Ever since I moved to Boston two years ago, I’ve been slowly but surely exploring different parts of New England. I’m honestly not sure how long we are going to stay in Boston so I’m trying to take advantage as much as possible of living in this beautiful region of the United States. On Monday, my fiancé and I decided to make an impromptu trip to Newburyport. In this blog post, I’m covering everything we did on our trip, some tips / lessons learned, restaurant options (veggie friendly!) and things on our list for next time.
Is Newburyport worth a visit?
But first, is Newburyport worth a visit? Honestly, I always ask myself this question for any place I visit as there. There is so much to see and do in New England so it’s important to prioritize. After visiting, I absolutely think Newburyport is worth a visit. There is plenty of things to do in Newburyport on a day trip or even longer.
One of the things I loved was how nice the locals are. Living in Boston (and originally being from South Carolina), I definitely notice how abrasive some people can be. It was a breath of fresh air to visit Newburyport.
I also loved the variety of things to do. You could spend your time in museums and shops or in the great outdoors or a mixture of both.
Best ways to get to Newburyport from Boston
Take the Newburyport / Rockport Line from North Station
The first option is to take the T from North Station and ride 9 stops to Newburyport which will take you around 1 hour and 7 minutes. The station is about a 25-30 minute walk from Market Square (where all boutiques and a lot of restaurants are). If you don’t feel like walking, you can grab a quick Uber
Drive to Newburyport
Your second option, if you have a car, is to drive to Newburyport. Depending on where you live in Boston, this can be a quick 45 minute drive. We decided to drive and had zero issues with parking. There were a lot of parking lots and we chose to park at Waterfront Trust Parking Lot which is right next to the Waterfront Park. Parking was a $1/hour and you could either pay at the kiosk or via the Passport App.
I’m not sure the cost of the other parking lots but can definitely recommend parking at the Waterfront Trust Parking Lot. It’s a great location that is within walking distance of plenty of things to do.
I recommend using the app as you can extend the amount of time as the day goes on rather than paying for it all upfront.
Tips for your trip to Newburyport
Try to avoid visiting on a Monday
We made the mistake of visiting Newburyport on a Monday. I recommend going on another day of the week. Not only were some restaurants closed but also the museums and art galleries so we weren’t able to learn about the local history in this coastal town.
Visit in the summer months
I recommend a trip to Newburyport in the summer months. The weather is normally pleasant (we were unlucky and had rainy weather) and, as you’ll do a lot of walking around, you’ll appreciate some of the sun. Especially given how cold New England is during the winter. I’m sure spring and fall are also great times to visit this town.
Day trip to Newburyport | Best Things to do
I was a bit bummed that we didn’t have 4th of July long weekend plans so I was thrilled when my fiancé, Eric suggested visiting Newburyport. An impromptu trip? Twist my arm why don’t you.
We left our apartment in Jamaica Plain around 10:00 am to head to Newburyport. Unfortunately, it’s been a rainy summer in New England so the weather was definitely dreary but we were determined not to let it spoil the day.
Grab a coffee and pastry at Changing Tides Cafe
Our first stop of the day was this cute little cafe that one of my best friends recommended. When I briefly looked them up on Google, I saw photos of scrumptious looking donuts. Eric loves a good donut so I promised him one from this cafe. He was really excited on our walk over and then we realized that they only sell donuts on Fridays. Oops. That was definitely my bad for not checking their website.
We opted to get a cheddar scallion sage scone and I got a dirty chai and Eric got ginger turmeric chai. As an Indian-American, I almost never order chai at places because it’s usually way too sweet, too bland, or just disappointing overall. I was really pleasantly surprised about their chai (Eric loved his as well!) and would definitely recommend it. The scone was also scrumptious.
For seating they have a few options inside and then they have more tables and chairs outside. If you’re in a rush, they also have a to go window you can access from the street.
Overall, I definitely recommend a stop at Changing Tides Cafe and if you happen to go there on a Friday and snag a donut, please let me know how it is!
Eat a delicious bagel at Abraham’s Bagels
We were still a little hungry after the scone and I was craving a bagel so we found a spot called Abraham’s Bagels.
We got there just in time. The line was snaking around the corner by the time we left.
This unassuming bagel spot carries bagels with cream cheese, bagel sandwiches, and other sandwiches. We opted for a jalapeño bagel with chive cream cheese. It seriously hit the spot. I would love to come back and try some of their other bagel options.
And of course as always, I forgot to take a photo until I had already taken a bite. #Sorrynotsorry
Stroll around Waterfront Park + Harborwalk
Next up we walked alongside the Waterfront Park and on the Harborwalk. I absolutely love being near water so it was a nice little stroll after housing down my bagel.
On our walk, we came across Oldies Marketplace and decided to check it out. It’s a sizable store with gently used items of all kinds. You can find glassware, books, jewelry, antiques, you name it really. I also liked their clothing section. Though I didn’t end up getting anything, the selection was eclectic. I think it’s definitely worth a stop even if it’s just to do a quick walkthrough.
After we left Oldies Marketplace, we came across the Newburyport Art Association (located on Water Street) which had a little sculpture park in the front. Unfortunately, as it was a Monday, it and the other art galleries were closed. I definitely plan on checking it out next time I’m in town.
