Beverly, Mass., named hottest ZIP code in the U.S. by Realtor.com

CHANNEL 5. THE YEAR WAS 1908, AND THE CITY OF BEVERLY WAS BOOMING, LARGELY BECAUSE IT WAS HOME TO THE UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION. AT THE TIME. UNITED SHOE BUILT 80% OF THE INDUSTRIAL SHOE MACHINERY MADE IN AMERICA. THEY HAVE ABOUT 6000 EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR THEM. AT THE HEIGHT OF PRODUCTION, LIFETIME RESIDENT ABBY BATTIS IS THE DIRECTOR OF HISTORIC BEVERLY. IT’S DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME THAT BEVERLY SEES A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN ITS DEMOGRAPHIC AND IN ITS GROWTH. AS ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE COMING TO BEVERLY TO WORK AT THE FACTORY, THE HOUSING AROUND THE FACTORY STARTS TO BOOM. FAST FORWARD A CENTURY, AND THE SITE OF THE OLD FACTORY IS STILL DRIVING LOCAL BUSINESS UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP. AS THE COMPLETELY RENOVATED CUMMINGS CENTER CALLED THE CITY WITHIN A CITY, THIS 77 ACRE MULTI-USE CAMPUS IS HOME TO MORE THAN 600 BUSINESSES AND LIKE ITS HISTORIC PREDECESSOR, CUMMINGS PROPERTIES IS ALSO BUILDING MUCH NEEDED NEW HOUSING. A KEY FACTOR IN REALTOR. COM’S HOTTEST ZIP CODE RATING SYSTEM IS MARKET DEMAND, WHICH COMBINES HOW MANY TIMES LOCAL LISTINGS ARE VIEWED WITH HOW QUICKLY THEY ARE SOLD. WE HAVE VIRTUALLY NO VACANCIES, SARAH BARNETT OF BARNETT DEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF SEVERAL DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF DOWNTOWN BEVERLY. BEVERLY HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO REALLY IMPROVE THE CORRIDOR OF RANTOUL STREET AND CABOT STREET, AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST SIX YEARS, WE’VE DELIVERED WONDERFUL NEW HOUSING THAT WAS DESPERATELY NEEDED TO PUT DOWNTOWN’S TRANSFORMATION IN PERSPECTIVE. WE DECIDED TO GET COFFEE WITH A LOCAL EXPERT, BEVERLY BORN COMEDIAN JIMMY DUNN. ALL RIGHT, JIMMY, WE GOT THE JOLLY TEA COMPANY. FANCY. YOU USED TO COME HERE ALL THE TIME AS A KID. NO, I DON’T, I THINK IT WAS A SUPERMARKET BACK THEN. LIKE, ALL OF THIS IS NEW. THAT’S HOW YOU CAN TELL WHEN THE TOWN’S DOING WELL, WHEN THEY’RE LINING UP COFFEE SHOPS. THE TOWN’S GETTING CAFFEINATED BECAUSE THEY HAVE THINGS TO DO. HERE’S WHERE YOU KNOW, YOU’RE YOU’RE REALLY GROWING WHEN THEY START PUTTING PARKING METERS UP DOWNTOWN ON CABOT STREET IN RANTOUL STREET. BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU DIDN’T PARK ON RANTOUL STREET. NEVER MIND. PAY TO PARK ON RANTOUL STREET. CHRONICLE FIRST MET DUNN AT THE OFF CABOT COMEDY CLUB, WHERE HE STILL PERFORMS REGULARLY. A WALK ON CABOT STREET IS LIKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE. I GOT A LOT OF HISTORY ON CABBAGE STREET AND WORK DOWN THERE. I WORKED AT THE Y SO MAIN DRAG. YEAH, YEAH, THIS IS THE HEART OF BEVERLY TODAY, AS WHEN DUNN WAS GROWING UP, THIS COMMUTER STATION, ONE OF THREE IN THE CITY, IS A MAJOR SELLING POINT. JUST A 30 MINUTE TRAIN RIDE TO BOSTON. DUNN WORKED AT THE OLD BOSTON GARDEN SELLING BUMPER STICKERS. AND MY…