NEW BEDFORD

From arts to culture, to ethnic restaurants and budding new business, New Bedford is a thriving city by the sea that offers more affordability and amenities than any neighboring SouthCoast location.

New Bedford is well-known for its illustrious history as one of the richest whaling capitals in the country. After the demise of the industry, New Bedford changed into a manufacturing giant, but the traces of seafarers still remained. Today, the city boasts a large working waterfront, nautical shops nestled on cobblestone streets and a fast ferry to Martha's Vineyard.

While a few manufacturing giants still do business in New Bedford, the city has taken on a more diverse business landscape. Downtown hosts restaurants, banks, stores and offices. The New Bedford Industrial Park, home to larger businesses, many of which are high technology, is expanding.

Not to be outdone, the city arts scene continues to thrive. AHA!, New Bedford's free Downtown Gallery Night program, is held on the second Thursday of each month. Events are put on by a collaborative team of more that 15 New Bedford museums, galleries, arts organizations, merchants, restaurants and the National Historical Park. Downtown also boasts several art galleries, and the Zeiterion Theatre, a performing arts center built in the early 1920s, which features symphonies, ballets and performances by such artists as Wynton Marsalis and Lily Tomlin.

Visitors and residents alike can learn more about New Bedford's rich history by taking a stroll through the expansive downtown. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is an educational, entertaining experience for all ages, and Seaman's Bethel, which was the original "Whaleman's Chapel" in Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," is open to the public for worship and tours. These two historic landmarks are located in New Bedford's Whaling National Historical Park. The park encompasses 34 acres spread over 13 city blocks and includes a visitor center, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Seamen's Bethel, the schooner Ernestina, and the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum, a 28-room Greek Revival mansion built for whaling merchant William Rotch, Jr. in 1834. The museum offers permanent and changing exhibits, lecture series, programs and events.

Despite a staggering array of offerings, from stores, private schools, entertainment, zoo, parks, and beaches, New Bedford remains one of the most affordable places to call home. Buyers can choose from former homes of sea captains to multi-families with money-making potential.

New Bedford is a wonderful place to live, work, & play - everyday!

DARTMOUTH

Dartmouth is a rural town offering a wonderful array of recreational activities; Dartmouth is a perfect place to enjoy nature during the changing seasons. The Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies, located off the beaten path in South Dartmouth, offers hiking trails and free admission to the building, as well as art classes, bird walks and more. A scenic drive along the winding back roads leading into Westport reveals sprawling farms and quaint historical buildings. Dartmouth was settled in the 1650s and incorporated in 1664. The first settlements were in the areas of Russells Mills, Slocum Neck, and Smith Neck, called Nomquid by the Indians. The Quakers had influence here and built a handful of meeting houses, including the Apponagansett Friends Meeting House, which still stands today.

Dartmouth is comprised of 64 square miles, making it the fifth largest town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The landscape consists of a scenic coastline that borders Buzzards Bay, coastal estuaries including the Slocum River, Little River, Apponagansett River and Clark's Cove, and wooded areas punctuated by open space. Residents can have their home in the woods and their seaside retreat in Padanaram. Often referred to as Padanaram Village, this section of Dartmouth boasts a village feel, with cozy restaurants, small shops and narrow streets. Padanaram is well known for its marinas and elegant homes and hosts hundreds of affluent summertime residents every year. There are several nooks for swimming; Dartmouth boasts both private and public beaches, including the Demarest Lloyd State Reservation.

Also attractive is Dartmouth's educational and commercial offerings. Dartmouth boasts several private schools, including Friends Academy for students starting in kindergarten through eighth grade and Bishop Stang High School. The UMass Dartmouth campus continues to offer an outstanding education at an affordable price.

Commercially, Dartmouth offers everything a consumer could want, from major retailers such as Macy's, Target, Lowe's, Best Buy and more, to service firms, to mom and pop stores, to an enormous array of restaurants.

