Newburyport, Hingham, Plymouth, or Portsmouth (NH)? (Boston, Salem: condo, hotel, homes)

[noteinstein]

I am interested in a town that has good supermarkets and restaurants and is close to the water (e.g., nice waterfront, places to walk/bike by the water), with friendly down-to-earth residents.

Of the following towns (Newburyport, Gloucester, Hingham, Plymouth, and Portsmouth (NH)), which would you most recommend? Is Hingham that bad in terms of friendliness? Which of these towns is most friendly?

I will need to commute into Boston regularly 1-2 times a week so I guess a longer commuting time is not critical. Any other MA towns that would fit the bill?

[MMS02760]

Newburyport and Hingham are closest to Boston and offer the best commuting option with the train. Hingham also has a ferry into Boston. Both have nice downtown areas. Hingham also has multiple commercial areas such as Derby St and the Shipyard.

[noteinstein]

Thanks -- I visited Hingham once and didn't realize notice people being unfriendly or pretentious. Is it that noticeable after a while?

[tysmith95]

Take a look at Swampscott, Marblehead, and Beverly.

[johngolf]

There is a condo building in downtown Salem though at the moment I forget the name. It is within walking distance of all of downtown Salem. I would look closely at Newburyport.

[gf2020]

What is your budget?

[alidmc]

Will you be living there alone or do you have a family? I know several people who moved from Hingham after their kids moved out. There could be several reasons for this, but I do get the sense it pretty family oriented from the many young families I know who live there. I never got the sense it was unfriendly.
The five towns you list are all pretty different. Newburyport and Portsmouth are pretty similar port cities. You will find similar architecture, etc. They both trend upscale and attract a fair amount of tourists. The homes in the area of the downtown will be mainly historic.
Hingham is more of a quaint, upscale NE suburb. I don't know too much about it, but I wouldn't think it would attract quite as many tourists, though there are certainly many people from surrounding towns drawn there due to its amenities.
Plymouth is huge and is more of a mixed income town. I would not call the downtown quaint, though it has some compelling offerings like Plymouth Rock and Plimouth Plantation. It is usually pretty hopping and attracts a lot of tourists.
Gloucester is starting to attract a lot of tourists, now that it is a stop on some cruises and has a hotel downtown. The downtown area is a bit more eclectic in its offerings than some of the other towns. Gloucester has always had the multi-million dollar mansions on the water, with the bulk of the population more working class. Over the years, the polarization has become less dramatic and there is more of a middle class presence. Given that the fishing industry has been scaled back, Gloucester has thrived.
If you want a quaint village-like town on the water, I would suggest Hingham, Marblehead, Manchester (MA), or Rockport. Essex and Ipswich are worth checking out as well. Essex does not have much of a downtown, but it is beautiful.
If you want a historic port city with a bit of tourism, I would suggest Newburyport or Portsmouth.
If you want a seaside city with a larger downtown, I would suggest Salem, Beverly, and Gloucester.

[sal1181]

I would pick Newburyport hands down!

[mwj119]

Newburyport and Marblehead would get my vote. Hingham is a nice town, and may be the best best if you have school aged children (although the other two have great schools too).

Newburyport is one of my favorite coastal towns in the US. Awesome food scene, walk ability, and with Plum Island, it definitely has the best beaches of the three. Marbelhead is a close second, with a shorter commute to Boston via swampscott train. It isn't as built up as Newburyport, but is equally as beautiful.

Hingham is very nice, with a good mix of old and new. That said, it's not walkable, and that sprawl is a huge drawback. In general, I prefer the north shore.. Just feels more desirable to me.

[noteinstein]

Thanks everyone!

@gf2020: budget would probably be 500-750k. I would like to be within walking distance of the water, so that will inevitably increase the price.

@alidmc: I do like aspects of all of these three town types, so it is difficult to choose!