Rockport, and those other horribly adorable places

[Carter711]

I recently went to go visit Rockport, Massachusetts for the first time. Rockport is a small touristy town on the tip of Cape Ann on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The route to Rockport is a beautiful curvy road that hugs the coast, passing by beautiful well manicured homes. The center of Rockport is picture perfect. White clapboard homes and shops hugging narrow streets and well manicured parks and green spaces. Right there is Bearskin Neck, a car-less old fishing village situated on a narrow point that has been transformed into a community of quaint galleries and shops housed in fishing shack-esque buildings that hug the water. If that's not enough, there's a quaint old red lobser house that juts into the water just off Bearskin Neck that is one of New England's most photographed buildings. But the problem with Rockport isn't that it's not attractive, or untidy. It's that it's too attractive, too well kept, too charming and adorable - It's a angel love Martha Stewart block party. Inexplicably, I found I hated Rockport, even though it embodies so many good things we strive for in our communities (minus any diversity or real nightlife). I think I kind of like to root for cities to overcome challenges, and get such a kick out of watching them transform and progress. In Rockport, from an urban perspective, there aren't really any challenges to overcome. It's nearly perfect, and for that I hated it.

Any other towns out there like this?

P.S. - Rockport has this rule that you can't have an alcoholic drink unless you're having dinner at a restaurant there (appetizers don't count), and you have to wait until your dinner is served to have your drink. Some people think restrictions like this are quaint and old-fashioned. I think the fact they had a meeting to determine exactly when and where I can have a Heineken is ridiculous. It was kind of the icing on the cake for me.

[runawayjim]

there's lots of towns like this in new england. some have those weird alcohol rules, some don't. i've never been to rockport, but along the shoreline throughout new england, there are lots of those little towns. check out mystic, CT and bar harbor, ME.

[runawayjim]

That rule is a good example of what a number of towns like that do - they try to influence what businesses open up in town by making it impossible for certain businesses to do buisiness. The idea is how to stop bars from opening up in the touristy areas.

I think this is a great example of how we get sidetracked by aesthetics when trying to determine what is "right". WE forget that there is a lot more than building density and what kind of siding they all have.

Having said that, I think you also have to take into consideration what kind of community these places are. While New England has it's liberal reputation, tourist spots like this tend to be rich, with a pretty conservative, keep it the same bent. They get so protective of their "traditional feel" that in the end they completely drive out the character and turn it into a shopping mall. They become charicatures of themselves.

Spend some time touring the whole northern New England coast. There are all kinds of communities there - the touristy quaint villages, some pretty cool more progressive small cities (such as Portsmouth), and some downright ruffian areas, too.

i was so mad when my hometown pushed away a small brewing company from opening a brewpub in the center of town... branford, ct. it would've been a perfect spot. it's not like there aren't restaurants that get big bar crowds, but having a brewery means lots of drunks. give me a break!

[Carter711]

i was so mad when my hometown pushed away a small brewing company from opening a brewpub in the center of town... branford, ct. it would've been a perfect spot. it's not like there aren't restaurants that get big bar crowds, but having a brewery means lots of drunks. give me a break!

I agree, I don't see the harm in having a brewpub anywhere really - in fact, I think they're good for the community. There's a big difference between a big sketchy nightclub and a brewpub, but people don't understand, they think any nightlife is the devil.

[runawayjim]

I agree, I don't see the harm in having a brewpub anywhere really - in fact, I think they're good for the community. There's a big difference between a big sketchy nightclub and a brewpub, but people don't understand, they think any nightlife is the devil.

the brewpub woudl've been huge for the center of town... it's a great place for nightlife in a small shoreline CT town. there's 2 ice cream shops like 4 doors apart (funny how that is and providence doesn't have any downtown) that stay open late, especially in the summer...