 have something to do with that. Plenty of lodging, food, and shopping along the way. There's even a mall not too far off the beaten path.

Well, I'm at my destination for this bit of my journey: 530 Washington St, although it's not a very good place to stop, since it's an apparently vacant house. Oh, well, I'll stop across the street at the Volkswagen/Saab dealership. They'll have a bathroom there, I think.

530 Washington St, Auburn

530 Washington St and Patrick Motors, across the street

Days 20 & 21: Arriving at Worcester, Massachusetts

My next two days of two miles each take me at last to the first big town since leaving Boston: Worcester, Massachusetts. Below is a little bit of information about the city, taken from the Wikipedia article.

Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population was 181,045,[4] making it the second most populous cityin New England after Boston.[5] Worcester is located approximately 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston, 50 miles (80 km) east of Springfield and 40 miles (64 km) north of Providence. Due to its location in Central Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth", thus, a heart is the official symbol of the city. However, the heart symbol may also have its provenance in lore that the Valentine's Day card, although not invented in the city, was mass-produced and popularized by Esther Howland who resided in Worcester.[6]

I start my journey at Brody's diner, continuing along US-20 slightly more than four miles (to make up for the slightly less-than-four-mile journey of the day before) to a little house along US-20, 505 Southwest Cutoff. (Note: In the below map, I had to tell Google my trek was by auto because it wouldn't let me go directly there by US-20, for some unknown reason.)

Brody's Diner, Shrewsbury to 505 Southwest Cutoff, Worcester

Worcester has a lot of history to explore, and you can read about that in many places on the internet, including Wikipedia. But since I'm traveling around the city, I'm going to talk more about what I see along US-20.

One of the first features I pass is the rather long, thin lake called Quinsigamond by the Nipmuc people who inhabited the Worcester area prior to the arrival of English people. The below map of the lake was drawn in 1898.

The word in Algonquian means "pickerel (or long nose) fishing place." When the English settlers first arrived in the area, they got along with the Nipmuc--for a while, at least, even establishing a "praying town" in the Worcester area. Eventually, it became clear that the English were going to take all their land for little or no compensation, so they joined King Philip's War and ultimately lost most of their people and had to live on reservations in Worcester county. You can read about their fate in Wikipedia: Qunsigamond.

Once past the lake area, I leave Shrewsbury and enter Worcester, though it's the southern edge of the city. I'm walking through a mostly industrial area here, passing by small businesses, for the most part, some of them of longstanding duration in the area. One such business, S.I. Howard Glass Company, has been making, modifying and distributing specialty glass virtually since the company began, back in 1912. It's a small company, with only about 50 employees, and headed by a woman.

Walking along I see more businesses, many of them related to vehicles of one kind or another: cars, trucks, tractor-trailers. There are car and truck rentals and sales dealers, as well as parts and other types of support services. There is even an office of the Teamster's Union, Health and Welfare Fund at 330 SW Cutoff.

Finally I arrive at my stopping point for today: 505 Hwy 20, Worcester. It looks like a house that's been there a while, maybe back when US-20 was still a main route across the state.

505 US Hwy 20

Days 18 & 19: Traveling through Shrewsbury

The next four-mile stretch takes me from Northborough into Shrewsbury. US-20 takes a southwesterly dip through the outskirts of this town, about three miles south of the town's center. I left from Henry's Auto Parts two days earlier and stopped at Brody's Diner, at 308 Hartford Turnpike in Shrewsbury.

Henry's Auto Parts to Brody's Diner in Shrewsbury

Along the way I encountered quite a bit of commerce, but not much to distinguish Shrewsbury from any other American town. Most of the historical sites are located on Main Street, north of US-20.

As with the towns I've visited previously, Shrewsbury is also an old town, having been parceled out in the mid-1660s, as were the other towns along this route. It was settled in 1722 and incorporated in 1727. It started out agricultural with apple orchards, then later turned to leather manufacture and clock making. It claims a bit of fame in its association with Shay's Rebellion in 1786--it was used as a camp site for rebels before they marched on the Worcester Courthouse. One famous resident was a scientist, Min Chueh Chang, who co-developed the combined oral contraceptive pill and helped create in-vitro fertilization. Another important individual from Shrewsbury is a candy maker who brought white chocolate to the U.S. in 1954, Frederick Hebert, who owned Hebert Candies, a store that has been in business since 1917, though is no longer family owned.

