Are you looking for a restaurant experience that makes you feel like you're on a boat? You’re actually on land, but you get an incredible water view as you dine — boats are sailing by and the sun is setting. If so, you don’t have to go beyond the Massachusetts border or even to Cape Cod or Boston.

​

Wicked Local recently visited five restaurants where you not only get a great water view, but a delicious meal, too.

​

Here’s a mix of elegant and casual restaurants offering water views of the Essex River, Merrimack River, Atlantic Ocean, Hingham Marina and Chestnut Hill Reservoir.  Read More >

​

The Smithsonian Museum’s traveling exhibit “Crossroads: Changes in Rural America” comes to Essex this weekend, and the Smithsonian has announced additional programing to coincide the event.

​

“Crossroads: Changes in Rural America,” will be on view this Saturday, Sept. 10, through Oct. 22 at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum and Town Hall.

​

In January, the Smithsonian announced Essex would be one of six Massachusetts communities to host the traveling exhibit which examines demographic shifts in the United States from rural to urban areas. The exhibits are on view at Town Hall, 30 Martin St., and at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, 28 and 66 Main St.  Read More >

​

About 10 new families moved to Essex last year, which might not sound like much at first, but as KD Montgomery, executive director of the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum, notes, it’s quite a lot when you consider that the town’s population is only about 4,000 people.

 

That’s not the only thing that’s different about Essex. It’s also a place where undeveloped areas are mostly held in land trusts or owned by families who’ve been passing them down through generations, preserving the natural landscape, and where traditional industries like clamming still thrive.  Read More >

​

In 2020 we started Itsy Bitsy Farm, to offer farm to table specials at Shea’s and now we need the gear to grow! We just celebrated our 15th year in business at Shea's Riverside Restaurant & Bar! When Dave purchased Shea's Riverside Restaurant & Bar in 2007, his goal was to create a dining destination on Cape Ann.  Read More >

​

No trip to Massachusetts would be complete without a visit to one of the region’s most beloved seafood shacks, starting with Woodman’s of Essex, where the fried clam was invented more than a century ago. It sits on the North Shore’s Route 133, aka “the Clam Highway,” which also hosts longtime favorites J.T. Farnham’s and Essex Seafood in Essex...  Read More >

​

Tours, Outdoor Activities, Boat Tours & Water Sports.  Read More >

​

Chris Williams, a metal sculptor in Essex, MA, spent months working on the fabled Gloucester Sea Serpent. Kory spent months with Chris chronicling the making of this iconic piece. It is now on permanent display at Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, MA.  Watch Video >

​

Award-winning shop located in a ship-building town on Massachusetts’ North Shore.  Read More >

​

In this video, we visited Woodman’s of Essex, the birthplace of the modern fried clam. After developing it in 1916, the recipe remains unchanged, and over a century later Woodman’s still serves hundreds of thousands of people per year. It’s definitely worth the trip the next time you’re in northeast Massachusetts!  Watch Video >

​

Ladies Day & Night is happening RIGHT NOW at Sea Meadow Gifts and Gardens, 7 Main Street in Essex. Let’s walk through with Georgeanne.  Watch Video >

​

Meet Tom & Michelle Riordan, owners of Ripple on the Water, a great restaurant on the Essex River that specializes in scratch recipes for seafood, pastry, & American cuisine with southern & Asian influences. Learn more at RippleRestaurant.com  Watch Video >

​

There are familiar things that Essex is known for. There’s clamming and fishing, shipbuilding and design, there’s farming and crafts. Of course, there are restaurants, especially seafood, and getting out on the water.

​

But one of the biggies? Antiques.

​

Recently, a new list of businesses have arrived in Essex that could give the town’s “things for home” reputation a boost.  Read More >

​

After months of polling and a week of voting, one treasured local institution emerged as the most iconic restaurant in the Boston area: Woodman’s of Essex.  Read More >

​

The air is crisp, the October sun is still warm, and the vibrant colors of the trees are breathtaking. For local artists painting outside — or “en plein air” — this is a time to embrace and celebrate the undeniable beauty of nature.

​

“Fall is the perfect time for plein air painting!” declares Jessica Yurwitz, artist and owner of Slow River Studio in Essex.  Read More >

​

Once you visit Woodman’s of Essex, you’ll never forget it. Ask daytime talk show mainstay Ryan Seacrest.

