On The Water

On+The+Water

Chase Huntley and Jack Wile, Journalists

          Located on the North Shore of Massachusetts and about 35 minutes northeast of Boston, the Town of Ipswich sits on the east coast of Massachusetts bordering the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of around 14,000, Ipswich is well known for its tourism attractions to its beaches, seafood restaurants, and more. The four-mile-long Cranes Beach is what brings most people into Ipswich. Cranes Beach was a private beach up until 1935 when the son of well-known Cornelius Crane made the beach open to the public. Ever since the opening, it’s been flooded with tourists from all over the world and gains more attraction every year 

 

          Another attraction in Ipswich is its famous seafood and most importantly its fried clams. The Clam Box is the most popular place around to come and get seafood in Ipswich. The Clam Box has been serving its famous fried seafood for over 80 years and was built in 1938. According to its website, The Clambox offers a “unique structure and our food has been featured in many magazines and television shows including Yankee, Gourmet, US Airways, The food network, and WCVB Channel 5’s Chronicle just to name a few. Although we don’t claim to have invented the fried clam we believe we have perfected it.” 

 

          Having the privilege of living on the coast of Massachusetts puts an impact on your seasons, especially summer. Living on the water is such a privilege to have when growing up. Having the ability to go out on a boat or go to the beach on a hot summer day truly is an experience that only a few have every summer. No one really ever thinks about how lucky you are to be given the opportunity to live on the coast. From Memorial Day to Labour Day, weekends in Ipswich are spent on the water or in the sand. We asked a fellow senior student in Ipswich High School how they feel about living on the water and having the ability to boat and beach. 

 

          When asked if the student takes advantage of boating and beaching while living on the water, Sarah Lombard, an IHS senior, responded with, “I’ve been boating and beaching my whole entire life. Every weekend in the summer is spent on the boat or at the beach. I would say beaching comes second to boating because my family and I have always had a boat comfortable enough for us to hang out on.” 

          Some kids take it for granted living near the Atlantic Ocean. Sarah gave her perspective on it. “I feel very lucky. I take it for granted sometimes especially during the winter but there is always something to do here in the summer on the water. I’m really grateful to be raised on the water and have the memories that I do.” 

          This counters the claim that kids take living in Ipswich for granted. But, it is very nice to see people be grateful and realize how lucky they are to live here. The interview was concluded when Sarah stated,  “I constantly have something to do and it’s a really fun time with friends.  I love to do water sports like tubing, water skiing, and swimming. Hanging out with my friends on the water is definitely something that I enjoy doing.”

 

          We asked another well-known Ipswich resident, Rusty Spencer, about his opinion on boating and beaching in Ipswich. He mentioned that “I’ve always had a boat my whole life. Either as a kid or adult, I’ve been on boats every summer for almost 50 years. My family and I have always taken our boat to the beach, and I also take it to go clamming throughout the year.” 

          We asked for Rusty’s opinion on a question of if he thinks he’s lucky to live in Ipswich and his response was “I feel extremely lucky to live at the location and in the town that I do. You see all these tourists come up in the summer to experience something that I have been doing for 50+ years. It’s almost a privilege to be this close to the ocean and have so many beaches and boating spots in basically your backyard.”

 

           We then asked Rusty what his favorite part about living on the water is? He ecstatically replied saying his “favorite part of living on the water is being on the beach or on the boat every weekend in the summer. It’s like clockwork, 11 am till 5 pm every Saturday and Sunday from memorial day to labor day. So I guess I could say my favorite part of living on the water is to have that ability to hang out with your family and friends in such a beautiful location” 

 

          As many Ipswich residents can relate to Sarah and Rusty, it shows that the community inside the Ipswich Town border is very much in realization of how lucky and privileged they are to live at the location they do and have the memories that are made. The community of Ipswich is tight and collective, and its people sure represent well the location they live at.