Best Places for Art Lovers to Buy an Old House

The Neighborhood
The seaside town where Herman Melville set Moby-Dick, New Bedford, is also known for its historic architecture. Its restored mansions are highly coveted, but the more modest neighborhood of Kempton’s Corners and the adjacent Acushnet Heights Historic District offer affordable options, and they're just a short walk from downtown shops, galleries, and seafood restaurants. The local job market includes work in the civic sector, the textile industry, and the age-old fishing trade. A new commuter rail system to Boston is expected to begin service in the next few years.

The Houses
Kempton's Corners and Acushnet Heights are best known for single-family and multifamily dwellings in Federal and Greek Revival styles, though New Bedford's most sought-after neighborhood, the West End, is a cache of large Victorian-era mansions.

The Prices
Though a Victorian can run as much as $800,000, prices in the more accessible Kempton's Corners and Acushnet Heights start at $180,000 and top off at $300,000.

Why Buy Now?
Kempton's Corner is one of the final frontiers in New Bedford, and the recent mortgage crisis has left many properties on the market—and priced to sell.

Among the best for:
Art Lovers, Luxury Homes, The Northeast