New England Town of the Day: Foxboro, MA

Article and photo by Eric H.

The hundreds of thousands of people who visit Foxboro (also spelled Foxborough), MA, yearly for a New England Patriots football game or shopping and entertainment at the adjoining, soon-to-be-completed Patriot Place might not even know that there's a real, live town here. Foxboro, a town of about 16,000 about 25 miles southwest of Boston, is true "small town America," blessed with a quaint downtown, a large circular village green with gazebo, historic homes and churches, an old-time Aubuchon Hardware store, the "townie" Commons Cafe, the Orpheum Theater for local plays, and many nice little stores. On the outskirts, you'll find Normandy Farms Campground, and quiet neighborhoods with well-kept ranches, Colonials and Victorians. The tree-lined streets, leading off the town center, several well-regarded public schools, brand new police and fire stations, and an ambitious plan to renovate old state buildings into commercial and residential space further validate Foxboro as a town with a look of the past and an eye for the future. In your New England travel, we recommend checking Foxboro out beyond the football stadium, if you happen to be in the area!