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Carson Beach
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: South Boston
Babe Ruth Rd & William J Day Blvd
Boston, MA 02127
Babe Ruth Rd & William J Day Blvd
Boston, MA 02127
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
15 reviews for Carson Beach
Most of my friends who live in Boston don't even realize there are city beaches. It's not a tropical paradise or anything, but Carson Beach is the perfect refuge on an oppressive summer day. Leave your sweltering apartment, ride the Red Line to JFK/UMass, walk 5 minutes east until you see water, plop on your beach blanket with a juicy book and look out on the Atlantic. The water is cold for me, but I've seen plenty of swimmers, and there are even clean public restrooms! For the real Dot experience, pick up some delicious $2.50 banh mi at a Vietnamese sandwich shop on the way.
Aren't we lucky, Boston?
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Great little hidden treasure! Right in the city and so easy to get to. The beach itself is soft and relatively clean and there is great surrounding view. Also, plenty of free parking!
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Its a hot day in Boston and you don't have the time (or possibly a car) to get too far out of the city, so come to AMAZING Carson Beach where the air is at least 15 degrees cooler and you can see glorious views of the Boston sky line just behind the beach.
Hop on the Red Line to the JKF stop, its only about a 20 min walk or so, maybe less to the beach. Or, if you drive there from Boston, you can be there in around 15 minutes (CRAZY!!!) and there is plenty of parking in the spots in the two lots or in neighboring area.
There is a whole stretch of beach and it borders Fort Independence Park and is part of the Harbor Walk, so there is a nice path to walk/run/bike along. Even on a hot summer weekend the beach is not too crowded and there are various different spots on the sand or grass where you can find your prefect niche. There is a nice variety of people too, some hot ladies in swim suits, some families, some really burnt yeah dudes.
The water is not the MOST appealing, but it does the trick. I noticed quite a few jellyfish along the shore that little children were collecting, so I was not too keen to go in. Just being next to it works just fine for me ;)
OH -- and its DOG FRIENDLY! So my cute little puppy got to spend the oh so hot day outdoors with us! YAY!
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Carson Beach is great for:
- Grabbing a drink and some snacks, a book and a towel and reading in the sun.
- A quick escape to a beach setting without the long drive. (If you live in the Boston area.)
- Getting hit on or stared at by weird (but harmless) locals.
- Free beach parking.
- Busy city people who can't devote a whole day to the beach.
Carson Beach is not so great for:
- Swimming.
- People with low tolerance for children.
- Girls who really don't want to be hit on.
- People who want to park on sunny weekend days.
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The "Meh. I've experienced better." really says it all. Do go, just remember to bring your low expectations and enough hand sanitizer for the entire family.
I used to live next to Carson, I had a view of it...if only you saw the criminal activity going on there on a nightly basis you might not want to touch the sand barefoot.
I don't reccommend going. I mean ..its pretty when you look straight out toward the islands but the rest...I used to find old clothes and shoes strewn about, that to me is sketchier beyond sketch.
Plus half the time the water wasnt safe for swimming and the sand was really ....it hurt. Its not even convenient to get to unless you live there or are lucky enough to get one of the parking spots.
So unless you live next to it, skip it and find better.
I think I couldn't disagree more with Julie A. I think this is the best beach I've been to in Massachusetts.
When I talk about Carson Beach, I'm also talking about Fort Independence Park - I'm not sure where the line between the 2 is, as there's pretty much continuous beach the whole way along Day Blvd. I usually go to the grassy area by the Fort, or to the beach area as far west as about L street. I haven't been any further down, so maybe it's different down there. I don't know.
But it's my favorite beach in the state because:
1. Variety - grassy areas, sandy areas, sunny areas, shady areas, city views, harbor views, airport views, take your pick.
2. It is well maintained.
3. When you go in the water (yes, it's fine to do so) you notice the pleasant lack of seaweed and also that the bottom is nice and smooth - no jagged rocks to deal with.
