Looking for a small beach town (Boston, New Bedford: apartment, renters, crime)

[colms]

I am 24 and wanting to move to MA, but I would like to either go to Salem or a small town that is by the beach. Does anybody know any great small towns to live in by the beach?

[baystater]

Originally Posted by colms

I am 24 and wanting to move to MA, but I would like to either go to Salem or a small town that is by the beach. Does anybody know any great small towns to live in by the beach?

I think we need a little more information than than. What type of employment are you looking to have in Mass? Do you wish to be close to Boston? What do you want in terms of recreation, or intellectual pursuits? Etc, etc. Give us a fuller picture here of what you would like overall.

[lrfox]

Certainly need more information. There are dozens of "beach towns" in MA from the North Shore to the South Shore, South Coast, and Cape Cod. A little more information about what you are looking for. Budget is generally the make or break factor in making these decisions; and make no mistake about it, beach towns in MA range from pretty expensive to exorbitantly expensive. At least give us a budget and employment situation. Many of MA's best beach towns (particularly the affordable ones) are a ways from major employment centers (like Boston). that will certainly factor in your decision.

I don't know where your from, but the "beach towns" here are a little different than those in Florida, the Carolinas, California, etc in that there are generally far fewer boardwalks and town centers right on the beach. It's a bit quieter up here (with some exceptions).

[colms]

Ok Sorry. I am from Philly, but right now I live in Raleigh, NC. I want to eventually open up my own bookstore/cafe in a small northern beach town. So the job situation is that I am opened to anything for the most part as long as it gets me to that town and pays my bills. I am low on money so not a super expensive place, but maybe just a small town where a young single girl could make it. I am not looking for something like Atlantic City or Florida, but just a small town that I could be a part of and maybe close to the beach. And hey if I could find a guy all the better lol. I do not have a budget yet, so maybe you could also give me some ideas on how much I would need to move to one of these towns. I also thought about maybe moving to Salem first to work and save and then I could travel around to find my town. Thoughts?

[ogre]

It sounds as if your general plan is pretty clearly defined, but you're less certain of the details, especially for the near future. In this situation I think your idea of moving to Salem or a similar town and then getting to know the area is a good way to go.

Since it seems that you don't have a job lined up, you'd want to have money saved that you could live on while searching for a job. The typical housing costs in the Boston area are quite a bit higher than they are in either Raleigh or Philly. If you were to move here, you'd need to be prepared to pay significantly more rent than you're probably used to. You can easily pay 1,000-1,200 per month for a no-frills apartment in this area, and that does not include utilities. 800/mo. might get you a studio. You also need to be prepared to pay at least three months' rent before moving in. Many landlords expect the first and last month's rent plus another month's worth for a security deposit. Then if you find an apartment through a rental broker, you may have to pay the equivalent of yet another month's rent as a broker's fee.

With your needing to put up this much money up front, and then needing to make sure to have enough to live on until finding a job, you can see that you'd be well advised to have a nice chunk of change saved up before moving. The cost of living is also a reason that Salem would be a good town to move to at first. Salem is a perfectly decent, clean, safe kind of town, but has a mix of economic levels that may mean the rents will be a little less steep than they would be in a more homogeneously upscale town. Another plus with Salem is that there is a state college there. Many young people in the Boston area save money by having roommates. If you wanted to go that route, the presence of a number of college students in Salem could enhance the pool of potential roommates. If you were to go that route, you'd just want to be sure that if you're not a partier you would want to specify that you were looking for a quiet roommate. That would be something to discuss carefully with potential roommates, since a fair number of college students like to party.

Gloucester is another town on the North Shore that you might want to check out. There's no college there, so that pool of potential roommates wouldn't be there, but Gloucester does have the same kind of mix of economic levels as Salem, which could mean there would be neighborhoods with rents that would be somewhat modest by the standards of the Boston area. Another town you might want to check out for this reason is Beverly. Beverly is more upscale than Gloucester or Salem, but still has enough of a mix of economic levels that you may be able to find rental properties with somewhat modest costs, again at least by the standards of the Boston area.

In summary:

Have plenty of money saved before thinking of moving here, especially if you plan to wait until you arrive to find work;

Consider finding a roommate to split expenses;

Expect housing costs to be substantially higher than you're used to, but look at Salem, Gloucester, and maybe Beverly for coastal towns north of Boston that are decent places to live but still may have a little bit lower rents in some areas than you'd find in the really affluent towns on the North Shore.

[lrfox]

Thanks. Sounds like a great idea. I know a few towns that would do really well to have that type of business.

