What is it like to live in Douglas?
A flea market, forest, waterslides, and free ice cream. See what it's like to live here and in other Massachusetts communities at realestate.boston.com.
Living in Douglas gives Heather Reneau’s family room to roam.
Heather Reneau, her husband, Timothy, and their three children live on 4.5 acres with a pool — which, no surprise, “is fantastic in the summertime,’’ Reneau said.
Reneau, 33, moved from Woonsocket, R.I., to Douglas when she was 8. Her parents, George and Muriel Lahousse, wanted more room for their children to run around and settled on Birch Hill Road along Wallum Lake. They quickly fell in love with the peaceful area, and their kids did, too.
“I absolutely 1,000 percent did not want to leave this town,’’ Reneau said. Her husband grew up in Milford, but when it came time for house hunting, “we got a lot more house and property for a much more affordable price here.’’ Her brother and his two children live next door to her parents, and she’s only five minutes away.
Reneau appreciates many qualities of this quaint community of about 8,500. The crime rate is low, and she knows many of the police officers, firefighters, and EMTs. Her family often hikes the trails in Douglas State Forest, and her commute to her job as an office assistant at Pyne Sand and Stone Co. is 13 minutes door to door. “We have this privacy and quiet and calm [in Douglas], but if we need anything, it’s not very far for us,’’ Reneau said.
At the same time, the town is growing: Many new developments and homes have sprung up in the past 15 years, and the number of students in the town’s school system “has exploded’’ since she attended, Reneau said. “For people with families especially, this is a really great place to live. I don’t worry about what’s going on in the schools, because the schools are very open to communicating with parents.’’
One of Douglas’s most-anticipated events of the year revolves around the Family Convenience Center on Main Street, where the owner gives away the remaining ice cream and toppings at the end of the summer. “They give you a few weeks’ notice, and they have a cop detail,’’ Reneau said. “People will wait in line for over an hour to get ice cream. My kids get the soft-serve twist with gummies, sprinkles — they’ll load it up!
“I can’t imagine living anywhere else and having so few issues,’’ Reneau added. “My mom says we’re cemented in, and they’ll have to pry us out.’’
BY THE NUMBERS
5,907
The acreage of Douglas State Forest, which borders Connecticut and Rhode Island and includes Wallum Lake, where visitors can swim and boat; miles of wooded hiking trails; and rare Atlantic white cedar swampland
40
The number of vendor spots at the Douglas Flea Market, which is in the historic Dutch Hoop Bosma Barn on Northeast Main Street and frequently features antiques and coin appraisers and a number of consignment dealers
1908
The year the Soldiers Monument on the town common was dedicated in the memory of the unknown soldiers and sailors lost during the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War
0
The number of traditional traffic lights in town. There is only a single blinking light on Route 16 near the high school, according to Reneau.
PROS & CONS
Pro
A spirited fall festival
Residents and out-of-towners flock to Douglas’s annual Octoberfest celebration, a downtown street fair featuring vendors; bands, dancers, and other entertainment; food; rides; and games. The quaint town hosts a farmers’ market downtown during the warmer months.
Con
Lake visitors can cause problems
During the summer, the public side of Wallum Lake occasionally brings visitors who don’t respect neighbors’ properties and can even grow unruly at times, according to police, news reports, and residents.
Rachel Lebeaux can be reached at [email protected]. Subscribe to our newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp.
Editor’s note: Some personal details have been removed from this story.
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