Cape Ann (Boston, Beverly, Gloucester: jobs, housing, retirement)

[ontheroad]

I just spent a couple of days on Cape Ann--and wonder what people know about it as a retirement/living community. It appears that Gloucester has more services but Rockport appeals to me more--I have some old friends that live there.

My concerns are its potential isolation in winter, and I never did price anything but a good dinner.

Any info much appreciated.

[vter]

I have family in Manchester-By-The Sea. Gorgeous, but expensive town. Most folks head to Beverly/Danvers to do shopping vs. Gloucester. It's also not as touristy as Rockport. It does get busy on summer weekends because of the beach though, but, not bad.

[ontheroad]

Thanks for the reply, vter. I wish I knew more about the daily life, but I do have friends that moved to Rockport from NYC (although the wife is a New Englander) and they love it.

I was impressed by the community during the two days I spent in town. I didn't explore beyond Gloucester or Rockport, and drove North so I didn't check out Danvers. But I did drive through Beverly and Beverly Farms.

A beautiful part of our New England coastline.

Perhaps some others will share. I hope so.

Originally Posted by vter

I have family in Manchester-By-The Sea. Gorgeous, but expensive town. Most folks head to Beverly/Danvers to do shopping vs. Gloucester. It's also not as touristy as Rockport. It does get busy on summer weekends because of the beach though, but, not bad.

[vter]

Danvers is nothing to write home about. Your typical suburb, where the shopping opportunities are.
Beverly Farms is really nice. I like Rockport too. The commuter rail is right there for trips into the City (also stops in Manchester & Beverly Farms).
I love the area and am glad to have family there to visit!

[ontheroad]

You are lucky to have family to visit. It is splendid even when it rains!

I know about the commuter rail. It would make it handy for trips to Boston.

One of my concerns is that if I lived in Rockport I'd have to go to Gloucester (on congested 127) for supermarket shopping as there is only a small market in Rockport. Having just lived in a town of less than 5000 people, I also had to go more than 5 miles for food shopping--even a quart of milk.

Originally Posted by vter

Danvers is nothing to write home about. Your typical suburb, where the shopping opportunities are.
Beverly Farms is really nice. I like Rockport too. The commuter rail is right there for trips into the City (also stops in Manchester & Beverly Farms).
I love the area and am glad to have family there to visit!

[noelle151]

I live and have lived in Rockport for most of my life,i have raised 3 kids here and have family and friends all over town. This is how it really is
we all (with family's) go to danvers or middleton to buy grocery's, the shaws and stop and shop in gloucester are priced higher than surrounding towns because this is a tourist out of the way area. The market basket is a good 35 min away add alot more time to that in the summer.The closest mall is in danvers/peabody which is a good 30 min away on the highway.No movie theaters in rockport one dumpy one in gloucester, danvers has movie theaters.we have no fast food at all,there is a mcdonalds in gloucester but it's gross no rockporters that i know go there.again any chain restaurant you must go to danvers,peabody,beverly area. we have 1 drug store one IGA that is WAY over priced and likes to sell old stuff.You must go to danvers/peabody to buymost items,or the internet we have tourist price restaurants that are to crowded with rude people in the summer and closed in the winter.

Schools, they are small which is nice. everyone knows everyone also nice,no real bullying issues,gang issues the kids are really nice.Lots of drinking and drug issues with the teens because THERE IS NOTHING FOR THEM TO DO big problem!!! they get chased and harrased by the police non stop going back to when i was a teen. The school system has very little to offer the smart or athletic student.alot of people send kids to private school for the high school years around here.

Rockport is a very safe feeling town, i walk at night alone and never feel uneasy about it, it has wonderful activitys for young children and parents that are very giving.the little league program is wonderful,because we are so small kids actually get to play sports.

I have a friend that moved here a year ago,she left in a hurry because she was so used to having everything a stones throw away. If you can handle long cold quiet winters nov-april and dont mind the tourist taking away from the beauty of the summer (sorry) if you have a job outside of Rockport (not many jobs here) and can deal with the towns people that are made up of some wonderful sweet good hearted people, alot of crazy wacky odd people that so far have not hurt anyone,stuck up jerks that moved here to act like they are special, the people like me that have lived here forever and will be warm to anyone until you give me a reason not to be,The drama queens that think they are still in high school even though they are 40-50 years old and the arty snobs that think they are the only ones on the planet. Oh yeah everyone knows everything about everyone here you can't flush the toilet without someone knowing it
Rockport is a great place to live but like anywhere there are some downsides to it.

[brightdoglover]

A friend of mine has owned a 2-family in Gloucester for 15 years. She loves: summer weather, the relative high number of art-oriented people (North Shore Art Association).
She does find winters a bit tough (more so than Boston), and it's quite a drive to anything that isn't on Cape Ann, at least if you live in Gloucester/Rockport. Gloucester has something of a drug problem in residents- used to be a major heroin delivery area at sea. It's essentially a blue-collar town with high housing, especially in the Eastern Point and other gorgeous sea areas. A lot of what happens there is "old boy" networks, mostly the Italian and Portuguese communites who were fishermen a generation or so ago (and some still are).
I think there are minimal services of any kind, and basically no public transport except the commuter train.
That said, it is gorgeous. And I love the cooler drier summers. I think it'd be a great place for half-time retirement, not sure about full-time.