Suffolk visitor

Hi we live in Suffolk England and have noticed quite a few of our town/villages names are the same as in the vicinity of Boston .

Can anyone tell us what Framingham is like? anything touristy there? We also recognise Ipswich, Needham, Dedham.

Many thanks

Suffolk visitor

The only one of those towns that attracts any significant tourist trade, I believe, is Ipswich--because of its coastal location (a beautiful beach and reservation called Plum Island, with a nearby castle) and its popular seafood shacks and other North Shore ambiance.

I%26#39;m sure the others have many fine features that I%26#39;m not aware of, but for most people, they fall in the category of not-especially-interesting Boston suburbs. Nothing wrong with them, but nothing that most non-residents know about. Dedham does have some historical points of interest, but I can%26#39;t think what they are. Framingham is relatively big and busy--it might be slightly inaccurate to call it a suburb.

Suffolk visitor

Dedham has a pretty area over by the Westwood side and down near the court house.

Needham Center is very nice to walk around. Lots of little boutique stores and several nice bakeries. Needham Center is not far from Babson College, another nice place to walk.

I%26#39;ve caught myself giving out misinformation. The beach in Ipswich is Crane Beach (with castle). Plum Island is in Newburyport.

They%26#39;re quite close together, and both beautiful.

Actually, Framingham is one of the biggest shopping areas in the Northeast. If shopping is one of your goals, it%26#39;s a great place to spend an afternoon. Also has some significant witch history as well (related to the Salem witches and hangings).

Just north of Framingham in Sudbury is the Wayside Inn, made famous by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It%26#39;s an old inn on the Boston to New York Turnpike where the stagecoaches used to stop - a great place for a lunch or dinner.

I%26#39;ll second the Wayside Inn. Try to get one of the smaller rooms but the whole place is wonderful.