Cottages Offer Far-Away Feel Close to Home

Seasonal summer cottages located only a few miles from home are finding fans among urban dwellers who don’t have time to make a full getaway.

For instance, Summer Village at the Pond is a seasonal colony in Westford, Mass., only a few miles outside of Boston. It offers modest one- and two-bedroom designs that sell for about $200,000. By law, the cottages can only be occupied from April through October. There is a year-round $175 monthly fee.

The cottages are close to the edge of the small lake. There are swimming pools and organized activities for all ages, plus a hot tub, tennis, horseshoes, and bocce courts, a putting green, and a lodge with a pub. About half of the purchasers are empty nesters. The rest are families with young children.

Some observers are skeptical about the concept, but “the people who bought there are excited about it," says Dennis Ready, an associate with Century 21 Landmark of Chelmsford, Mass. "I think it has and will make it and I think there will be more like it. With the cost of transportation, and the hassle of air travel, I think people will tend to look at being closer to home for their summer place.”

Source: The Boston Globe, Joyce Pellino Crane (07/15/07)

Remember: Hide-A-Way Hills is less than an hour's drive from Columbus or Athens, Ohio.