Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1162395
86 ROWLEY 'S MEANDERING MAIN Street on Route 1A, with its antiques shops, grassy town common, and neighbor- hood Rowley Pharmacy, has retained the same small-town feeling for decades. "You run into people on the sidewalk," says Bill Mehaffey, co-owner of Mehaffey Farm and a descendant of Rowley's first European settlers. "You run into people that you know and you stop and chat." For outsiders, it may seem like the town hasn't changed much. But Me- haffey and other lifelong Rowley resi- dents have seen the town's population grow and its farmland shrink as it's welcomed more people who commute from Boston and want to live "in the country." rough those changes, Rowley has maintained that elusive balance between tradition and transformation. A great example of that is the new Briar Barn Inn, a boutique hotel with a restaurant and spa that's proving as popular with locals as with out-of-towners. "We want to blend the neighborhood place and feeling and doing the specialty events," says Briar Forsythe, owner and operator of Bramble Hospitality, the group behind Briar Barn Inn and its sister property, Willowdale Estate in Topsfield. "I think the community is very excited that we're here." Briar Barn Inn might be new, but its aesthetics and sensibilities blend seamlessly with the historic downtown. Similarly, Rowley's farmland might not be as extensive as it used to be, but the town still has lots of open space and conservation land. Jena Haag, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Topsfield who's lived in Rowley 11 years, might be considered a newcomer by some, but her love for Rowley runs deep. "I do everything I can in Rowley," she says, which includes grabbing a scone from Old Town Bread or a slice of pizza from the Rowley Pizza Factory. "We've maintained that small town, neighborly kind of feel." PRIVATE SCHOOLS What's on the curriculum in your neighborhood? Check out a few of the region's most prestigious private schools. PHILLIPS ACADEMY ANDOVER WHERE: Andover FAST FACT: President George W. Bush (and his dad!) is a grad. BROOKS SCHOOL WHERE: North Andover FAST FACT: Students can study abroad in Africa, Europe, and South America. THE PIKE SCHOOL WHERE: Andover FAST FACT: e campus includes 35 woodland acres. THE GOVERNOR'S ACADEMY WHERE: Byfield FAST FACT: Founded in 1763, it's the country's oldest continuously operating boarding school. THE ACADEMY AT PENGUIN HALL WHERE: Wenham FAST FACT: 100 percent if its Class of 2018 students were accepted to four- year colleges. WARING SCHOOL WHERE: Beverly FAST FACT: All of its on-campus events are zero waste. PINGREE SCHOOL WHERE: South Hamilton FAST FACT: Pingree has 45 athletic teams in 19 sports. ST. JOHN'S PREP WHERE: Danvers FAST FACT: e school offers 23 advanced-placement courses. ST. MARY'S HIGH SCHOOL WHERE: Lynn FAST FACT: e performing arts program includes dance and theatre. LANDMARK SCHOOL WHERE: Beverly FAST FACT: e school serves students with dyslexia or other language-based learning disabilities. ESPERANZA ACADEMY WHERE: Lawrence FAST FACT: e school is 100 percent privately funded. MAIN STREET, ROWLEY Tradition with a Twist Downtown Rowley and Jena Haag. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JARED CHARNEY North Shore Neighborhoods