The North Shore region of Massachusetts is officially building a national reputation as one the top areas to live in the United States. Earlier this year Beverly was ranked by Realtor.com as the top zip code nationally where buyer interest is strongest and homes are flying off the market. Now Travel + Leisure ranked Gloucester as number three on list of 10 Best Places to Live on the East Coast. Gloucester is the only Massachusetts place to make the list – other New England locations listed are Newport, Rhode Island, Greenwich, Connecticut, and Kennebunkport, Maine. The list was determined by real estate industry professionals.
Winning Combination
According to Travel + Leisure Gloucester was picked for its proximity to Boston and its 60 miles of coastline with spectacular beaches, such as Wingaersheek Beach and Good Harbor Beach. They also noted the diversity of Gloucester in its residents, who range from fisherman to business owners to artists, and real estate. In Gloucester, you can find a grand shingle-style mansion on Eastern Point as well as smaller inland homes.
Historic Port
Gloucester has the authentic grit from being the oldest fishing harbor on the East Coast and America’s oldest seaport. It hosts the iconic yearly fishing competition the Bluefin Blowout – the largest Bluefin tuna tournament in the world. This year’s event presented by the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group set a new record 15 total tuna and 7,686 total pounds of tuna. All of that seafood lands on the plates of an array of top dining spots, such as Oak to Ember, 1606 Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Talise, Sushi Sang Lee, and Tonno.
Thriving Arts Scene
The city’s arts scene is plentiful and thriving. From the country’s oldest working art colony on Rocky Neck to the current galleries and studios in the downtown area, such as Fish City Studios. The Cape Ann Museum is currently undergoing extensive renovations while holding exhibits and programming at its Cape Ann Museum Green Campus. Outside of the downtown area, a visit to Hammond Castle Museum provides a Medieval experience, along with educational programs, and stunning ocean views.
According to Realtor.com, Gloucester real estate has a median listing price of 1.1M, and a median sold home price of 792.5K.