Castles have always reminded me of fairy tales. But Hammond Castle is a fairy tale with a…read moredistinctly Gothic twist. There was something about the story of its lonely owner and the maze of dark little passageways, hidden entrances, and unexpected exits between rooms that gave me chills. It felt less like I was walking through a castle and more like I had stepped into a fortress where it is eternally Halloween.... Why - because this castle has the unique story of being built from ruins of so many European structures, real structures. Roman pillars from Italian ruins, medieval doorways from French monasteries sometimes even entire rooms dismantled stone by stone and shipped. This inventor (known for the remote control and 400 odd patents), was no doubt super rich, who dreamed and created one of a kind castle to live in. He delighted in calling him the preserver of heritage, some called it plunder and also claimed it was cursed having been built on ruins. No wonder, there are innumerable 'stories' of haunting associated with this castle. There are plenty amazing locations for pictures. The architecture is captivating, it is a popular location for weddings given the dramatic backdrop. Costing anywhere between $6000 to $10K just for the space. I was cautious to walk with my tour group when inside the castle, it was not just to listen to the many interesting scraps of information but also to ensure am surrounded by people......lol Hammond Castle is perched directly on a rocky cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, so its pretty scenic in soo many ways. Its beautiful, its strange, it has loads of mini stories from past and present, something very different. Was I able to pique your interest yet .... ?!

I visited Hammond Castle Museum with my mom a week or so ago when we spent a long weekend on Cape…read moreAnn, and we loved our time there! Hammond Castle is a 20th century castle! It was built by John Hays Hammond, Jr., who was a very wealthy inventor and all around quirky guy. To make a long story short, Jr. offended his upper crust parents by picking a woman they considered inappropriate to be his wife (a divorcee from a family they didn't consider worthy to marry into the family). They kicked him out of the family castle down the road, so he built his castle - a bigger one. Hammond Jr. was a collector, and he traveled around Europe after both world wars and was able to collect beautiful pieces of European art and architecture that became part of the house. So the castle was built between 1926 and 1929, but it contains elements from 15th, 16th, and 18th century European architecture. You can tour the Castle by self-guided or guided tours, but I highly recommend a guided tour. Our tour guide was Leila, and she was incredible - funny, informative, charming! She walked us around, into several areas of the castle, and then we explored more areas on our own after the guided tour. The castle is incredible. The architecture and art are incredible, and there are great stories behind a lot of both (some pieces and elements have questionable provenance)! The castle also has great views. We had tickets for the first tour of the day on a Saturday. I highly recommend going early and getting a tour in the morning. When we arrived around 9 for our 9:30 tour, the parking lot was pretty empty. When we left around 11, the parking lot was entirely full and there were several cars with their flashers on waiting to be able to pull into a spot as people left. It's a popular spot, so if you're visiting on a weekend, go early if you can. Or be prepared to wait for a parking spot or take a rideshare! Hammond Castle is quirky, beautiful, interesting, fun. It should definitely be on your itinerary if you're visiting Cape Ann if you like art, architecture, history, quirky places... There's so much to enjoy about Hammond Castle!

This place is an absolute treasure nestled in the heart of downtown Gloucester!…read more I will preface this by saying that this library will not be for everyone, and I likely represent a niche population. You've been warned. As a doctoral student working to complete my dissertation, I am forever searching for the perfect place to focus, write, and get my dissertation advisor off my ass. For starters, it is absolutely teeny tiny. It is literally a one room library, but that one room boasts an incredible collection of parenting, psychology, and health and wellness material. While I haven't personally utilized this material, I am consistently impressed by the depth and breadth available. Secondly, there is no wi-fi available here. At first, I panicked and immediately planned to leave, but I quickly realized that I'm much, much more productive without the lure of social media and constant e-mail checking. If you want to kill a few hours browsing the internet, don't bother, BUT if you need to complete an assignment or focus for an extended period of time, you will not be disappointed.

This place is a little Gem. I can't believe more people don't use it as a resource. Their books…read moremostly pertain to health, wellness, and childcare. There is no Wi-fi or public bathroom but it is free to rent books and they have a great selection.