I did see an interesting institution, however: Al-Hamra Academy, located at 435 South St, very close to US-20. This school purports to be the first full-time Islamic school in New England. It's website is attractive, emphasizes STEM education and diversity, and makes the school seem like a good place to send your children if you're Muslim.

Well, I've arrived at Brody's Diner, a restaurant that was briefly famous for having been visited by Jerry Seinfeld as part of his program, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, in 2014. It looks like a good place, so I think I'll stop in for a bite to eat. More miles and more hours of practice coming up!

Brody's Diner

Day 16 & 17: Discovering Historical Northborough

Today's journey takes me from Britney's Cafe in Northborough to Henry's Used Autos, four miles down US-20. I stopped at that business because it's the closest to the four-mile mark, although in that same vicinity is a mall with some familiar stores such as T.J. Maxx and Dick's Sporting Goods. I figure I can always hike up there if I need to once I get to Henry's.

Along the way I passed a number of historical buildings. The ones that stood out for me were a former church, a residence, and a former bank building. The first, at 97 Main Street, is the former home of an early resident, Samuel Wood. Below is a description of this building, taken from the website, Northborough's History: A Map Depiction, and a current photo.

97 Main St

"Samuel Wood, who left Sudbury to establish a mill on the Assabet River next to his new home, built the house at 97 Main Street in 1749. In addition to running a successful mill Wood was active in town politics, serving for eight years each on the precinct committee, as the town clerk, and as the town assessor. Wood also became a captain in the local militia before his death in 1760. Wood’s sons, Samuel Jr. and Abraham, expanded on their father’s business, opening a store called Clothier’s Mill Shop. Samuel Jr. became captain of the local militia, and was wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. The house was later owned by Thomas Blair, a businessman and inventor, who made several renovations, including the construction of a miniature door 20 feet to the west of the house (which has been mistakenly thought of to be a part of the Underground Railroad) that allowed coal to be delivered straight to the cellar."

Another interesting building, at 52 Main Street, was the Northborough Baptist Church that now houses the Northborough Historical Society. At one time it had a steeple, but that was torn off by the New England Hurricane of 1938. 

After the hurricane

52 Main Street today

That was a category 3 hurricane that swept through New England in September of 1938, with winds gusting to 186 miles per hour. I'd never heard of this hurricane, but apparently it caused great loss of life and tremendous damage. You can read the Wikipedia article on it: 1938 New England Hurricane and see the YouTube video, right------->.

28 Main Street

28 Main Street today

Another interesting building I saw on my way was a little ornate building at 28 Main Street that was built in 1854 to be a bank, back when banks were producing their own currency. It still looks pretty much as it did when the photo at left was taken, probably around 1900. Notice it says "BANK" on the front.

Well, I guess I'm at my destination: Henry's Used Cars. So, until next time, I'm keeping on with my practice and with my walk through Massachusetts. See you in the next town!

Henry's Used Cars

Day 14 & 15: More Fun in Marlborough

For the next two days I'm walking four miles on my journey, passing through the western part of Marlborough and on into the next town along US-20, Northborough.

Marlboro House of Pizza to Britney's Cafe in Northborough

The road is bit straighter leaving town, especially once I cross over I-495. As you might expect, there are quite a few hotels in this vicinity, as well as other businesses travelers like to see at interstate exits. What they might miss at that exit, however, is Williams Lake, a natural lake that was the site of settlement in the seventeenth century, not long after the town of Marlborough was first settled.

Something else travelers might miss near Williams Lake is an unobtrusive historical marker in front of what is now a small strip mall housing a popular sandwich shop, DeAngelo's Grilled Sandwiches. Once it was the location of the oldest operating tavern in the country, Williams' Tavern. Below is a slide (#19) from "The Old Homesteads of Marlborough," detailing the historical significance of this site.

