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'The '''North Shore''' is a region in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Massachusetts]], loosely defined as the coastal area between [[Boston]] and [[New Hampshire]]. The region is made up both of a rocky coastline, dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as several beaches and natural harbors. The North Shore is an important historical, cultural, and economic region of Massachusetts. It contains the cities of [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]], known world-wide as the site of the [[Salem Witch Trials]]; and [[Gloucester, Massachusetts|Gloucester]], site of [[Sebastian Junger|Sebastian Junger's]] 1997 creative nonfiction book ''[[The Perfect Storm (book)|The Perfect Storm]]'' and its 2000 [[The Perfect Storm (film)|film adaptation]]. [[Beverly, Massachusetts|Beverly]] was home to author [[John Updike]] until his death. The region also prominently figures in the works of [[H. P. Lovecraft]], notably ''[[The Shadow over Innsmouth]]'', as well as those of many New England poets, from [[T.S. Eliot]] to [[Robert Lowell]]. ==Definition== The North Shore has no fixed definition as a region. It may include only those communities between Boston and [[Cape Ann]], as defined by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (whose purview does not go beyond [[Greater Boston]]);<ref>{{cite web|author=Metropolitan Area Planning Council|url=http://www.mapc.org/subregions/nstf|title=North Shore Task force|accessdate=2011-03-09|publisher=MAPC.org}}</ref> or the larger part of [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex County]], including parts of the [[Merrimack Valley]], as defined by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce.<ref>{{cite web|author=North Shore Chamber of Commerce|url=http://www.northshorechamber.org/member-benefits/community-profiles.html|title=North Shore Chamber of Commerce: Community Profiles|accessdate=2011-03-09|publisher=Northshorechamber.org}}</ref> The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, which defines regions in terms of [[watershed]], refers to the North Shore as the coastal region of Massachusetts north of Boston stretching from [[Salisbury, Massachusetts|Salisbury]] to [[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]], including the inland city of [[Amesbury, Massachusetts|Amesbury]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management|url=http://www.mass.gov/czm/ns.htm|title=CZM's North Shore Region|accessdate=2011-03-09|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts}}</ref> ===Coastal=== North Shore of Massachusetts could be taken to mean the entire coast of Massachusetts from New Hampshire to Boston (listed in order, North-to-South): {| |width="40"| |valign="top"| *[[Salisbury, Massachusetts|Salisbury]] *[[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]] *[[Newbury, Massachusetts|Newbury]] *[[Rowley, Massachusetts|Rowley]] *[[Ipswich, Massachusetts|Ipswich]] *[[Essex, Massachusetts|Essex]] |width="40"| |valign="top"| *[[Rockport, Massachusetts|Rockport]] *[[Gloucester, Massachusetts|Gloucester]] *[[Manchester, Massachusetts|Manchester-by-the-Sea]] *[[Beverly, Massachusetts|Beverly]] *[[Danvers, Massachusetts|Danvers]] *[[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]] |width="40"| |valign="top"| *[[Marblehead, Massachusetts|Marblehead]] *[[Swampscott, Massachusetts|Swampscott]] *[[Nahant, Massachusetts|Nahant]] *[[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn]] *[[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]] |} ===Economic=== [[Image:Rockport_harbor.jpg|thumb|right|Fishing boats in the harbor of Rockport, Massachusetts.|300px]] The Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council's [http://www.mapc.org/subregions/nstf North Shore Task Force], a regional planning agency, defines the North Shore as also encompassing [[Cape Ann]] and several inland communities. When combined with the North Shore Chamber of Commerce's definition of the region, the North Shore comprises the following cities and towns: {| |width="40"| |valign="top"| *[[Amesbury, Massachusetts|Amesbury]] *[[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]] *[[Beverly, Massachusetts|Beverly]] *[[Boxford, Massachusetts|Boxford]] *[[Burlington, Massachusetts|Burlington]] *[[Danvers, Massachusetts|Danvers]] *[[Essex, Massachusetts|Essex]] *[[Georgetown, Massachusetts|Georgetown]] *[[Gloucester, Massachusetts|Gloucester]] *[[Groveland, Massachusetts|Groveland]] |width="40"| |valign="top"| *[[Hamilton, Massachusetts|Hamilton]] *[[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]] *[[Ipswich, Massachusetts|Ipswich]] *[[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]] *[[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn]] *[[Lynnfield, Massachusetts|Lynnfield]] *[[Manchester, Massachusetts|Manchester]] *[[Marblehead, Massachusetts|Marblehead]] *[[Merrimac, Massachusetts|Merrimac]] *[[Methuen, Massachusetts|Methuen]] |width="40"| |valign="top"| *[[Middleton, Massachusetts|Middleton]] *[[Nahant, Massachusetts|Nahant]] *[[Newbury, Massachusetts|Newbury]] *[[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]] *[[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]] *[[North