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Go Outside, Already!
it's nice out. Stop watching "Mad Men" on DVD and go outside, you pasty city-dweller.…
Revere Beach
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
87 reviews for Revere Beach
87 reviews in English
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Review from Sarah R.
Allston/Brighton, Boston, MA
11/10/2011 1 photo
Perfect weekday get away. Only a block or so from the T! I went on a Tuesday and the beach was clean, peaceful and scarcely scattered with a few people. Get over the seaweed and cold water and it's a great way to spend a day off. Highly recommend!
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Review from Caitlyn L.
Boston, MA
8/2/2011
Judged for what it is, an urban beach, Revere Beach is a solid four stars.
A five-minute walk from the T, Revere is an accessible, reasonably clean, relatively peaceful (and free!) alternative to the more distant, "better" beaches. On weekdays, it's not too crowded, mostly with families and people working on their tans (though most of the latter were gone by 2pm). The water, like almost every other Massachusetts beach, is predictably cold, but bearable and lifeguards are on duty until at least 5 or 6pm (information I can't seem to find online).
Revere is perfectly good for a quick/spontaneous trip to the beach. -
Review from Megan M.
This Miami girl had to check out a beach in Boston while I was in town. It doesn't compare to Florida beaches, but overall, it seemed like a nice beach with a small town feel surrounding it. Even with the weather in the upper 60s/lower 70s, there were still people out there on a Monday afternoon trying to soak up a little bit of sun. The sand looks nice, but I don't know if I'd venture into the water. It was the first time for me seeing water that dark at a beach.
It's not too bad of a ride on the blue line to get there, and there are a few small restaurants and bars across the street. I can imagine that this place is busy when it's warmer and on the weekends.Listed in: Boston
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Review from A A.
Hempstead, NY
7/21/2011
Dear Revere Beach,
My bestie who lived in Revere and I were chilling next to you back in the day.
Taking Blue line is a bit pain in the neck if you live in Boston,
(And who the heck named Wonderland station? It ain't a wonderland forreal!)
That was the time when the annual sand sculpture contest was going on. It was light up beautifully, and we were saying to each other "It sucks we don't have a bf!"
But it's okay, we had such a remarkable and memorable time.
Now she is married and moved to out of the States, sadly we stopped talking to each other, but this beautiful memory of will be always remaining in my heart... With her smile and the calm water sound from you.
xoxo
Me -
Review from Natalie M.
Malden, MA
7/21/2011
This beach needs to be put into context. It's close to town. You can get to it, no matter where you live in greater Boston, via the T. I, frankly, wasn't expecting a lot from this beach. Recently, though, I moved to Malden and wanted to explore the beaches near me. We tried King's Beach on the Lynn/Swampscott line and lasted about 10 min before we left, disgusted. I was expecting something similar from Revere Beach.
I went on a Thursday afternoon. It took about 15 minutes from my house and parking was effortless. I gathered my stuff and headed down to the beach.
The beach is as wide as any in New Hampshire, and a little more dirty. The day I went was extremely windy, so I'm willing to attribute some of the trash to people getting their stuff blown away. But there was clearly some stuff that thoughtless people just tossed away. But the people here ranged from the Boston cool, over-tanned old people, families, and everyone in between. I liked the vibe. The water was maybe a degree or two warmer than norther waters, and without the fun waves. The shelf extends a little far for my tastes. I like to swim out where I can't feel the bottom, but that never happened here.
I'll def go to this beach again. It was a million billion times better than King's Beach. I have yet to experience it on the weekend, but I'm expecting typical crowds and a commensurate increase in parking difficulty. -
Review from Anita B.
Revere, MA
5/30/2011
I wake up to the view of this beach every morning. This is where I ran my first mile and now run the whole flat 6.2 miles (the beach end to end twice) with ease. This is where I had my first date/picnic with my awesome boyfriend! The memories are endless.
If you can make at least once this year come for the sand castle contest (usually in the middle of july) and stay until around 9pm when they let off the fireworks it's just gorgeous. Especially the view from my balcony, it's like a fireworks display just for us. It is truly awesome!
