Wareham

In White Island Shores, there are dirt roads, Fourth of July sack races and neighbors who know each other's names. “It’s an intergenerational community – folks have lived here all their life,” says John Kelly, former White Island Shores Community Association President. “People know each other – they call each other aunt and uncle.” Two ponds border the neighborhood: White Island Pond, which can only be accessed by members of neighborhood community associations, and the public Glen Charlie Pond. Modest Cape Cods and simple bungalows with clapboard siding sit on gentle hills, some of which can see the water in pocket vistas. Located in East Wareham, the neighborhood doesn’t have much commercial development, and locals must travel about 5 miles south to grocery shop or go out to dinner. But locals like it that way – secluded and shaded by the shore. White Island Shores borders two ponds. To access White Island Pond, from which the neighborhood gets its name, one must be a member of The White Island Shores Community Association or a similar neighborhood association – the neighborhood has more than one. “You aren’t forced to be a member, but it's highly encouraged,” Kelly explains. “You have to be a member to access beaches, fishing and things like that.” Locals love to hang out by the shore, sunbathing and swimming, or take their boats onto the water. Nearby Glen Charlie Pond, which spans 166 acres and has 6 miles of shoreline, is open to the public, stocked with fish and has a boat launch. Plus, Kelly says, “We are surrounded by tens of thousands of acres of open space for hiking, hunting, camping, fishing. People love it.” To the west, the 12,000-acre Myles Standish State Forest is the largest tract of its kind in the region, encompassing part of the towns of Carver and Plymouth. Bikers, hikers and horseback riders traverse nearly 50 miles of trail while sailors take their boats onto the water. To the east, the Red Brook Wildlife Management Area offers residents a scenic, undeveloped outdoor experience. The multiple community associations around White Island Shores ensure there's always an event happening somewhere. It just depends on the association. “There’s everything from horseshoes to bean bag races,” Kelly explains. “They change year to year, depending on who runs a particular program. Sometimes, an ice cream truck shows up and gives free ice cream to kids. On the Fourth of July, there are sack races and fireworks on the beach. It’s very Norman Rockwell-esque.” Homes in White Island Shores sit on gridded streets without sidewalks. Some are paved, and some are laid with dirt. This isn’t a planned community. No two houses look the same – although many have clapboard siding – and lots are different sizes. Mature oak, cedar and pine trees dot the landscape, while wild brush and shrubs are scattered on roadsides. Potential homebuyers can find a bilevel, bungalow, ranch-style or Cape Cod property in the $250,000 to $450,000 range. Colonial Revival homes typically cost between $400,000 and $550,000, while waterfront properties with docks and decks run between $700,000 and $800,000. “It’s a summer-based community,” Kelly says. “There are a lot of summer homes without permanent residents.” Students are zoned for Plymouth Public Schools. They can attend South Elementary School and Plymouth South Middle School, which get B’s from Niche. They can finish their public education at Plymouth South High School, which gets a B-plus and offers nearly 20 College, Career & Technical Education courses, including cosmetology, engineering technology, electrical and culinary arts. Aside from a 7-Eleven convenience store with a Dunkin’ inside, the neighborhood is almost entirely residential. But 5 miles south in East Wareham, there’s a Stop & Shop grocery store, Ocean State Job Lot discount store, The Home Depot, Tractor Supply Co, CVS pharmacy and more. To eat out, residents can head to well-known chains like Chilis or choose something local like Bailey’s Surf N Turf – known for their prime ribs and crab cakes – and Charlie’s Place, which has been around for 50 years, serving made-to-order pizzas and sirloin burgers. White Island Shores is about 60 miles south of Boston and 50 miles east of Providence. “Most of the roads are dirt,” Kelly explains. “I like it. It keeps people off them and decreases traffic, so kids can play safely, ride their bikes and things like that.” Plymouth Avenue, which turns into Wareham Road, was dirt until Redbrook, a new residential community just north of White Island Shores, was constructed. Now, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare is paved and gets a lot more traffic. At the local 7-Eleven, a bus stop leads between Cranberry Plaza and Buzzards Bay Train Stations, as well as between Main Avenue and Walmart at Colony Place.

Before donating his collection to AccuWeather in 2007, Dick Porter was the owner and curator of “The World’s Only Thermometer Museum,” an eclectic arrangement of over 5,000 thermometers in an outbuilding at Porter’s house that was recognized by Guinness World Book of Records as the world’s most extensive collection of thermometers. Wareham is a fitting place for a thermometer museum, as the friendly climate is one of the many reasons the city has become one of the most desirable small towns on Cape Cod. The streetscapes throughout West Wareham reflect the community’s suburban and rural sensibilities, combining quiet cul-de-sacs and manicured lawns with the towering trees and meandering rivers of the New England countryside. The housing market is equally mixed, and buyers can choose between undeveloped acreage, 19th-century colonials, secluded cottages in the pinewood forests and newer ranch and Cape Cod homes in quiet subdivisions, typically priced between $400,000 and $600,000. “It’s one of the most affordable communities in the region, especially when compared to other towns in Cape Cod,” says Bill Bachant, owner/operator of Laforce Realty and Swifts Beach Real Estate, one of the oldest real estate agencies in Wareham. “You get more bang for your buck here, so we can sell to all sorts of different home buyers.” Students in West Wareham begin their education at Minot Forest Elementary School, a C-rated school on Niche with a student-teacher ratio of 12-to-1. From there, students move to Wareham Middle School – a C-plus-rated school on Niche – and Wareham Senior High School, which earns a B-grade from Niche and boasts an average ACT score of 30. Wareham Senior High School graduates regularly gain admission into prestigious local universities like Boston College and Brown University. The West Wareham community comes together at the parks and beaches throughout the area, starting with Decas Field and Playground, a community park that hosts the area’s baseball and softball little leagues. Horseshoe Mill Nature Preserve is located on the Weweantic River, where the freshwater flowing downstream meets the salt water of Buzzards Bay, creating a unique ecosystem for rare species of plants and animals and a hidden retreat for hiking, fishing and kayaking. The beaches in Wareham are crowded during the summer, particularly Swifts Beach, where kids explore the tide pools for hermit crabs, quahoggers wade into the shallow water digging for clams, kayakers paddle the inland creaks, and anglers cast long lines into Buzzard Bay. Residents in West Wareham enjoy access to several familiar retailers and locally owned restaurants throughout West Wareham. For groceries, residents drive to Shaw’s – one of the oldest continuously-operated supermarkets in the US, with 150 locations across New England – while all other shopping can be done at Wareham Crossing, an open-air shopping center offering 45 retail stores including Lowe’s, Target, Walmart and Staples. Locals avoid the weekday lunch rush by visiting the Mainly-Dawgs Food Truck at its permanent location on Cranberry Highway, where the flavorful Maine hot dogs were voted “Best Hot Dogs in New England” by the editors at Yankee Magazine. For over 50 years, Vel’s Family Restaurant has been serving New England seafood and Italian staples from its casual dining room, while the taproom at Stone Path Malt hosts live music, cornhole tournaments and private events. West Wareham is immediately next to the junction between Interstates 195 and 495, providing direct driving access to Boston and Providence, both of which are less than 55 miles away. Wareham’s unofficial slogans — “Gateway to Cape Cod” and “It’s Better Before the Bridges” — highlight the community’s location west of the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges, shaving significant time from the commute from areas throughout the Atlantic Coast. The CapeFLYER train route runs from Cape Cod to Boston’s Logan International Airport, stopping in Wareham at the Wareham Village Train Station.