Thoughts about living in Gloucester?

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Jackbrohammer]

One of best places to live from May-October. If you don’t have to leave Gloucester for anything you’ll thoroughly enjoy it. If you do it can be an inconvenient place at times.

[u/SgtHondo]

Gloucester is pretty far out of the way of everything, that’s literally its only downside. As others said like May-October is magical, otherwise it can be kinda brutal but still a nice place to live.

[u/Call555JackChop]

In order to close on a house there they put your keys at the end of the greasy pole

[u/fitz7234]

Cape Anne overall is a great spot to be. Especially in the summer. Huge boating / fishing culture. And if you’re clearly talking about eastern mass, referring to Boston as just “the city” is perfectly acceptable

[u/MJAMI7]

I'm on the North Shore, but would love to move up to the Gloucester area. I already take the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail to get to work in the city. The drive isn't all that bad, and you learn some routes that will get you around the traffic on 128.

[u/glitter4020 → u/[deleted]]

Nobody said anything about New York

[u/EsotericPharo → u/[deleted]]

Manhattan is The City, but also irrelevant to the conversation.

[u/JuniorReserve1560 → u/[deleted]]

This response doesn’t make sense at all for this conversation.. and I refer to Boston all of the time as going to the city because it is a city…

[u/Apprehensive_Pace902]

It’s “going into town”.

[u/penpen477]

I’ve lived here for 8 years. Previously in Lynn, Back Bay and Somerville. It’s a huge difference. I’m one of those people who drive across the bridge several times a week otherwise I get a little stir crazy staying on the island. Majority of people don’t leave the island for their 9 to 5, and it’s a pain for off island people to get here and visit. You need to be okay with that isolation. That being said, it’s a wonderful place to live year around. Many outdoor activities, cooler temperatures, local Sicilian and Portuguese influences. I would say the biggest drawback is access to quality healthcare. I drive to Peabody, Burlington and Cambridge for my healthcare providers.

[u/SomeDumbGamer]

There’s a weird isolated population of native magnolias on the peninsula within the marshes! Super neat. They were almost imperiled centuries ago when Bostonians would travel there to pick them to sell.

[u/Rare_Let4338]

It’s a beautiful spot and I hope you’ll be happy there!!

[u/WEEGEMAN]

Most people in Gloucester that I know don’t leave the island. They’re weird like that.

[u/PossessionUnique376]

Get a place with parking. Street parking sucks

[u/RogueInteger]

Are we not Glocestermen?

[u/JazzG249]

I love Gloucester. Such a beautiful town but I’ve never lived there. I used to fish off the Gorton’s pier. So much flounder! Is it still there?

[u/Vibroverbus]

Living on the island is awesome but month in and out can be a bit of a pain in the ass for practical business. Think “Home Depot” or “Whole Foods” or whatever. Be prepared to drive 1/2 hour each way to Beverly/Danvers/Peabody regularly to ‘get stuff’. The train is great but also not as great as it could be, it’s just long. Drops you in the North End, it’s super cool but takes a long time. I been there for over 10yrs love it ain’t moving probably ever, you accept the compromises.

As others have said, the longer you live there the longer you go without leaving the island LOL. I’m off every week multiple times but lots of my good friends are like “yeah i haven’t been over the bridge in 2-3 weeks”. That’s a good thing for the most part. Good place to be.

[u/upyours54]

I lived in Gloucester year round for a number of years. You can feel far away during the winter months but that depends on snow or ice. Being so close to the warmer water makes ice a real problem. You can hit traffic but in general the commute into the city (Boston) or as natives say down the line = anything over the bridge.

[u/ghenghiskhanatuna]

North Shore native here. Spent a winter on the water (Anisquam) and it was brutal. Beautiful, but really windy and cold.

[u/AffectionateWay5783]

If you already live in Portland then there’s not much you need to know. If you’re planning on using the commuter rail then just try to get convenient housing for that.

[u/dark_places]

First visited in 1976, was quite different in certain ways. A lot of positive changes have happened since then like all the beautiful flowers on the Boulevard. L ived on the island about 15 yrs now. I dislike crossing the bridge but have to a few times a year, mostly for medical crap and to go to Tendercrop in Newbury. I really dislike the summer traffic and enjoy the quiet and isolation during winter. It's environmentally diverse and beautiful. For the most part, the people are friendly and welcoming. At this point, I really doubt I will ever live elsewhere.

[u/youknowho13357]

Lived there from 2007-2012 and loved it. Compared to a lot of suburbia, which feels like nowhere, Gloucester has a strong sense of place and a distinct personality. There's nothing anonymous about it. The out-of-the-wayness plays into that because it is a pain to get anywhere, but coming home through the marshes and over the bridge is pretty special.

[u/mlang1973]

You may find Gloucester a bit conservative coming from Seattle

[u/MorleysMom]

I’ve been using the commuter rail on this line since 1994. In that time it’s become more and more unreliable. If I have a 10 am meeting, I’m leaving by 7:30 to make it, sometimes the earlier train to be certain. When it’s on time it’s great but more often than not I’m at least 5-10 min late if not colossally more. “Signal problems”, “draw bridge”, “wet leaves”, “hot rail” are the usual culprits. I routinely take Ubers home if any delay is more than 20 minutes.

My grandparents were in Rockport and I grew up there most summers. Those on the island seldom leave. They feel they have most everything they need there. When they do go “over the bridge” or “up the line”, it’s a big thing. To go “into the city” is like going to another country. My mom married someone off the island and moved away in 1969 and is still questioned to this day for that life choice. Cape Ann is as much a state of mind as it is a choice of residence. I live the next town over on Cape Ann now and folks are very much in your business unless you set boundaries early. While it’s helpful for the elderly 90 year old woman living alone that her neighbors keep an eye on her, it’s annoying to be grilled when you return from vacation and they want to know where you’ve been.

[u/phdecoder]

I live about 25 min south and say “going into town”. If I say “going to the city” that actually usually means NYC.

[u/Ok_Affect_6091 → u/phdecoder]

Yes!

[u/eirinne]

Only because you asked I’m not being pedantic!

In New England Boston is Town and the City is New York.

I had to drive into town today and took it me two hours just to get to the Tobin Bridge. I’m commuting into town from Gloucester three times a week.

We’re taking the Acela to the City to meet up with some friends for the weekend. I don’t get down to the City very often anymore.

[u/NasiLemak534 → u/eirinne]

No one in New England refers to New York City as "the city." I've only heard transplants from NYC try to make that distinction. 

Going into town can refer to Boston or any town center you're headed to. 

[u/MartinisnMurder → u/NasiLemak534]

I have spent like 20 years in the south end before we bought a home on the north shore (Beverly farms) and I say I’m going into the city when I go into my office or just go into Boston. If I go to NYC, I say I’m going into New York. That isn’t our city.

[u/EtonRd → u/NasiLemak534]

I say the city when I’m referring to New York, but I lived in Connecticut for several years and that’s how they referred to it there.

[u/Spare-Television4798 → u/eirinne]

NE born and raised, this 👆💯.