Looking for recommendation on GLBT-friendly North Shore Towns (Boston, Lowell: houses, restaurants) - Massachusetts (MA) - City-Data Forum

BCCL · 09-30-2011, 07:46 PM

After reading dozens of threads and opinions on "gay-friendly" towns in New England, we would like to get opinions on North Shore MA areas.

Our ideal location should be somewhat upscale, rich in history/character, have good restaurants, abundance in the arts and music and obviously accepting of gay lifestyles.

We're trying to escape a "sleepy suburb" in the Pacific Northwest and are planning a relocation to the North Shore, MA area. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

CaseyB · 10-01-2011, 07:12 AM

Newburyport: Newburyport, Massachusetts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BCCL · 10-01-2011, 08:12 PM

Thank you, CaseyB for your quick reply! Newburyport is definitely on our list to investigate.

goyguy · 10-02-2011, 07:57 AM

Sleepy, artsy Rockport

lukyelle · 10-02-2011, 08:44 AM

I'm a big fan of Somerville - I think it hits all your points, especially around Davis Square, with the exception of maybe more "hip" than "upscale" and not quite "shore", but it is north!

lrfox · 10-02-2011, 09:17 AM

I'd add Salem to the list too. The other suggestions are great, but I think Salem deserves a look. It's larger and more urban than Rockport or Newburyport but now quite as large as Somerville (a nice, dense urban suburb of Boston); without being overwhelming. It has everything you could want in terms of history and natural beauty as well as amenities like restaurants, shopping, the arts, etc. You also have the benefit of being on te commuter rail to Boston.

Salem is hardly a prototypical "sleepy" suburb.

sfosyd · 10-02-2011, 12:08 PM

I'd recommend Gloucester. Great restaurants, great art scene including a stage company, and a very welcoming community. It is a real working town which is a huge part of it's appeal.

kmann-sherborn · 10-02-2011, 01:26 PM

Of these I'd stick with Newburyport & Rockport for upscale, good resale, arts communities, great places!

BCCL · 10-03-2011, 08:54 PM

Wow...thanks to everyone for your replies. We'll continue to research the towns listed from the feedback you've all given.

BCCL · 10-04-2011, 07:33 PM

To Goyguy: Read your amazing post regarding Newburyport on another thread. Just wanted to compliment your eloquence and ability to transport readers (in our case, from ~3000 miles away) as if we were there already.

"Newburyport has achieved that elusive balance of being nicely restored yet falling shy of "too cute." The incursion of chain franchise business has been kept to a minimum - an Upper Crust pizzeria and a Richdale Farms convenience store on State St are about as far as that gets. Obnoxious yuppification has also been held at bay pretty well despite the city's tremendous popularity with home restoring urban pioneers. You do have your spots with overpriced hamburgers, or "bistro" menus, but they're easily enough avoided. Native townies, newcomers, and tourists alike mingle happily at longtime hangouts like The Grog and The Thirsty Whale.
A great deal of the urban core has been made over - happily there was no "urban removal" to wipe out block after block of charming 18th- and 19th-Century houses. On the fringes of downtown and farther out, you still have the sense of being in a salt-of-the-earth community. (Some streetscapes could just as easily appear in Lowell or Waltham.)
The Coast Guard was indeed founded in Newburyport. There are small museums celebrating that as well as the city's status as an early customs station.
Another big draw is the natural features of the area. Plum Island, even now as serious beach erosion is being battled, is mostly given over to conservation. It's a prime spot for catching rays on sparsely populated sand (once you cross over from the typically honkytonk north end and into the preserve area - should it be open.) En route from downtown to the island you'd also have the chance to stop at Mass. Audubon's Joppa Flats center to explore their protected salt marshes. Birders love these areas for the rare sightings that somehow occur regularly there.
If the OP is thinking about visiting, costs for an overnight stay obviously vary but can be easily affordable. There's also no need for a car, between the commuter-rail service from Boston to the south edge of town + surprisingly good local cab service + the willingness of most innkeepers of small places to do some chauffeuring. Being a compact burg of less than 30,000 persons Newburyport is easily covered on foot, though it's some 3 miles out to Plum Island"