The 400 Restaurant and Lounge closing for good this December

Oh, the Pizza, the lasagna, and the others that I grew up with, now another casualty of this sad plaza now going down the tubes.

According to www.the400restaurant.com, the business is shutting down next month.  I have talked to the people there, telling them to find another location to open up, because this was an iconic place to go to.  I may just order some pizza one last time, and may take out there one or twice more before this place closes down for good.

But there's La Cantina.  As good restaurant that this may be, it doesn't help that this place is shutting down.

So Long, 400.

FINALLY! Sad Plaza will no longer be sad!

With this corner all that is left, plus a Dunkin Donuts and a thrift store, Metro west Daily News has shown that the owners of this place will renovate the existing building and build a new building in place of the gas station and that small photo booth.

My thoughts are that I like that plan because well, for those growing up here, it's restoring that old place and mixing it with modern looks, hopefully getting a grocery store in where Price Chopper and Big D's used to be.  What hopefully will be there is an ice cream shop, though I wouldn't be surprised if a frozen yogurt place pops up in the restored plaza, as well as maybe a Chinese takeout place and a GameStop, or hopefully, a mom and pop gaming store here.  But whatever it is, the owners are finally showing something that they are willing to fix the place up, as well as the plans that keeps the 400 restaurant, and also it's charm that I grew up.  While I grew up and my father bought groceries from Big D Supermarket, I may go there, buy some stuff at Market Basket, and pick up dinner from the 400.

Shopper's World redesign!

A New Rumor of a change in Shopper's World has emerged.  According to Boston Globe and ThisIsFramingham, there were some thoughts of restoring the old shopper's world from where it is today.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/2012/12/02/regional-planners-reimagine-route-more-people-friendly-place/ADelMWxoCeELhI1i6yihVJ/story-1.html

Let me tell you this.  The old shopper's world was great.  The new shopper's world sucks.  You used to be able to go straight in to the place right from the Natick Mall.  Now, you have to miander around the place via Ring St. or Shopper's World Drive in order to get in.  They did had something before saying that the old shopper's world was small and dated in such, and would like to add an enclosed mall.  That hasn't came to pass.  Then, the Natick Mall owner purchased the place, and turned a great area into a lame u-shaped hell of a place with a parking lot smack dab in the middle of the place.  I just hate the idea of having to cross the parking lot to go from store to store across the parking lot, or having to go looking for a path.

If I wanted to add my feedback into this, then I would say, get rid of the parking lot in the middle and put a garage somewhere.  Then, on the existing stores, build one story above allowing smaller tennants to move in, and then apartments on top of that, kind of like putting a downtown-like place above the bigger stores.  I would like to see TGI Fridays and the Olive Garden being replaced with a structure with a dome over it.  Therefore, my plan will mix the best of the past, with any fans of the new shopper's world today.

And yea, getting rid of the parking lot in the middle would allow for a courtyard in the center, with maybe plans to add a new block of smaller stores in the center (or maybe even a food court) for more tennants in the area.

But yea.  I would love to see a change.

Now THIS is Shopper's World.  Great courtyard, nice small stores.

 

This is NOT Shopper's world.  Unsightly parking lot in the center, Nothing but big and big chain stores.

 

So long Fireflys...

[UPDATE: The Landlord of the Stop and Shop plaza on Old Conneticut Path has been greedy, put the responsability of the maintanence to Fireflys, and apperently wants to jack up the rent for the tennants at the plaza, which is the reason that Fireflys gave the landlord the middle finger and left.  Fireflys lost power alone due to an internal electrical problem, but because the landlord put the expense to Fireflys, they left.]

RIP 2003-2012.

Well, it's a great 9 years of BBQ right next to Stop and Shop.  I still remember the Applebee's here before, but could care less about that place closing down, cause Applebees sucks anyways.

But this is a bigger loss to the Framingham community.  I just hate to drive the extra 20 minutes to get to the Marlborough location, though it's easier to take to that location.  However, Framingham fans could just go to Marlborough and keep requesting them to reopen this place or even move to a nearby location.

But this really sucks.  Really bad.  We've lost another icon here, much like Naked Fish nearby.  Hopefully, they can open up a new one somewhere on route 30