Sure it can be crowded and (sometimes a bit unclean) and you do have to watch the life guard flags to be sure you can even swim in the water, but on wicked hot days it's nice to just lay out on the sand and enjoy the breeze.
The food is your average beach fare, there is Kelly's (highly recommend the surf/turf a roast beef sandwich and lobster roll the best of both worlds for like $13). There are more than a few pizza places and yummy ice cream. Kell's Creme has yummy soft serve and their sundae's are huge. The banana boat also yummy soft serve (but I def. say get a mix in they mix in frozen fruit in the soft serve and it's soooo yummy)! Then there is the Twist and Shake and there are tons of flavors of hard ice cream that are super yummy!! The lines are long at each so it depends on where your sitting along the beach which one you end up.
It's a nice beach for families, singles and couples. It's a nice place for a picnic in the afternoon on the warm but cooler days! -
Review from Jenelle J.
Boston, MA
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh boy, how to put this nicely.
The positives: it's a beach, complete with sand and ocean, and accessible by T. And there's a Kelly's Roast Beef on the water.
Unfortunately though, there's nothing much more special about it, and parts of it were downright annoying.
Take the sand, for example. While I didn't run into any condoms, I wouldn't have been surprised if I had. There were way too many cigarette butts, odd trash, even lost toys in it. And shards (yes, shards) of what appeared to be shells. Nevertheless, I did not feel safe walking barefoot in the sand.
And the seagulls. No, I am not joking. They are way too aggressive since people must have been feeding them over the years. A whole flock ganged up on me to wait for me to give them food from my lunch. Excuse me, this is my food?
Far from paradise. My advice: go to the west coast for a better example of what a public beach should be.Listed in: sun & sand
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Review from Scott K.
Boston, MA
5/27/2011
Living just over a mile from Revere beach I have a chance to go there just about once a week, even in colder weather, so I'd say I know it pretty well. Basically it is a beautiful wide open space that easily accessible from Boston and a pretty decent beach all the way around.
Most of the flack it seems to get are more about the beach-goers than the beach itself. As the Revere beach partnership's website said this has always been "the working man's beach". That is just fine by me. The beach is completely safe and pleasant to visit as long as you are not offended by seeing people around who are different than you. If you are you'd better double check to see who the asshole is here. On any given day you'll likely see a mix of Hispanic or middle eastern immigrants, blue collar white people, families, couples, and the occasional biker or jogger. You won't find the cast of the Jersey shore but you were here to enjoy the ocean anyway, right?
On the negative side there can be airplane noise and the waves usually aren't that good (unless there is a storm out at sea). The beach is kind of like davis square for the working man but you can't hang out here after 10 - the police start towing cars then. Also I have to admit there definitely is litter around but this is mostly near the junk food shops. The far north side of the beach is very clean with some very stately homes across the street.
If you go you'll find a bunch of good junk food (ice cream, pizza) shops, a few decent restaurants, and a few different kinds. You almost definitely won't find condoms or needles- the people who write that are just total assholes.
I'm a fan of Revere beach all the way around for its proximity to Boston, its size, and some of the food up there. It is also ideal for running or riding your bike on. Do the math here- its a cheap place to live with train and highway access, and ocean views to boot. If you want to hate on people for enjoying that then just stay home. -
Review from Heather G.
Revere, MA
6/4/2011
Living a mile from Revere Beach is both cool and useless. On the one hand, the beach itself is lovely - a wide expanse of sand and surf that's gorgeous to look at; on the other hand, because of its proximity to the Blue Line, it draws people from all over the Metro Boston area, which means the summer brings major crowds and chaos. Everyone in the vicinity can - and does - hop onto the T for an afternoon at Revere Beach. Plus, the few blocks immediately surrounding it (Shirley Ave, mainly) can be a bit sketchy at night. (That said, not once have I walked the beach and come across used condoms, needles, etc.)
Off-season is RB's best time: it's when you'll find, in place of crowds, local joggers, moms walking babies, old farts gathering to shoot the shit. That's when it's beauty is apparent. But in the summer months, meh. It's just too much. When I want to spend the day at the beach, I drive up to Hampton Beach in NH. -
Review from Michael C.