​

At the start of Thursday’s episode of “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” he and co-host Kelly Ripa spent the first half of the show talking about local restaurants around Boston. The first place Seacrest brought up was Woodman’s.  Read More >

​

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Cape Ann, many businesses either moved to Zoom or shut down to ride out the nasty storm. But Essex resident Jessica Yurwitz and her artists of Slow River Studio simply went outside to paint the clouds.  Read More >

​

These two historical New England towns have a lot to their names—clams, for one, and some of the best spots in the whole state to go antiquing or to explore nature. Check out a handful of some local favorite restaurants, shops, and more in Ipswich and Essex.  Read More >

​

It’s my cousin Vinnie at The Scrapbook in Essex. Just behind the old White Elephant, Vinnie specializes in custom framing, as well as antique prints & maps dating back to the 15th century!  Watch Video >

​

Fun surprise stumbling upon this hidden gem at 57 Eastern Ave in Essex. Slow River teaches artists of any level.  Watch Video >

​

Meet artist Jim Trudeau of Wheelworks Pottery at 4 Eastern Ave in Essex.  Watch Video >

​

Welcome to Essex, Massachusetts, home to Woodman’s, where they invented the New England style deep fried clam! During our trip to New England we were not going to miss this opportunity to eat the king of deep fried seafood, and we got a gigantic $284.75 Fisherman’s Platter!  Watch Video >

​

The piece "Arrival " is a 6-foot glass anchor surrounded by an 18-foot bronze water droplet, and was commission by the owners of the new Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton Boston Seaport. Located at the hotel's entrance, it was reportedly inspired by Boston’s Seaport and the various cruise ships that pull into the nearby channel.  Read More >

​

Clambakes are a New England tradition. For generations, clams, lobsters and corn were cooked over hot rocks below beach sand. Steve Woodman said his grandfather “Chubby,” founder of Woodman’s of Essex, innovated a faster cooking method in 1923 that does not require a beach.  Watch Video >

​

Have you ever considered visiting Cape Ann? Cape Ann is often referred to as Massachusetts’ other cape, yet it is a destination entirely its own. This rocky cape is located approximately 30 minutes Northeast of Boston. While it is so close to Boston, it feels a world’s away. It has a laid-back atmosphere, which feels like an instant vacation. Yet, there are so many incredible things to do in Cape Ann, Massachusetts, in addition to its seaside locale.  Read More >

​

The only problem with going to Andrew Spindler’s is that you will have so much fun talking and learning and find so many beautiful things, that the entire day will have passed and you’ll have gotten nothing else done! —Frances Merrill, interior designer.  Read More >

​

A new art sculpture for a hotel project in Boston’s Seaport District is taking shape, with the final touches being worked on on Tuesday.

Inside a massive artist studio in Essex, sculptor Chris Williams is creating a brand-new statement piece for Boston’s Seaport District.

The 2,700 pound, 18-foot tall, bronze and glass sculpture entitled "Arrival" represents a ship's anchor splashing into the water once arriving at its destination.  Watch Video >

​

Watch the entire process of metal sculptor Chris Williams creating BRISTACO, the mascot for Bridgewater State University, from a chalk outline & clay model to its mounting on granite slabs for delivery.  Watch Video >

​

Anna Hardy was set on the path toward interior design when she was just a toddler. When she was 18 months old, Hardy’s parents bought a decaying manor house in England and immersed themselves in restoring and renovating the property. Her father was a professional craftsman who refinished furniture and her mother owned an antiques dealership.  Read More >

​

Bridgewater State University has erected a bronze bear statue to stand in solidarity with students and faculty coping with a loss. 

​

The 800-pound statue found a home in front of the Rondileau Student Union center on campus. The base of the statue is sitting on top of three massive rocks that have been transported from Maine.

 

...The team brought in Chris Williams to create the sculpture. Williams is an artist based in Essex, Massachusetts.  Read More >

​

Surely there are lobster rolls in a coastal state bookended by Maine and Connecticut, but we're too busy filling up on clam rolls (from Woodman’s of Essex), which are the first meal we think of when we think Massachusetts...  Read More >

​

Twinkling Shoreline - Take in the glowing landscape of Cape Ann during the inaugural Winter Lights Celebration. Tour the towns of Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, and Manchester with more than 150 lighted storefronts and venues...  Read More >

​

“Want to own a set piece from a movie shot in Massachusetts?...With thousands of objects rented and returned annually, local shoppers may just be able to own a movie set piece...”  Read More >

​

With a commitment to keeping the place we call home vibrant, Essex is honored to be named by American Express as a 2020 Neighborhood Champion, encouraging everyone to Shop Small and Dine Small all season long. As we all navigate the pandemic, our local shops and restaurants continue to be there for us–providing our favorite items and entrees. Let’s be there for them to shop small and support our community in 2020 and 2021!  ShopSmall > | Dine Small >

​

While many Americans back in the day were getting their kicks on Route 66, I was getting my thrills from the sea on Route 133. That’s Massachusetts Route 133 — specifically the section running from Ipswich to Essex, Massachusetts, known as the “Clam Highway.”  Read More >

​

Cliff Amero has led tours of the Essex River estuary for almost 30 years. The unique coastline, just north of Gloucester, with its snaking Great Marsh inlets, sand bars, and wild islands “is always changing,” he says, “moving with the tides, the wind, and sands. It has the magic, you know? It’s a step up from the usual beautiful.”  Read More >

​

If it’s dinnertime by now, head to the famed Woodman’s of Essex, a family business that’s been serving up authentic fried seafood for over 100 years. Essex is also home to some of the best antiquing on the North Shore. Cap off the day at the iconic Crane Beach just up the road...  Read More >

