 |
|
|
|
LOCATION
Five miles northwest of Boston bordered by Everett and Malden on the east, Stoneham on the north, Somerville on the south, and Arlington on the west, and Winchester on the northwest. The western part of Medford borders the upper and lower Mystic Lakes. The Mystic River goes through the city, with a four-foot channel that is navigable to Boston’s Inner Harbor. Convenient to Logan Airport and Routes 93, 16, 28, 38, and 60.
DATE OF FOUNDING
Established as a town on September 28, 1630. Incorporated as a city on May 31, 1892.
TOTAL AREA
8.64 square miles
POPULATION
56,173
Males 26,846
Females 29,327
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Rail: Commuter rail service is available from West Medford to North Station, Boston. Travel time: 11-12 minutes; 30 MBTA parking spaces. MBTA subway service is available on the Orange Line at Wellington Station (11 min. to Downtown Crossing; 1,253 parking spaces). The Springfield Terminal Railway offers freight service to Medford. Contact number: 508-663-1073.
Bus: Medford is a member of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). There is fixed route service within neighboring communities and to Wellington Station and the Orange Line. Visit www.mbta.com for complete maps and schedules. The MBTA also provides THE RIDE, a paratransit service for the elderly and disabled.
HOUSING
22,534 total housing units comprised of owner- and renter- occupied one, two and three family homes and several multi-family residential complexes.
AVERAGE HOUSING COST
$367,500 (Source: CNNMoney.com)
LABOR FORCE
31,006 Medford residents (ages 16 and over) in diverse backgrounds.
MEDIAN INCOME
$86,242 (2011-2012)
BUSINESS
824 (Approx.) businesses are located in the City. (Source: www.city-data.com) Diverse business base with manufacturers, wholesale, retail, service-oriented, and financial institutions making their business homes in Medford. Medford boasts an active Chamber of Commerce located at One Shipyard Way; 781-396-1277; www.medfordchamberma.com
EDUCATION
Public: Five new schools. Four elementary schools; two middle schools (one of which includes an alternative academy); three comprehensive high schools (grades nine through twelve) including a vocational technical high school and alternative high school. Visit www.medord.k12.ma.us for more info. Medford students also attend the publicly-funded Mystic Valley Regional Charter School (K-12), located in Malden.
Private / Parochial: Four elementary schools and one high school.
PUBLIC SAFETY
FIRE
Six Fire Stations: headed by a Chief.
Medford Fire Department
Fire Chief Frank A. Giliberti, Jr.
100 Main St.
Business Line: 781-396-9400
Emergency: 9-1-1
POLICE
One Municipal Police Station: headed by a Chief.
Medford Police Department
Police Chief Leo A. Sacco, Jr.
100 Main St.
Business Line: 781-391-6404
Emergency: 9-1-1
Website: www.medfordpolice.com
One State Police Station:
Massachusetts State Police
520 Fellsway
Business Line: 781-396-0100
Emergency: 9-1-1
Website: www.mass.gov/msp
RECREATION
Over twenty park sites throughout the city providing a variety of recreational facilities including tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds and ball fields.
Other amenities include two skating rinks; a stadium with running track; 148 acre Wrights Pond; Middlesex Fells Reservation; Brooks Estate.
Brooks Estate / Medford-Brooks Estate Land Trust (M-BELT) - located off Grove Street, features acres of open space, walking trails, Brooks Pond. www.brooksestate.org
Middlesex Fells Reservation - Fellsway West, offers hiking, biking, walking, sledding paths and picnic areas, as well as natural and cultural history buffs. For further information, contact the Department of Conservation and Recreation at 617-727-7747 or visit www.fells.org
Wright’s Pond - located on Elm Street, offers swimming, picnicking, walking and shaded areas for relaxing. Hiking and fishing are also available. You must obtain a Pass for access and use of the facility. Visit City Hall or www.medford.org for more info on Medford parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities.