Here is a photo of the marker; it's not in good shape, but it's been there since 1930.

from Waymarking.com

According to Wikipedia, Northborough was originally settled by Nipmuc people, then was part of a resettlement of the Sudbury Plantation in 1656. In 1766 it was established as part of Westborough; it was incorporated as its own town in 1775, just in time for the Revolution. Northborough is a small town--only about 6,000 people resided there in 2010 (according to City Data). The median annual household income was around $97,000 in 2016 and the population was about 93% white. Two well-known people are associated with the town: Mark Fidrych  of the Detroit Tigers was born there, and Daniel Wesson of Smith and Wesson fame started his career there as an apprentice to his brother Edwin.

I'm looking forward to seeing what historical sites there are in the downtown area, coming up next! Meanwhile, I think I'll tarry a while at Britney's Cafe, at 291 Main Street in Northborough.

Day 13: The Heart of Marlborough

Today's walk takes me from the fire barn east of town into the heart of downtown, though on US-20 I'm bypassing central Main Street. As you can see from the below map, US-20 takes a kind of looping path through the town of Marlborough.

Marlborough Fire Station 3 to Marlboro House of Pizza

One of the first features I notice in my walk is a nice park off to the right, Ghiloni Park, also part of a state forest, which has a number of hiking and nature trails as well as the usual park features such as a ball diamond and playground equipment. Below is a photo someone took of one of the nature trails.

Ghiloni Park
taken by Joshua B

An interesting piece of Marlborough history is close to my route: Spring Hill Cemetery, located at High Street, just off US-20. Find-a-Grave has a little write-up on this very old graveyard:

"In spite of its proximity to the Spring Hill Meeting House, which was not sited nearby until 1806, the Spring Hill Cemetery predates the church by nearly 150 years. It is the oldest of the many burial grounds in Marlborough, commonly understood to have been established at the time the town was founded in 1660. Unfortunately, any early town records of the laying out of the first burial ground have been lost. Local historians, noting the fact that the location of the cemetery a half-mile away from the first meeting house was somewhat unusual for a New England town, have speculated that the settlers cautiously placed it some distance from the "Indian Planting Field." They had, in fact, built their original meeting house on a corner of that land, angering the native people, to whom the planting field had been granted by the government. 

"The earliest graves here were apparently unmarked, or had wooden markers. The first marked with a stone was that of Capt. Edward Hutchinson, who died in August of 1675 as a result of wounds received in the ambush near Brookfield during King Philip's War. He was not a native of Marlborough, but was brought here after he was shot, and died several days later. The cemetery sits on 2.62 acres. The earliest (marked) death date is 1675 and latest ca. 1909. There are approximately 700 headstones."

Spring Hill Cemetery

I'm glad it's on the map, because otherwise I would not find it; it seems hidden away behind houses and trees.

One last historical note of interest: Marlborough has the bell that was at Harper's Ferry on that fateful day of John Brown's raid. It's called John Brown's Bell, and it's housed in a little stone building on Main Street, just off where US-20 and Main Street part ways. There's a long history which you can read if you care to at the Marlborough Historical Society site: John Brown's Bell. It also tells the origin of the Civil War Monument that stands in the center of town, honoring the 91 citizens of Marlborough who died in that war.  I can see it before me as I come to the end of my two-mile journey and take a break at the Marlboro House of Pizza. It's quite a grand statue, as is the rather ornate looking Baptist church that it stands near. You can see both off to the left at the top of the below photo, and in the close up, below that.

Day 12: Exploring Marlborough

Walking through Marlborough will take two days; the first gets me almost to the center of town, ending at the Fire Department Station 3 at 260 Boston Post Road.

1119 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury to Fire Station 3 in Marlborough

The road is getting a bit more curvy now since we're getting a little bit more into the hilly area of Massachusetts, heading for the Appalachian Mountains. Below is a map that shows the terrain of the town. You can see there is quite a number of hills.

Terrain of Marlborough, MA

Marlborough has much more commerce than the other towns I've passed through since leaving Boston. In fact, it seems to me more like a "normal" town in that it has a number of ordinary features such as a Target store, an auto salvage yard, a Home Depot, Dollar Tree, Staples, quite a few restaurants and little stores, a strip mall, apartment complexes and even a couple of mobile home parks--and all right on US-20. This could be a town in Michigan if it weren't for the high cost of living here: 135 vs 100 for US average (per City Data), though it seems a little lower than the towns earlier on my route--income not quite as high ($77,000), population not quite as white (68%).