​

Referred to by some as “America’s Antique Capital,” Essex, Massachusetts is a playground for antique collectors, dealers, and decorators, with dozens of shops located within just a mile of each other. But knowing where to look and what to look for can be overwhelming. Renowned designer Kathy Marshall joins Host Rachel Holt to teach her the time-honored art of antiquing, offering up some valuable tips and advice for finding the perfect piece.  Watch Video >

​

Take a peek at downtown Essex in Massachusetts, thriving in the summer sun and open for (careful!) business in a COVID world. Bring your mask…  Watch Video >

​

With the weather forecast looking gorgeous this weekend, what better way to celebrate Fathers’ Day than by taking dad for a round of golf? Below are a handful of public golf courses open for business North of Boston.  Read More >

​

They spawn in the freshwater estuaries of Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and the Hudson River and then migrate north to Cape Ann waters and beyond.  The “schoolies” begin arriving in May followed by the bigger fish in June.  Read More >

​

On Friday, March 20th, as most of us were just beginning to comprehend what “flattening the curve” meant, Diane Dondero of Salisbury was looking skyward through her binoculars at the distinctive long, crooked wings and black and white color pattern of three birds soaring high above the Merrimac River. “They’re back!” she thought to herself.  Read More >

​

The first thing you will likely notice about John Collins is that he is positively humming with energy. Not nervous energy. Productive energy.  Like really productive energy — so intense that it feels as though were he to focus on something for too long it might actually vaporize.  He is exacting. A perfectionist, and tech seems to be coded into his very DNA.  Read More >

​

The Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum is nearing its goal of raising the funds required to save an 18th-century barn.  Read More >

​

The new two-story brewery/taproom/restaurant on Essex’s Main Street offers fresh brews and great views...Stretching across the top floor of Great Marsh Brewing Co.’s looming 15,000-square-foot brewery, the restaurant brings elevated pub food at casual prices to complement the brewer’s wide selection of beer.  Read More >

​

The 37th Annual Essex Clamfest returned to the North Shore late last month, attracting clam chowder enthusiasts from near and far. Eight local and friendly restaurants gathered to compete for the distinguished title...  Read More >

​

The schooner “Sylvina W. Beal” launched in 1911 at the Frank C. Adams boatyard in East Boothbay, Maine, appears to be the oldest former fishing vessel in Gloucester harbor, eclipsing the 93-year-old gillnetter, Phyllis A, which is being restored at Gloucester Marine Railways on Rocky Neck. Harold Burnham, who is doing the restoration of the classic schooner at his Essex boatyard...  Read More >

​

Anna Rossi is hunting for treasure! Join her as she explores some great North Shore antique options for all tastes and budgets: featuring David Neligan Antiques, Main Street Antiques and Muzio Designs.  Watch Video >

​

Great Marsh Brewing Company, located right by the shoreline on the Causeway at 99 Main St., is set to open the end of next week.  Read More >

​

New England is rich with shops, barns, and yards filled with treasure waiting to be discovered. Here’s our list of the best antique towns in New England.   Read More >

​

Anna Rossi heads to Essex to learn the story and skill behind glass blowing with the masters at The Bubble Factory.  Watch Video >

​

A talk with antiques expert Andrew Spindler on some of his favorite old discoveries.  Read More - Turn to Page 83 >

​

Rob MacNeille of Carpenter & MacNeille designs a traditional structure for a couple’s equine friends.  Read More - Turn to Page 31 >

​

New England Views visits scenic Cape Ann Golf Club, in Essex Massachusetts. Join photographer Mark Kanegis on an adventure to visit this beautiful New England destination.  Watch Video >

​

At the Riversbend - The tranquil town of Essex holds treasures both great and small.  Read More - Turn to Page 25 >

​

Essex is celebrating its Bicentennial! Throughout 2019, the theme ”Two Hundred Years Later, Still a Small Town” will be see, felt and heard across Cape Ann.  Read More - Turn to Page 32 & Essex Article on Pages 8-9 >

​

In this short film from New England Fishing, host Tom Richardson travels to Essex, MA, to pursue spring stripers from a kayak.  Watch Video >

​

Silent marshes, frozen fields. This may not seem like the most happening of places but look again...Essex entices nature lovers as well as discerning antiquers relishing a good hunt.  Watch Video >

​

If shop owner Tom Lang’s cheerful demeanor doesn’t make antiques approachable, nothing will. The 19th-century church turned showroom that houses his collection bursts with impeccably displayed relics...  Read More >

​

For most people, Essex, Massachusetts is simply a quaint seaside town north of Boston. A place to delight in the area's famous fried clams and perhaps learn a bit about the local shipbuilding history. But for those who choose to dig deeper and follow the winding river that once floated fishing schooners to Massachusetts Bay, Essex offer a unique perspective on a vibrant northeast estuary...  Watch Video - Essex Episode Starts at 1:25 min. >

​

A group of women entrepreneurs along the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway have joined forces to market themselves with a brochure of Woman Owned Businesses. Among this group's woman owned businesses in Essex are AnnTiques, Essex Bird Shop & Pet Supply, Essex Exchange, and Sea Meadow Gifts.  Watch Video >

​