Thursday, June 25, 2009

At last, a summer day! Part 2: Evening at Revere Beach

Revere Beach, a 3-mile long, crescent-shaped barrier beach located about 8 miles north of Boston is America's first public beach. Designed by the renound landscape architect, Charles Eliot, it was part of a Metropolitan Parks System that was born around the dawn of the 20th century.

The parks were accessible by streetcar and provided fresh air and escape from city life in the midst of the industrial revolution. Coal was burned everywhere coating a fresh layer of soot on windowsills and lungs alike. The cobblestone streets were an adventure to navacate, avoiding the droppings of the everpresent horse-drawn transport while not twisting an ankle!

Revere Beach was immensely popular, especially with the working class. Early on there were all sorts of amusements and places to eat. These features fell into bad times in the 1960s and eventually they were demolished and replaced with high-rise apartments.

In the 1990s and recently the state has put money into refurbishing Revere Beach: bringing in sand to restore the beach itself, restoring the shade structures and restoring the beachside promendade on the north end of the beach.

Over the years, Revere Beach has remained a popular place to cool off on a summer's day or evening. On this summer evening, we ate at Kelly's (famous food stand) and walked the beach at sunset. Here's our postcards from today.









No comments: