Living in Swampscott
Swampscott is a coastal town on the North Shore, about 12 miles northeast of Boston, between Lynn, Salem and Marblehead. It was the eastern part of Lynn until it became its own town in 1852, and in the early 1900s it was a popular seaside resort. President Calvin Coolidge used a Swampscott estate, White Court, as his Summer White House.
The town center is anchored by Monument Square, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, and the Olmsted Subdivision is a historic district of its own. Other parts of town include Beach Bluff, Phillips Point and Phillips Beach. The Swampscott Fish House, built in 1896, is described as the oldest active fish house in the country.
Homes you will find
- Single-family homes, from older colonials and Victorians to mid-century houses
- Larger homes near the ocean in areas like Phillips Point and Beach Bluff
- Two-family homes and condos
Getting around
Swampscott station, on Railroad Avenue near the Lynn border, is a stop on the MBTA Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, with trains to North Station in Boston. The station is accessible and has a park-and-ride lot, and its 1868 depot building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Several MBTA bus routes also serve the town. Route 1A passes north of the center toward Salem, and Route 129 follows the coast into Marblehead. There is no highway inside town; Route 1 and Route 128 are a short drive away.
Beaches, parks and everyday life
Most of the shoreline is rocky, but the town has five beaches. Phillips Beach is the largest, and King’s Beach stretches across the line into Lynn. Fisherman’s Beach, Whales Beach and Eisman’s Beach round out the list. Inland, Harold King Forest offers wooded land in the northwest corner of town, and Foster Pond and Palmer Pond add small patches of water.
The Swampscott Rail Trail follows a former rail line and connects at Seaview Avenue with the Marblehead Rail Trail, which continues into Marblehead and on to Salem. More of the Swampscott section is planned. Swampscott runs its own public school system, which opened a new elementary school in 2024, and families can contact Swampscott Public Schools directly for details.
Who Swampscott suits
Swampscott suits buyers who want beaches and ocean walks close to home and a train stop in town for getting into Boston. It works for commuters to North Station, people who like to bike or walk on rail trails, and buyers looking for anything from a condo to a larger single-family home near the water.
Curious about Swampscott? Ask Luis about recent sales and current listings, in English or Spanish.
