Pembroke

Pembroke, located less than an hour south of downtown Boston, is a rural community with a rich history. The area was first settled by English colonists in 1650, and the town of Pembroke was established in 1712. The area was sought-after for its water resources, with a total of two rivers and seven ponds nearby, and for its prized herring, which the town has been regulating and preserving since 1741. The fish are still celebrated today with its annual “Grande Old Fish Fry” festival, one of several community events spread throughout the year. “I like to call Pembroke a ‘Norman Rockwell’ town,” says Kathleen Keegan, Broker/Owner of KKeegan Realty, who also serves as the chairperson for the Pembroke Celebrates and the Pembroke Tree Lighting annual events.

The rural landscape of the community adds distance between amenities, so you’ll want to have a car living here. State Routes 36 and 17 cut through the city, providing easy access to downtown Boston. The actual homes, however, are arranged along suburban grid-structured streets with cul-de-sacs. Pembroke consists of a mix of older ranches, colonials and cape cods from the mid-to-late 20th century, and new colonial styles built within the past 5 years with up to four bedrooms. Homes here can include long driveways, garages and manicured lawns with mature pine and elm trees shading the area. There are also occasional houses along the waterfront that include private boat docks. Older homes in Pembroke typically sell for between $400,000 to $700,000, while newer-built homes can sell for as high as $1.7 million.

The Pembroke Central School District serves the neighborhood’s students with a collection of well-regarded schools. Kids may start at Bryantville Elementary School, which earns a B rating from Niche, before transitioning to Pembroke Community Middle School, which also has a B rating. Students may then attend Pembroke High School, which gets a B-minus rating and boasts SAT scores above 1200 on average and over a dozen AP classes with high student enrollment.

There are several outdoor attractions in the area, including Herring Run Historical Park. This 59-acre conservation area is part of the historic Wampanoag Commemorative Canoe Passage and was originally a water trail used by local Native American tribes. Today, the park offers scenic views of the flora and fauna along its hiking trail through dense pine and oak forests. Pembroke Town Landing is a small sandy beach on the Oldham Pond coastline that also offers piers and a playground. There are also several hiking trails throughout the area, including the Tubbs Meadow Trail and the Stump Pond Trail. For golfers, the Pembroke Country Club is nearby and has 18 holes and an on-site pro shop. If you’re looking for an indoor attraction for the day, the Starland Sportsplex & Fun Park is just five miles north and offers rock climbing walls, laser tag and an arcade.

Plenty of shopping centers are nearby, including Pembroke Center Plaza with a Stop and Shop, a CVS Pharmacy and Rock’s ACE Hardware. For additional retailers, you can visit North River Plaza, four miles north of the neighborhood, which offers stores like Kohl’s, Petco and Lowe’s Home Improvement. There are also several popular local restaurants in the area, like Route 53 Tavern, which serves classic American dishes in a rustic atmosphere. “You have to try their brick oven pizza,” says Keegan. You can also visit Towne Tavern and Treehouse, where you can eat pub food in a unique setting above the waterfront. “Their parking lot is always full,” says Keegan.

Rich history to explore, good schools and proximity to Boston, Pembroke offers it all in a quaint package.

Written By

Logan Soter-Reardon

Photography Contributed By

Shawn Miller

Video By

Reuben Davis