For starters, one of my favorite hidden gems is the MBTA itself, specifically the Newburyport/Rockport line. I love love love the train. I love it so much that I wrote my college essay about trains. Not only is it convenient and inexpensive, but the views from the train are to die for. Across Newburyport, Rowley, Ipswich, and Hamilton/Wenham, the train drives through marshes and forests. When it’s golden hour and the light hits the trees just right, it’s one of the prettiest sights around.
I’ve been fortunate to grow up in an area where I can easily travel to other towns. As someone who hates driving, the trains have been my saving grace when I want to see my friends who live 45 minutes away. I consider myself a Northshore expert. Here are some of my recommendations to check out on the Newburyport/Rockport line.
First of all, this train line leaves from North Station (the better station, in my opinion). It splits into two train lines but you can get to Swampscott, Salem, and Beverly on both of them. Make sure you double, no, triple check that you’re taking the right train to the right place. You don’t want to go to Rockport when you’re trying to get to Newburyport because there is no direct train from Rockport to Newburyport.
I’ll start with the line I’m most familiar with: the Newburyport line. Starting at North Station, it goes through Chelsea, River Works, Lynn, Swampscott, Salem, Beverly, North Beverly, Hamilton/Whenham, Ipswich, Rowley, then Newburyport. I’m not very familiar with Chelsea through Lynn, so I won’t highlight these places.
Swampscott (well actually Marblehead)
Although there is no direct train there, Marblehead is a gorgeous town on the water. It’s a little peninsula that extends off of Salem and Swampscott. If you get off at either of these stations, you can take a 15-minute Uber to downtown Marblehead.
My all-time favorite food spot in Marblehead is Schubies Marketplace, a delicious little gourmet market where you can sit and enjoy a snack.
If it’s nice enough to go for a walk, do check out Crocker Park. It’s up on a hill, and the views are stunning.
Salem
Ah, yes. Salem. The unofficial Halloween capital. During the month of October, the streets of Salem flood with dressed-up tourists and tours of the old houses. It’s by far their busiest time of year. I like to commute occasionally, but taking the train in October on a line that passes through Salem can be ridiculously crowded. However, I do recommend checking out Salem during October, if not for the tours, then for the people watching.
But, Salem is actually more enjoyable during the Spring and Summer. There are still a good bit of people during the off-season, but it’s way less crowded.
If you’re in Salem during the summer, I highly recommend booking a harbor tour on the Schooner Fame. It’s the coolest replica of an 1812 schooner. Specifically, I like to go on the sunset sail. It’s such a perfect way to end your day.
For food, I recommend Finz, which is conveniently right next to the Fame. They have the best sushi in town. Another spot I would recommend is Goodnight Fatty. Don’t be scared off by the name. They make amazing and unusual cookies. It’s similar to Crumbl, where they change their flavors every so often. A freshly warmed cookie from Goodnight Fatty is heavenly.
Beverly
There are multiple train stops for Beverly which can get really confusing if you aren’t from around here. To get to downtown Beverly, you’re going to want to get off at Beverly Depot. From there, it’s a 5 to 10 minute walk to downtown Beverly. There you’ll find a bunch of cute little stores and restaurants. Delphine’s Kitchen is the place to go. It’s a French cafe that sells pastries, coffee, crepes, and more. Let me just say, their crepes are so good. My go-to order is a crepe with butter, lemon, sugar, and a cappuccino. Another great restaurant is A&B Burger. They have lots of different burger options and really great appetizers. For clothes shopping, there’s a little consignment store on the corner called Worthy Girl. If you want to walk a bit further, another 10 minutes will get you to Dane Street Beach. You can go there to have a little picnic on the grassy area or you can go there to sit in the sand for a while.
Hamilton/Wenham
This little town doesn’t have much to offer, but it does have the best coffee shop ever. Right next to the train stop is the cutest white and sky blue building called Honeycomb. Out of everything I talk about in this article, this place is by far my favorite. They have fresh pastries every morning, my absolute favorite is their fresh chocolate croissants. It is the closest thing you’ll find to a real Parisian croissant in the area. They have amazing breakfast sandwiches, lunch options, and handcrafted drinks. I would stop here every. single. morning. on my way to school. My go-to order was always bacon, egg, and cheese on their homemade sourdough with black pepper aioli, a chocolate croissant, and a latte with oat milk. So freaking good. It’s the cutest place ever, the workers are so kind, and if you go there often, they’ll remember your name and order. They have indoor seating, outdoor seating, and a cute little bookshelf in the shape of the building.