Reading, Massachusetts|North Reading]] *[[Peabody, Massachusetts|Peabody]] *[[Reading, Massachusetts|Reading]] *[[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]] *[[Rockport, Massachusetts|Rockport]] |width="40"| |valign="top"| *[[Rowley, Massachusetts|Rowley]] *[[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]] *[[Salisbury, Massachusetts|Salisbury]] *[[Saugus, Massachusetts|Saugus]] *[[Stoneham, Massachusetts|Stoneham]] *[[Swampscott, Massachusetts|Swampscott]] *[[Topsfield, Massachusetts|Topsfield]] *[[Wakefield, Massachusetts|Wakefield]] *[[Wenham, Massachusetts|Wenham]] *[[West Newbury, Massachusetts|West Newbury]] *[[Woburn, Massachusetts|Woburn]] |} ===Cultural=== The North Shore has historically been viewed as a wealthy, exclusive collection of towns and fishing villages,<ref>{{cite web|author=Simon, Stephanie|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703584804576143792676029586.html|title=Massachusetts's North Shore|accessdate=2011-03-10|publisher=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> but also contains many working-class cities and suburbs of Boston.<ref>{{cite web|author=Baker, Jeff|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2011/03/townie_review_pieces_of_a_shat.html|title='Townie' review: Pieces of a shattered childhood by Andre Dubus III|accessdate=2011-03-10|publisher=The Oregonian}}</ref> In 1893, the ''New York Times'' described the region as a notable summer destination for the socialites, politicians, and businessmen of New York and New England, dotted with hotels, cottages, and burgeoning gentlemen's clubs.<ref>{{cite web|author=The New York Times|url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=FB0F1FFB3D5A1A738DDDAA0894D1405B8385F0D3|title=On the Famous North Shore|accessdate=2011-03-09|publisher=New York Times}}</ref> Salem, known worldwide as the location of the [[Salem Witch Trials]]; the working-class<ref>{{cite web|author=Simon, Stephanie|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703584804576143792676029586.html|title=Massachusetts's North Shore|accessdate=2011-03-10|publisher=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> fishing city of Gloucester; and the region's many beaches make it a popular tourist destination.<ref>{{cite web|author=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism|url=http://www.massvacation.com/rtc/north-of-boston.php|title=North of Boston at a glance|accessdate=2011-03-09|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts}}</ref> ==History== The North Shore communities have varied and rich histories: [[Gloucester, Massachusetts|Gloucester]] was America's first fishing community; [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]] was the location of the infamous [[Salem Witch Trials|Witch Trials]] as well as one of the largest centers of shipping and sixth largest city in early America. The hysteria that led to the Witch Trials began in the part of Salem that is now present-day [[Danvers, Massachusetts|Danvers]]. [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn]] was once the center of the American [[shoe]] industry. [[Saugus, Massachusetts|Saugus]] is home to the [[Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site|first integrated ironworks]] in North America. [[Peabody, Massachusetts|Peabody]] had the largest concentration of [[leather]] [[Tanning|tanneries]] in the world; and [[Beverly, Massachusetts|Beverly]] and [[Marblehead, Massachusetts|Marblehead]] often dispute over which town was the birthplace of the [[U.S. Navy|American Navy]]. [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]] was well known for producing clipper ships and for a brief time in history was the richest city in the Union; it is also the birthplace of the United States Coast Guard. Newburyport maintains the largest collection of Federal period commercial and residential architecture in the nation. ==Sites of interest== [[Image:Newburyport_downtown.jpg|thumb|right|Market Square in downtown Newburyport, Massachusetts.|300px]] *The [[Peabody Essex Museum]] - a museum with large collections of maritime artifacts and Asian art. *The [[Salem, Massachusetts#Witch-related tourism|Salem Witch Museum]] *The [[Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site|Saugus Iron Works]] *The [[Swampscott Fish House]] - the oldest active fish house in the country. *The Salem Seaport *[[Newburyport]]'s historic district maintains the nation's largest collection of Federal period architecture *Historic Gloucester and Rockport Seaports *Historic Downtown [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]] *[[North Shore Navigators]] collegiate-league baseball team *The [[North Shore Music Theatre]] in [[Beverly, Massachusetts|Beverly]], New England's largest [[regional theater]] *The [[Cabot Street Cinema Theatre]] in [[Beverly, Massachusetts|Beverly]] is home to [[Le Grand David]], the world's longest-running resident [[stage magic]] show. ==See also== *[[South Shore (Massachusetts)|South Shore]] *[[Greater Boston]] *[[Merrimack Valley]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{Massachusetts}} {{coord|42.684454|N|70.635223|W|type:adm2nd_region:US-MA|display=title}} [[Category:Regions of Massachusetts]]'