Just 60 miles south of Boston, a stone's throw from the Cape, Nantucket, and the Vineyard, and within easy reach of the Berkshires, Providence and even New York City, the South Coast is Massachusetts's most conveniently located hidden gem. Its unspoiled shores and charming villages have made this waterfront stretch both an in-demand real estate market and a dreamy destination for weekend getaways.
From when I grew up to now, it has gone from just Southeastern Massachusetts to something with a true identity. A lot of people say it is like what the Cape used to be before it was commercialized.
Having been raised in Mattapoisett and moving back here with my husband in 1999, I now operate two local businesses on the South Coast: both our fast growing real estate brokerage Demakis Family Real Estate, and the Town Wharf General Store. Both our real estate office and storefront are located in an 18th-century building overlooking Mattapoisett harbor. If you haven't visited the general store, you'll find it celebrates the best of the South Coast with New England specialties, craft beers and wine, a coffee bar where locals can stop by for Jim's Organic Coffee and weekend donuts, curated gifts, and, as I always like to say: everything you'd need for a great cocktail party.
Through my local work and variety of volunteer positions I've witnessed the South Coast region which includes towns like Mattapoisett and Marion, Fairhaven, New Bedford, Dartmouth and Westport, as well as a few others grow exponentially over recent years. With this blog post I'd love for you to take an insider look at this on-the-rise destination with its walkable villages, picturesque harbors, and community beaches, land trust trails, and gorgeous homes. And then of course, please contact me or one of my agents to find some time to explore this very special region.
1. The Villages
The sister towns of Mattapoisett and Marion are the residential heart of the South Coast, closely connected by their harbors. Mattapoisett and Marion have beautiful harbors. A lot of people from out of the area will use Mattapoisetts town wharf to launch their boat, eventually spend some time exploring on land, and wind up falling in love with the area.
Mattapoisett started out as the epicenter of the whaling trade in the 18th century where whaling ships were built, and the town still retains a small-town nautical feel. Most South Coast towns follow a similar suit, having a downtown village district with walkable options for dining out, shopping, collecting your mail, and visiting with neighbors on their front porches.
In Marion, local dining options range from Kates Simple Eats (a village cafe focused on healthy options) to the Atlantic Bistro, specializing in locally sourced and beautifully prepared dishes. Brewfish offers comfort food and New England brews on a night out. For seafood, look to Mattapoisett, which features Turks, a sushi/seafood restaurant in high demand from diners across the region, Oxford Creamery, a popular ice cream and clam shack where crowds line up on Summer nights, and The Inn on Shipyard Park, the oldest seaside Inn in the nation, where you can dine on creative coastal meals and sip craft cocktails while overlooking the harbor you can even book an overnight room if you've had one too many. (The Inn is directly across the street from our building.)
These two towns, along with Rochester make up the Tri-Town and are part of the Old Rochester Regional School District, one of the best in the Commonwealth. Marion is also home to the preparatory school Tabor Academy, so family activities take place in the area on a regular basis.
Shipyard Park in Mattapoisett hosts a town band every Wednesday night and classic car meet-up every other Friday night in the summertime, and is also the site of Harbor Days each July when hundreds of vendors gather to sell their goods, host a taste of the town night, and when you'll find the towns annual triathlon. Nearby Fairhaven and New Bedford also feature beautiful public buildings that rival those found in European cities, all kinds of year-round attractions, the famous New Bedford Whaling Museum, top-notch restaurants like burger joint DNB Craft Kitchen, and a downtown historic district with dozens of creative shops recently designated its own National Park.
We also have a beautiful new bike path that will eventually connect much of the entire South Coast. But for those who like to bicycle, the South Coast has picturesque backroads as well as the coastal path!
2. The Beaches
Since its the South Coast, much of daily life is wrapped up in the ocean. The Buzzards Bay Coalition safeguards the regions natural areas for fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, and birdwatching along Buzzards Bay and its watersheds. This non-profit bay keeper holds regular fundraising sporting events, including bike rides, swim meets, regattas, and other opportunities for experiencing the natural beauty of the region.
Mattapoisetts Neds Point Lighthouse is a popular area for paddle boarding and windsurfing due to its consistently gusty environment and just down the road, the Nasketucket Bay State Reservation is ideal for hiking and launching a kayak. The beaches along Sconticut Neck Road and West Island State Reservation in Fairhaven also remain particularly popular for getting a little sand and sun.
3. The Homes
Many of the towns along the South Coast offer that coveted beach community feel. Different beach neighborhoods with their own distinct personalities and many with old Native names like Antassawamock, Point Connett, Winnatuxett, and Nonquitt are peppered with a housing stock ranging from quirky summer-only waterfront cottages to multi-million dollar architecturally significant homes.
Village districts are often some of the most coveted places for out-of-town home buyers because of their Nantucket-style charm and walkable lifestyle. And of course, all South Coast towns offer family-friendly and traditional cul-de-sac neighborhoods with varying price points, and in many cases, more affordable options than what you'll find in MetroWest, South Shore, and Cape family neighborhoods.
Theyre small towns with big identities. It's what makes them so special.
It's no wonder that people from across the Northeast are flocking to the South Coast in droves to find new homes and make a new life for themselves and appreciate all that this amazing region has to offer.
Founded and owned by Chris Demakis, Mattapoisett-based Demakis Family Real Estate represents the best in South Coast and Southeastern Massachusetts real estate. With local family ties and broad regional knowledge, exceptional client service, and the latest marketing and technology tools, Demakis Family Real Estate leads the region for real estate brokerages representing discriminating sellers and buyers. Contact Chris at chris@demakis.com and 508-287-2695 for more information on how to make your move to the South Coast.
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