A small city packed with maritime history and waterfront activities
When Boston’s commuter rail system extended to Newburyport in the late 1990s, this once seasonal town became a year-round home base. Residents weave in and out of restaurants and boutiques in the waterfront shopping district, take their boats out onto the Merrimack River and live in homes that date back to the city’s founding in the 1630s. “If you like a city feel with things to do, restaurants, places to be and shopping, but don’t want millions of people, it’s the next best thing,” says local Realtor Jay LeClerc with the Good Life Real Estate Group. Newburyport offers the most activity and excitement among northern Massachusetts’ sleepy bedroom communities, though the city still maintains a small-town feel, with under 20,000 residents.
Old Ferry Road neighborhood is surrounded by the Merrimack River which adds to it's beauty.
Visitors to Newburyport are guided around town with maps and read historic plaques.
Many locals and visitors to Newburyport gather for food and drinks at The Grog.
Valeries Gallery has unique decorative hand-crafted objects, in Newburyport.
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Newburyport’s main industries from the 17th to the 21st century
Waterfront activities bring in many seasonal visitors, though history museums attract tourists throughout the year. Newburyport’s Custom House Maritime Museum displays documents and artifacts that date back to the city’s days as a 17th-century seaport. The Museum of Old Newbury educates visitors on general local history, with exhibits including art, American Revolution innovation and politics of early settlers. Thousands of people from all over the region come to Newburyport to celebrate Yankee Homecoming, an annual nine-day event that started in 1958. It began as a celebration primarily of the United States Coast Guard, which was founded in Newburyport, but now honors all of the city’s history and achievements with fireworks, parades, live music and markets.
Other major employers and attractions revolve around science and medicine. UFP Technologies is a leading company out of Newburyport that manufactures medical devices, and Anna Jaques Hospital’s team exceeds 1,200 workers. Environmental scientists can conduct research throughout the nature preserves and salt marshes or teach at the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center.
Jappa Park in Newburyport attracts cyclists and walkers on Ocean Front Trail.
Old Ferry Road residents can take a step back in time at the Martime Museum.
UFP Technologies is a well-known medical device manufacturing company based in Newburport.
Anna Jacques Hospital continues to take great care of those living and visiting Newburyport.
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Relaxing at Plum Island and exploring wildlife refuges
Plenty of small parks and commons with playgrounds can be found throughout the city. Cashman Park has additional waterside amenities, including a pier and boat launch. The Maudslay State Park is known for its 19th century gardens and shrubbery, and cars with Massachusetts license plates get $15 off parking. Plum Island’s beaches are bustling in the summertime, and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge offers a variety of activities, from bird watching and hiking to hunting and wetland exploration. When it’s too cold to be outdoors, locals can rock climb at MetroRock or skate at Henry Graf Jr. Memorial Skating Rink.
Enjoy the day at Cashman Park playing soccer in Old Ferry Road.
Beachgoers enjoy the sea and sand at the Plum Island beaches in Newburyport.
Enjoy a run surrounded by nature at Maudslay State Park in Old Ferry Road.
Stop by the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for some bird-watching in Newburyport.
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Shopping and dining in the Market Square Historic District
In the Market Square Historic District, cobblestone streets contrast with red brick buildings, adorned with the awnings of locally owned businesses. Antique streetlamps and barrels of flowers decorate an elevated seating area at the three-way intersection of Market Square. Patrons of nearby restaurants can enjoy the occasional live music playing from the square, as they eat on an outdoor patio along the sidewalk. Bookshops, boutiques and restaurants of every cuisine line Water and State streets. Customers can drink matcha pina coladas and Aperol spritzes at Bar 25 or slurp raw oysters at Brine. Regional big-box grocers, pharmacies and department stores are available in plazas about 1 mile outside of downtown off Storey Avenue.
Seeing locals and visitors alike walking around downtown Newburyport is common.
Pups are welcomed in many stores in Newburyport and are greeted with treats.
