Moving to Boston Suburbs: Town Guide - Peabody, MA

Moving to Boston Suburbs:  Peabody, MA

Moving to the Boston Suburbs and getting to know Peabody, the suburb located on the North Shore. In this video, we will talk about the different areas that make up Peabody and what this great town has to offer from restaurants to schools to greenspace. It’s all here!

Peabody is a town of a little under 55,000 residents according to the last census. Peabody has come a long way from its start as a farming community. Today it is a vibrant community which consists of the regions largest shopping mall, and industrial park that has attracted numerous medical and technology companies. Residents of Peabody will be quick to point out that Peabody is divided between West Peabody, South Peabody and Downtown Peabody. Downtown Peabody is kind of obvious… It’s their downtown and is actually located within close proximity to Salem. West Peabody has mostly become known as a middle to upper class suburb. It is here that you will find Brooksby Farm which is a 275-acre working farm and conservation area that has become a popular destination as well as some other great recreational areas.

Peabody Center is 2 miles from the center of Salem, 15 miles northeast of Boston and 18 miles west-southwest of Gloucester. Peabody is bordered by Middleton to the northwest, Danvers to the North, Salem to the East, Lynn to the South and Lynnfield to the Southwest. Boy… That’s is a mouthful. (More about Peabody Below)

According to Areavibes.com, Peabody earns the rating of an “A” for crime. The crime in the town is 57% below the National Average with Violent Crime being 45% below and Property Crime being 59% below the national average. It is considered a safe place to live!

One of the many draws to the suburbs are the schools. Peabody has eight Elementary Schools, one Middle School and one High School. The Middle School was recently just redone and is now a state-of-the-art facility serving the students of the town. The Peabody school system serves nearly 6,000 students with 439 teachers with a teacher to student ratio of 13 to 1. According to Boston Magazine, the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School is ranked number 111^th in the State with a 15.4 Student to Teacher ratio. The high school saw a 84.4% graduation rate with a 71.1% of graduating students attending college.  Also of note is that Peabody has three Private Schools, the Bishop Fenwick High School, the Covenant Christian Academy and the St. John Baptist School.

When it comes to leisure and green space… Peabody has you covered. While it is a green space… Golfing has never been a leisurable activity for me… Getting the ball to go straight continues to be my issue. There are two golf courses in Peabody for those that have found their peace with the game. The Meadow Golf Course is an 18-hole public course that is owned and operated by the city of Peabody. The course is situated on 259 acres with rolling terrain and various elevation changes. This course has many golf leagues including a Men’s Senior League and a women’s league. Golfing can get expensive and one of the best parts of the Meadow Golf Course is that it is on the less expensive side when it comes to playing 18 holes!

The Salem Country Club is a private club that dates back to 1895 when some wealthy citizens decided the city needed to have a Golf Course. They hired esteemed Donald Ross to design the course and it is now considered one of his greatest creations. It is said that the greens, but more specifically the green sites are considered near perfection. Each hole is thoughtfully designed and cleverly routed with not a single hole being considered weak.

Peabody has you covered when it comes to other areas for a little Rest and Relaxation. There is the Winona Pond Conservations, Crystal Lake Conservation and Russell Conservation areas. If you are looking for a little more then walking a picturesque park, then you can find playing fields at Lt Ross Park, Kennedy Fields, Raddin Park and Symphony Park. Lots of green space for you to choose from!

I also briefly mentioned Brooksby Farm earlier which is a little crown jewel of Peabody. It is a 275-acre working farm and conservation area where visitors can pick apples, strawberries and raspberries. They are also able to visit the petting zoo and hike the many trails on the property. It’s a pretty awesome spot.

The Peabody town center is a quintessential New England town. Brick facades that just scream charm. Here you will find larger chains like Walgreens to small mom and pop shops like a Shoe Repair and even a little model train stop. There are numerous banks and restaurants which include Mexican to Sushi to small Coffee shops.

There are many amazing restaurants in Peabody, but a couple to note include large chains like the Cheesecake Factory, Legal Sea Food and Tony C’s Bar & Grill. But they also have other notable smaller restaurants like Century House restaurant, Marco’s Restaurant, Stanzy’s Country Ranch and the Sylvan Street Grille. There are a lot of other great food options in Peabody… Let’s just say that you won’t go hungry anytime soon!

There are a couple areas of large commercial centers in Peabody. The first and foremost to be discussed should probably be the NorthShore Mall. The mall is near the Route 128 and 114 junction and spans nearly 1.7 million square feet. The mall offers guests 130 specialty stores. This is a mall that not only serves the residents of Peabody, but also the greater Boston North Shore area.

Peabody also has some cultural additions that contribute to the greatness of this town as well. The George Peabody House Museum is dedicated to the life and deeds of the town’s namesake, George Peabody. This museum also shares its walls with the Peabody Leather Museum. The Peabody Historical Society and Museum is a center for the preservation, study and enjoyment of Peabody’s cultural heritage. The society’s collection are of local and national significance and document over 300 years of the region’s history. The Society maintains eight historic properties, an extensive library and archives and a large collection of china, textiles, furniture and fine and decorative arts.

If it’s close proximity to highways that you are looking for, then Peabody might be the perfect place for you. Peabody has 95, route 1 and route 128 access that runs through the town. There are several MBTA bus services that go through the town with the closest MBTA Commuter Rail stop in Salem. The Newburyport/ Rockport Line takes commuters into Boston.

Peabody is one of the more affordable towns on the North Shore when you compare it to other neighboring towns. The average price for a condo traded for $381,000 while the average sales price for a Single Family was $629,000. There were 400 Single Family homes sold compared to the 110 condos in this time period. This gives you a great idea on the type of housing stock that is available to people considering Peabody.

There are a couple very notable employers in Peabody. Analogic Corporation which makes ultrasound equipment employees 800 in the town. Other large employers in Peabody is UTC Aerospace Systems which is one of the world’s largest suppliers of aerospace and defense products, Boston Children’s Hospital and Lahey Hospital & Medical Center.

If you are thinking about making a move and know that you want to be on the North Shore, then you should first put Peabody on the list of towns to check out and second reach out to me so I can learn more about what you are looking for and what is important to you. You will notice that one thing we are not short on in the Boston Metro Market is towns… We have a LOT of towns that surround Boston. And all of these towns can lead to confusion if you are not from around these parts… Heck, even if you are from around here! If you are looking to learn more about the communities that surround Boston, then these two videos on the screen now will be a great start!