Singing Beach

04/19/2008 Posted by beachbabe427

Singing beach is a great beach though it is quite . From climing ont he rock to swimming in the refreashing waters itbis a must see.If driving in or taking the train stop by the Kitchien Witch Backery. Snacking on a nice Greek Greens Wrap and laying out in the sun is a prefect combination.I dont recermend the snack bar high prices for not that good of food.If your not in the mood for quite or crowed or your taking kids older than 7 then go to tucks point. It is also a must see.From juming off the docks to the quite water tucks point is forr you. Stop by the coffie cup on your way out great pizza and vgood riends prefect comination. All in all The Town of manchester by the sea is a must see.

07/24/2007 Posted by smj77

I finally made it out to Singing Beach last weekend. My 12-yr niece & her friend were visiting from CA and they really wanted to go to a beach. I live in the city so we took the commuter rail which was a little expensive for 3 round trips, but not so bad if you're just paying for yourself. The train ride seemed short and the walk to the beach is nice. Being from CA, I'm not used to paying a fee to go to the beach, but I think it is worth it since the beach was really well maintained. It was a beautiful day and was as pretty as a postcard. The girls were in the water as soon as we put our stuff down and they loved the waves. It was a very relaxing atmosphere. My advice is to bring your own food rather than relying on the snack bar which has limited options. The employees, although nice, were eating french fries right out of where they get your fries from and then touched the next persons food without washing their hands. I guess that shouldn't be a shock when everyone working there is still in high school. Other than my sunburn and still frozen-in-the-middle preztels from the snack bar, we all had a great day at the beach. A stop at Captain Dusty's Ice Cream was the perfect finish to the day. I will definately go back!

Pros: clean, beautiful beach

Cons: snack bar, bathrooms

07/01/2007 Posted by gstq80

Being from the Caribbean I have been to a couple of nice beaches in my life. I can say that when I first went to Singing Beach a couple of years ago it had nothing to envy those beaches down south. Even the water was on the warmer side that day. I'm in my 20's and went with a group of my friends. We all loved it. Fine sand, enough space for everyone to spread out, beautiful setting. I thought it was so great I'd bring my mom, my sisters and my sister's kids next time I went. I'll hesitate to do it ever again. When you're by yourself or with friends it's a nice walk from the station (or the parking lot nearby), and the $5 walk-on fee is reasonable to keep such a jewell well cared for. However, when you're with kids, an older person, and carrying gear, the walk gets way longer and the fee now multiplies by the number of persons over the age of 12 you brought, which I thought was expensive since I was the one paying. With that said, this is still one of the best beaches I've been to.

Pros: sand, beauty, location, facilities

Cons: parking, walk from the station, and fee (but only if you're paying for other people or coming with roudy kids and teens :-)

06/13/2007 Posted by kchowhound

I'm from MA and I had no idea about this beach until one of my friends from school told me about it. It's a pretty secretive spot and the residents are protective of it. We had to park about a mile down because when we tried to go in the parking lot right by the beach at around 12pm (it wasn't a crowded lot) there was already a police officer parked by the entrance informing people that it was only for residents. The beach was relatively quiet and peaceful, and it was overall an enjoyable experience. The Beach Comber, which is a dessert offered at the food stand, was delicious! I would definitely go back.

Pros: Beautiful, Quiet, Peaceful

Cons: Parking is difficult

05/05/2007 Posted by lafox

Singing Beach is hands-down one of my favorite places to spend a sunny day in New England. Taking the train from Boston makes more sense than crowding the streets and parking lots. Plus, there's a great bakery in town where you can grab snacks or sandwiches before you walk to the beach. You can buy a beach season pass (for two people) for about $25 or $30, which makes more sense if you're a regular. Summer week-ends can be hectic, but during the week it's very mellow and sometimes you almost have the beach to yourself. The beach is squeaky clean, there are lifeguards (if you're brave enough to swim in the freezing water), it's quiet and family-oriented. If you like a beach with blaring music, volleyball, a parking lot five feet away and a cruising scene, you'd be much happier somewhere else.

Pros: gorgeous beach, induces zen-like calm

Cons: people who complain about having to walk 1/2 mile!

08/22/2006 Posted by bethannuk

One reviewer said it was snobby, at $25- well, the reason its clean and well maintained is because the town cares enough about the beach to support it. Residents pay through their taxes and beach permits (did you know that residents pay too?) and why should vistors get it for free? At least if they have paid they will appreciate that beautiful singing beach is something to be loved and valued. Having grown up spending many days on the beach, I was always entranced by the squeaking sand- a reward for getting your pace "just right". There are many other smaller, no less lovely beaches in the area which are less crowded, but also are less friendly (shingle and pebbles at Black Beach make that less than appealing in bare feet!) so look around. Drive down 127 to Gloucester- you will see many "Beach Road" signs. If you are going to grouse about walking half a mile from the train station (down a nice, pretty, shaded tree lined street), or get angry because people who choose to live there (and put up with crowds of visitors) get the best parking, then you are quite welcome to visit one of the public swimming pools in your area. The walk to the beach might do you good if you spend the rest of the day flopped out on the sand eating food from the very reasonable priced concessions!!! You get what you pay for- Singing Beach is a treasure, and Manchester is a friendly, clean, well cared for community. Snobs? No. Smart folks who care about the environment and their natural resource!!!

Pros: Scenic, unique (Singing Sand), accessible

Cons: Presence of Tourists moaning its not free, parking.

08/15/2006 Posted by bobbiet

I thought unless a beach was private, it's public. I was wrong. With $25 to park (on a weekday) and additional "walk on" fees there's no more expensive beach I've ever been to. Parking 1/2 mile away with a group of kids and beach gear isn't really an option. Manchester by the sea doesn't want you at Singing Beach unless you're a resident.

04/28/2004 Posted by maimas726

Fantastic beach... the only downside is the parking... but taking the train isn't a bad option and the great sand and water make it worthwhile

Pros: Clean, Beautiful

07/25/2003 Posted by bandt

Being new to New England after a recent move from California, I didn't know what to expect and was really happy. The beach is beautiful and crowded but not too much so, plus the snack bar is a nice touch. The walk from town (where you can park on the street only if you get there after 10AM on a nice day) was about 15 minutes, but worth it.

Pros: scenic, good sand, location

Cons: cold water

06/11/2002 Posted by cindit0

I love this beach because it serves my purpose of laying out and getting a tan. I don't have to deal with tons of people and the beach and water are pretty decent for its location. Parking is costly though, this year (2002) is $15 unless you want to try your luck parking in the 2 hour slots and hope not to get a ticket. Commuter rail runs right by the parking, so that's good.

Pros: nice sand, not too far from city, less crowded

Cons: parking expensive