Shop at Tannery Marketplace
We stumbled across Tannery Marketplace which has an assortment of shops, a little convenience store, and some spots to grab a quick bite. As someone who loves to read, the Jabberwocky Bookshop in particular caught my eye. The moment we entered I was hit with that musky smell only books have (do you know what smell I’m talking about??). I freaking love that smell and I immediately felt nostalgic for all the time I would spend in bookstores and libraries growing up.
I highly recommend a stop in Jabberwocky bookshop + the other shops in Tannery Marketplace. It’s a great way to support some local small businesses!
Continue shopping at the boutiques on Pleasant Street and State Street
I love all the little boutiques in New England towns and Newburyport certainly wasn’t an exception. While you can find stores on other streets, it seemed like the majority of them were on Pleasant St and State St (and the surrounding side streets). We spent some time going in and out of the different stores and doing some window shopping.
Enjoy the outdoors on the Clipper City Rail Trail
We actually stumbled upon this trail which made it feel like a hidden gem. After making Eric shop around with me, it was time to grab a drink. I found a brewery that was about a 20 minute walk from where we were and we started in that direction.
Google maps gave us a bunch of different options but one of them was to walk alongside the Clipper City Rail Trail and I’m so glad that was the one we chose. I seriously fell in love with this trail! It’s a 3.3 mile trail that connects the MBTA commuter rail station to the Harborwalk. Along the walk you’ll see various sculptures, views over the Merrimack River, and more!
We joined the trail a little less than a mile away from the end and got to see a few sculptures like this model train. Besides the artwork, it’s just a beautiful trail and definitely worth walking. We plan on coming back and walking the whole thing.
Sip a beer at Riverwalk Brewing Co.
Google Maps lied to us a bit and said we’d be able to enter Riverwalk Brewing Co. from the trail. This isn’t actually the case. While you can see the brewery from the trail, there isn’t a way to access it. Instead you have to finish walking the trail and then turn right until you see the signs for the parking lot. Just keep that in mind!
I’m so glad we decided to make a stop at this brewery. It’s the perfect place for lunch, a brew, and to rest your feet for awhile.
Eric is really into beer. Honestly, that may even be an understatement. We always look for a brewery wherever we travel. As much as I like beer, I’m much more of a wine person (aka I feel about wine the way he feels about beer).
Given that I was driving and he wanted to sample a few different beers, I decided to not order a beer. One of the reasons I loved this brewery so much was the number of non-alcoholic options they had. I got this incredible jalapeño cucumber kombucha and there were so many other amazing flavors.
Eric tried an ESB and a Porter and said both were really solid and he’d come back to try some of the others.
We also ordered the pretzel with pub cheese and a veggie lover pizza. The pretzel was definitely my favorite. The pizza was okay. I think I’d try one of their other options next time. They had nachos that looked really good.
Overall, it was one of my favorite places we went to on our day trip and was clearly a popular spot. We definitely would go back.
We were going to stay in Newburyport but the weather was continuing to worsen and at this point we were kind of tired so we decided to head back to Boston.
Keep reading for the spots my friend recommended for dinner + the spots I found that I wanted to try and other things we didn’t get to do on this trip.
On my list for next time
This list is a compliation of my own research and some recommendations my friend gave me.
Dinner spots
I’ve found that a lot of the top listed restaurants in the smaller towns of New England are fairly meat / seafood heavy. As a vegetarian, this means we usually don’t end up going to those restaurants. If you’re not a vegetarian, here are spots that my friend recommended: The Poynt, Loretta, and Sea Level.
If you are a vegetarian, here are two spots that really caught my eye and ones I’m planning on trying next time.
Bar25
I walked by this bar / restaurant twice and the black and gold exterior caught my eye. Hey, I’m Indian, we love anything gold. The second time we walked by, I checked out the menu and was excited to see a number of veggie options. Their website says they are a fusion of Middle Eastern & Prohibition style dishes. It looks like a great spot for dinner, a cocktail, or both!
The Joy Nest
This spot looked really solid for both cocktail and dinner. Their menu has plenty of vegetarian options and boasts modern, innovative Thai fusion dishes. The vibe kind of looks like a speakeasy meets restaurant. Definitely on my list!
Other things to do
Whale Watching
Apparently Newburyport is a great spot to whale watch.
We didn’t get to do that this time as the boat tours we looked up were about 4 hours and we only had a day to explore.
Custom House Maritime Museum
Newburyport is steeped in maritime history. The Custom House Maritime Museum is a great spot to learn about the history but since we were there on a Monday the museum was closed.
Taste Newburyport food tour
If you know me at all you know that I love a good food tour. I try to always do one in every new city I visit because they are a great way to get an insight into the rich history and culture of a spot.
It looks like Cape Ann Foodie Tours is the only tour company offering a food tour in Newburyport (at least according to my quick research). It was hard to tell based on their website if they’re able to accommodate vegetarians (this can often be a problem with food tours) so definitely warrants some further research.
Bottom Line
Newburyport is a great place to spend a day (or even a weekend) exploring. There is plenty to do in this picturesque coastal city from shops to museums to spending time near the water.
I hope this blog post covering a list of things to do in Newburyport was helpful. If you have any questions, let me know.
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