THE GOODS: Manchester-by-the-Sea is a classic New England village with a picturesque downtown area, home to the Trask House Museum with its photographs of the town's early days, and more than a dozen specialty shops and locally owned bakeries and restaurants. Downtown includes a harbor, and up the street past the MBTA commuter rail station is the town's most popular tourist attraction: Singing Beach. This serene beach, so named for its unusual sand which "sings" as its gives way under footsteps, draws hundreds of tourists each summer.
PROS: Settled in 1629 and incorporated in 1645, the town was once home to more than 40 sea captains and was later a summer playground for the well-heeled. Today, this scenic hamlet boasts excellent schools and a small-town charm. In the past 40-plus years, the population has grown by fewer than 500 people. Many homes here are out of reach for most first-time home buyers. An in-village townhouse can run as much as $900,000. Smith's Point has multimillion dollar homes and oceanfront estates with private beaches, exquisite architectural details, and panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. More modest homes, usually in need of updating, can be found in the $500,000 range in the side streets beyond the village or up toward Magnolia.
CONS: Entry-level housing is hard to find. And as Cape Ann's quiet community, Manchester-by-the-Sea has little commercial activity, so the tax burden falls heavily on homeowners.
BRENDA J. BUOTE
