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I am only there as a tourist usually.
North Shore towns look more upscale.
However if you like swimming in the ocean Plymouth is closer to Cape Code or Horse Neck areas, and even in Plymouth there are areas where you can swim.
My question is ... why only 3 towns?
Hi BruinsGirl! Thank you for sharing your experience. I wanted to respond to your question. I’ve been looking at Massachusetts towns for about 12 months (off and on). I can’t say that I’m only open to 3 towns, I’m not sure I’ve even discovered them all yet, lol but these three towns have stood out as far as budget, proximity to water, diversity (for Plymouth) and then small/quiet (Newburyport/Rockport). I know that I’m happiest in small, quiet, towns and I have always enjoyed the water so those two things are definitely towards the top of my list!
I will definitely be coming to visit before the move so I want to have my list of towns locked down soon.
Plymouth is in no way a city but it is more spread out than say Rockport or Newburyport. Plymouth is indeed closer to the Cape and has more beaches. The closer you are to downtown Plymouth probably the better for you if you are wanting that atmosphere plus in summer it is easier to be able to walk to where you want to go in town. All the towns are touristy in the summer. I am familiar with both Newburyport and Plymouth as I have family in each town. Newburyport is very nice but very expensive as well. Plymouth prices have been going up a lot but it is still a blue collar town. Even if you need to go into Boston both Newburyport and Plymouth has trains. The Plymouth train is in a nearby Kingston and I have taken it twice when visiting. Takes about an hour into South Station and Newburyport is about the same. Plymouth has two area where people go. The downtown area which is a couple blocks up from the water and the waterfront. There are several new condos in both areas that are walkable to downtown. Rentals seem a little more expensive in Plymouth from checking on Zillow.
If you have the budget for Newburyport and Rockport, you probably have just about your pick of towns. Just a warning - if you're looking at rentals in the winter, make sure you're looking at year round rentals versus cheaper off-season rentals.
Another location I would put on your list is Beverly. It's also safe, right on the coast and close to some of the best beaches in Mass (Crane's in Ipswich, Wingaersheek in Gloucester) and a bit closer to the city. Downtown is nice and it's a quick hop to Salem for more to do. For dating purposes, you probably want to be closer to the city and inner suburbs where single folks are more likely to be. That's not to say there aren't single people in the towns you list, but your biggest pool is going to be closer.
As others have mentioned, those areas aren't particularly racially diverse. That doesn't mean you'll have trouble, but as a white person I really can't speak to any undercurrents of tension that may be present. My personal, very anecdotal and not all all scientific impression is the North Shore tends to be more welcoming of diversity than the South Shore. Some of that is due to the migration of people from Southie to South Shore towns in the 60s and 70s during the bussing era. That is long past, but some of that tension is still present in the older generations. That all said, Randolph has the highest Black percentage in the state and Milton is in the top 10, including past governor Deval Patrick, and both are to the south of Boston and both are desirable communities for all races, with Randolph being more middle class and Milton more upper middle class.
If you have the budget for Newburyport and Rockport, you probably have just about your pick of towns. Just a warning - if you're looking at rentals in the winter, make sure you're looking at year round rentals versus cheaper off-season rentals.
Another location I would put on your list is Beverly. It's also safe, right on the coast and close to some of the best beaches in Mass (Crane's in Ipswich, Wingaersheek in Gloucester) and a bit closer to the city. Downtown is nice and it's a quick hop to Salem for more to do. For dating purposes, you probably want to be closer to the city and inner suburbs where single folks are more likely to be. That's not to say there aren't single people in the towns you list, but your biggest pool is going to be closer.
As others have mentioned, those areas aren't particularly racially diverse. That doesn't mean you'll have trouble, but as a white person I really can't speak to any undercurrents of tension that may be present. My personal, very anecdotal and not all all scientific impression is the North Shore tends to be more welcoming of diversity than the South Shore. Some of that is due to the migration of people from Southie to South Shore towns in the 60s and 70s during the bussing era. That is long past, but some of that tension is still present in the older generations. That all said, Randolph has the highest Black percentage in the state and Milton is in the top 10, including past governor Deval Patrick, and both are to the south of Boston and both are desirable communities for all races, with Randolph being more middle class and Milton more upper middle class.