Ipswich and Rowley
I don’t have much to say about these two towns. Ipswich has nice stores, but it’s very small. There’s this new home goods store called Union Home and Gift, which my friend’s mom just opened. I haven’t been yet, but it looks lovely and I wish her all the best! There’s a great Mexican restaurant called BurritoSpice.
If you have a car, or feel like walking for a little bit longer, you can drive to the Crane Estate and Crane Beach where Little Women (2019) was filmed.
Other places you could drive, or walk a little bit more to, are three wonderful farms: Russell Orchards, Appleton Farms, and Marini Farms.
Closer to the Rowley Station, there is Village Pancake House. They have many different kinds of pancakes, my favorite are the seasonal pumpkin pancakes. They only take cash or checks, so remember that if you head that way!
Newburyport
This is the last stop on the Newburyport line. It’s a little over an hour away from North Station. I’ve lived here for 18 years. I love it so much, however, it’s definitely catered towards tourists. But, that means it’s perfect for a day trip. It’s definitely a little bit more of a hike from the train station to downtown, but if you take the rail trail it’s a gorgeous walk. There is so much to do in Newburyport. The waterfront is gorgeous and it’s perfect for long walks. There’s also the Bartlet Mall, which is a small frog pond, but it’s still lovely to walk around. Downtown Newburyport is filled with delicious restaurants and stores of all kinds.
For food, I recommend NU Kitchen as they have loads of healthier options. My favorite is the mega BLT with lemon mayo. Trust me, it’s awesome. Another place to check out is Agave Mexican Bistro (I would drink their sour cream if I could). My third suggestion is Jewel of the Crown. This place is by far the best Indian cuisine I’ve ever had.
My go-to coffee shop is always Changing Tides. Their breakfast sandwiches are so good. I get a bacon, egg, and cheddar on an asiago bagel with hot sauce, and a maple latte with oat milk. They have amazing pastries as well. They only sell donuts on Fridays and they sell out super fast, so be sure to get there early!
If you’re in the shopping mood there are plenty of really cool stores to check out. My favorite by far is Ganesh Imports (I’m a little biased though because I work there). They sell clothes, jewelry, incense, crystals, tapestries, and much much more! One of our more popular items are our henna pens. If you’re unfamiliar with henna, it’s like a temporary tattoo, and you can make whatever design you want using the henna pens!
Other clothing stores to check out are Opal & Oak, The Wild Clover, and Gentry’s, which is a consignment boutique.
If you’re a book worm, I would highly recommend checking out Jabberwocky Bookshop in the Tannery, then heading on next door to grab a whoopie pie from Chococoa.
When you’re done with the day, treat yourself to a nice cup of gelato from Dolce Freddo.
Now, onto the Rockport Line. I’m not as familiar with these places, but I’ll do my best to tell you what I know.
Manchester-by-the-sea
I loooove Manchester. It’s a small town with not much going on, but it’s one of the best (and wealthiest) towns in the area. Everything there is very walkable from the train station. In fact, one of my favorite activities to do there is sit on my favorite bench by the harbor and watch the trains go by. Manchester is definitely best when visiting in the summer, but I like it all year round. Singing Beach is lovely during the summer, but it’s even nicer in the winter when there’s a fresh layer of snow.
There are limited options for food but I would say my favorite places are Boobird, Bravo by the Sea, and the Laughing Gull Cafe. Boobird is a pub with burgers and other appetizers, Bravo is Italian food, and the Laughing Gull has coffee, breakfast foods, and lunch.
Gloucester/Rockport
I hate to say it, but I’m not very familiar with these two towns. I can tell you, though, that they’re both beautiful places to walk around. The beaches and streets are beautiful. One place I would recommend is Caffe Sicilia which is located downtown Gloucester.
I adore living in Northshore Massachusetts. Each town is unique and, not to sound like a broken record, but just beautiful. The train is a really great tool to check all these places out. I really, really encourage everyone to utilize the MBTA as much as they can during their time in Boston. As much as Boston is lovely, it can be really nice to get out of the city for the day and see what else Massachusetts has to offer.