The City of New Bedford is the largest municipality in the Buzzards Bay. The city of New Bedford, located in Bristol County, Massachusetts, lies about 60 miles south of Boston and 30 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island. Highways running through the city include Interstate I-195, U.S. Route 6, and Massachusetts State Highways 18 and 140. Another highway adjacent to the city is Massachusetts State Highway 24. New Bedford is also the originating point of a number of private ferry services, which carry passengers to and from nearby islands including Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cuttyhunk. Nicknamed "The Whaling City" due to its former prominence as a major whaling port, New Bedford is the setting (and some might say also the principal focus) of Herman Melville's classic novel "Moby Dick".
New Bedford's rich history, proximity to other big cities, and authentic working waterfront draws a large number of tourists annually. In addition, an increasing number of museums, galleries, and cultural events are attracting art patrons and visitors of all types to the city. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is the centerpiece of the Whaling National Historical Park. It is the nation's largest museum devoted to whaling and the whaling industry. Among its displays are enormous skeletons of humpback, sperm, and baby blue whales found in New England waters. The New Bedford Fire Museum, housed in an authentic firehouse built in 1867, features a unique collection of fire-fighting memorabilia and art dating back to the early 19th century. The Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum is a 28-room Greek revival mansion built in 1834 with decorative arts, furniture and clothing on display. The New Bedford Art Museum, located on City Hall Square, showcases the work of professional artists from across the region. The Fort Taber Military Museum chronicles New Bedford’s long and rich military history with exhibits and displays of military interest. The Schooner Ernestina Museum showcases the Schooner Ernestina, official vessel of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A gift from the Republic of Cape Verde, the vessel had sailed as a Grand Banks fishing schooner, far-north Arctic explorer and trans-Atlantic Cape Verdean packet. New Bedford also contains many parks and recreational facilities. Among them are Buttonwood Park, home to the newly-renovated Buttonwood Park Zoo, and Hazelwood Park, which features games of bowling on the green. Also in the city is Fort Taber Park, the city's newest park and one of its largest, which features important historical landmarks owing to the site's former use as a military reservation dating back to the American Revolution.
New Bedford earned its place in history as "the whaling city" during the 19th century when New Bedford whaling ships blanketed the world's oceans. From its rich history and unique architecture, the New Bedford area takes pride in its heritage.
The New Bedford area offers many interesting and unique things to do and see: historic buildings and artifacts, unique structures, working waterfronts, as well as many contemporary activities.
The New Bedford area is home to many fine outlets and specialty stores where you can find unique items from clothing to food specialties to nautical gifts.
Antiquing in New Bedford is an extremely popular pastime and New Bedford antiques shops are well stocked with all sorts of treasures. Antique dealers in the area are pros when it comes to period furniture, caring for and restoring different types of antiques and identifying and appraising different items. There are numerous New Bedford antiques shops located in the town and feature rare objects, collectibles and coveted antique furniture. New Bedford antiques shows are abundant around the area and the many antique shops and dealers show off their wares to collectors from all over. There are seemingly endless possibilities when it comes to New Bedford antiques. Guides to New Bedford antique shopping are available for visitors which makes looking for that perfect armoire or sideboard more fun and convenient.
Housing Cost
Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $240,000
Demographics
Estimated population in July 2006: 92,538. New Bedford covers 20.1 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 50 feet above sea level.
Zip codes: 02740, 02744, 02745, 02746
Area codes: 508, 774
Weather
New Bedford, MA climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 20's.
The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 83.10 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 20.00 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 18 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at New Bedford is 50.77 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is December with an average rainfall of 4.77 Inches.
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
