The Future of Newburyport? (Boston, Amesbury: live, restaurant, moving to)

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

really unspoiled like Newburyport.

Unspoiled? Wasn’t downtown in danger of being razed completely back in the 1970s? As I mentioned in my last post, plenty of nice seaport towns like Annapolis and Portsmouth find ways to grow and remain relevant without becoming “Boston”. To think of the Clipper City as a ship in a bottle would be foolish because no place can remain like that forever.

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Salisbury, could use some help for sure, it could use some positive transformation...

I think there’s some sort of logical fallacy or catch-22 in this prevailing theory that the struggling cities are the ones that should be spearheading growth. If Salisbury could attract investors, then it would already be doing so. Maybe a positive development in Newburyport would facilitate the same in its neighbor.

[Boston Shudra]

Then again, I suppose Camden and Mystic have been ship-in-a-bottle cities for centuries now. Maybe it is sustainable. Regardless, I’m surprised that people would want Newburyport to follow suit.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Then again, I suppose Camden and Mystic have been ship-in-a-bottle cities for centuries now. Maybe it is sustainable. Regardless, I’m surprised that people would want Newburyport to follow suit.

A lot of people enjoy the lifestyle. I, for one, would never in a million years want to live in or near Boston. Newburyport had everything I ever wanted and yes, it had train service to Boston if you wanted it. We even had a shuttle to take us to Logan for an international trip. We had quick access to Maine without traffic like you find around Boston. We were surrounded by open space and marsh, farms, and the sea, not to mention history dating back to the Puritans.

You don't often find a walkable downtown anymore but there it was. It had a lovely park too, quiet and peaceful. Big box type stores were available on the outskirts or just over the border in New Hampshire but they weren't plopped down randomly right in Newburyport to spoil the feel of the city itself.

Mystic is similar and so is Essex CT. Beautiful little gems of towns with a lifestyle that a lot of people desire. They shouldn't be killed with development. A lot of people just want to live in a nice town and not have it spoiled by development.

Back to one of my favorite topics: Salisbury. It sits there rotting and people laugh but there's great potential. There's no way to go but UP. Fighting has been happening for years because of what developers want to do but if they developed it nicely (somewhat like Hampton Beach has done or even better) there's opportunity to improve a place that really needs to be improved. Someone has already built expensive condos on the road to the beach but fighting continues over what to do with the actual beach front that's so enticing yet remains a derelect eyesore. That's where development is needed.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

:
:
I think there’s some sort of logical fallacy or catch-22 in this prevailing theory that the struggling cities are the ones that should be spearheading growth. If Salisbury could attract investors, then it would already be doing so. Maybe a positive development in Newburyport would facilitate the same in its neighbor.

I think most people are both myopic and averse to risk. Salisbury isn't that nice now, so either they lack the imagination of it changing, or they are afraid to try. Advantages of working there (for the developer) is the real estate is cheaper and there will likely be less concern about breaking what doesn't need fixing. It *does* have some significant assets in the beach and the reservation. It doesn't have a lot of significant historic buildings of any type.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Then again, I suppose Camden and Mystic have been ship-in-a-bottle cities for centuries now. Maybe it is sustainable. Regardless, I’m surprised that people would want Newburyport to follow suit.

I think Newburyport and Camden are two of the nicest towns on the Atlantic coast. They have beautiful nature offer and a vibrant and varied lifestyle for engaged people. It seems you think they need a developer to make them over. I think we're going to have to agree to disagree.

[Boston Shudra]

It’s worth pointing out that the City of Newburyport is just shy of 4x the size of the Town of Camden. The census-designated place of Mystic, CT is even smaller. On the other hand, Mystic has the aquarium, the ship museum, and the “drawbridge”. Camden is a jumping off point for Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and Penobscot Bay. I like Newburyport as a place to live / live near, but I don’t see it ever having the same regional or national tourism draw. It’s selling point as a city (for the time being) is “Have you ever wished that Portsmouth, NH was a little less fun? Well you’re in luck!”

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree.

You make it sound like I’m advocating for the demolition of historic buildings.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

It’s worth pointing out that the City of Newburyport is just shy of 4x the size of the Town of Camden. The census-designated place of Mystic, CT is even smaller. On the other hand, Mystic has the aquarium, the ship museum, and the “drawbridge”. Camden is a jumping off point for Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and Penobscot Bay. I like Newburyport as a place to live / live near, but I don’t see it ever having the same regional or national tourism draw. It’s selling point as a city (for the time being) is “Have you ever wished that Portsmouth, NH was a little less fun? Well you’re in luck!”



You make it sound like I’m advocating for the demolition of historic buildings.

We just have completely different value systems, I can see that. I hope that people who dislike Newburyport and Camden the way that they are, never gain any influence. They cannot improve them.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

We just have completely different value systems, I can see that. I hope that people who dislike Newburyport and Camden the way that they are never gain any influence. They cannot improve them.

Are you accusing me of disliking Newburyport!?

I just think it’s kind of stale. As the city at the mouth of the Merrimack and a historically important seaport for the state, it could be much more than it is now.

[timberline742]

Newburyport is pretty much perfect as is.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Are you accusing me of disliking Newburyport!?

I just think it’s kind of stale. As the city at the mouth of the Merrimack and a historically important seaport for the state, it could be much more than it is now.

We just have completely different value systems. And I am willing to bet that most people who moved to Newburyport, did so because they appreciate the way that it is, not because they wish it was more like someplace else - I know that describes my own thoughts.