One of the businesses I encountered fairly soon in my walk is the headquarters for a railroad: the Grafton and Upton Railroad Company. This is a smallish, privately owned railroad that has been in operation since 1874 to serve the towns of Grafton and Upton (not far from Marlborough) and other surrounding areas. It was part freight, part passenger over the years and has changed ownership a few times. The most recent owner has rejuvenated the railroad, fixing the tracks and doing other refurbishments that were no doubt needed.

Of course, like most railroads these days, it's strictly a freight operation. And its main services seem to be transloading (i.e. transferring shipments from one mode of transportation to another, such as train to truck) and warehousing, bulk transfer and transfer of propane. The propane transfer has become controversial because the people of the towns the railroad passes through are worried about the safety of such hazardous chemicals. The railroad did not have to apply for permits for its operation, apparently due to laws that were enacted a while ago that exempted railroads from such regulatory restrictions. There is an interesting article in an online publication that talks about this controversy with respect to Grafton and Upton: Railroad Bullies.

Well, I guess that's enough for today's discoveries. I've reached my destination: the Fire Barn. (Maybe they'll let me use their bathroom.) Tomorrow I'll continue to see what can be seen in Marlborough.

Marlborough Fire Department Station 3

Day 11: Heading for Marlborough

Well, I've walked 20 miles so far, from the New England Conservatory of Music to Acapulcos in Sudbury. The next two miles takes me to the border of Sudbury and Marlborough, the next 17th-century town on US-20/Boston Post Rd. This part of Sudbury is less commercial and has more farms and wooded areas.

Acapulcos to 1119 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury

As I walk along I pass Wayside Inn Road that leads to one of the fun sites in Sudbury: Longfellow's Wayside Inn, a business that has been operating since 1716. (Click on the link to go to the website and learn all about this interesting place.) It's a historic site as well as a tavern and bed-and-breakfast hotel. It looks like a fun place to visit or stay, though I don't have time today to make the detour. But here is a look at the Inn:

Longfellow's Wayside Inn
photo by Frank C. Grace

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited the inn (then known as Howe's Tavern) with his publisher in 1862, a visit that prompted the author to write a book about it, Tales of a Wayside Inn, which resulted in making the Inn much more popular than it had been before.

Another Henry, Henry Ford, owned the property from 1923 to 1945. He created the "village" concept there--where there are a number of buildings brought together to make a "living" museum such that visitors will feel they are in that time period. The concept has been used in many historical sites over the years, but Longfellow's Wayside Inn was the first of its kind in the country, predating even Greenfield Village and Colonial Williamsburg.

Also off the beaten path in Sudbury is a related site: Ford's Folly. Now part of a hiking trail, this would-be dam was constructed by Ford to provide a reservoir to his historical village for fire-fighting purposes. Read about this interesting mistake at the Atlas Obscura website.

Well, I've reached the border of Sudbury and Marlborough where there is a pleasant-looking farm with cows off to the left. This ends my journey (and my two hours of practice) for today.

1119 Boston Post Road

Day 10: Spending Time in Sudbury

For today's two-mile walk I'll be passing through the center of Sudbury, stopping eventually at a Mexican restaurant called Acapulcos.

King Philip Road to Acapulcos

This stretch of Sudbury is replete with commerce--stores, restaurants, medical facilities, an interior decorator and an auto service station. But I also pass by the town hall and the fire department. One of the more interesting buildings is the public library, the Goodnow Library, named after the resident who willed the land and money to build and stock the library, John Goodnow II. He died in 1851. The library was completed in 1853. The building is quite distinctive, as you can see (photo below); it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as have a number of the town's buildings.

Goodnow Library

According to the website City Data, Sudbury is a small town of around 18,000 people. They are mostly white, college-educated, middle-aged, employed, and of English/Irish ancestry. The income level is fairly high: $185,000 median annual household income. House prices average around $800,000.

Well, I've come to my stopping point now, the Mexican restaurant, Acapulcos, at 694 Boston Post Road in Sudbury. Tomorrow I'll do another two miles and another two hours of practice. Hasta la vista!

