Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1024592
100 "THIS IS HAVERHILL?" at's a common refrain in the pretty, tight-knit, historic enclave of Rocks Village in East Haverhill, perched along a tree-lined edge of the Merrimack River just across the water from West Newbury. When outsiders think of Haverhill, their imaginations often don't venture beyond its very urban downtown, but Haverhill's nearly 36 square miles is hugely diverse, filled with rolling farm- land, river-view estates, downtown lofts near the commuter rail and new UMass Lowell campus, and hidden-gem neighborhoods like Ward Hill and Ayers Village. "Haverhill I know to be a very hot market," says Chris Bernier, principal broker and owner of Churchill Properties. "If you're look- ing for the value place, it's probably Haverhill." "I think Haverhill is overlooked in general," says Lydia Harris, who's lived in Rocks Village for more than 20 years and conducts walking tours of the village—a designated National Historic Dis- trict—in partnership with the heritage organization Historic New England. Harris and longtime neighbor Cindy Dauksewicz both love Rocks Village, not just for its history ( John Greenleaf Whittier used to host poetry readings at the historic Hand Tub House) and the picturesque beauty of its quaint gardens and 18th- and 19th-centu- ry homes, but also for the closeness of the residents and the pride they take in their village. ey raise money for preservation efforts and host annual community events, like a progressive New Year's Eve dinner, a fall cleanup and feast, and a Memorial Day potluck brunch at the Hand Tub House that is now a community building. You're also likely to find neighbors just visiting with each other on beautiful summer evenings, sipping glasses of wine on their river docks and catching up. "I guess it's a good little secret down here at the end," Dauksewicz says. H I D D E N G E M HAVERHILL'S ROCKS VILLAGE E X P L O R E Scour these downtown farmers' markets to find locally sourced items with a city flair. LOWELL FARMERS' MARKET Lucy Larcom Park, Fridays, noon-5:00 p.m., through October 26 HAVERHILL FARMERS' MARKET 51 Merrimack St., Saturdays, 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m., through October 27 SALEM FARMERS' MARKET Derby Square, Thursdays, 3:00-7:00 p.m., through October 11 E X P L O R E Spend a weekend wandering some of the North Shore's Cultural Districts, designated by the Mass Cultural Council. LYNN'S CENTRAL EXCHANGE CULTURAL DISTRICT, featuring the Neal Rantoul Black Box Theater and RAW Art Works ROCKY NECK CULTURAL DISTRICT in Gloucester, home to one of America's oldest art colonies and the Gloucester Stage Company LOWELL'S CANALWAY CULTURAL DISTRICT, with spots like Lowell National Historical Park and the Whistler House Museum of Art PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOUG LEVY N O R T H S H O R E N E I G H B O R H O O D S HAVERHILL MEDIAN HOME PRICE* $ 311,500 Rocks Village is close to the riverwalk and is known for its historical district. And, according to Chris Bernier, principal broker and owner of Churchill Properties, it's a hot market.