Tufts Pool - located at 449 Main St., offers swimming lessons. You must obtain a Pass for access and use of facility. For hours and pass information, contact the Department of Recreation at 781-393-2486 or the DPW Office at 781-393-2417 (summer only). Tufts Pool has both wading and deep water facilities.
Facility is manned by lifeguards, bath house attendants and park police.
Parks - Medford has conducted an aggressive park improvement project. Most of the city’s 21 parks have been rehabilitated and they offer new soccer fields, football fields, softball / baseball fields, multi-use courts for basketball, tennis and street hockey. In addition, most have new, accessible play structures.
Skating Rinks - Loconte Rink, Mystic Valley Parkway, offers hockey and skating. Medford High School’s home rink. For further information, contact 781-395-9594.
Flynn Rink, Woodland Road, offers hockey and skating. For further information, contact 781-395-8492.
Boat Clubs
Medford Boat Club
Mystic Lake. Membership required. Swimming and boating lessons offered.
For more information, contact the club at 781-648-9774.
The Mystic Wellington Yacht Club, Inc.
451 Fellsway Rear - P.O. Box 235, Medford, MA 02155
The Mystic Wellington Yacht Club is located on the banks of the Mystic River in historic Medford Massachusetts. Since its inception in 1971 the Mystic Wellington Yacht Club has made dedicated effort to serve the Medford Community.
The membership continually works to promote safe public access to the DCR boat ramp, support civic projects and to educate and protect all aspects of the Mystic River environment.
Public boat ramps
The Department of Conservation and Recreation maintains public boat ramps throughout the commonwealth of Massachusetts. The two ramps in the immediate Medford area are:
• The Mystic Wellington Yacht Club, located on Constitution Way at Station Landing in Wellington Circle in Medford.
• Blessing of the Bay, Mystic River, Shore Drive near Interstate 93 in Somerville.
YOUTH ACTIVITES
Babe Ruth League, Little League, Pop Warner, Youth Soccer, Youth Hockey, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, Park Summer Programs.
HOUSES OF WORSHIP
18, including Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist.
LIBRARY
Part of the Minuteman Library Network, circulates over 300,000 items per year. For more information, call 781-395-7950 or visit www.medfordlibrary.org
ORGANIZATIONS
A wide variety of civic, charitable, social and fraternal organizations are active in the community.
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT
Chevalier Theatre, Springstep, Tufts University Art Gallery, Medford
Arts Festival. Medford is within easy distance of many urban theaters
and museums.
UTILITIES
Electric & Gas: National Grid
Phone: 1-800-322-3223
Website: www.nationalgridus.com
Cable: Comcast
Phone: 1-888-633-4266; 1-800-266-2278
Website: www.comcast.com
Water: Medford is a member of Massachusetts Water Resources
Authority (MWRA) system. Public water / sewer.
