Advise on moving to coastal Mass (Lynn, Salem: house, income, living in)

[Conrad4402]

We are a family of 5 with teenagers considering moving from northwest Pennsylvania and wanting more (diversity, education, opportunities, activities, open minded people) from our next hometown. Looking at suburbs of NYC near the beach, San Diego, CT, RI, Coastal Mass (Cape Cod to Buzzards Bay areas). Income is not an issue. $2-$4M on a house is a likely range. So any advice from residents would be greatly appreciated since visiting and living in an area are often quite different.

1. Is there anywhere with surfing potential?

2. We are a mixed family with one LGBTQIA+ child. Is this region a place you see as open, accepting and diverse? We don’t expect LA or NYC. Love both places to visit but not live given population size. Fiscally a bit more conservative but socially liberal. Is Coastal Mass a good fit?

3. How is the weather? Obviously summer will be great but what about winter & spring? We get rough winters here with 200” of snow but the municipalities manage very well and snow days are not a discussion. Is that the case in Mass? Plenty to do during winter or hibernation mode?

If given the opportunity, would you choose Mass over the other places listed?
Thank you for the insight

[OutdoorLover]

San Diego is awfully nice too, and the weather is mild year round, and the water I think is a little warmer than Newburyport anyway, and more constant in temperature, so better for swimming. I wouldn't feel any hardship to live there :-). That said, I still prefer Mass, it's got the history, the architecture. Weatherwise, there is more precipitation, but the nature is more lush for this reason, and you do deal with a cold winter, but you have a beautiful autumn, and can do cross-country/downhill skiing or snowboarding - you've got 4 seasons here.

I live high on the north coast, which isn't where you're asking about re the Mass coast. It is nice up here though, and Newburyport is liberal-leaning without being far-left. There are ignorant people in any town of course, so I can't say you'd never run across an idiot with something unpleasant to say, but I am white and dated an African-American woman for a little while, when we'd walk downtown holding hands, people would just smile... surfing here at Plum Island is generally meh... not like the Outer Banks in NC...

At least for me, it would be between the north coast of MA and San Diego.

[Lampert]

Cape Cod is dead most of the year.

[BosYuppie]

How bout Newport RI?

[western mass and love it]

The Pacific Ocean is freezing, I lived in San Diego for 3 years and learned to surf. I never once went surfing without a wetsuit because the water was so cold. I compare the water in San Diego to that of Southern Maine.

[Bridge781]

With your budget I’d pick San Diego.

[Conrad4402]

How about the diversity and LGBTQIA+ environment? Lots of people have mentioned North Shore. Is that a consensus choice for best place in Mass?

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Conrad4402

How about the diversity and LGBTQIA+ environment? Lots of people have mentioned North Shore. Is that a consensus choice for best place in Mass?

Coastal MA mostly isn’t diverse at all. The most diverse coastal area is the new Bedford-Newport RI area as well as the Islands. LGBTQ should be a problem there and there always P town.

I think the better choice is San Diego. But southern MA coast isn’t bad.

If you most do North and want diversity-pick a coastal community between Lynn and Salem.

[FarmCoastLocal]

The towns you should be looking at are Westport (MA) and Little Compton (RI). Both are gorgeous. Very much coastal influenced climates with much milder summers and easy winter (don't have to bring out heavy winter coat except hand full of times, all other times fall sweatshirt is plenty).

With your house price range you could get an amazing property. Small surfing communities exist in both towns. Surf can be great, but much more likely for big swell during winter time (get 6-7mm wetsuit with hood and boots) (also doesn't have the sharks of the Cape).

The area you are looking for is called The Southcoast (or the Farmcoast for the immediate coastal towns). It's a hidden gem. Amazing nature, food, and accessibility. Go explore the area and learn about it. Everyone's got an opinion, but I'll say it with my chest, it's the best coastal area of New England by far.

[FarmCoastLocal]

Also just another note about winters on the South Coast:

Typical day in December-Feburary is around 40-45F high (give or take 5-10F) and low around 25-30F. Overcast sky. Snows around 20-30 inches a year but last winter we got maybe a couple inches January- March. Like I had said previously it's a soft winter, much more so than even an hour north. So if you really wanted snow you'd have to go to NH for more of it.