Amy Paul and her husband, Brian, lived in South Boston when they were first married. (She’s from Rhode Island, and he grew up in upstate New York.) When it was time to start a family, Amy persuaded him to move to the suburbs.

“We basically drove around the North Shore,’’ Paul said, “through Salem and Marblehead.’’ That led them to Swampscott.

They loved the fact that the town, just 15 miles north of Boston, offered such an easy commute into the city, either by car or commuter rail. Amy was also happy to note that there was a Trader Joe’s. (That’s gone, but there’s a Whole Foods down the road.)

They bought a home, then moved into a bigger one when the two kids got older. “This place is best in summertime,’’ Paul said. “In the summer, I’m probably at the beach every day with my kids.’’

In their first home, the Pauls had neighbors who’d raised their own children in the town. Some of those kids moved away, but came back to raise their families, Paul said. In the Pauls’ new neighborhood, “the kids are outside playing on the street together. It’s very kid-friendly.’’

Like many in town, the Pauls spend a fair share of their time (and money) at Mission on the Bay, the waterfront restaurant and bar on the site of the former Red Rock Bistro. “It has a beautiful roof deck,’’ Paul said. “We need more restaurants, but it’s easy to go to Salem and Marblehead, too.’’

James Sullivan can be reached at jamesgsullivan@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @sullivanjames.