Monument Beach offers a quiet waterfront lifestyle on the Cape
On the northwestern side of Cape Cod, Monument Beach looks out onto Buzzard Bay’s Phinneys Harbor. Residents are drawn to its waterfront lifestyle, park space and peaceful atmosphere, which typically escapes much of the tourist rush during the warmer months. “It’s pretty quiet because we don’t have a huge downtown area that attracts a ton of people,” says Michelle Chaisson-Turmelle, a realtor associate with Today Real Estate who has lived and sold homes in the area for 15 years. For residents, Chaisson-Turmelle adds, Monument Beach’s little downtown is quaint, and its collection of restaurants and shops make it a regular part of life.
Swimming and boating on Phinneys Harbor, kayaking at Monks Park
The neighborhood’s namesake, Monument Beach, offers a sandy beach, a fishing pier, a boat ramp and a marina where residents can pay to keep their boats. Nearby, the Chester Park Recreation Area is another popular waterfront park, featuring a beach, playground, basketball court and tennis courts that can be used for pickleball. There’s also a small T-ball field. “It’s just really pretty,” Chaisson-Turmelle says. “It looks right out on the ocean, and you can see the boats in the harbor and it’s just beautiful.” Chaisson-Turmelle says the neighborhood is currently seeking funds to renovate the park. Draft plans involve upgrading the playground and resurfacing the existing tennis courts into one tennis court and four pickleball courts, but no plans have been finalized yet.
At both waterfront parks, the harbor’s calm waters make swimming popular, especially for young children, but many residents also enjoy activities like boating, jet skiing and kayaking. Monks Park is another major local touchstone, with a quiet, more preserve-style waterfront where residents kayak, paddleboard, walk along nature trails and observe local wildlife. There are also nature areas with walking trails throughout Monument Bay, including the popular Little Bay Walking Trails. Golfers head to Brookside Golf Club’s public 18-hole course.
Inland houses starting at $385,000, a handful of waterfront homes
Cape Cods, colonials and hi-ranches are common in Monument Beach. Fixer-uppers start as low as $385,000, but most houses start closer to $425,000. Inland houses usually max out at about $830,000, though they can occasionally reach a little over $1 million. Waterfront homes, including the handful on Tobys Island, are limited and don’t go for sale very often, so there’s no recent sale data for them; most have estimated values between $1.1 million and $5.2 million.
A quaint downtown with a few restaurants and shops
Near Chester Park Recreation Area, Monument Beach’s downtown is small and quaint. Taste & Tide Restaurant is a newcomer to town, featuring anything from seafood and steak to burgers. Whistle Stop Ice Cream Shop is a popular place for dessert, and Becky’s Bakery is known for its cupcakes. The downtown is also home to Carousel Stained Glass, which sells and repairs stained glass. Chaisson-Turmelle also says the little shop offers classes where locals can learn to create stained glass artwork of their own. There’s a post office with a little free library inside, and Cumberland Farms is a convenience store with a gas station and handful of essentials. Just outside Monument Beach, Lobster Trap Restaurant & Fish Market is a local staple for many nearby communities. It’s known for its lobster rolls and clam chowder, and Chaisson-Turmelle says its position right on the water makes it a great place to watch kayaks paddle by. For groceries, most residents drive just over a mile to Gray Gables Market.
Phinneys Harbor Day and annual polar plunge
Every year, Phinneys Harbor Day involves live music, games, a corn hole tournament, sailing and plenty of food right on Monument Beach. On New Years, the Monument Beach Polar Plunge raises money for the Bourne Food Pantry. “Everyone that goes to see it brings donations for the food pantry,” Chaisson-Turmelle says. “Some of them wear costumes, it’s really cool.” After everyone’s done dunking themselves in the frigid harbor, she adds, there’s a party with food. The Monument Beach Civic Association also hosts regular events for members, including an ice cream social and Fourth of July party.
AP classes and career prep at Bourne High
Bourne Public Schools earn a B-minus from Niche. Children attend Bourne Elementary School, which also has a B-minus, from pre-kindergarten through second grade and Bourne Intermediate School, which has a C-plus, from third to fifth grade. They then attend Bourne Middle School, which has a C-plus, and Bourne High School, which has a B-minus. The high school is known for its Advanced Placement options and its new Innovation Pathways Program, which provides coursework and internship opportunities in business and marketing and environmental and life science.
Route 28 and residential roads, Tobey Hospital about 20 minutes away
With state Route 28 on its eastern edge, Bourne Bridge is just a couple of minutes away, which Chaisson-Turmelle says is very convenient for commuters. “If you’re going to move here, you can just jump right over the bridge if you have to commute off Cape,” she says, adding that the neighborhood’s mostly residential roads keep it quiet. “If there’s traffic on 28, we can get around our own village without dealing with it.” Tobey Hospital is about 13 miles away, and Boston is about 65 miles away from Monument Beach. Driving to the city takes about an hour and a half.
Flooding risk near the coast, occasional impacts from hurricane season
The Federal Emergency Management Agency places a few homes near the coast in flood zones. Hurricanes and tropical storms occasionally pass over the area, bringing high winds and heavy rain that can contribute to flooding risks, but this isn’t a yearly occurrence.
Written By
Christina Norwood