Thank you charolastra00! Dating is a huge aspect of what I’ll be looking for so thank you for acknowledging that and providing some guidance there. Budget wise I will say at this point I’ve had to come to terms with spending around $2,500-$3,000/month for rent (I don't want to buy until I know Massachusetts is for sure where I want to be) however, I’m used to paying $1,100/month so definitely took me some time. I did note those off season rentals and will continue to keep an eye out for those! I have already checked out Beverly and it looks nice! I’ll look at Randolph and Milton as well.
If you have the budget for Newburyport and Rockport, you probably have just about your pick of towns. Just a warning - if you're looking at rentals in the winter, make sure you're looking at year round rentals versus cheaper off-season rentals.
Another location I would put on your list is Beverly. It's also safe, right on the coast and close to some of the best beaches in Mass (Crane's in Ipswich, Wingaersheek in Gloucester) and a bit closer to the city. Downtown is nice and it's a quick hop to Salem for more to do. For dating purposes, you probably want to be closer to the city and inner suburbs where single folks are more likely to be. That's not to say there aren't single people in the towns you list, but your biggest pool is going to be closer.
As others have mentioned, those areas aren't particularly racially diverse. That doesn't mean you'll have trouble, but as a white person I really can't speak to any undercurrents of tension that may be present. My personal, very anecdotal and not all all scientific impression is the North Shore tends to be more welcoming of diversity than the South Shore. Some of that is due to the migration of people from Southie to South Shore towns in the 60s and 70s during the bussing era. That is long past, but some of that tension is still present in the older generations. That all said, Randolph has the highest Black percentage in the state and Milton is in the top 10, including past governor Deval Patrick, and both are to the south of Boston and both are desirable communities for all races, with Randolph being more middle class and Milton more upper middle class.
Yes, Beverly is also worth considering if one likes Rockport and Newburyport... I think Gloucester is as well.
Honestly, I would consider Salem over any of those 3 towns, based on the feedback you have provided here.
I agree with Salem, though the OP was looking for more of a small town vibe. Salem has a small city vibe 11 months out of the year and then a tourist attraction for 1 month, and is more of an old school New England industrial coastal town than the more idyllic Newburyport or Rockport. People that I know who live there all love it and just plan their vacations in October!
I agree with Salem, though the OP was looking for more of a small town vibe. Salem has a small city vibe 11 months out of the year and then a tourist attraction for 1 month, and is more of an old school New England industrial coastal town than the more idyllic Newburyport or Rockport. People that I know who live there all love it and just plan their vacations in October!
gf2020 and charolastra00 I definitely prefer smaller towns (my current town has 9000 pop) however, I don’t know the “reputations,” true vibe and overall feel of the towns since I haven’t visited yet. I do research but the terminology is more so “small charming towns” or “suburban town” which is somewhat vague to me. I’m thinking I’ll need about a week in Massachusetts to check out these towns as my list has certainly grown since posting this! Hahaha.
I might consider a town with a larger population(40-45k) short term for dating and friendship purposes and then move somewhere I desire (sleepy town) after I get more comfortable and established.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your personal experiences with these towns this has been very beneficial and given me more options to explore!
gf2020 and charolastra00 I definitely prefer smaller towns (my current town has 9000 pop) however, I don’t know the “reputations,” true vibe and overall feel of the towns since I haven’t visited yet. I do research but the terminology is more so “small charming towns” or “suburban town” which is somewhat vague to me. I’m thinking I’ll need about a week in Massachusetts to check out these towns as my list has certainly grown since posting this! Hahaha.
I might consider a town with a larger population(40-45k) short term for dating and friendship purposes and then move somewhere I desire (sleepy town) after I get more comfortable and established.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your personal experiences with these towns this has been very beneficial and given me more options to explore!
I don't think I realized you hadn't visited! You definitely need to plan to spend a few weeks here, especially since it sounds like you're from somewhere very different. Would you be willing to share what state you currently live in or have lived in before? We might be able to help make comparisons.
So Rockport and Newburyport are both very upscale towns. Lots of old money, retirees, and folks who work high paying corporate jobs in the city where they only need to commute a few times a month. They have quaint downtown areas with restaurants and shops, but they cater more to tourists. I know Newburyport and Newbury (separate towns) are considered pretty family friendly, but not as familiar with Rockport. Rockport is also a huge pain to get to - factor that in for dating!
