The Real North Shore.... (whole)

[in_newengland]

and western MA is not the Berkshires. I'll accept that older definition of north shore, that it doesn't have to actually touch the ocean. Sounds okay with me.

[FCMA]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

and western MA is not the Berkshires. I'll accept that older definition of north shore, that it doesn't have to actually touch the ocean. Sounds okay with me.

Anything west of the Quabbin Reservoir is pretty solidly Western MA. The Reservoir makes a good cutoff point geographically and culturally between Western and Central. 495 divides eastern and central MA - I'm tired of hearing from Bostonians that west of 495 = western MA, and lumping the two regions together. Not even remotely similar.

The shore descriptor seems like an easy one to throw around as a general location signifier, though the yacht club crew that may have started this thread has implied itself to be exclusionary and insistent that you must have tidal action and that they resent the machinations of history and industry that have cursed their region with pockets of middle-class and poor people, aka nannies, landscapers, welfare "scum," and other sundry ne'er-do-wells (ie anyone with a household income below $250k...)

[Boston_Burbs]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

and western MA is not the Berkshires. I'll accept that older definition of north shore, that it doesn't have to actually touch the ocean. Sounds okay with me.

I grew up in Western, MA and I went to the Berkshires few and far between. Its like an extension of New York.. I am pretty sure they get their local news from Albany.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by Morris Wanchuk

I grew up in Western, MA and I went to the Berkshires few and far between. Its like an extension of New York.. I am pretty sure they get their local news from Albany.

I'm glad a few of us are aware of this. I went to the Berkshires when I was older to go to Tanglewood. It's more like New York state out there than it is MA. I am from western MA, not the Berkshires.

[DreamworksSKG]

it should be towns within and along 495.. encircling Boston and North of the Mass Pike.

Everyone in High School growing up called us the North Shore in Winchester so that's what I grew up with..

Sorry but nothing you say is going to change it.

We are North Shore and NORTH SHORE PROUD

Don't have to have a shoreline to be North Shore, just North Of Boston

[cwaggy]

Winchester denizens consider themselves to be living on the North Shore? Delusional. Anyway, this thread was started in a less-than-serous vein and if you are offended or need to cast aspersions to my character, by all means its all good. All towns within 495 north of Boston are not not not the real North Shore but let your illusions color your world anyway you like. When some poser from Lynnfield or Winchester or Burlington says they are from the "North Shore" they are trying to bestow themselves with some uppity yuppity status which is not deserved. Lets just say that those of us from the Real North Shore just chafe at the notion and laugh inside when some gaper poser phony dirtbag from Saugus says they are from the Nawth Shaw. Ooops...I think The Help is here....must tidy up the Conservatory for Friday Cocktails at 4! Hope you call all join us up here on the Real North Shore! Ta Ta!

[tribechamy]

We get into pissing conte-- I mean, discussions about the South Shore frequently on here and I think the conventional wisdom for the South Shore fits for the North Shore: the town doesn't have to touch water as long as it's close enough that culturally there is shared currency, whether it's a shared history, shared community activities, frequent shopping routes between towns, etc.

In that spirit, Danvers, Saugus, and Wenham would be North Shore just as much as Norwell, Hanover, and Pembroke would be considered South Shore. Consider, too, that some of these towns used to be the same: e.g. Danvers was once part of Salem; Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Wakefield, Swampscott, and Reading were all once part of the same town, named - yes - Saugus. "Essex County" should provide a nifty shorthand for considering what is and isn't the North Shore, just as "Plymouth County" does (mostly) for the South Shore.

Also...uppity yuppity status?!? If you think every town bordering water is full of yachtsmen in mansions, I'm afraid you may not be familiar with the Real North Shore at all. Try hanging around a fish pier sometime.

[LINative]

Originally Posted by tribechamy

We get into pissing conte-- I mean, discussions about the South Shore frequently on here and I think the conventional wisdom for the South Shore fits for the North Shore: the town doesn't have to touch water as long as it's close enough that culturally there is shared currency, whether it's a shared history, shared community activities, frequent shopping routes between towns, etc.

In that spirit, Danvers, Saugus, and Wenham would be North Shore just as much as Norwell, Hanover, and Pembroke would be considered South Shore. Consider, too, that some of these towns used to be the same: e.g. Danvers was once part of Salem; Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Wakefield, Swampscott, and Reading were all once part of the same town, named - yes - Saugus. "Essex County" should provide a nifty shorthand for considering what is and isn't the North Shore, just as "Plymouth County" does (mostly) for the South Shore.

Also...uppity yuppity status?!? If you think every town bordering water is full of yachtsmen in mansions, I'm afraid you may not be familiar with the Real North Shore at all. Try hanging around a fish pier sometime.

Hilarious! I have seen the same exact arguments about the North Shore and South Shore definition for Long Island. Not so much in real life, I think most people are fairly generous with the boundaries and include communities several miles from the actual shoreline as being part of the North Shore or South Shore.

This is because as Tribechamy said, its more then just a physical shoreline, its a shared cultural area.

For instance, on Long Island, people on the Northside of the Island are more likely to visit North Shore spots like Port Washington, Huntington Village, Northport, or Port Jefferson. While people on the Southside will most likely visit Freeport, Babylon Village, Sayville or Westhampton.

However, I remember someone argue here on City-Data that unless you physically live on the shoreline, you are not on the shore. That's right - she was saying your property actually has to touch the water to be considered "South Shore". Even if you live just one small property away and were flooded by Hurricane Sandy - that's still not South Shore!

Happy to say no one else agreed with her.

[cwaggy]

Any tidal river could gain you entre if you drink the right vodka.

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by FCMA

Anything west of the Quabbin Reservoir is pretty solidly Western MA. The Reservoir makes a good cutoff point geographically and culturally between Western and Central. 495 divides eastern and central MA - I'm tired of hearing from Bostonians that west of 495 = western MA, and lumping the two regions together. Not even remotely similar.

The shore descriptor seems like an easy one to throw around as a general location signifier, though the yacht club crew that may have started this thread has implied itself to be exclusionary and insistent that you must have tidal action and that they resent the machinations of history and industry that have cursed their region with pockets of middle-class and poor people, aka nannies, landscapers, welfare "scum," and other sundry ne'er-do-wells (ie anyone with a household income below $250k...)

Pretty ironic when that same history and industry is what made Boston and MA the desirable [to many] place that it is today.