Market Square in Newburyport is the local hub for retail and food and is very walkable.
The streets around Market Square in Newburyport are bustling with outside dining options.
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Getting around New England by train, plane, car and bus
Newburyport rests across the river from Salisbury, the closest Massachusetts town to the New Hampshire border. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1 cut through and connect Newburyport with Boston, under 40 miles away, and they continue up the coast of Maine. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail from Newburyport reaches Boston’s North Station in just over an hour, and Merrimack Valley Transit Authority buses connect riders to local destinations. Allegiant Airlines and Breeze Airways flights take off from Portsmouth International Airport, just under 25 miles away, and Boston Logan International Airport sits about 35 miles away.
Finding a home on the water, the countryside or downtown
Housing options range from condos overlooking the Merrimack River to antique farmhouses on half an acre or more. “It’s very eclectic,” LeClerc says. “You have old historic neighborhoods and different sections of town where people want to live.” High Street and the South End, for example, are full of 18th- and 19th-century Federal-style builds and Victorian-era mansions that belonged to former shipbuilders and businessmen. Many of these properties have been converted into multifamily units. Farther inland, buyers may find New Traditional homes, while Cape Cods, ranch styles and Colonial Revivals pop up all over town. On Plum Island, a collection of coastal properties provides beach and boating access. Single-family pricing tends to fall between $500,000 to about $3.5 million. Condos start as low as $150,000 for a one-bedroom studio and can reach $1.2 million for larger units with community amenities.
Some custom Cape Cod and Colonial Revival homes in Newburyport provide waterfront access.
Victorian and Colonial-inspired homes are common among the Newburyport area.
Colonial Revival-style town houses in the South End greet the street with picket fences.
Colorful Federal-style homes brighten the streets of the South End.
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Newburyport Public Schools and nearby private options
The Newburyport Public Schools district scores an overall B-plus grade on Niche. The district has two elementary schools, one middle and one high school. Newburyport High students can participate in clubs like mock trial, investment club and the National Honor Society. Families can also enroll their prekindergarten through eighth graders at the private Immaculate Conception School, which has yet to be rated on Niche. The closest private high school, The Governor’s Academy, sits about 5 miles away in Byfield and scores an A-plus.
Edward G. Molin Elementary School serves students from K-5.
Immaculate Conception School in Newburyport has a 14 to 1 student-teacher ratio..
Students in 9-12th grade can enroll at Newburyport High School.
The Governor's Academy is a private school for students in grades 9 through 12.
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Low crime rates and moderate flood and snow risks
According to the FBI, both violent and property crime rates fall below U.S. and Massachusetts averages. Coastal areas of Newburyport have moderate flooding risk, and some homes require extra insurance coverage. While summers can get warm, snowstorms come through during the winter. Cars must be moved off public roads and into designated municipal lots during snow emergencies.
Matthew Foley is a Boston native and veteran of its Real Estate Market and now calls Winthrop home. After obtaining his Real Estate license at 18 years old, Matthew learned the business alongside his father, Michael, and has spent the past 13 years building a loyal book of business and professional network.
While carving out a particular niche in The Fenway and with repeat investor/landlords as well as first time homebuyers, Matthew is proud to serve all neighborhoods of Boston and The North Shore. These long-standing relationships and the many transactions he has guided have given him a keen understanding of the Boston Market and how it evolves. He is also very driven by the opportunity to introduce many to the City and to provide them the best experience possible as it becomes their home.
Matthew is a self-described “golf fanatic” who gets in as many rounds as possible at his local club, Gannon Golf Club in Lynn, MA. He spent his teenage and young adult years playing drums and traveling with his best friends in a band and remains passionate about music and the drums. He also loves spending time with his family, especially during the winter months at their home in Sarasota, FL. Most of all, he loves playing on the beach at home in Winthrop with his wife, Haley and Golden Retrievers, Sunny and Comet!
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