Everyone has their town, but this is Our Town!

Every Memorial Day and Fourth of July, local townspeople line the streets to observe the town parade. Marching up and down the streets, playing patriotic songs are local marching bands, as veterans, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, local politicians, church groups, public service officials, and community organizations show their town spirit, and throw candy to the crowd.

In between parades and during the year, the town hosts an array of farmers markets, seasonal festivals, community service opportunities, and promotional events. The nation’s first public library, hosts various reading events throughout the year for the young readers of the town. Surrounding the library, is the Dean College campus often, referred to as “Dean”. Most weeks, the Town Commons, located on the outskirt of Downtown, is the home to the Farmer’s Market. The next time one visits Downtown, the Commons could be the stage for local bands and community plays on a hot summer night. Or, the Commons could be the stage for Santa and his helpers over the holiday season. No matter the event, the Commons remains a place for generations of townspeople to come, and reminisce on the town.

"Downtown" is the center of our town. Geographically located in the center of town, Downtown, is surrounded by all town activities. It offers various spots for the townspeople to hangout, and enjoy the benefits which the small town has to offer. Downtown contains coffee shops, gas stations, arts and craft stores, municipal buildings, family jewelers, retail stores, a variety of restaurants, banks, the U.S. Post Office, and Dean College.

Traffic flows around this area, as cars are detoured through the many one-way streets. In the midst of all the traffic, one may spot the GATRA, a local shuttle service that just recently began a bus route the town. The T, a commuter train that goes into Boston, runs through the heart of Downtown. Located on the opposite side of Downtown is I-495, a major highway, linking to suburbs to other popular places in New England. The easy accessibility for commuters makes the town a popular stop for many city workers who live in the suburbs. For locals, Downtown is within walking distance from many points of interest, offering a place for every stop on a townie’s errands list.

Currently, Downtown is under construction, as they are remodeling the area to add more spaces for retail stores, college housing, and quaint local businesses. The area is making progress in becoming a new hot spot of the town’s youth.
 In Downtown one may here the ringing of the commuter train, ringing of the Dean Chapel church bell, and the conversations of many international students. Within the Dean Campus is an international exchange program that brings many foreigners into the town. This diversity is welcomed seeing as the town is predominately filled with middleclass Caucasian individuals. The international program and community college not only spice up the town demographics, but also bring in revenue.