NEWSPAPER
Medford Daily Mercury (daily)…………..……. 781-395-4555
Medford Transcript (weekly)………..………… 781-396-1982
MORE INFORMATION
Chamber of Commerce…...……...…….…….. 781-396-1277
Chamber Website……..….... www.medfordchamberma.com
City Website……………..….…………...… www.medford.org
Medford Housing Authority…...………………. 781-396-7200
Medford Post Office (Forest Street)….…....… 781-396-2444
MEDFORD CITY HALL - CITY DEPARTMENTS
Animal Control …………………………Room 311 781-393-2563
Assessor ………………………………. Room 105 781-393-2435
Building Department …………………. Room 115A 781-393-2509
Cemetery ……………………………… 230 Playstead Road............................................................. 781-393-2488
City Clerk ………………………………. 781-393-2425
Civil Defense / Emergency Mngmt. ….100 Main St. 781-396-2131
Collector ………………………………..1st Floor 781-393-2550
Community Development …………….Room 308 781-393-2480
Council on Aging ………………………101 Riverside Ave. 781-396-6010
Credit Union ……………………………Room 200 781-393-2458
Department of Public Works …………Room 304 781-393-2417
Disability ………………………………..Room 214 781-393-2501
Diversity ………………………………...Room 214 781-393-2501
Electrical ………………………………..Room 115A 781-393-2485
Energy & Environment ………………..Room 209 781-393-2137
Engineering …………………………….Room 300 781-393-2476
Finance & Auditing …………………….Room 109 781-393-2538
Fire Department ……………………….120 Main St. 781-396-9400
Forestry …………………………………21 James St. 781-393-2117
Health Department ……………………. 781-393-2560
Highway Department ………………….21 James St. 781-393-2417
Human Rights ………………………….Room 214 781-393-2501
Information Technology ……………….Room 314 781-393-2358
Law Department ……………………….Room 206 781-393-2470
Library …………………………………..111 High St. 781-395-7950
Mayor’s Office ………………………….Room 202 781-393-2408
Parks Division ………………………….54 Swan St. 781-393-2418
Personnel ……………………………….Room 202 781-393-2405
Police / Business Office ……………….100 Main St. 781-391-6404
Procurement ……………………………Room 205 781-393-2465
Recreation ……………………………… 781-393-2486
Recycling ……………………………….Room 304 781-393-2419
Retirement ……………………………...Room 215 781-393-2521
Saving Lives ……………………………Room 114 781-393-2450
Treasurer / Collector …………………..1st Floor 781-393-2530
Veteran’s Office ………………………..Room 101 781-393-2503
Voter Registration ……………………..Room 102 781-393-2491
Water and Sewer ………………………54 Swan St. 781-393-2403
Weights and Measures ……………….. 781-393-2463
Medford Points of Interest
Jingle Bell Festival - The Wednesday through Sunday after
Thanksgiving. Includes entertainment, tree and City Hall lighting,
raffles, house tours. www.jinglebellfestival.org
Chevalier Theatre - The sixth largest theatre in the Metropolitan
Boston area, it seats over 2,000 people. Greek Revival style exterior
and art deco interior. Located at 30 Forest Street.
www.chevaliertheatre.com
Medford Arts - Doc Kountze Film Festival and Medford Arts Festival, alternating years with Medford Children’s Art Festival. www.medfordarts.org
Medford Square Market - June through September on River Street. Local vendors and farm produce, entertainment. www.medfordsquaremarket.blogspot.com
Mystic Players - Performances throughout the year. www.mysticplayers.org
Springstep - Celebrating cultures and connecting people through dance and music. Features Atrium Art Gallery. www.springstep.org
Tufts University Art Gallery - Located at 40R Talbot Avenue on the Tufts Campus. www.ase.tufts.edu/gallery
West Medford Open Studios - Spring event exhibiting visual arts and crafts, musical performances, readings by local writers and more. www.wmos.org
HOUSES OF WORSHIP
Community Baptist Church
Address: 470 Fulton St.
Phone: 781-396-5536
First Baptist Church of Medford
Address: 29 Oakland St.
Phone: 781-396-3811
New England Baptist Church
Address: 30 Salem St.
Phone: 781-395-6116
Shiloh Baptist Church
Address: Corner of Holton and Bower streets
Phone: 781-483-8850
West Medford Baptist Church
Address: 59 Boston Ave.
Phone: 781-488-3562
Kurukulla Buddhist Center
Address: 68 Magoun Ave.
Phone: 617-624-0177
St. Francis of Assisi Church
Address: 441 Fellsway West
Phone: 781-396-3400
Pantry: Thursday, 3-4:30 p.m., in the parish center.
St. Joseph’s Church
Address: 118 High St.
Phone: 781-396-0423
St. Raphael Church
Address: 512 High St.
Phone: 781-488-5444
St. Clement Church
Address: 70 Warner St.
Phone: 781-396-3922
Christian Assembly
Address: 9 Cummings St.
Phone: Reverend’s office, 617-627-9400, or at home, 617-471-1043
Congregational Church of West Medford
Address: 400 High St.
