Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1024592
101 DOWNTOWN ROCKPORT IS THE NORTH Shore's "end of the line"—the last stop on the commuter rail, the tip of Cape Ann, and the embodiment of the old adage "can't get there from here." Its geographic isolation, pictur- esque seaside beauty, and eclectic array of people—old salts, fine artists, executives and professors who commute to Boston, and so many others—make downtown Rockport a quirky enclave beloved by residents and visi- tors alike. Among those residents is Scott Tubby, painter and owner of Scott Tubby Fine Art on Rockport's Bearskin Neck, who's lived down- town since 2012. "When I first moved here, I wasn't sure how I would be received by the artists who were al- ready here. I was afraid they didn't want more people," he says. "I found it to be opposite. e other artists here were very welcoming and helpful, and happy to have another artist here." In fact, the Rockport Art Colony is one of the oldest in the country, and Tubby says the more artists that are in town, the better. "All artists are creating work that is different from everyone else in some way," he says. ere are traditional painters and whimsical paint- ers, jewelry makers, photographers, and more. "ere are enough art buyers to go around. e more artists that are here the more Rockport is DOWNTOWN ROCKPORT A R T I S T E N C L AV E attractive to people who are looking for art." From his apartment in a historic building downtown, Tubby can see Rockport Harbor through the trees. He walks or rides his bike just a couple of blocks to his gallery on Bearskin Neck, a little spit of land jutting into the harbor that's packed with galleries, eateries, and shops housed in colorful wooden buildings. "Everything is within walking distance when you live downtown," he says, including the Shalin Liu Performance Center and the commuter rail. Just a few miles beyond, hiking trails at Halibut Point State Park beckon. "I could be here forever," Tubby says. "I love it here. I've made more friends here than anywhere else." Downtown is close to the water and walking distance to Bearskin Neck. Below, resident Scott Tubby, owner of Scott Tubby Fine Art. PHOTOGRAPHS BY MATT KALINOWSKI *Resource: Zillow Peabody Institute Library, Danvers Check out books and the Danvers Archival Center with its huge witch trial archive Newburyport Public Library Check out books and the free weekly drop-in tai chi classes ALL-STAR LIBRARIES Winchester Public Library Check out books and its art collection, including Tiffany and Company stained glass windows, and rotating monthly art exhibits Beverly Public Library Check out books and its Makerbot Replicator 3D printer ROCKPORT MEDIAN HOME PRICE* $ 552,800