Was there only once and was surprised about service, despite a ton of complains. Starting from the…read moreguard and finishing with the court gentleman - everybody was kind and polite. I did not use an attorney, and it was a challenge for me to get through entire process, but with those people there it was so easy, I am so satisfied!

I had jury duty at Waltham District Court. Jurors arrive earlier than everyone else and are the…read moreonly ones allowed in past security from 8-8:30am. If you arrive earlier than 8am the door is closed and you must wait outside. The parking lot was fairly empty this early in the morning. When you enter the building, there are signs prohibiting cell phone use, food, and drinks, but the security guard told us that these rules don't pertain to the jury pool room (although you must silence your phone). After bag scan, the jury must take the elevator (not the stairs) up to the jury pool room. The door to the jury pool room closes at 8:55am at which point John the bailiff shows an introductory video - if you aren't in the room at this time, you have to come back a different day. Of 21 potential jurors called, only 15 reported. One of my fellow potential jurors was 80 years old and didn't realize jury duty is optional for senior citizens. The jury pool room is fairly small for 22 people and consists of about 25 chairs which are passably comfortable (for the first hour or so). In the jury pool room there is a bathroom with two toilets and two sinks, but only one potential juror is allowed to use the bathroom at a time. The bathroom was not particularly clean, but not ridiculously filthy. For amenities, the room has a water cooler, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a toaster, but power outlets are rare. There is a table which fits about 4 people. There are many different magazines you can read while you wait. John the bailiff helped pass some of the time by telling courtroom anecdotes, his point being that things don't always go as scheduled in the courtroom so potential jurors need to be flexible. I tried to nap during my wait, but couldn't find a relaxed position in the chairs and kept getting distracted by the bathroom door opening and closing. In the Waltham courthouse there is only one courtroom. Although the jurors arrived at 8am, the judge didn't show up until noon, at which point we had already all been waiting there for 4 hours. They told us this was unusual - on normal days the jury's role starts at 11:30am. They didn't explain why we have to be there 3.5 hours before we are potentially needed. There were 6 cases on the docket, but only one went to trial. We were told that only 1% of the court's cases end up with a jury trial. We were also told that jury pools are called only 50 times a year (one day a week), and that a trial only occurs 60% of those times. That means that out of the 50*21=1050 potential jurors which are called to the court in a given year, approximately 30*7=210 (20%) actually find themselves impaneled on a jury. On our day there was a trial but I was not impaneled. At about 12:45, all potential jurors were brought into court with the judge, clerk, defendant, attorneys, witnesses and another bailiff, Joe. There was no bathroom availability in the courtroom but I didn't ask what happens if someone has to use the bathroom once they are in the courtroom. At this point, the judge and attorneys go through each juror's survey and ask relevant questions to establish impartiality. Potential jurors are questioned in private (away from other jurors) at the judge's sidebar. At this point, I was briefly placed on the jury, but then immediately removed, perhaps as one of the two juror vetoes allowed by each side's attorneys. I was not told why I was removed or by whom. After the jury was chosen, the courtroom broke for lunch, after which the trial proceeds with 5-7 jurors. On my day, only 6 potential jurors out of the 15 who reported were needed for jury duty. Everyone else (including me) was dismissed at this point because our services were unneeded. When I was able to go home it was 1:15pm, which means I was sitting at the courthouse for 5-1/4 hours. Other than a parking lot, there was not much in the area of the court house. Across the street is a Dunkin Donuts, a CVS, a Petco, and a gasoline station. If you don't have a car, and don't want lunch from Dunkin Donuts, then you should bring your own lunch.

I never knew there was a social security office here, silly me I always went to the boston location…read morebecause it was Boston and that sounded more official. The ssa.gov website is very useful, all the information is there. Parking was the only pain, there are two hour parking spots in front of the office but its limited. We couldn't find any meters around; lots of off street parking with no signs other than tow zone area but people still parked there which was confusing, 9:07 check in ( there's a touch screen machine to get your number and check in). 9:20 called my number 9:28 done!!! I thought it went by pretty quickly and it was very efficient. Offices are opened at 9am so I would suggest just arriving exactly at 9 so you don't have to wait too long. In case you didn't know: there is no fee for changing your name here.

At the Cambridge, MA office the telephone is answered by an annoying bot that doesn't understand a…read moreword you say. The wait on the phone is endless. But you HAVE to call to make an appointment if you need to go there.