Day 9: Heading for Sudbury

Today's two-mile trek takes me from The Local, in Wayland, to Sudbury, at a residence located at the corner of King Philip's Road and US-20.

The Local, Wayland, to Sudbury

Along the way, I cross over the Sudbury River, a name the town of Sudbury shares, and pass by many businesses located along the Boston Post Road/US-20. This is quite a bit different from the mostly residential stretch of road that was Weston.

Sudbury River at Wayland

The Sudbury River is an interesting river in that it flows northeast from Westborough to Concord, from an elevation of 327 feet down to 100 feet. For more information, see the Wikipedia article: Sudbury River. It's apparently a scenic river in spots, and provides recreational opportunities such as canoeing and kayaking.

Sudbury was established around the same time as Weston and Wayland, in 1638. As I mentioned in the post about Wayland, the town split into the two sections, West and East, in 1780. But in the 1630s, there was mainly wilderness beyond the western and northern borders of the town. According to a Sudbury history website, the original settlers were on good terms with the local indigenous people.

Sudbury Fight Marker

That must have changed in the decades following, as Sudbury was one of the towns involved in King Philip's War. "The Sudbury Fight," as it came to be called, was on April 21, 1676. At right is a photo of the sign that marks the spot near where the fighting took place.

You can read an interesting account of Sudbury's part in King Philip's War in this blog: Things Have Changed. Below is an excerpt:

"The Sudbury Fight was a tactical victory for King Philip's warriors. They had successfully conducted three ambushes - on Cowell and Wadsworth's commands as well as on the Concord men, and destroyed much of Sudbury west of the river. Fifty two militia were dead, while Indian losses may have been as few as four to six. Why the withdrawal occurred remains unknown, but King Philip never resumed the offensive, the initiative quickly moved to the colonials, and the war was over by the end of the year."

So that's why I thought the house at  #4 King Philip Road would be a good stopping place. It was built in 1729 and is currently occupied. I couldn't find a picture of it, but you can get a glimpse of the house from the Google Street View photo, below.

4 King Philip Road

Well that's for this day's "walk" and two hours of practice. Tomorrow's journey will take me to some other interesting sights in Sudbury, I'm sure.

Day 8: Spending Time in Wayland

Today my two-mile walk takes me through the heart of Wayland, beginning at the Wayland Variety & Deli and ending at a restaurant called The Local.

Wayland Variety & Deli to The Local 

Wayland was originally settled in 1638 as a part of the Sudbury Plantation by the Sudbury River. In 1780, as a result of a taxation dispute, Sudbury was divided into East and West Sudbury, with East Sudbury eventually taking the name Wayland in 1835. You can read about Wayland at this site: Wayland, Massachusetts. There are some interesting historical features in the town, including the First Parish Unitarian Church, established in 1640. The current church edifice, at 225 Boston Post Road in Wayland, was built in 1815.

First Parish Church

The Boston Post Road, the first postal route in the country, merges with US-20 now and again as it travels through Massachusetts. You can read learn this road's history at this U.S. Department of Transportation website: Boston Post Road.

Well, I've done my two hours of practice today and made it to my destination: The Local. Guess I'll stop in for a bite to eat!

The Local, Wayland

Day 7: Heading for Wayland

Well, I'm spending another day in Weston, it seems, my two mile walk taking me just past Weston's border into Wayland, where I find a cluster of businesses on US-20, one of which is the Wayland Variety & Deli store, where I stop for the day.

Dumpling Daughter to Wayland Variety & Deli

While Weston is now mainly an upscale suburb of Boston, once it was a farming community. Weston was established in 1630 along with Waltham and Wayland, settled by farmers in 1673 and incorporated as a separate town in 1713. In the 18th century, Westonians were involved in the Revolutionary War--mostly as Patriots. By the 1800s, Weston began doing some manufacturing. Below is a description of one of the largest factories found there, the Hook & Hastings Company, which made organs.

"1889: Hook & Hastings Co moves from Roxbury to Weston. The company, which built some of the country’s greatest church and concert hall organs, is by far the largest of the town’s 19th century mills and industries. Weston native Francis Henry Hastings builds the three-story wooden factory, 280 feet long, on his family farmland at North Avenue and Viles Street. The organ factory is the town’s largest employer from 1889 to its closing in 1935."

