Plymouth of the North Shore (Boston, Revere: lease, hotels, neighborhoods)

[VeeVey]

Hi all,

I am from Plymouth MA on the south shore and within the past year and a half I have moved to the North Shore and have since been "town hopping" as none of these towns are really reminding me of home. What I love about Plymouth is the beach, the walkability, the shops, the nightlife, proximity to route 3. My boyfriend and I used to spend Sundays walking around Plymouth, grabbing a coffee at the local coffeeshop and just people watch.

I first moved by myself to Woburn just because I had no idea where else to go. I lived there for a year. I liked horn pond, the convenience to Boston and the downtown was okay, but nothing I would take a leisurly stroll down.

When I moved in with my boyfriend we moved to Winchester because I had driven through it and it was a nice town. The downtown area is obviously very nice, but there is only ONE bar in the whole downtown! Also, there are very many elderly people and very few people my age (24). The shops were nice but I cant really afford anything in them, and the only coffee shop is starbucks, which is okay, but not like Kiskadees in Plymouth. Also, the beach is a minimum of 45 minutes away unless I go to Revere.

So, my lease is up in March and my boyfriend and I want to move AGAIN. We are looking for a north shore town, close to a beach, a few good bars, a nice walkable downtown area. It is very important that things are walkable because we have only one car which I normally have to take as my job requires me to travel to client sites. Therefore, my boyfriend would need to be able to walk to work or get to public transportation. My two major clients are in Wakefield and Burlington, MA.

Basically, we are looking for the Plymouth of the North Shore.

Thanks for your insight!!

[massnative71]

Salem or Beverly, although they will be a longer ride to work in traffic (anything near the water will be).

[gf2020]

Ipswich

[konfetka]

Salem has the biggest downtown and the most to do, there is enough there to attract lots of tourists and support a few hotels and inns. Like Plymouth it has a lot of historic and cultural attractions.

However, some other smaller towns also have interesting downtowns, built around traditional historic "Main streets" close to a train station and near the ocean, like Beverly, and a little further - Ipswich, Newburyport, Rockport, Gloucester.

Gloucester is further out, however like Plymouth it's an old fishing town, which is turning into a hip up and coming city, which has a great restaurant scene, best beaches on the North Shore, and lower prices.

Closer to Woburn and Burlington you might like Melrose because of it's Main street, which goes right through the center of the town. It has two train stations and the Orange line, and you could be on Nahant beach in 20 minutes.

[deh74]

Sa;em

[CaseyB]

Plymouth is HUGE and hard to replicate. Which aspect are you missing more?

[lrfox]

This is going to depend on how you weigh everything you're looking for in a town. If walkability/ access to public transit are the most important aspects, then Salem gets the edge. It's closer to Boston and has a few transit options into the city (including commuter rail). It's fairly easy to get to Wakefield and Burlington by car.

However, that's really the only reason I'd give Salem the edge as I don't think Salem would best replicate what you had in Plymouth. Yes, Salem is walkable. Yes, Salem has nightlife (better than Plymouth, even). However, it doesn't really replicate the other things Plymouth has. For one, Salem is far more urban than Plymouth is. Yes, Plymouth has the historic town center which is fairly built up, but Plymouth quickly thins out into suburbs, forest land, and beaches. Salem doesn't. It's closer to downtown Boston and its neighbors are far more built up than Plymouth's. The beaches in/around Salem don't really compare to the beaches in/around Plymouth. While they both do a big business with tourists based on their history, they really feel quite a bit different in my opinion.

I think Gloucester is a much better fit overall if you're trying to replicate Plymouth. As far as transit goes, it's not quite as connected as Salem. It's a little further from Boston as well. However, you do have a commuter rail stop right in the center of town. You also have easy access to Route 128 (probably better than Salem). While nightlife isn't quite as good as Salem, it's still pretty good. Not too far off from Plymouth.

CaseyB was right about Plymouth being huge. It has a walkable downtown area, beaches, suburban and rural portions and large swaths of parkland and forest. Gloucester is very similar if you factor in the surrounding areas of Cape Ann. You have a great, walkable downtown area that provides a similar working seaside village feel to what Plymouth provides. Lots of shops, restaurants and bars. Both are somewhat up and coming, blending gentrification with historic fishing roots. Still, they both have a little bit of grit left. Enough to add character without making the town feel rundown or unsafe.

Outside of downtown Gloucester, you have a lot of wooded parks and forests (Ravenswood, Pool Hill Forest, etc). You have a number of good beaches and you have a range of neighborhoods from urban (central Gloucester) and suburban to semi-rural and beach-side community.

So if you're trying to find a place that offers most of what Plymouth does and has a similar feel to Plymouth, Gloucester is probably the best fit. If access to Boston via public transit is weighted more heavily then Salem may get a slight edge. Both great towns, but I think Gloucester is as close to Plymouth as you'll get on the North Shore. Salem would be second with Newburyport coming in a somewhat distant 3rd. Newburyport is very nice, but the commuter rail is a bit further from the center of town than Plymouth or Gloucester, it's further on the highway from your clients, and it's a little more "uppity" and probably not as appealing as the others for a 24 year old couple.

[VeeVey]

I think we miss the walkability the most.

[VeeVey]

Thanks for all the thoughts!

My boyrfriend and I visited Salem and thought it was pretty fun but are definitly going to take a Saturday trip to Gloucester and some of the other towns to scope out the areas.

This was my first post and I really appreciate the help and great responses.

[missionhill]

Take a look at Beverley, too, VeeVey. Downtown seems pretty good with walking distance to beaches, and the railroad into Boston.