Medway, MA

Discovering wildlife in Medway is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. After I moved to Medway it was a matter of days before I encountered some honest to goodness wildlife. The first to greet us were the squirrels and the wild birds. Nothing too dramatic about that. We even had a few of those in the city. The rabbits appeared soon after. All over our yard and neighborhood. We certainly didn’t have rabbits in the city. Seeing the rabbits took me back to my suburban childhood which contained a few rabbits but not the masses we have here in Medway.

Early during our first fall we had a red fox traipsing through our yard. That was quite exciting for us city folks. The pheasants that followed were particularly exciting. They lingered in our yard for several days finding what food they could to eat before moving on. One day on the way to soccer practice on Winthrop Street we passed wild turkeys. That was momentous. I looked at them in disbelief. I never expected to see wild turkeys. Medway seemed to me to be full of surprises.

It was only a matter of time before we saw deer. I had mixed feelings about that. Some of you may love the beauty of deer and others may enjoy the thought of venison stew for the winter. I fall somewhere in between. I was not particularly happy when the deer started to eat my newly planted perennials. I suddenly realized the importance of that no deer symbol on flower packaging.

Another critter I encountered was the masked bandit, otherwise known as the raccoon, climbing over our back fence. I was sure he was headed for our corn patch. If he was he didn’t do too much damage.

Now, while I may have suggested earlier that wild birds are mundane, don’t be fooled. Wild birds are some of the best things about Medway. I regularly see in my yard gold finches, chickadees, cardinals and blue jays. But you may never know what just might wander in. One time I had the most extraordinary blue bird in my back yard. I had the presence of mind to photograph it before it disappeared. With the local Stony Brook Audubon Center nearby I was able to confirm that it was a rare indigo bunting.

Honestly I must admit I had never given one thought to wildlife when I moved to Medway. It wasn’t even a consideration. We were concerned about schools, reasonably priced houses and access to the commuter rail. But each day living in Medway has turned into a new surprise we didn’t expect as we encountered deer, turkeys and yes even the occasional skunk. Whether you already love country life or you are a city person just beginning to discover it, you will find Medway a delightful experience with a new surprise every season.

Are you the sort of person who likes contemporary style homes yet enjoys the serenity of suburban or country life? Then Medway may be just the place for you. Medway, located 26 miles southwest of Boston, is a picturesque countryside suburb. Football fans will be happy to know that it is just a 15 minute drive from Gillette Stadium.

Medway has just shy of 100 contemporary style homes. Contemporary homes are distinctive for their geometric and angular shape, unadorned exterior, extensive use of windows and open floor plans. Often they have beige, brown or other muted color exteriors.

The streets with the highest concentration of contemporaries in Medway include Stanley Road, Summer Hill Road, Hill Street and Fox Run Road. Public records indicate that Summer Hill Road has 17 contemporaries and Stanley Road and Hill Street tie for second with 13 each. A smattering of other contemporary homes is found individually throughout town. The houses have assessment values in the range of $278,000 to $694,000 with the average assessed value being about $400,000.

Most of the contemporaries in Medway were built between 1979 and 1988 with the peak year for contemporaries being 1986. A number of the contemporaries, particularly on Stanley Road and Summer Hill Road have 1677 in square footage. The next jump in square footage is to the low 2000s, again on Stanley Road and Summer Hill Road. Most of the contemporaries in town sit on 1 acre lots or greater. Only roughly one fourth of the contemporary homes have lots smaller than an acre.

Four contemporaries sold in Medway during 2008 (as of December 25^th). Most of them sold between $345,000-$550,000 with one below that range. The average sale price was $372,000 with an average market time of 185 days. None of the houses sold in less than 90 days.

When searching for contemporaries it seems that a visual review of the property is necessary. Many properties are mistakenly labeled as contemporary when they are really colonials or capes. Agents for builders of new construction particularly seem to be unsure of architectural style by consistently labeling their homes both as colonial and contemporary at the same time. I think I would consider what they are building as modern colonials rather than the classic angular contemporaries that we are used to. Be sure to check for photos of properties listed as contemporary to be sure they are truly the classic contemporary style you are looking for.

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Medway High School Mustangs "Hoof It" To Win Against Westwood High School

Medway High School continues to be the team to beat as it racked up its ninth consecutive win on Nov. 8, 2008 against Westwood High School.

Medway senior Tyler Iarussi rushed for 122 yards, had 55 receiving yards, and scored three touchdowns, while Junior Ted Davenport ran for 193 yards and scored a touchdown to help Medway (9-0) remain undefeated.

The Medway Mustangs play a critical game Friday night Nov. 14, when they take to the field against Norton High School.

Final Score:

Medway 28, Westwood 13

JOHN PRESCOTT

-BostonKayakGuy

Top Real Estate Agent for more than 14 years, serving the real estate needs of Wellesley, South Natick, Weston, Needham, Wayland, Newton, Framingham and other MetWest communities. www.johnprescott.net

JOHN PRESCOTT

Vice President

Century 21 Commonwealth

508-523-9252

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