Can’t speak to Mendon, but 495 to Rt 9 in Framingham is a miserable drive during rush hour.

They have a drive in. I think its the guy that does phantom gourmet owns it. They also have a zoo which is pretty good too

I live in a neighboring town. It's relatively quiet - even the main roads through these small 495 towns generally aren't a distraction, and things are more or less peaceful, quiet, and pretty chill.

No input on the Mendon schools (I don't have kids in school), but as others have mentioned, having a zoo nearby is pretty sweet. It's not a world-class zoo by any means, but it's an awesome way to spend the day a couple times a year. For adults and for kids. I'm a grown ass adult, and when my parents drove up to stay with me for the weekend, we went to the zoo. We had a great time.

If the kids are outdoorsy, this neck of the woods is much better than most places inside 95. There are so many trails, parks, ponds, etc.

And Mendon has one of the few drive-ins left. If the kids are restless to the point that going to a movie theater isn't ideal, the drive-in could be pretty sweet. There's always people wandering about when it's warm before the movie (tailgating, throwing a frisbee, people-watching, going to the concession stand, etc)

Another comment mentions the traffic in Framingham. 495 is nothing compared to 95 most days. The stretch of 495 from about Milford to the Pike can get slow, but rarely as bad as 128 gets. If your work hours are even an hour out of "the norm", you'll be fine - not a lick of traffic. And I guess you could take 16 into Holliston and then 126 North into Framingham. Surface roads, but at least it'll be moving.

I worked for a human services program for years. The best special Ed program in the area is north grafton, not too far. I also supported a few families in the mendon/hopedale area and there are many programs in this area as well

Mendon is a great town. Pretty good school system as well. 495 to Route 9 to Framingham is not that bad even during rush hour. Mendon area in general is fantastic, lots to do, lots of restaurants, etc., lots of good places for kids. You would be more than happy here. I live 2 towns over and grew up in Boston proper, for reference

Thanks!

Thanks for the thoughts!

Thanks, I was looking at Grafton as well, so that’s super helpful.

Dont know much but recreational cannabis dispensary I work for is opening a branch there soon.

Giggity! Wifey will like that.

I dont.normally plug them. Its called joint operations. Opens in march hopefully, just got final inspections to go. They price pretty agressivly at the moment. Should be some good opening bundles.

Traffic on route 16 west coming from Milford and 495 is going to suck during the afternoon rush.

Enjoy the upcoming strip club.

Youll probably be living in the woods with a super long driveway

Mendon is part of the Blackstone Valley. Quaint town. Close enough to Milford that you don't miss not having stores close by. As others said zoo, drive-in. Some good restaurants. Easy access to Boston/ Worcester.
Not sure on tax rate. They also don't seem to have many condos or apartments from my knowledge.

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That is super helpful. Thanks! We’re in the process of getting the IEP, so we’ll have that before we move. My kid is Level 2, but his biggest therapy need is speech, and he doesn’t have many of the behaviors that people stereotype as ASD. He only just recently got the ASD diagnosis, so we’re still in the “overwhelmed and learning” phase of figuring out therapy, but have concerns about ABA and really want to make sure the school he’s in puts a focus on neuro-diversity affirming therapies. I’m worried that some of these school districts with more limited resources will be much less flexible.

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They have a small beach and recreation programs for kids in the summer. They are currently overhauling a part of the beach (long overdue). Drive Inn is family friendly. Southwicks has a decent restaurant and special rates during the year for kids that will get you discounted entrance fees. They also have light shows during the Holidays. Just west of Mendon is plenty of outdoor recreation, bike/walking trails etc. If you like the ocean South County RI is about an hours drive with some excellent beaches. There has been a rumor that a grocery story is in the works...

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Wow, thanks so much!

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I run one of my business's out of town and have a large parcel of land here. Mendon is great, there are lots of activities, like everyone else is saying, The Zoo, the Drive In are great. Mendon has tons of hiking trails, the lake, the beach, there's a bunch of farms, you can get raw milk at Greener acres farm, You can get wine, food, berries and Christmas trees at Vandervalk farm. New England Steak and Seafood is one of the better places to eat. If you are an outdoorsman there are plenty of public places to hunt, however many properties have enough land for one to legally hunt (or target shoot) legally and safely. The fishing is also pretty good. You also might have enough land to ride dirt bikes and atvs if you are into that.

The bad. Kevin Mehann (owns imperial dealerships) pretty much owns the town, he's knocking down the driving range to build a strip mall/ market/ lower income housing and wants to build a massive rotary. He also leaves his dealership lights on all night and the light pollution from that can be seen from pretty much any part of town. The good thing about him is that he does a cool Christmas light display. There is a dispensary about to open. The religious zealots (folks who have bible versus on signs in front of the places they live in) are upset about it. The boomers who were brainwashed by reefer madness and other anti marijuana propaganda are also very irate about it. They think death and destruction will come. Oh they are also upset about the strip club that's half built. There are people moving next to farms trying to get roosters banned and other silly stuff like that. I have a friend who rides his horse on some side streets and some guy who moved in from Cambridge had a mental breakdown about him riding his horse on the road. Oh if you move in next to someone who has the land to have snowmobile, dirtbike and atv paths. Don't be that guy who calls the police on them for legally riding on private property. It's not cool and will make the locals not like you. The taxes are also sky rocketing. People keep buying houses worth 500k for a million here and the local residents are feeling the squeeze, especially the elderly who are getting pushed out of the town because they can't afford the property taxes.

I say this because I have a cousin with autism, people here appreciate the 4th of July. Folks with autism might not appreciate the noise around the 4th as there are many fireworks appreciators in town.

Love all the local color you provided! Thanks! I did a deal in a nearby town with a guy who is the Kevin Mehann of that town, so I know exactly what you mean about him…

Quite a few dispensaries in the Mendon area