Many people who move to Boston's South Shore come from its urban neighborhoods seeking a different lifestyle on the water. I moved to Hingham almost 7 years ago with my husband to raise our family and enjoy every aspect of living in South Shore from the excellent school systems to playing with my kids on the water. One of my family's favorite pastimes is enjoying the beach - going crab hunting, collecting shells, rock climbing, wave jumping, and sandcastle building.
As I work with buyers looking in the area, I get asked a lot of questions about lifestyle in Hingham and the surrounding areas. Here are a few:
How Is Shopping and Dining Out in the Area?
Hingham, Scituate and Cohasset all have quaint New England shopping areas filled with coffee shops, gift stores, and art galleries. They also have wonderful cafes and restaurants some that look over the water like Lucky Finn’s in Scituate and Red Eye Roasters in Hingham. We are lucky to have wonderful restaurants on the South Shore such as Tosca, Square Café, The Corner Stop, Bia Bistro, Oro and, of course, the original Whalburgers!
What Area Activities Happen Each Year?
There are so many great events in South Shore! Some of my favorites are Touch A Boat, Taste of Hingham, Opening of the Bay in Duxbury, Cohasset By the Sea Triathlon, Summer Solstice at World’s End. There are also weekly Outdoor Summer Movies at the Hingham Shipyard which is an amazing activity my family enjoys. We also love Hull Harbor Illumination and Evening Under the Stars Summer Concert Series from South Shore Conservatory.
How Is Transportation and the Commute Into the City?
There are easy and wonderful option to commute to Boston. The Hingham ferry is probably a favorite to many because you can chat with friends or colleagues, enjoy a beer and be home from work within 35 mins. (Sounds like a great end of the day to me!) There is also the Commuter Rail that stops in Hingham, Cohasset and Scituate that goes right into South Station. You do have relatively easy access to Highway 3 if you would like to drive in the city but there are also back roads that take you past different beaches and the Kennedy Center which is a beautiful drive.
What Are the Types of Homes Available and Average Prices?
There is a wonderful variety of historical homes, condominums, new construction, and luxury waterfront listings on the South Shore. The median home prices right now according to Realtor.com are: Hingham - $819K, Cohasset - $825K, Scituate - $659K, Norwell - $669K Marshfield - $449K, and Duxbury $629K. I also develop a monthy market stats report that you can download each month with the latest stats for each neighborhood!
What Is Your Favorite Thing About the Area?
I love so many things about South Shore but especially access to different beaches and amazing national parks. Within 10 minutes, we can skip the weekend rush and enjoy take out on a Wednesday evening while jumping waves. If we feel like hiking, mountain biking or fishing we have Wompatuck State Park, World’s End and National Harbor Islands at our doorstep. There really are so many ways to enjoy the outdoors in the area!