4. Not overly crowded. You can always find room to throw a ball around.
5. Plenty of on street parking. It's never an issue. The same certainly can not be said for a lot of the big beaches on the north shore.
6. It's so close to home. I can leave my house and be on the beach in 20 minutes. I always forget I'm in the city when I go there.
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If you live near-by, then it's worth a trip on a sunny day. The beach is relatively clean, not too crowded, and easy to get to. I would never swim in the water in a million years (although I've seen quite a few people do it). There tend to be some weird/homeless people hanging out here sometimes and the Canadian Geese poop all over the place in the fall. Other than that, it's not too bad for a city beach. I enjoy chilling out there on my lunch break sometimes. This summer, I plan to get good and drunk out there (during the weekend) and see how that goes....
I came here today to cool down during the the supposed heat wave we're having. Started walking in the wrong direction (nota bene -- it's to the LEFT of the bayside expo and doubletree) but found it an easy, ten minute stroll from the T. The beach was cute, clean, and way less crowded than I expected for a weekday afternoon in the summer. Despite the previous reviews, I found the water to be cool and inviting and I kinda don't see how anyone would turn their nose up to a swim here. Maybe I caught it on the good day? Or my childhood of swimming in the infamously muddy and certainly dirty Gulf Coast has blunted my sense of cleanliness. But I emerged from the water without encountering any hypodermic needles or used condoms. Just lots and lots of sea shells. After my swim, I laid out with a book, watched planes take off from Logan, and listened to the din around me. Definitely a great experience, especially for a city beach!
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I think this might be the worst beach I have ever been to.
It's a nasty sandbox next to some murky water.
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In college, I used to come here thinking it was the best thing ever. Then I stepped on a bloody band-aid and a piece of glass in the same afternoon. No, thanks. They've definitely cleaned it up a bit, and I like the little snack bar that they've got. But that afternoon put a bad taste in my mouth and I haven't been back since.
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Whenever I tell people I spent the weekend at the beach, they assume I spent most of my time sitting in traffic trying to get to the Cape. They don't believe me when I say I walked half a mile to the beach in the city. I love the convenience of being so close to everything in the city, while also being able to head out for a day by the water without it being a big production. It's never overwhelmingly crowded but it's still fun for peoplewatching. I would not recommend swimming here- the water is freezing and sometimes has a funky smell/color. There are also copious amounts of jellyfish. There's usually a nice breeze coming off the water so even on a hot day, it's a good place to be.
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If you happen to live in Southie-it's an added plus. I live about 50 feet away and it's great to be able to walk to a beach after work, or sit there for a few hours on the weekends. However, I wouldn't travel from anywhere else in the state to come to Carson beach. I mean, it's South Boston...not the Caribbean.
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I give Carson Beach a four for ambiance and a one for water quality. I spent a lot of time here and ran here a lot when I lived in South Boston, and I've gotta say, I do have love for this beach, but don't swim here. I have and I've since thought the better of it, but at the time I was in waist deep, non-clear water on a hot day thinking "WHY IS NO ONE SWIMMING?" And then, at low tide, I noticed one of those "No Parking" signs in the water where I'd been. Rusted, of course. So like, swim at your own risk, preferable with some kind of water shoe on, and beware the copious jellyfish. But seriously, for someplace to sunbathe on a not-too-hot day, Carson is a great choice.
I think Carson Beach is great, in fact I think it's one of the best kept secrets in Boston. Not sure if I'd swim in the water anywhere in Boston, but I would go there to either soak up the sun or for a nice run. Although my running schedule isn't what it used to be, if it wasn't for Carson Beach I'm sure it would be much more pathetic. It really is nice to run along the beach, either taking the sidewalk or the adjacent beach path. Most people would probably head straight to the Charles for a long run in Boston, but the Carson Beach loop, from Castle Island to JFK is awesome, quiet, safe and picturesque. Check it out...
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