Boston, MA
8/1/2011 24 Check-ins Here
Revere Beach is many things, one thing it isn't is an ideal place to swim. It is not without it's redeeming qualities though. It is an epic place to people watch, has a few staple restaurants (Kelly's and more soft serve than you can name), and a great place to take a walk. Plus they have a great sand castle festival in the Summer.
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Review from J U.
Malden, MA
8/21/2011
Picture needles in the sand (yes I have seen this), loud Spanish or Brazilian music blasting out of parked cars, 900 year old overly tanned people sun bathing on the wall just to be seen, obnoxious people continuously driving up and down the street gawking (with loud music blasting because they crave attention), long lines to over priced food places, people that think they should be on jersey shore and a crowded beach. If you already know all of this and go there to watch this car wreck of a place for what it is then it can be ok from time to time. For real beaches hit the North Shore.
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Review from Manda J.
Chicago, IL
7/5/2011
I still can't get over taking the T to such a nice beach, about a 45 minute ride from downtown Boston. I can't think of anywhere else on the east coast you can take the subway from a major city to a sand beach like this. Go all the way to Wonderland station and walk north up the beach for slightly less crowds--I was there on July 3rd and there was plenty of space between groups, I wouldn't call it crowded at all.
The beach was clean , I didn't see any trash around even though there are restaurants and residences all along the Boulevard. There's some seaweed washing up, but it has sand and seashells too. Even the seagulls were relatively polite, as were most of the beachgoers. Sure, I had to talk back to some dudes who kept throwing a frisbee directly in to our tiny 4x5 foot towel zone, but they got the hint fast enough.
The water was tolerable in July, which is about the best you can ask of the Atlantic. Given it's accessibility and cleanliness, Revere Beach is a great place to spend a few hours. Don't forget your sunscreen! -
Review from Tony S.
7/18/2010
Venice Beach in the 80s......
.... slightly bearable during the day, but once that sun starts to set, head for your car..... no, RUN for your car.... and make like a tree and leave.
I came to Revere Beach to see the Sand Sculpture competition, which I must say was worth the visit. I'm always amazed to see such amazing works of art created from something I dig out of my bellybutton.
The beach itself is picturesque.... but very Monet- great from afar, but kind of falls apart as you get closer. Coming from Southern California, it probably isn't a fair comparison (other than maybe Venice Beach) to anything I'd consider a regular weekend visit, but for Boston, I suppose it's bearable, though I'll likely never come here again. It just didn't feel.... safe.
The wife asked if I was comfortable with her bringing our daughter here alone, to which I replied, "only if I plan on getting rid of you". Hellz no! -
Review from Vezna S.
Winthrop, MA
8/20/2010
Revere Beach.. Some of my fondest memories are from this tiny stretch of coastline. It's been engraved into my very psyche. I've lived in Massachusetts almost my whole life and each year this beach just creates more lasting memories for me.
There were times when it was a rundown stretch of retched earth but the city has put an enormous amount of money and manpower into reviving Americas "first public beach" into a tourist destination. A long time ago I used to come down to the beach and go for a long run, or during cold winter nights just sit on the coastline and listen to music.. it was my place to get away from it all.
The beach itself has undergone a huge transformation. It's much cleaner than it ever was before and there are numerous attractions now that make for a nice time out with the family.
They have farmers markets there sometimes and my favorite is the Sand Sculpture competition which brings in very talented individuals who create works of art from sand. I've seen such beautiful sculptures made from nothing but dirt and am amazed at the level of detail that goes into modeling the earth into something truly awe inspiring.
The food hasn't really been impressive lately but they do have one shining star and that's Kelly's World Famous Roast Beef. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people saying they've come from so far away just to come here to the first location and enjoying their world class Lobster Rolls or Homemade Clam Chowder.
I've been in the military now for 4 years and will be returning to Revere soon.. besides my family, Revere Beach has always been a place for me to long for.. a place for me to return to. -
Review from diana y.
