Phoenix to North Shore (Worcester, Framingham: homes, neighborhoods, private schools)

[AdiosPhoenix]

A potential job opportunity in the Salem area might induce us to move from the warm desert to New England. We have two children ages 8 & 5. We recently spent 4 days driving around some north shore neighborhoods. We liked Manchester and Hamilton the best. We have a decent amount of sailing experience and thought living close to the ocean might be great and gives Manchester the edge. Both seem to have good public schools and there seem to be good, albeit pricey private schools. Any thoughts about those two towns would be appreciated. Are the locals welcoming to newcomers? It doesn't appear the commute into Salem from these locales would be bad...I might be wrong.

Does Manchester by the Sea get overrun with tourists in the summer? It was pretty quiet on our visit but then again it was February.

Does living that far north make it a pain to see the occasional game at Fenway? Can public transportation be used from out there to the ballpark?

Thanks for any advice on North Shore living.

[goyguy]

'twould seem that money is no object if you're looking at Manchester and Hamilton. If this is the case, you'd be well advised to investigate Marblehead. (Locals put the accent on the last syllable: "MarbleHEAD.") It has its own harbor, which is well-used by resident boat owners. The public schools are highly regarded and the homes expensive. For transportation into the city, there are express buses which go right downtown but no direct commuter-rail connection (which would be an advantage held by both Hamilton and Manchester.) Salem is close by.

All three communities are welcoming to the extent that you "fit the mold" - uppercrust WASP moderate Republican, historically in each case and still true in Manchester and Hamilton. (Marblehead is sometimes snidely termed "Marbleberg" for its having gained a fairly substantial Jewish population in recent decades.) You earn social capital in Hamilton by owning horses and joining the Myopia Hunt Club, in Marblehead and Manchester by possessing a seagoing vessel.

The tourist "invasion" of Manchester is less than overwhelming. Singing Beach is a popular attraction during the summer, but most people from out of town reach it by commuter rail and come and go the same day. Other than a couple of nothing-special restaurants, there isn't anything to keep visitors hanging around. So they don't. The areas on most travelers' and day trippers' lists are Rockport, Gloucester, and Ipswich thereabouts.

[AdiosPhoenix]

Thanks for your comments.

[brightdoglover]

Singing Beach is a jewel. You need a town sticker to park there, so there are relatively few non-town people. It's hardly overrun and it's so beautiful, and the town is very very nice. (There was a controversy a while back- the town was actually "Manchester" and there was a (successful) move to call it "Manchester-by-the-Sea." Not sure if it was pure pretension, and/or a desire to be separate from the grittier Manchester, New Hampshire.

[scarletfire]

Manchester is lovely with good schools and it seems like a nice welcoming community from the times I've been there. The train should be pretty easy to/from Yawkey Station by Fenway Park & I believe they run more trains during game days. Just be careful about catching it on time. Sometimes if you miss it you have to wait a good long while til the next train departs.

[goyguy]

While Fenway Park is doable by train from the north, you have to ride the Orange Line from North Station to Downtown Crossing and then take the Red Line to South Station. The Yawkey stop is on the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line. "Those in the know" stay on the Orange Line to Ruggles, whence free shuttle buses run on game nights.
Worth knowing also is that the MBTA runs extra trains when a major event is taking place at the Garden, and for big occasions like First Night and the 4th of July. They even add a late trip when something is scheduled to extend well into the night (i.e. 1-1:30 AM departures after a concert.)

[AdiosPhoenix]

thanks all for your comments.

[city_data91]

Do you like the cold? Think of the coldest day in Phoenix, and that would be warmer than the norm here in the winter. If you like the warmth of Arizona, you will be miserable here.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by goyguy

While Fenway Park is doable by train from the north, you have to ride the Orange Line from North Station to Downtown Crossing and then take the Red Line to South Station. The Yawkey stop is on the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line. "Those in the know" stay on the Orange Line to Ruggles, whence free shuttle buses run on game nights.

From the north I'd do the train to North Station and Orange Line to Ruggles for the shuttle bus, or just take the Green Line C (not E) from North Station to Kenmore. I'd never take two different T lines from North Station to South Station just to get a commuter train out to Yawkey.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by city_data91

Do you like the cold? Think of the coldest day in Phoenix, and that would be warmer than the norm here in the winter. If you like the warmth of Arizona, you will be miserable here.

They did just come in February and it didn't seem to be a dealbreaker, but it's a legitimate question.