Salem,Ma questions/Moving to New England Question

[Tigger113]

Hi! I am thinking of moving to Salem,Ma but I don't know which areas are the best and which I should avoid?
Also, What are some other great towns/cities in New England?

Thanks for your input!!

 

[jonestavern]

what are you looking for in a town? Is easy/quick access to a hospital important to you? are you going to need a decent school system? what about a place to work? does your family like convenient shopping? what types of recreation?
do you prefer the hustle & bustle of city life or like the peace of the rural areas?
we live in the countryside where hospitals are a minimum of 45 minutes away as is shopping. We have well water (& in our case, very clean & sweet) but not everyone is comfortable without a city supplied water system. There is no cable in our town or gas lines. There is a lot of fishing, hunting, boating, great elementary school & lots of community spirit.

Let us know what you have in mind

Hoping your move is a smooth one & welcome to New England!

Jean

 

[Tigger113]

Living close to shopping is a must! I would like somewhere that is not way out but is not like living in Downtown Boston! And a good school system is important.

 

[Monte Cristo]

FYI....I am in commercial construction and my company is about to start construction on new high school in Salem, MA.

My wife is from Peabody which is the next town over from Salem so we are familiar with the area. Plenty of mall shopping...North Shore Mall, Liberty Tree Mall and Square One Mall down route 1. It's pretty convinient to Boston. Every town has it's good area and bad IMO. Salem is no different. MA in general is more expensive than surrounding areas. We live in RI and our house would be at least $150k more in MA.

 

[C.Ann]

Onr thing to keep in mind is that if you move to a "tourist" town - or the main roadways to get you where you need to go are very close to that town - you will have to put up with the unbearable traffic during tourist season..

I love York, Maine - but would NOT want to deal with that traffic during the tourist season..

 

[Tigger113]

I think I am intersted in the Massachusetts & Connecticut areas. I heard a lot about Washigton Depot, Ct. Any suggestions?
I don't know that much about Rhode Island and New Hampshire, but I will take the suggestions.
Thanks for all your help!

 

[Tigger113]

 

[kpm76]

We live in RI, just south of Providence. I have been here my whole life; DH is originally from CT, went to Brown U and stayed in RI after graduating. We love it!! Close to Providence, an hour from Boston, 45 minutes from the casinos in CT. There's lots to see and do in New England and we cannot imagine living anywhere else. I see you're from GA. Be prepared to pay alot more for houses in NE. Though the housing market is cooling, prices are still pretty high. Let me know if you have amore specific questions. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

While Salem is charming and the home of many historic sites, there are also some not so great parts just like any other city. It was originally a seaport town so you hve the mix of Captian's homes and average. It is the home of 7 Gables, Hawthorne, Lydia Pinkham, Witchcraft Hysteria and Salem State College. It is very close to hospitals and Boston maybe 30-45 min. I must however agree, during tourist season which is pretty much all of the year it is murder to drive through.

EsmareldaX used to post on these boards (have not noticed her recently) she lives there you might try and pm her.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

I grew up in Lawrence which is a bit north of Salem--Salem can be a bit much with the traffic and be mainly a tourist town but just up the road is Danvers which is more laid back also has easy access to shopping and more jobs a better school system and better neighborhoods--the homes may be a bit more but worth it in the long run given all you'll be getting

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I grew up in Lawrence which is a bit north of Salem--Salem can be a bit much with the traffic and be mainly a tourist town but just up the road is Danvers which is more laid back also has easy access to shopping and more jobs a better school system and better neighborhoods--the homes may be a bit more but worth it in the long run given all you'll be getting

I am not disagreeing with you but I think the price differnce between the two places is more than "a bit more". Of course some parts of Lynn are very nice and they boarder on Salem and Swampscott but b/c of the name are cheaper. I think that they could still go to the Charter School in Salem(Saltonstall) even if they lived in Lynn.

 

[Mari annie]

We live in the burbs of Boston, it's very nice here, as well.

We go to Salem about 4 times during Halloween and the Fall time.
Beautiful City, easy access to alot of areas.

Write to the Chamber of Commerce.
Salem does have a good system I have heard.

Good luck.

 

[The Mayor]

I work in Salem. Ma and grew up in Marblehead, MA (next town -East) and now live in Peabody, MA (next town - West)...this are is called the North Shore and is beautifull...different towns have different price ranges...Marblehead, Swampscott (right on the Atlantic Ocean) are very expensive, houses and apartments...Salem itself varies but has some very nice areas...Peabody is in between and the next town over, Danvers can be expensive. Both Peabody and Danvers are closest to the malls as they each have one...both are close to the highways...my house is 20-25 minutes from Boston...check out the towns I mentioned on their websites and you'll get a better idea. You can google them by town.

Good Luck

 

[Crankyshank]

Bear in mind that area is extremely expensive compared to the prices you are probably used to.
I know several people that lived in the North Shore, including Salem, that moved to Rhode Island due to the cost of living and the traffic. Commuting via rail is actually faster for many than driving into the city because of horrible traffic. DH has to drive into the area at least twice a week for work and it's not fun, no matter what time of year.
I also moved from MA (Attleboro - about 45min south of Boston) to RI because of the housing prices being out of control.
No matter where you are in North Shore, South Shore, SE MA, CT, and RI you are near shopping.

Have you actually taken a trip up here to experience the towns, the traffic, and day to day life? I would recommend taking a few weeks and just drive around the area. Talk to realtors and just experience the area. Don't just check out the North Shore though - check out RI, other parts of MA, CT, and NH.

 

[Tigger113]

Does anyone know any cute towns in CT??

Thanks Everyone for your input! I appreciate it!

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

I grew up and still live in the North Shore of MA. I agree with the above poster who said it is probably way more expensive than what you are used to. We are actually relocating down south due to the ridiculous home prices. If you want a good school system, Salem is not the place for you. Neither is Lawrence, Lynn,Peabody, or Beverly. I grew up in Danvers, and the schools are fine, but there are better around here. I would say the best towns for schools are Middleton, Topsfield, Boxford, North Andover, Andover, Hamilton, Wenham, maybe Reading/north Reading --- but you will pay more for housing. PM me if you want any specific info. I know this place inside and out!

Jen

 

[TLH1977]

We live in the fairfield county area of CT. Nice place to live but could be pricey. School systems are some of the best and you could own a nice piece of land but still be in close proximity of malls, grocery stores, etc. Also nice is being a little over an hour away from NYC and 2 1/2 hrs from the boston area. Anymore questions i could help you out with? You might want to check out the ****ord, Shelton, Seymour parts of CT

 

[pajamommy]

I grew up in Fairfield, CT....loved it there and miss it a lot! It is quite pricey nowadays.....anything in Fairfield County will be. Also on the water, closer to RI....Old Saybrook is beautiful, Stonington as well. Inland....Glastonbury is very nice, lots of shopping and things to do.....West Hartford and Simsbury also come to mind....there are many nice towns in CT!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I grew up in Lawrence, MA. Stay far, far away.

I live in southern New Hampshire right now, which I LOVE. I work in Salem, MA and it's really nice there, but I don't know much about the school system or housing prices or anything. I'm guessing housing is very pricey as it is everywhere around here!

 

[JennyMominRI]

I think I am intersted in the Massachusetts & Connecticut areas. I heard a lot about Washigton Depot, Ct. Any suggestions?
I don't know that much about Rhode Island and New Hampshire, but I will take the suggestions.
Thanks for all your help!

Rhode Island is an incredibly beautiful state..I love it here.. It's right between Mass and Connecticut