There are many organizations dedicated to the betterment of the town. The Friends of the Dartmouth Libraries recently held their annual Book Sale, which also featured a separate room dedicated to the sale of rare and collectible books. The Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust's recent "Big Barn Bash" raised more than $20,000 and featured a barbecue dinner and square-dancing. Preservation of the town's rural character and agricultural resources is a top priority. The town has bought and protected many parcels of land and farms with Community Preservation Funds and other town-sponsored programs.

Dartmouth has expanded in recent years. The number of residents who call Dartmouth home has risen from 27,244 in 1990 to 35,054 in 2006. With Dartmouth real estate you will find a variety of opportunities available . Dartmouth offers residential homes, new construction, condominiums (condos), adult living communities (55+ communities), retirement homes and facilities, land, waterfront properties and multi-family investment properties as well as vacation homes, farms, equine and country properties in a quaint, picturesque small town atmosphere.

ACUSHNET

Acushnet is a friendly quiet town with a population over 10,000 residents.!Located in Bristol County, Massachusetts, this town was originally an agricultural community embracing the headwaters of the Acushnet River. ”Acushnet” comes from the Wampanoag “Cushnea” meaning “as far as the waters” originally designating the fact that the Indian tribe which sold the land to the Puritans inhabited the lands leading up to the river.

Through the 1800s, the town was the site of water-powered factories and boat yards; in the 1990s, the town hosted construction, manufacturing and agri/aquaculture industries.

Acushnet has may wonderful historic sites and buildings, including The Long Plain Museum. Located in the former Long Plain Schoolhouse (1875) the museum has an amazing 1875 schoolroom kept just as it looked over 130 years ago. The Meetinghouse (1875) is the oldest Friends house of Worship in the South Coast and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The historic Free Public Library of Acushnet is a classical building constructed from stones gathered from fields and farms in Acushnet.

Today you will find many miles of winding, country roads with rolling green hills, small ponds and streams. Acushnet is a very comfortable town to call home. Recently, Banker and Tradesmen selected Acushnet as of the top affordable towns to live in in the South Coast. Residents take great pride in the town's schools, openness, and feeling of family. Students currently attend elementary and middle school in Acushnet before choosing a high school in nearby Fairhaven, New Bedford or Old Colony Vocational in Rochester. Students and adults can find many activities in Acushnet, including teeing it up at Acushnet River Valley Golf Course or participating in several town-sponsored sports leagues.

In 1910, Acushnet Process Company (now the Acushnet Company) was founded in town, and continues to be one of Southeastern Massachusetts’s most successful industries. Acushnet Company owns Titleist, the maker of one of the best known golf balls!

The annualApple/Peach Festival is one of the best agricultural fair/festivals in the state Yard sales and farm stands line the main street of Acushnet. All leading to the center where the real action takes place. What is less well known, is that Acushnet is home to a variety of the juice filled, succulent, Georgia peach, known here, as "the big white peach". One bite and you become a lifelong fan. It goes without saying, that the apple harvest and localy made ciders, ought not to be missed also. In addition to the freshly picked produce, the women of the community bring their best homemade peach, apple, & custard, pies and pastries to market. This is an event well worth traveling for.

FAIRHAVEN

Fairhaven's location by the sea gives this small town a nautical feel, but it's the sense of history and community that define Fairhaven for residents.

A massive harbor and substantial coastline shaped the town's future as a whaling and fishing port. The whaling trade brought wealthier residents to Fairhaven and its neighbor, New Bedford; but it was Fairhaven that reveled in the generosity of resident Henry Huttleston Rogers. Fairhaven's Center is renowned for its architectural masterpieces donated by town benefactor and Standard Oil Co. millionaire Henry Huttleston Rogers during the whaling and fishing boom.

Today historical walking tours given by the Office of Tourism take you through many of the public buildings donated by Rogers and through Fort Phoenix – with the latter tour being guided by a colonial militiaman. Fairhaven's history is still very much alive, but residents remain dedicated to the town's future. Civic organizations and groups constantly rally for positive changes in Fairhaven.

