Living in Lynn
Lynn is a North Shore city about 10 miles northeast of downtown Boston, on Nahant Bay. It borders Nahant, Swampscott, Salem, Peabody, Lynnfield and Saugus, and it connects to Revere across the Saugus River by the General Edwards Bridge. European settlement began in 1629, and Lynn became a city in 1850, named after King’s Lynn in England. Tanning and shoemaking began here in 1635 and grew into the city’s main industry; the last shoe factory closed in 1981. General Electric’s River Works plant remains a major employer.
Lynn is often described in three parts: East Lynn, with the Diamond District and Lynn Shore, Wyoma Square and the Highlands; West Lynn, with Pine Hill, Tower Hill and Lynnhurst; and the central downtown around Central Square.
Homes you will find
- Homes from the mid-to-late 1800s and early 1900s, many in the Diamond Historic District near the ocean, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Single- and multi-family homes across neighborhoods in East and West Lynn
- Loft-style apartments in converted industrial buildings downtown
- Newer buildings, including a 10-story building on Monroe Street and a large waterfront development on Carroll Parkway
Getting around
Lynn station is on the MBTA Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, with trips to North Station of about 20 minutes. Many MBTA bus routes connect Lynn with Boston and nearby communities. Route 1A follows the coast as the Lynnway, and Routes 107, 129 and 129A also pass through the city. The Northern Strand Community Trail ends in Lynn after running from Everett through Malden, Revere and Saugus, and Logan Airport is about five miles to the south.
Parks, beaches and everyday life
Lynn Woods Reservation covers about 2,200 acres and is described as the largest municipal park in New England; Frederick Law Olmsted served as a design consultant. On the coast, Lynn Shore Drive opened in 1910 alongside the Lynn Shore Reservation and runs between Nahant and Swampscott, forming the ocean edge of the Diamond District. Kings Beach and Lynn Beach both face Nahant Bay. High Rock Tower Reservation has a stone observation tower, and Lynn Heritage State Park is also in the city. The city has 49 parks in all.
Other landmarks include Lynn Memorial Auditorium, the Lynn Museum and Historical Society, and Fraser Field, the city’s baseball stadium. North Shore Community College has a downtown campus. Lynn runs its own public school system, and families can contact Lynn Public Schools directly for school details.
Who Lynn suits
Lynn suits commuters who want a short train ride to North Station, buyers who like historic homes near the ocean, and investors looking at multi-family homes and converted buildings on the North Shore.
Thinking about Lynn? Ask Suad about recent sales and what is on the market now, in English, Spanish (with Diana) or Bosnian.
