Beverly Farms is an informally defined neighborhood at the eastern edge of the city of Beverly, Massachusetts. It is an ocean-front community with a population of about 3,500 which extends from the Manchester-by-the-Sea border to another informally defined section of Beverly known as Prides Crossing. This area is part of Massachusetts's North Shore region, about 20 miles north of Boston. A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community located within a larger city or suburb. ...   Settled: 1626 â€“ Incorporated: 1626 Zip Code(s): 01915 â€“ Area Code(s): 351 / 978 Official website: www. ...   Settled: 1629 â€“ Incorporated: 1645 Zip Code(s): 01944 â€“ Area Code(s): 351 / 978 Official website: http://www. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... The North Shore is a region north of Boston, consisting chiefly of urban suburban communities of Essex County along Massachusetts Bay. ... Boston is a town and small port c. ...

Past and present

Beverly Farms — as well as adjacent Prides Crossing — were originally farming communities, like the rest of Beverly. In the late 18th and early 19th century wealthy residents of Boston and New York City built summer "cottages" along the seashore. These cottages were nearly the size and stature of those in Newport, Rhode Island. Only a few of the original mansions remain today. By the mid 20th century, Beverly Farms resembled a small town, somewhat secluded from the rest of Beverly and culturally interlinked with Prides Crossing. Working class neighborhoods sprung up, as support for the mansions became necessary. At this point, there was a wide financial gap between the wealthy and the working class. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Newport as seen from the International Space Station. ...

Changing of Times

Beverly Farms remains a vibrant community with changing demographics. Pockets of development and generally escalating real estate values have adjusted average residency to an arguably more upscale population as was the case in the past. Real estate in Beverly Farms has become very desirable. The community is served by 3 churches: Episcopal, Baptist, and Roman Catholic. There is a community center donated and partially supported by the Merril Hastings foundations (known as the "Hastings House"). There is a fire station, a railroad station, and a (recently expanded) branch of the Beverly Public Library. The word episcopal is derived from the Greek επίσκοπος, transliterated epískopos, which literally means overseer; the word, however, is used in religious contexts to refer to a bishop. ... A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church or any follower of Jesus Christ who believes that baptism is administered by the full immersion of a confessing Christian. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

"Downtown" Beverly Farms extends along West Street (part of MA Route 127) for about 1/2 mile. It has undergone some gradual changes over the last decade. Currently, the downtown is a mixture of upscale restaurants, bakeries, and clothing stores.[1]

Summer in the Farms

Beverly Farms is somewhat sleepy in the winter, but becomes increasingly active when the warm weather arrives; this pattern continuing into the summer. The summer is full of activity, clear to the town's residents and visitors alike. During the summer, many of the community activities are based at West Beach (the local community beach). It is a private beach, owned by the residents of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing. Residents are entitled access the beach. Ex-residents are entitled to a beach permit as well. Non-residents must apply for an access permit. The waiting list for access is typically 6–10 years, due to the limited size of the facility.[2]

The busiest time for Beverly Farms is the Fourth of July holiday. A private organization of residents annually raises upwards of $50,000 through fundraisers to enable a weekend-long agenda of activities, including community dances, children's events, the well-known "Horribles" parade, softball games, etc. The holiday event culminates with a fireworks display held at West Beach, typically drawing 10,000 to 15,000 observers. These fireworks over the Washington Monument are typical of Fourth of July celebrations In the United States, Independence Day, also called the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. ... The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House illuminated under New Years Eve Fireworks 2005 Fireworks in Kraków, Poland for the 100th anniversary of Wisła Kraków FC. A fireworks event (also called a fireworks display or fireworks show) is a spectacular display of the effects...

Trivia

• Beverly Farms is the home of Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Updike, as well as current Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Kerry Healey.

The gold medal awarded for Public Service in Journalism The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical compositions. ... John Updike John Hoyer Updike (born March 18, 1932) is an American writer born in Shillington, Pennsylvania, where he lived until he was 13. ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ... // The Republican Party (often referred to as the GOP, for Grand Old Party) is one of the two major political organizations in the United States two party system; the Democratic Party is the other. ... The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. ... Kerry Murphy Healey, Ph. ...

References

1. West Beach Corporation

2. http://www.primaryresearch.org/PRTHB/Neighborhoods/Farms/index.php

External links

• http://www.beverlyfarms.org/
• Beverly Public Library (Farms Branch)