Out of curiosity, you mention your rental budget but not what you'd aim for your purchase price. Do you have an idea of what your purchase budget might look like? In some places, the rental market looks different than the sales market so it may be better to advise you on that. If you'd like to buy in a town, it would be ideal for you to start out renting there and it would be good to know what's realistic for your budget and what you want.
Plymouth is a little more hardscrabble, with a touristy area near Plymouth Rock (literally a stone with a monument around it - don't get your hopes up!) that has the same sort of walkable downtown, but most of town is more suburban. It's more spread out and less upscale on the whole. It's not bad or unsafe, but feels a little more "townie" and a little more of the kind of dated sprawl. You can afford a single family house there for the same as what many 2 bed/1 or 1.5 bath condos cost in other towns. For example https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7...57210266_zpid/ or https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...57210895_zpid/.
Newburyport is pricier than Rockport, probably because of the relative ease to get other places from it. For instance, https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...56950844_zpid/ is one of the cheapest properties in Newburyport right now (the other appears to be a foreclosure). Very nicely done inside, but that's likely a lot for someone moving from somewhere were you can rent for under $1500 a month! Similarly, here's one of the cheapest properties in Rockport https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...1311644_zpid/? and is a lot cheaper for a very similar place, which follows with Rockport being a little less bougie for the year-round crowd.
Salem is a small city with both a very old, colonial downtown area that attracts people in October but also has restaurants and bars open year round. There are lots of shops that cater to "witchy" folks year round, too. Because it's a city, there are also areas that are much more suburban with single family houses, but across the board all very old.Salem has a mix of everything and more properties in general. I think the housing prices there have cooled because this gem https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...81861295_zpid/ is in the same price point as the other two and also in a great location (though not right on the water) but you can get a bit cheaper in the 2 bed/1 bath condo realm if you are willing to move out of downtown a bit. That said, I find a lot of the areas outside of downtown Salem to feel a little dingy (old suburban sprawl) and some are a little less safe.
Beverly has a lot more of the green, leafy suburban houses like https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...59229794_zpid/. There are also absolute mansions up along the coast near Endicott, but on the whole it has become a popular place for folks moving out of Boston to live.
Gloucester is a cool town that still has a ton of fishermen living there. A little denser and a little less bougie, but it's a nice atmosphere. It's also a little cheaper than some of the others (see: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...56039647_zpid/), though I'd guess a bigger percentage of the homes are New England triple deckers (which can look a little more run down even if they're nice inside).
[quote=charolastra00;66066199]I don't think I realized you hadn't visited! You definitely need to plan to spend a few weeks here, especially since it sounds like you're from somewhere very different. Would you be willing to share what state you currently live in or have lived in before? We might be able to help make comparisons.
So Rockport and Newburyport are both very upscale towns. Lots of old money, retirees, and folks who work high paying corporate jobs in the city where they only need to commute a few times a month. They have quaint downtown areas with restaurants and shops, but they cater more to tourists. I know Newburyport and Newbury (separate towns) are considered pretty family friendly, but not as familiar with Rockport. Rockport is also a huge pain to get to - factor that in for dating!
Out of curiosity, you mention your rental budget but not what you'd aim for your purchase price. Do you have an idea of what your purchase budget might look like? In some places, the rental market looks different than the sales market so it may be better to advise you on that. If you'd like to buy in a town, it would be ideal for you to start out renting there and it would be good to know what's realistic for your budget and what you want.
charolastra00 Yes! It has been like night and day comparing housing, economy and pretty much everything lol. I am certainly not a millionaire or old money by any means but I’m fortunate to have a work from home job!
I am an Oklahoma native (30 years) and relocated to Ohio back in 2020 for an old job. Unfortunately for me, both states have been disappointing for various reasons. So, now you know why cost of living is DRASTICALLY different. Thank you for sending the homes! I know that I would want my mortgage at $4,000/month max. I think the biggest adjustment (outside of what you can get in Oklahoma vs Massachusetts for $4000/month mortgage) is the age of the homes. Oklahoma is a younger state and I can see that when I look at the overall infrastructure.
I think when I plan my trip I’ll need to try and find a type of guide just because I want to see as much as I can and get a feel for the environment.
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Just a warning - if you're looking at rentals in the winter, make sure you're looking at year round rentals versus cheaper off-season rentals. 