To the employment issue, it won't be easy. Especially when you consider the costs in said beach communities. A lot of work in those towns is seasonal and rents often skyrocket for the summer months Upwards of $2000 per week for a small waterfront cottage is common. You'd most likely have to expect to be a few miles from the waterfront itself to find more reasonable rates. Employment opportunity in the beach communities outside of the inner Boston metro area fluctuates but there is generally more in the summer due to an increase in demand for service based positions (servers, bartenders, hotel staff, etc). It's tough to make those jobs cover the cost of living in those communities (a sugar daddy would help!).

It's tough to make trips up from Raleigh, but trying to line something up before you move would be great. Even a solid retail job at a chain where you could transfer to Massachusetts would be something. Keep an eye on craigslist and other job search sites.

As far as towns go, finding semi-affordable beach communities with ample employment (even low level) opportunities is tough. A few jump out as possibilities.

1) Hyannis. Hyannis is on Cape Cod, the infamous summer beach resort area. It has a nice little Main St. area with lots of independent shops and restaurants. For work, it also has a decent amount of chain retail (including a decent sized mall) and chain restaurants if that's what you're into. To top it off, there are some affordable homes in the town as well as beautiful beaches in town and nearby.

The downside of Hyannis is that it's a little too commercialized for some. It is the "city" of Cape Cod (even though it's not really a city). Many people don't think it has that traditional "Cape" appeal. I don't think it's bad at all (in fact, I like it). I do agree that it's no Provincetown or Chatham.

2)Plymouth. Plymouth is a South Shore community with a historic downtown and nice beaches. It's probably more affordable than some of the elite beach communities on the South Shore and you may have more of a chance of finding rentals.

The downside of Plymouth is that there's not a TON of work opportunity. There is some (I hear Plimoth Plantation is looking for actors). You could even make the commute to Boston if you needed to (that's a hike though). Plymouth is also not THAT affordable (especially in the summer) so make rent may still be tough. Just not as tough as many others.

3) Fairhaven. Fairhaven has probably the most reasonable rents of the communities listed here. It is a true hidden gem. It has gorgeous beaches and a historic downtown area with some fantastic architecture and a number of little shops and restaurants (perfect for a bookstore/cafe). It also has an abundance of suburban chain retail nearby and sits across the harbor from New Bedford (a city of 95,000) where there is some work opportunity (though NB is hardly a beacon of opportunity in that regard). Downtown New Bedford is beautiful and very much in the midst of a revitalization and the historic district (a national park, actually) has made national press for being small business friendly.

The downside of Fairhaven is that it has more of a "townie" year-round vibe than the vibe of a thriving summer community. There are summer renters and residents, but it's more of a year round suburb (though it looks nothing like the cookie cutters everywhere else) than it is a prototypical beach town. Also, while the Whaling District of New Bedford (downtown) is very attractive, much of the city is still very much rough around the edges. Crime is an issue in pockets. It's not fully gentrified and as a result, investment there a bit of a gamble. There are no sure things.

4) Gloucester. Gloucester is a small port city on the North Shore. Like New Bedford, it's a big time fishing port. It's also quirky, fun and very attractive. Over the past 15 years or so, it's undergone a bit of a transformation into a destination.

While it's not as expensive as some of the other seaside communities nearby, it's not THAT cheap. Rents are still mostly expensive. You may be able to get lucky though. The water is also cold in Gloucester due to the North Shore location.

5) Onset/Wareham. These are two more South Coast communities. Wareham (Onset is a Wareham village) used to be a major tourist community at the base of the Cape Cod Canal. It declined from the 60s all the way through the 90s. There are parts of Wareham that are really sort of... trashy. There are other parts that are nice. The good news is that there is value to be had AND there's access to more work opportunities nearby. The bad news is that it's got a ways to go before it's a beautiful seaside community again. I think this may be the cheapest of the towns I've listed for rent though (on par with Fairhaven).

Like New Bedford, I think it'll get there. Also like New Bedford, I think it will take time and it's hardly a sure thing. An investment here is a gamble.

There are others which I'm sure people will post. In the meantime, I'd recommend staying where you are and saving up some money. When you've save a little, take a week or two to check out the state and see what gets your interest. Moving anywhere without a job is a dangerous thing to do. I'd stay where you are until you can pocket enough money to begin a job search in MA. If you want to move without a job, have a lot saved up ($5,000+) so you can cover rent and expenses while you search.

I like bookstore/cafes and I think every one of the towns I listed (and more) could use a few. Still, it's a tough business to run and an even tougher one to profit from. Good luck!

[cwaggy]

Newburyport

[Christina311]

Have you looked at Winthrop? It's close to Boston and also close to many of the north shore towns people are talking about here. I think it might be more affordable than some of the other beach towns and it's close enough to the city that working in Boston is an option.

Town of Winthrop, MA - About Winthrop

Winthrop, Massachusetts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[colms]

Thanks for all your information and thoughts, I have been looking into each town you have mentioned.