
Why Ryal Side Is One of Beverly's Most Overlooked Waterfront Neighborhoods

Discover why Ryal Side is one of Beverly's best-kept secrets, offering a true waterfront lifestyle.
The first time I drove down Water Street toward the Bass River, I almost missed the turn. That's the thing about Ryal Side. It doesn't announce itself. There's no welcome sign, no tourist attraction, no bustling commercial district drawing crowds from outside.

It's just there — tucked quietly along the eastern edge of Beverly, where the Bass River meets the ocean — waiting to be discovered by people who care enough to look. And that's precisely why the people who live there love it.
A Brief History of Ryal Side
Ryal Side's story begins long before Beverly was Beverly. The area was originally part of a large land grant awarded to early English settlers in the 1600s. What's not debated is that Ryal Side has always been defined by the water.
The Waterfront Lifestyle
Ryal Side is defined by the Bass River. The river isn't just a geographic feature. It's the heart of the neighborhood's identity. Residents launch kayaks from small beaches at the end of neighborhood streets. They fish off the rocks near the Kernwood Bridge.
Final Thoughts
Ryal Side remains one of the North Shore's most enduring treasures. It is a place that rewards the slow observer: the person who notices the way the light hits the granite or the smell of the salt air in the spring.
