Nahant Real Estate
Just 14 miles north from the center of Boston, Nahant (pronounced “nut-HAUNT”) offers stunning coastline and a classic small-town experience. With fewer than 4,000 residents, Nahant is one of the smallest towns on the North Shore. Most of its 15.5 square miles is water - - in fact, the name Nahant is derived from the Native American phrase for “almost an island.” Nahant’s rocky cliffs, beaches and vast ocean views attracted Boston’s elite families in the late 1800s and many of these homes still stand today. Nahant Road is lined with historic houses. For the prospective buyer, Nahant offers ample water views and well regarded schools at extremely competitive prices for the Boston area. Families are drawn to its relaxed pace and hilly, seaside setting. Read more about Nahant.
Nahant Homes & Condos For Sale
More About Nahant
Nahant Location
Nahant is one of the few towns in Massachusetts that only touches one other town by land. Though often referred to as an “island,” Nahant is connected by causeway to the city of Lynn. Its water rights border Revere, Winthrop, and Boston. The lack of commercial services in Nahant gives it a true island feel although it’s relatively easy to get to Lynn and Swampscott for other conveniences. The area along the west side, between Black Rock Point and Bass Point is the most populated area of town. Route 439 of the MBTA bus system loops within town before moving onto Lynn and providing access to Central Square, home for a stop along the Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA which goes into Boston’s North Station. The nearest highways include U.S. Route 1 in Saugus and I-95 and Route 128 in Peabody.
Nahant Recreation
Nahant is home to ten beaches as well as a number of small parks and the Kelly Greens Golf Course. Short Beach is one of the most popular beaches in town and is only accessible through a Nahant beach sticker. Waves are gentle and the walk to the sea is gradual, allowing kids and adults to easily adjust to the water. The adjoining Heritage Trail winds through marsh and woods while a paved walkway spans Short Beach and is ideal for walkers, dogs, and runners. Sailing along the coast is also a popular family pastime. Historic sites include a restored Coast Guard station now in use as a community center as well as recently revamped World War II bunkers which house the town’s vehicles.
Nahant History
Nahant was first settled in 1630 by the Puritans although most of its growth took place in the 1800s. The town separated from Lynn when the temperance movement threatened its summer resort trade in 1853. In the late 1800s Nahant operated some of the country’s first amusement parks and was a summer retreat for the wealthy, including Boston’s elite families - the Cabots, Lodges, and Lowells. The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and scientist Louis Agassiz all summered in Nahant. Much of that culture remains in the town's historic preservations and in Northeastern University’s siting its Marine Science Center on Nahant. Despite its closeness to the ocean, Nahant was also the site of the first lawn tennis match on East Point, leading many historians to wonder about the number of lost tennis balls floating in the ocean.
