Looking for European lifestyle in New England (Boston, Salem: apartments, loft)

[wmass]

Don't give up on Northampton too soon.
It has been described as 25 square miles surrounded by reality. It is really a differnt culture out here.

Recycling is required by local law (since 1988). plus, how many places have trash collection by bike? Pedal People

"This small city offers more restaurants and shops, certainly more galleries, theaters and performance venues than most urban centers dozens of times its size. Add two rivers, mountain views, landscaped parks and meadow walks, and you begin to see why people call it paradise."
- -The Boston Globe

"Northampton combines the cultural breadth of a major metropolis ... with the low-key sensibility of a small borough." - -National Geographic Adventure

The city is now getting rail service too: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/vermonter_rail_line_gets_70_mi.html

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by augbogal

My husband and I (mid 30's professionals) are looking for a place to live between Albany NY, Providence RI, and Southern NH. ...Any help is greatly appreciated!

Newton, Mass.

[cwaggy]

Check out Ipswich, Manchester-By-The-Sea. These are small towns with regular commuter rail to Boston (well under an hour) and nice town centers, close to nature but close to cultural stuff too.

[augbogal]

Thanks to everyone for your helpful replies. I will check out the suggested areas once I'm there.

I found a short term rental in downtown Gloucester. I'm thinking of using it as a base from which to explore the areas in March/April. Will the town feel like a ghost town that time of year? Or are there local residents that keep the place alive, albeit peaceful, year round? What time do the streets roll up at night?

[holden125]

Originally Posted by augbogal

Thanks to everyone for your helpful replies. I will check out the suggested areas once I'm there.

I found a short term rental in downtown Gloucester. I'm thinking of using it as a base from which to explore the areas in March/April. Will the town feel like a ghost town that time of year? Or are there local residents that keep the place alive, albeit peaceful, year round? What time do the streets roll up at night?

Well, it's certainly not a ghost town, but the streets roll up fairly early in any event. Of the 350 towns and cities in Massachusetts not named "Boston," this is the case in all but about 5 or 10. Except for the usual keeping indoors due to colder weather, there's not really any difference in downtown Gloucester at different times of the year. It's not a resort kind of place where the population swells in the summer, though on summer weekends there are day-trippers coming for whale watch cruises or the like.

[nipsip]

Marblehead Old Town

[brightdoglover]

Gloucester has its share of bars, but not "European," just plain old drinking.
It's a reasonable place rom which to explore nearby towns, but it is at the end of Cape Ann, so you always have to leave the tip of the peninsula to look around. If you want to look a little further afield (west of Gloucester) it can be a clunky drive.
Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy Gloucester for itselfl! Rocky Neck is a very artsy little area. Eastern Point is gorgeous (although no one can live there that works for a living). A beautiful drive. Good Harbor Beach. Plenty of beauty to check out. Not a lot of European villages as I understand them.

[augbogal]

Several have mentioned the "townies" and drinking in Gloucester. Is "townie" a negative term? Are the bars a problem? Will I come home to stumbling drunks on the street if I get a place on Main St? Is Newburyport similar or a little more upscale?

[holden125]

Originally Posted by augbogal

Several have mentioned the "townies" and drinking in Gloucester. Is "townie" a negative term?

Depends on whom you ask. Given your description of what you're looking for, I get the impression you might not like an overwhelmingly townie vibe. Downtown Gloucester seems to me more townie than professional or artsy. Not so much that it would be a problem, but it's more blue-collar, local and down-to-earth than artsy or sophisticated. More neighborhood shops than boutiques, though there are some cuter stores.

Originally Posted by augbogal

Are the bars a problem? Will I come home to stumbling drunks on the street if I get a place on Main St?

You're not likely to run into stumbling drunks on Main St. I'm not sure you'd really see too many pedestrians on Main St. in Gloucester at all later in the evening. I'm not sure this will make you feel better, but I have the impression many of the folks coming out of Gloucester's bars are driving themselves home, or having someone do it.

I don't think Gloucester is more of a "drinking town" than most other larger, non-dry towns in the area. I think the reference was to make clear it's not really a place with a lot of European-style cafes where people go for a drink or two, but rather has your standard indoor American bars where people hang out all night.

Originally Posted by augbogal

Is Newburyport similar or a little more upscale?

I'd say it is more upscale in the downtown area. Gloucester has upscale areas, but as I may have mentioned before, they tend to be the more far-flung woodsy coastal areas (Eastern Point, Annisquam) rather than downtown.

[Silli]

If you have a chance, check out Concord, which I would characterize as a 'charming village.' Because it's rather small, though, I don't know if you'll be able to find the housing you want within walking distance.
Concord is on a commuter line to Boston.