Throughout the North Shore, there are dozens of historic homes and sites. The Peabody Essex Museum on East India Square in Salem highlights the history of the region, particularly the maritime connections, but it is also ranked one of the country’s top art museums.
The region includes more than 25 cities and towns extending along oceanfront, inlets and marshes north of Boston and into former farming villages farther inland. A number are considered enclaves for the affluent, but the diversity of housing and communities ranges from waterfront and marsh-view settings to urban condos, to residences on multi-acre sites a few miles inland in Boxford or Middletown.
Some of the best beaches in the state also dot this stretch of the coast and include Plum Island off of Newburyport, Crane’s Beach in Ipswich and Wingaersheek in Gloucester on Cape Ann.
Locals often refer to Cape Ann, a rocky spit of land reaching into the Atlantic, as “the other cape.” Admittedly, it is one of the prettiest stretches of coastline in the state (it’s been a setting for a number of movies), and one that still offers an authentic lifestyle that appeals to an eclectic group from fishermen to artists and writers. The seaside village of Rockport is an arts hub. On Cape Ann, one discovers Shingle-style homes often mixed among Contemporary-style residences built to capture ocean, marsh or pond views.
Not only does this area include gorgeous beaches, but also some of the region’s true estate settings in Manchester by the Sea and Annisquam. It is also home to America’s oldest fishing port, Gloucester, which is still a working fishing community.
Along with beaches, history, stunning homesites and towns that foster community, the region is noted for a cuisine inspired by the Italian and Portuguese heritage and the bounty of fresh seafood. In fact, instead of farm to table, Gloucester touts its “bait to plate” freshness. All this, only 30 miles from Logan Airport and Boston.
