Ashland

Situated about 25 miles west of Boston, Ashland has become a premier suburb in the Greater Boston, West Metropolitan (Metrowest) area. A town of a wide range of housing prices, Ashland contains approximately 4200 single family homes, 2000 condos and 300 apartments for rent. All of the developments, old or new, are comfortable places for current residents and people searching for a new home. All of them provide living situations that range from dense condo complexes, to open space, wooded areas of single family homes, to compact downtown neighborhoods, to plush over 55 condo developments, all while making small town service, support and caring a place to live that is available to all.

Graced with a very highly ranked school system (the high school was listed by Newsweek as one of the US’s top 100), Ashland’s continuing concern for teaching its children well is evidenced in the recently completed (Jan 2006) high school. Further, every existing school building has been renovated and/or expanded in the past decade.

Investments have been made town-side too. The Town renovated Town Hall (in 2005) maintaining its historic (1850's) appearance while rebuilding its structure to last another 150 years. As well, Ashland built a new Community Center (2004), rebuilt and expanded the historic Carnegie library (2005) and recently renovated the downtown fire station.

Ashland’s proximity to Boston has resulted in the building of a Purple Line “T” station that terminates at South Station in downtown Boston at one end (in the heart of the financial district) and at the downtown Worcester train station at the other end. Because of this station, Ashland has seen significant growth in the past few years, growth that is slowing as land presently zoned for housing is built out.

Ashland is one of Massachusetts smallest towns (~12.5 square miles), yet nearly 25% of the town (approx. 4 sq. mi.) is open space. Walking trails are found through out town in an extensive walking trail system that is incorporated into the Bay Circuit Trail. The Bay Circuit Trail swings roughly 25 miles outside Boston and extends from Crane’s Beach near Newburyport in the North to Plymouth in the South. Ashland contains two large State Parks, both with beaches on their individual lakes. It also contains nearly one square mile of town-owned forest and Northeastern University has a large recreational facility on another large parcel of land. That parcel houses a Northeastern Hotel Management training and Conference Center. This open space creates a wooded, bucolic feeling in this suburb located just 22 miles from the center of Boston.

Ashland is a progressive, wooded, suburban community that is ideal for thriving families and settled elders.