Dan McConnell came by to help with a sink that had been backed up for months, and he did an…read moreincredible job. He was great to talk to, thorough, and genuinely helpful throughout the visit. He also took the time to walk me through what might have been causing the issue, how to help prevent it going forward, and how to spot signs that it could be a larger building-related problem, which was especially helpful since I live in a condominium. Out of all the plumbers I looked into, John's Sewer & Drain Cleaning had the best pricing, and they absolutely backed it up with outstanding service. I'd recommend them to anyone dealing with plumbing issues.

Andre came on the same day we called (within a few hours, actually) and fixed a nasty and…read morecomplicated blocked drain issue. He was clear about the problem, explained it well and knew his stuff. In spite of the issues and awkwardness of our current plumbing, Andre did not give up and persevered with the blockage (between the bath and the sink) until it was finally resolved. The price was very fair especially considering the effort and mindset needed to resolve the problem. Wouldn't hesitate to call this company again - very grateful for a good and positive outcome to a nasty problem. Thank you, Andre for your patience and hard work.

Bob and his son do a terrific job delivering and stacking in my garage a ton of excellent grade…read morepellets. Have had them deliver for years and always happy with the service. Get the best pellets...the added cost pays off with slower burning and more heat! Also less ash. I go with Northern Warmth Supreme which have been the BEST.

Bob has always been a miserable liar and bad business person...and now has upped that to a new…read morelevel. He installed my chimney with illegal materials and illegal methods. The chimney fell off my house and nobody would fix it because it's an illegal installation. During this time I was contacted by 8 other people who he "serviced" with his illegal methods and bad liners. He has since "gone out of business" and I was stuck with another $5,600 installation bill....from a chimney person in RI! I have Bob's Rockport phone number if anyone wants to call him!

I never do this: I received an oil delivery yesterday of 198.4 gallons of oil. The total 801.4…read moregallons, that comes to 4.04 per gallon which prompted me to check prices in my area. I went to newenglandoil.com and found that Stocker Fuel, on average is $.50 more per gallon. Please do your research.

My family's been with Stocker for over 20 years. Never have had a problem and have always come ASAP…read morewhen there has been a problem. Can't say enough good things about them.

have been using this company for years with no problems. easy as pie to leave credit card info with…read morethem. they fill on schedule and your done. pricing is comparable to everyone else and they are fair and honest. it's another home concern I don't have to worry about.

Great company if you are looking for an oil co. The owner Mike always answers my calls, comes out…read morefor an emergency any time I need them. They have the best prices around from what I have seen. Honestly believe this is the best oil company in the North Shore

8/4/26 - Wanted to give a shout out to a post install follow-up by Mike P. He was able to quickly…read moreidentify a configuration change needed to address temperatures on really hot days!

**SCAM ALERT PLEASE READ*** It has come to my attention that the technicians of Cranney's LIKELY…read moreGET A COMMISSION off their sales. Please keep this in mind and consider a second opinion if they give you a large quote. This is my story: My elderly mother contacted me in a panic after she had a technician named Ryder come to her house to check/clean her heating system. Somewhere in the process, he told her that her entire heating system needed to be replaced and would roughly cost her $15,000...AND he gave her a DEADLINE of 3pm that day to get back to him or that price would change. Please note that her heating system works and is not broken. I decided to contact Cranney's on my own and ask one simple question: "Do your technicians get a commission on their sales?" I was placed on hold so the operator could consult the manager. When she returned, I was told the manager was at lunch and would call me back. I then asked for an assistant manager or someone else that might have the answer. She then asked "What is this in regards to?" (I am not sure why she asked that again, as I only asked that one question). Sensing the defensiveness in her voice, I decided to tell her that I wanted my technician to receive a commission because "he did a wonderful job". She sounded relieved and more willing to seek out an answer. She put me on hold again. When she returned she told me that she could "not disclose that information"...this was enough for me. If a technician charges 15K for a job and gets 5% commission, that's a $750 addition to his paycheck. Please keep in mind I never got an official answer, however if the answer was "no" then it would've been simple. Offering commission on services like this without guardrails, is a corrupt incentive for technicians with no integrity and an easy way to con old women into spending money they don't have on something they don't need. Not to mention the coercion technique used causing unnecessary panic by telling her that a decision needs to be made TODAY...or else. Also, you should know that the manager never called me back. I have no interest in telling them how to operate, I can only offer my experience with the hope that the consumer is better informed. Please consider a second opinion when using their services.