I love my city, born and raised and trying very hard to own and operate a business in this city has…read morebecome in a word, difficult. Parking is a big problem in this city, too many high rises, too many illegal tenants / rooming houses. I know they try hard, but $25 and $50 parking tickets are given out like candy. They have destroyed small businesses in the smaller squares of the city and forced people to go elsewhere. Maplewood square is vicious, there's plenty of places to get your hair done, buy local meats, bank and have a drink if you want. They have however started to put up 15 minute parking spots, this helps one and only one business and I wont mention who that is. Growing up in this area, this square use to have 2 of everything, 2 banks, Maplewood Savings and Malden Trust, 2 drug stores, Aucella and Maplewood (both gone), 2 dry cleaners, 2 convenience stores Essex farms and Sunnyhurst, 2 Lawyers, 2 insurance agencies, you get the gist, it was the square of 2's now it's just a bunch of vacant stores, and the ones that have survived and the patrons who go there are paying the price, that price by the way is $25 to $50 parking tickets. I gave up and sadly a few others are about to. I don't mind parking tickets, as long as they are evenly distributing them throughout the city, but $25 is a lot of money and $50 can be the difference between someone being able to afford groceries for their family. I'm not sure what the solution is, but this is certainly a problem. So be careful where you shop, pay attention to the signs that seem to be changing week to week and know that there are ticket givers, that favor certain store owners. These are facts, if you don't believe me, feel free to inbox me.