Phone: 781-395-3360
North Prospect Union United Church of Christ
Address: 144 North St.
Phone: 781-396-8435
Grace Episcopal Church
Address: 160 High St.
Phone: 781-396-0362
First Community United Methodist Church
Address: 55 Otis St.
Phone: 781-396-5436
Wesley United Methodist Church
Address: 100 Winthrop St.
Phone: 781-395-5262
Web: www.gbgm-umc.org/wesley02155
Temple Shalom
Address: 475 Winthrop St.
Phone: 781-396-3262
Unitarian Universalist Church
Address: 147 High St.
Phone: 781-396-4549
REAL ESTATE OFFICE
Century 21 Advance Realty
David Tassinari
284 Salem Street
Medford, MA 02155
781-395-2121 x219; Cell: 781-475-3693; www.davetass.com
ZOO
Stone Zoo
Cynthia Mead
149 Pond Street
Stoneham, MA 02180
781-438-9515; FAX 781-438-9817; www.stonezoo.org
Trash pick up
Trash collection will be one day a week and to guarantee collection, trash must be out on curb by 7 a.m. Trash collection will be ONE DAY DELAYED during a holiday week.
Building materials will not be collected i.e. doors, windows, shingles, bathtubs, sinks, toilets, paneling, 2x4’s, tires, hedges, stumps, etc. Please call a private hauler for these items.
No hazardous material. The closest Household Hazardous Product (HHP) site is in Lexington on Hartwell Avenue (call the DPW for schedule and details) 781-393-2419 – www.lexingtonma.gov/dpw/environmentalservices.cfm
Propane tanks from gas grills may be brought to B.J.’s Wholesale Club, Middlesex Avenue, or similar for a small fee. Small branches tied in 3' bundles are accepted-on yard waste collection weeks ONLY.
Furniture (i.e. bedding, tables, chairs, desks, etc.) will be collected at curbside, call 1-800-972-4545 for bulk pick-up. Rugs and carpeting must be rolled and tied-please call 1-800-972-4545 for bulk pick-up.
White goods (appliances) and CRT’s require a $25 collection sticker-obtained at the DPW office or by check payable to City of Medford and sent to DPW-Room 304, City Hall.
Recycling
In November 2010, the city of Medford launched a single-stream recycling program. The city now offers two green barrels for recycling and trash. Green bags are available to purchase at $2 per bag from the Department of Public Works for trash overflow.
A thorough list of what residents can and cannot recycle is available from the city of Medford by logging in at www.medford.org.
The city also offers a Paint Shed drop off, which is open from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the DPW Yard on James Street off of Mystic Avenue. Residents may bring up to five-gallons per address (household) of latex and / or oil-base paint. No hazardous material will be accepted.
Please have resident ID ready upon entering the yard.
Please contact the DPW if you have any questions at 781-393-2419.
Composting
Yard waste, vegetables, food scraps, coffee grounds can all be diverted and made into compost. Mixing these items in a compost bin with some peat moss will give a kick start to your compost heap and in no time you will have ‘black gold’ to utilize in your flower or vegetable garden.
Compost bins are available through the DPW, call 781-393-2419 for availability and prices.
PARKING RULES AND REGULATIONS
Winter
General Rule: The ODD / EVEN side parking switches each year based on the date as follows: Beginning Dec. 1 to April 1, overnight parking is allowed on one side of the street (odd or even) from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m.
For example, if the winter begins in an ODD year then parking is allowed on the ODD numbered side of the street only.
First violation is a $25 fine. During a declared snow emergency the above rule will be in effect 24 hours a day until the snow emergency is lifted. Violators will face a $50 fine in addition to tow fee as regulated by Department of Telecommunications and Energy.
Three exceptions to these regulations:
Exception # 1: On streets where parking is permitted on one side only, parking will be allowed on that side even though it is the even-numbered side.