I really don't know where to start, but I am going to give this Police department a long overdue,…read morepositive review. There was a terrible accident on moody street right outside Margaritas...and it resulted in a death. The police response was impeccable, and when the two police officers got there they went right to work trying to revive the accident victim. They were organized and asked everyone who was there what happened. They were nice, professional and at times comforting, especially to the victims of the car accident. I got a bit agitated for a brief moment and voiced my complaint, rather childishly if I do say so myself, because I was told that my car is now part of a crime scene and was told that I was going to have to leave it (that would have made things very tough for me), but one of the officers made some calls, and even though he didn't have to, arranged to get my car and me away from the scene within not even a half-hour (I apologized for my attitude right away because I owed him one 100%). The Waltham police are awesome human beings, and I extend my thanks, my gratitude, and blessings to them for their service... You will always have my cooperation when needed... GOD bless you and your families.

Accident occurred which was bad Officer Richardson came…read morewhich was good Thank you for your calm, professional and supportive assistance thru the process, and especially for the use of your phone to contact family. So grateful for your help!!

So kind - so helpful! Nice place to be! Check out Tech hour - they teach you stuff. Love the…read morelibrary. A true civil institution. Esta muy bien para todos!

the staff is great nice place to relax and its across from mbta stop if theres a problem there on…read moreit if its the computer not working or the printer is jammed they are on it fast

According to local legend, the founder of Middlesex University was traveling through Ireland and…read moresaw Lismore Castle. He was so impressed with the castle that he asked to bring it back with him. The owners denied his request. He then asked for the blueprints, only to be told no again. Not one to be stopped, he had drawings done of the outside of the castle. The Castle in Waltham was constructed based on these drawings. This is now Brandeis University and "The Castle" as it is called, was first used as an administrative space as well as a dining hall. It was used as a dormitory until the building was condemned and later partially torn down to make room for a new building. Some of the benches outside of the dormitory neighboring Usen Castle are made from materials of the demolished structure. The remaining part of Usen Castle is closed to visitors. Only the coffee house inside the castle is open to the public. Still, it's cool to check out the exterior if you're nearby. [Review 15210 overall, 712 of 2021, number 1073 in Massachusetts.]

If you are looking for the spaceship as a reference to the front door, don't. I did, turns out, its…read morenot on the street anymore! Its set back with the entrance! What a beautiful reinvention of the VFW in Fresh Pond! I used to participate in various activities that took place at the old VFW - an old, dirty looking, wood paneled, dimly lit hall. It didn't have much to recommend itself. My family recently rented out the hall/bar here to have a party. What a nice surprise when I walked in! Well lit, clean, new and roomy! The hall had tables that easily held the people attending (40?) for a sit-down meal that we brought with us. My parents provided a sound system and half the room was left open for a dance floor. The bartender that we had, Barbara (?) was awesome! She went out of her way to make sure we had everything we needed. The commercial kitchen that is available for use with hall rental is a great size. About a million degrees, and unfortunately the freezer was not on when we arrived so the dessert didn't make it (in a solid state) being stuck in the ice machine! Barbara later told me that there was a freezer behind the bar we could have used- next time! The bathrooms were well kept, and even with loud music and a couple kids running up and down the hall, nobody batted an eye at our presence. A great place, with plenty of parking for a party!

Newly rebuilt modern function room and bar. Old cranky vets still included. The disappointment I…read morefelt when I was brushed aside after inquiring about membership was reminiscent of your typical decaying V.F.W. Unfortunately, attitudes like that are common nowadays. GWOT veterans seek solace elsewhere.

Wonderful place for exploration and run by Historic New England. They offer guided tours for…read morepeople interested in historical houses. It has been used for the set of the newest Little Women movie (grand room and the front porch). Parking is sufficient and they have an extensive greenhouse with plants for sale. Bathrooms are available for visitors. It is also a great place for weddings.

The Lyman Estate is a beautiful historic property in Waltham, MA. Originally built/owned by…read moreTheodore Lyman in the late 1700's, the property is available for functions. The grounds are open to the public during the day, and there is a fee for admission to see the interior of the house. The most unique aspect of the property is the greenhouses, which are the oldest in the US. They house a multitude of different plants including orchids, camellias, & grapes grown from cuttings taken in England in the late 1800's. There is also a sale house where you can purchase houseplants, flowers, herbs, etc. It's worth the time to stop in on a nice afternoon to walk around the property, and especially to see the greenhouses.