9/5/2007
Take the Blue Line to Wonderland, but DON'T get off at the Revere Beach stop. Get off at the Wonderland stop. It's quieter and the sand, believe it or not, is softer than on the Revere Beach side. It's also less crowded and less polluted. A really great place to chill out, read a book, listen to music and take in some sun.
I would not recommend going to the little food area near the Revere Beach stop. I had an assortment of mildly-insane old men yell things at me. All I wanted was soft serve and a hot dog from Twist n Shake. And it wasn't even that good. Pack a picnic, I say.Listed in: Prepare To Be Impressed
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Review from Jake M.
12/15/2006
You people are out of your minds. Revere Beach should be granted permanent National Monument status. As it stands,it's already been forever enshrined in the Unintentional Comedy Hall of Fame.
Where to even begin to tell of its sundry delights? The haze of smog bearing down from all the mufflerless lowriders looping up and down Revere Beach Parkway? The syringe/cigarette strewn sand? The ear shattering cacophony of warring car stereos? The slutty 12 year old girls in thongs? The on-the-hour-every-hour gang brawls?The hepatitis outbreaks? The dive bombing seagulls trying to maul you for your Kelly's? The incoming jets roaring in just over the water?
Seriously, Revere Beach is pretty much my favorite place in the world. -
Review from Hilary D.
Boston, MA
7/18/2010
I am reviewing Revere Beach from Revere Beach...I was curious about the validity of all the horror stories and decided to check it out. I have yet to see any syringes, used condoms, or empty heroin baggies. I haven't even seen any Jersey Shore casting call rejects. Frankly, I'm kinda disappointed because I expected it to be much more entertaining as far as people watching is concerned! Whatever. It's not the Cape, but if you want the Cape, go to the Cape. I like RB because A) its proximity to the T means that it requires no advance planning whatsoever, and B) a beach is a beach is a beach when the majority of your time is spent stuck in a cube filling out forms. Life is too short to sit in traffic and drive around looking for parking spots. Only reason I give it 4 and not 5 is because I like waves, and the water's pretty tame here.
To sum it up, this is where you should go if you happen to wake up one 90-degree Wednesday and pull a Ferris Bueller. -
Review from Cece K.
Boston, MA
9/14/2010
I am originally from FL, therefore my definition of "a beach" might be slightly different than what the NE has to offer... however, I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Revere Beach. It was a somewhat chilly day in September (but of course it doesn't take much to convince a FL girl to go lay out in the sun...even if most people think it is crazy)... so not too many people were on the beach. However, I have nothing but compliments about the beach:
-quick and easy to get to from the city (blue line outbound to revere beach or wonderland)
-clean sand
-wide beach (distance from water to boardwalk is wide...which probably helps with crowding)
-paved boardwalk (great for biking, walking, etc)
-cute ice cream shops, restaurants along the boardwalk
-small town feel
I heard it does have the tendency to get crowded... but I don't really see how that could be a problem because the beach is a few miles long. Definitely a nice and easy way to spend a weekend afternoon outside of the city. -
Review from Lynda J.
Somerville, MA
8/3/2009
Some of the reviews here have really pissed me off. "Gangsta"? "Super sketch beach goers"?? "Teenagers creating mischief"??? Either these Yelpers have an incredibly high sense of entitlement or they have never seen people that don't look just like them.
Revere Beach is a great city beach that families of all shapes and colors spend their days off at. I agree, it isn't always the most aesthetically beautiful, but it is (mostly) clean and def. accessible. You can walk around and see some of the most interesting people watching around. I also get a kick out of seeing people with their families. Some of those "gangsta" looking guys are walking arm and arm with their kids and it always melts my heart.
Why don't I give it 5 stars? Well, I'm from L.A. and have seen some of the most awesome beaches there. I also spend every summer in Croatia where it looks just like what I imagine heaven to look like. But now I'm back in Somerville and Revere Beach does me just right.
Oh, and high five to the dude that said people should check out East-LA if they want to see shady. I'm from the hood, son. You people out here don't even know what scary looks like. -
Review from Charoline D.
