Living in Winthrop
Winthrop is a seaside community on a peninsula of about 1.6 square miles at the northern entrance to Boston Harbor, roughly 5.5 miles by road from Beacon Hill. It has about seven miles of shoreline, with Atlantic views to the east and the Boston skyline to the west. Revere lies to the north across a narrow isthmus, and Boston surrounds the rest, including Belle Isle Marsh, Logan Airport and Deer Island.
English colonists settled here in 1630 and called it Pullen Poynt. The town is named for John Winthrop, the second governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was part of Boston and later Chelsea, joined North Chelsea in 1846 and was incorporated in 1852. Since 2006 Winthrop has had a council-manager government; it is legally a city but keeps the name “town.”
Homes you will find
- Queen Anne, Shingle Style and Colonial Revival homes around the town center and along Pleasant Street
- Larger Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Craftsman and Tudor Revival houses in Cottage Park and Court Park
- Former summer cottages and beach houses near Winthrop Beach, Cottage Hill and Point Shirley
- Craftsman-style single-family homes, cottages and Colonial Revival houses in Winthrop Highlands
- Condos and apartments, including Seal Harbor and the former Fort Heath site
Getting around
Route 145 is Winthrop’s main road. Paul Revere Transportation has run local bus service since 1940, when the Winthrop branch of the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad closed. A seasonal MBTA ferry leaves the town’s public landing for Logan Airport, Central Wharf downtown and Fan Pier in the Seaport. Logan Airport shares a boundary with the town.
Beaches, parks and everyday life
Winthrop Beach and Yirrell Beach are the main beaches, with smaller spots at Donovan’s, Halford, Pico and Short Beach. Deer Island, joined to Winthrop since the 1938 hurricane filled the channel, and Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, shared with East Boston, add open space along the edges of town. Larsen Rink offers indoor skating, and there are baseball fields and a private nine-hole golf course.
Neighborhoods include Point Shirley, Court Park and Cottage Park on the harbor side, and Cottage Hill, Winthrop Beach, Ocean Spray and Winthrop Highlands on the bay side. The town center, including the Winthrop Center/Metcalf Square Historic District, is being redeveloped, and Magee’s Corner and Shirley Street are other business areas. The Deane Winthrop House is one of the oldest continuously occupied homes in the country, and the red, white and blue striped water tower on Great Head is a local landmark. Winthrop runs its own public school system, and families can contact Winthrop Public Schools directly for school details.
Who Winthrop suits
Winthrop suits buyers who want ocean views and beaches close to the city, those who like older homes with character on quiet residential streets, and frequent travelers who want Logan Airport nearby.
Thinking about Winthrop? Ask Suad about recent sales and what is on the market now, in English, Spanish (with Diana) or Bosnian.
