Best coastal town in Mass for young retirees (Boston, Brockton: home, theater)

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by katherine4

Thanks for your replies!

A small historic-looking home, not a condo, is what we’d be looking for in a pretty neighborhood with other tasteful historic-looking homes surrounding it. The draw of the MA coast is the historic New England beauty of it, so we’d like to be in a neighborhood and town that strongly reflects that.

Thanks again!

Plymouth. Plymouth is very large and areas away from the beaches are more affordable.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I'm really thinking Marion or Mattapoisett for you.

Yep. The prices are far lower than “north shore” and “south shore”.

For small houses with a crawl space with some ocean view:
Here’s Mattapoisett with a bit of ocean view.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...ource=txtshare

Marion with ocean view
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...ource=txtshare

More inland and bigger:
1,600 sf cape on 1/3 acre in Marion
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...ource=txtshare

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by brk330

Exeter, Newmarket, NH
Kennebunk, ME
Amesbury, MA

I don't know much about the rivalry. I have heard the North Shore called Somewhat North Of Boston though.

I have the entirely opposite image of north shore being a south shore girl. I think of Saugus and Revere when I think of north shore. South shore has places like Hingham, Cohassett, nantucket, north shore has revere, lawrence and lynn. Enough said. North shore is just different than south shore. I am probably misinformed but the bad places seemed to outdo the good for me on the north shore. I didn't learn until around 2014 that Lynnfield is a nice place...i really hadnt heard of it.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I have the entirely opposite image of north shore being a south shore girl. I think of Saugus and Revere when I think of north shore. South shore has places like Hingham, Cohassett, nantucket, north shore has revere, lawrence and lynn. Enough said. North shore is just different than south shore. I am probably misinformed but the bad places seemed to outdo the good for me on the north shore. I didn't learn until around 2014 that Lynnfield is a nice place...i really hadnt heard of it.

North Shore does include Saugus and Revere, but it also extends beyond that up to the NH border. Generally, any town that has any part of it touching the ocean is technically considered North Shore, although a few "inland" areas are generally considered to be part of it as well. A good chunk of those communities are rather wealthy, especially as you make your way to Cape Ann.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_...h_Shore_MA.png

It's kind of a loose definition and depending on who you talk to, different towns are included/excluded. For instance, Lynnfield/Middleton/Boxford line might be as far west as I would consider North Shore. I would never include Burlington

[msRB311]

Oh i'm sure there are plenty of wealthy people on the north shore. I dont know why they got so over shadowed by the Revere/Saugus folks but they did. F Lee Bailey lived in swampscott. I remember driving by his house.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I dont know why they got so over shadowed by the Revere/Saugus folks but they did.

As a former 20+ year Revere resident, we just like to think the whole world revolves around us.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

North Shore does include Saugus and Revere, but it also extends beyond that up to the NH border. Generally, any town that has any part of it touching the ocean is technically considered North Shore, although a few "inland" areas are generally considered to be part of it as well. A good chunk of those communities are rather wealthy, especially as you make your way to Cape Ann.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_...h_Shore_MA.png

It's kind of a loose definition and depending on who you talk to, different towns are included/excluded. For instance, Lynnfield/Middleton/Boxford line might be as far west as I would consider North Shore. I would never include Burlington

My North Shore as a teen was regattas in Marblehead. When I was house shopping and ended up in Winchester, I looked at some things in Manchester by the Sea. I’ve always had friends in Newburyport. Other than 1A to Logan when I lived in Portsmouth, Revere has never been on my radar screen.


From Boston, you drive north or south until you hit a nuke plant, right? That’s North Shore and South Shore. If you can buy fireworks, you went too far north. If you take a bridge over a canal, you went too far south.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

As a former 20+ year Revere resident, we just like to think the whole world revolves around us.

Maybe they did in the 90s/00's? lol. I hear a lot more about nicer North shore areas now. seems like Revere has changed also. I remember going to basketball camp in 1993 with a girl from Revere and she seemed a bit coo coo. She said something to the coach/group and no one had any idea what she said based on her accent. The coach was from somewhere in the midwest but even the rest of us who were mainly from the south shore were like, what did she just say?

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Maybe they did in the 90s/00's? lol. I hear a lot more about nicer North shore areas now. seems like Revere has changed also. I remember going to basketball camp in 1993 with a girl from Revere and she seemed a bit coo coo. She said something to the coach/group and no one had any idea what she said based on her accent. The coach was from somewhere in the midwest but even the rest of us who were mainly from the south shore were like, what did she just say?

That's definitely how it was in the 90's and early '00's. All those stereotypes about Revere were true. It's definitely different these days however.

I left in 2014 and really haven't been back.

[dcb175]

Originally Posted by brk330

Exeter, Newmarket, NH
Kennebunk, ME
Amesbury, MA

I don't know much about the rivalry. I have heard the North Shore called Somewhat North Of Boston though.

As a counterpoint to this, at least when I was growing up in the late 90's (in metro west, so no proverbial dog in this fight), the south shore was also called "the Irish Riviera", lol. If you're not from the area, parts of it may seem a bit MA stereotype-y. No idea if that's still the case, but I would assume places like Newburyport on the north shore would be much safer bets for someone not steeped in New England nuance.