Tell me About Amesbury (Newburyport: real estate, buying a house, buying)

[homelesspat]

Hi all,

My wife and I are in the process of buying a house in Amesbury and I just wanted to know what you could tell me about it. It's clearly going to be better than one of the ghetto mill cities I currently live in, but any information about the people, the schools, hidden costs I might not know about would be fantastic.

[macalan]

I can't speak to your specifics, but I like Amesbury. It's come a long way since I moved to the area 20 years ago.

The downtown is becoming very nice. It's seen businesses come and go, but that's the economy now. To me it's like a little Newburyport. There's a great natural pet store downtown.

It seems there are a lot of artists in the area as studio space is reasonable and there are open studio tours every now and then.

Love the Point Shore area, and love Cider Hill Farms - best apple pies ever. Also think Stop and Shop is the best grocery store in the area - never crowded, great selection and prices are good - sort of the best of Market Basket (prices) and Shaws (selection and freshness) with great customer service.

The big downside to me with Amesbury are the Real Estate Taxes. Don't understand why they are so high.

[luvthatmouse]

We love the Amesbury Ale House and the Barking Dog. The pet food store (Paws Pet Boutique) is good. They have pet food that is actually good for pets.

[homelesspat]

Thank you! We should be moving in sometime in May if all goes well. I'm excited!