Fairhaven's history stems beyond the whaling days, when the town's shoreline was used to fight naval battles. Shortly after 1775, a fort was built and outfitted with eleven cannons. The fort was destroyed by a British invasion in 1778 but rebuilt and named Fort Phoenix; it was manned throughout the Civil War.

The community spirit fostered by residents' efforts is evident throughout the year but particularly in the summer when Fairhaven comes alive with a number of events. One of the most well-known, the Homecoming Day Fair sponsored by the Fairhaven Improvement Association, features 175 booths of arts and crafts and food vendors, live entertainment, art show and children's activities.

In addition to actively promoting its history, the town has made a future for itself in commercial pursuits as well, and Fairhaven has kept building concentrated along Route 6. Shopping plazas house department stores, grocery stores and restaurants, in addition to a smattering of independently owned stores. Many of the Fairhaven businesses are mainstays and have been in operation for many years.

Fairhaven's real estate is eclectic. Because of its history, it is not uncommon for a home built in the 1800s to go on the market. But most homes in Fairhaven are of modest size, tucked away in family-friendly neighborhoods shaded by large oaks.

MATTAPOISETT

A small seaside village community with about 6,500 year-round residents, Mattapoisett typifies leisure and relaxation. From its harbor on Buzzards Bay, to sandy beaches, to historic homes and cozy restaurants, Mattapoisett offers residents a setting to truly enjoy what living on the water has to offer.

Mattapoisett's harbor makes the town a premier boating spot. During the summer there are boats of every size and shape moored to the docks, and the beaches offer swimming and sunbathing. A few are private, shaded by trees, sand dunes and sea grass; but each is beautiful and perfect for a day of sunning and swimming with the family or perhaps fishing or simply walking.

Mattapoisett's famous Shipyard Park provides excellent views of the Atlantic and along with Mattapoisett Wharf is a community hub. In the summer, claim a piece of the park's lawn and enjoy a Mattapoisett Band night. Live music, square dancing, teen dance nights and classic car shows light up the park. The summer also brings a host of annual festivals and events. Harbor Days in July features crafters and artisans, live entertainment, a seafood roll and chowder dinner, a Lobsterfest and more. Another annual event, the Mattapoisett Road Race on the 4th of July, is a five-mile course that winds through the village, along the waterfront, around Ned's Point Lighthouse and back to Shipyard Park at the town wharf.

Mattapoisett is well-known for its New England "village" feel. The town was incorporated in 1857, and the first settlements in the town were seasonal. The town traded with Nantucket, Newport, New York and Savannah, and a shipping complex was developed at the head of Mattapoisett harbor in the first half of the 18th century. By 1855 there were 16 whaling ships in operation. Mattapoisett eventually became one of the most important shipbuilding sites on the East Coast. Many of the whaling ships that sailed from New Bedford were crafted in Mattapoisett, as well as the Acushnet on which Herman Melville sailed.

For a glimpse into Mattapoisett's past, visit the Kinsale Inn. The inn was built in 1799 by Joseph Meigs, a master carpenter in the shipyards. He used the building as his home, a tavern and general store. For local residents and visitors alike, it has always been a great place to stop for a drink or a bite to eat after a day of sightseeing and remains the oldest seaside tavern in the country still operating in its original structure.

Mattapoisett is a family-friendly town. After-school sports programs offered by the Mattapoisett Recreation Department seek to keep the youngest residents active. Students attend elementary school here, before continuing their studies at Old Rochester Regional junior high and high school, which serves the towns of Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester. Additionally, private schools in neighboring towns, including Tabor Academy in Marion, offer more education choices.

Mattapoisett homes hold their value, largely due to the town's small size and its location on the bay. An affordably priced home in Mattapoisett could start at around $300,000. Mattapoisett seasonal rentals can go as high as $4,000 a month for a Cape.