It's lively, warm and relentlessly interesting. Many of the homes date from the mid- to late 1800s and the first quarter of the 20th century. There are stunning examples of Victorian, Italianate, Renaissance, Neoclassical and Revivalist architecture. Homes in the area, small cottages and large mansions alike, feature high ceilings, hardwood floors, fascinating detail, front porches and all of the interesting characteristics one would expect of vintage homes. The population is as eclectic as the architecture.
Downtown is a very interesting melting pot of natives and newcomers.
Relatively few homes come on the market in the more established center of the neighborhood, and the ones that do aren't available for long unless they are very large and, therefore, quite expensive. Within the Historic District proper, most homes have been restored, but there are still handyman bargains to be had in the areas outside of the district in the Historic Overlay. It takes a person with vision to redo some of the deteriorated architectural gems in these neighborhoods. The level of downtown neighborhood restoration is most stable at the river and diminishes as you head east toward the ocean at about Eighth Street. The residential neighborhoods to the north of Market Street are generating high interest at this time and are seeing quality restoration efforts.