Exception # 2: All commercial vehicles over one ton are prohibited from parking between 12:01 a.m. and 7 a.m. No tow trucks, regardless of its gross weight shall be parked for more than one hour between 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. on any street. Violators will face a $25 fine. This is a year-round violation.
Exception # 3: Snow Emergency Regulations: “Emergency Arteries” when it is determined that parked vehicles may impede the plowing or removing of snow or ice and impair the free flow of traffic, a snow emergency will be declared by the Commissioner of Public Works. During a declared Snow Emergency, there shall be no parking on either side of duly posted streets. Violators will face a $50 fine in addition to a tow fee.
The following streets are designated as Emergency Arteries:
Boston Avenue, Central Avenue, College Avenue from George Street to Boston Avenue, Forest Street, Fulton Street, George Street, Governors Avenue, Grove Street, Hancock Street, Harvard Avenue, Harvard Street, High Street, Lawrence Road, Main Street, Medford Street, Mystic Avenue from Main Street to Crescent Street, Playstead Road, Riverside Avenue, Salem Street, Spring Street, Washington Street, Webster Street, Willis Avenue and Winthrop Street.
Those residents who have driveways, garages, or other off-street parking facility are not allowed to park on street for a period of time longer than one hour between 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. and could face a fine of $25.
Parking spots unofficially reserved by citizens:
For those who attempt to reserve a public parking spot because they shoveled it, please note, NO public parking spaces are reserved unless officially posted.
Saving parking spaces is a sensitive subject in any neighborhood, officially no objects can be placed on a city street for whatever reason to reserve a parking spot.
Daily
Any motor vehicle parked on a public way for a period of 48 consecutive hours without being moved is subject to towing and a $25 fine.
Trucks weighing more than 1 ton are not allowed to park overnight on city streets.
Tickets
Payment is due within 21 days of ticket issuance.
Pay online at www.kelleyryan.com (may not be available for 10 days of ticket issuance) in person or by mail to: Collector’s Office, City Hall, 85 George P. Hassett Drive, Medford, MA. 02155. Collector’s phone: 781-393-2550, Fax: 781-393-2533, Email address: collector@medford.org.
Unpaid tickets over 21 days old are turned over to the Deputy Collector for collection and Registry action. Unpaid parking tickets will result in your license to drive and / or your automobile registration marked for non-renewal with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Pay on-line at www.kelleyryan.com or phone at 508-473-9660. A release will be issued electronically to the Registry upon receipt.
Disputes / Hearings You may dispute a parking ticket within 21 days of issuance.
There are two ways to dispute a parking ticket: You may choose only one method:
1) Appeal in writing – Submit requested materials within 21 days. You will be informed of the decision by mail.
2) Formal hearing – Submit requested materials within 21 days. You will be notified by mail of your hearing date. A decision will be rendered at the hearing.
Your choice is final and shall be considered a waiver of the option that you did not choose.
Stickers
Resident On-Street Parking Permits / Stickers may be purchased online. Your permit / sticker will be mailed to you within three business days.
They may also be obtained at City Hall, 85 George P. Hassett Drive, Room 108, Treasurer-Collector’s Office.
1) To receive a sticker allowing you to park on your street your vehicle MUST be registered in your name and principally garaged on one of the streets designated and your driver’s license must show the same address. If you lease your vehicle you must provide a copy of your lease.
2) Each household on a designated street may be issued two portable Visitor Permits that shall be used for temporary visitors.
For more information go to the Medford Police Department - Central Records website. For a list of streets where a sticker is required go to List of Streets.
Commuter Parking Permits / Stickers are issued from July to June for designated locations.
Annual permits may be purchased for $100 at the Treasurer / Collector’s Office, City Hall, 85 G.P.Hassett Dr., Medford, MA 02155.
For further information, call 781-393-2550 or email at collector@medford.org.
(Source: David Tassinari & Medford Chamber of Commerce, Community Guide 2009 & 2011-2012 Edition)
|
|
|