Hook & Hastings

Also in that century, wealthy Bostonians began building large estates in Weston, over time turning it into the "bedroom" community for Boston that it is today. This history (with pictures) can be read on the Town of Weston's website, under Weston Timelines.

Well, I've finished my two hours practice and two more miles, taking me to the Wayland Variety and Deli, a place where you can get some good subs and other treats--according to Google Maps, at any rate.

Wayland Variety & Deli

Inside Wayland V&D

Day 6: Wealthy Weston

Today's two miles takes me along US-20 (merging for a short way with the Boston Post Road) from I-95 junction in Waltham through the town of Weston, the 9th wealthiest town in the United States (ahead of San Francisco, if you can believe it), stopping at a small eatery called Dumpling Daughter, specializing in Chinese food.

364 Weston, Waltham to Dumpling Daughter, Weston

I've gone slightly off the beaten path to get to the restaurant because, not surprisingly, there is no place to stop along the highway at the two-mile mark. This is a residential area for the most part, but the residences are much more upscale than those we saw on the other side of the highway. The average house price on the Weston side is upwards of $1 million (as opposed to Waltham, where it's $480,000), and the median annual income is $192,000 vs Waltham's $88,000. Weston is also a much less diverse community: 86% white as opposed to Waltham, which is 65% white.

But while statistics can suggest how the two towns differ, the satellite view allows you to actually see the difference.

Weston (on the left of I-95) and Watham (on the right)

Focusing on the right side of the map, east of I-95, you can see the neighborhood of Cedarwood is packed with streets and houses. On the left side of I-95, there are many fewer streets with only a half-dozen or so houses each. And those houses, for the most part, are not located on the highway, but off on side streets. Those that are right on US-20 are either old houses or houses surrounded by trees, such as the one pictured below. What a difference a few hundred feet make!

158 Hwy 20

Of course, this stretch of road would not be easy to walk if I were doing it for real--no shoulders!

But here I am at Dumpling Daughter cafe so I'll quit for today.  I might stop for a bite to eat, though. Yelp customers have given the restaurant 4-5 stars, so it should be good (if a little pricey).

Looking forward to another two hours of practice and another two miles closer to my goal!

Day 5: Main Street, Waltham

Wilson's Diner to I-95

Beginning at Wilson's Diner and ending at I-95, today's two-mile stroll along US-20 takes me through the heart of Waltham, a town that was first settled in 1634 as a part of Watertown but became its own town in 1734. Not until the 1830s did the town have a center, however, when a very successful textile mill was established. The Boston Manufacturing Company, owned by Francis Cabot Lowell (for whom Lowell, Massachusetts was named) was the first in the U.S. that integrated spinning and weaving. It served as the model for other large scale textile mills that came soon after, such as those in Lowell. You can read about it here: BMC.

Boston Manufacturing Company circa 1816

The building still stands, though it has been renovated for other businesses. Waltham also was home to the Waltham Watch Company (first assembly line watch manufacturer), established in 1854, which gave the town the nickname "Watch City."

Waltham's downtown has many remaining 19th century buildings, including the Trinity Church (Trinitarian denomination) at 730 Main Street. This church is one of several along US-20, reflecting the many religious faiths that are found in this ethnically diverse city. Not only do I see along my route evidence of traditional faiths (Catholic, Episcopal), but also a Ugandan Anglican Church, a Hispanic Evangelical Congregation (Ministerio Evangelico Rios de Agua Viva), and a Baha'i Community gathering place.  Other evidence of strong ethnic communities can be seen in these local news stories: Little Kampala and Hispanic Heritage.

Once I leave the downtown, though, I begin to see fewer businesses and more houses. Until I reach the junction with I-95, I'm in a residential area. The house that marks the end of my two miles today is at 364 Weston Street. Though it's a modest dwelling (3 BR, 1.5 baths) built in 1930, it was sold for $358,000 15 years ago and is now estimated to be worth over $500,000. That should give you an idea of what housing prices are like in this area.

364 Weston Street

But now that I'm at the junction of I-95, I end my walk for today. And since I've done my two hours of guitar practice, I can trek on to Weston!