Greenwich, CT
4/23/2008
I don't mind Revere Beach, I live on an adjoining beach down the street. While it's not somewhere I'd choose to throw on my nicest neon thong bikini and stretch out on a dolphin/sunset towel, my playboy bellybutton ring glistening in the sun....it's nice to walk along at the end of the day. Maybe, it's just the convenience for me, but there's a couple decent establishments along the boardwalk. Sip a vanilla frappe at Kelly's or stop at The Banana Boat and grab some ice cream, and if you're lucky it'll be the Sand Castle Competition. Another nice feature is there are fireworks ALL. THE. TIME. in the summer that I can watch from my deck and I can see clear across to Nahant as well.
Sure there are some gross oglers, but this isn't Good Harbor or Manchester by the Sea, it's not Mummy dressed entirely in Lacoste while little Gordon plays with his $900 metal detector in the sand. It's a lot more suburban, so it is what it is. And by the way, there are not used needles and condoms littering the sand, bitch pleez.Listed in: Beaches
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Review from Sara S.
Boston, MA
7/7/2009
Damnit. I thought Revere Beach got a bad rap for no reason. I thought it USED to be dumpy, gross, and grimy, but I was proven completely wrong last night.
Super sketch beach goers, policemen running out of their cars and padding people down while strolling on the sand, trash everywhere, teenagers creating mischief. Totally gross water, nasty sand. Never again! -
Review from Jessie Z.
9/27/2010
Oh Revere beach - i'm a big fan. Not the greatest beach in the world but there is just something about you that rules. Lol. So white trashy and so crowded but you do have Kelly's so you can't go wrong.
Thanks Revere Beach for ending my summer with a bang. -
Review from Alex R.
San Jose, CA
5/19/2011
Revere Beach is located off the Blue Line and is one of my favorite beaches to go to in the North North East. It can be colder in the non-hottest months of the year (read: September through June), but who says a beach needs to be scalding hot to be enjoyed? I went here a bunch of times during my college times in Boston and loved each and every visit. It is long (so perfect for a run), accessible (a block from the T stop) and quiet. And that picture with the sand dollar below is very accurate. You can find cool stuff that washes ashore here, not just your usual drug needles and tarballs.
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Review from Nano A.
Albany, NY
7/27/2009
Great beach for Boston. Sadly no one has taken a
general bio course or ecology course to understand the water is dark because of the natural color. The Boston cleanup crew did a great job turning this wasteland into a hidden treasure. Gangstas and ghetto? Not even ppl who wrote that need to go out
more. Try east la and NYC. A true gem: just take the blue and see
for yourself. -
Review from Kiwi H.
6/24/2008
I admit I'm probably biased against Revere Beach because I got a bad impression of it my first visit. It was late at night when I was in college, the night before Thanksgiving and me and a few other lost souls weren't leaving for our mini-vacations yet until the next day so had one night to kill on a ghostly-empty campus and utter boredom. Someone had the brilliant idea of going to drink or loll around on Revere Beach so I thought, 'ooh yes! we used to hang out on the beach all the time at home, day, night, morning, afterparty, whatever, GREAT!' But then I got there and it definitely wasn't what I imagined.
Litter everywhere including dodgy items like packetless condoms (sorry but I did see some), broken glass bottles and plastic bits and bobs. We found some clean patches to sit on for a while, but didn't stay too long in the end. There were a few creepy types walking around even though it was uber-late, I'm not quite sure for what person but I sometimes felt like if they turned to look straight at me I might be in a zombie movie.
BUT still. Although even in the day I still wouldn't look at it and think 'ooh nice beach!' and there are still some really slimeball nasty oglers, it's definitely better during the day. It's cool that they have fireworks in the area so often since I love me some fireworks, but it's out of the way for me to get out to so it's not something I can take advantage of really, plus I'd never go out of my way to come here just for that. I imagine if you lived in the area it might be nice to talk a late afternoon walk alongside it sometimes just to be near the ocean, but what makes me sad is that on the beach, I love digging my toes into the sand and here I wouldn't want to set foot on it without something protecting my foot.
To an extent, it does deserve its reputation, but I can see that in daylight on a beautiful day, it might feel a little differently from the nasty reputation it usually holds. Not a whole ton but a little. BUT since I've been to a bunch of much nicer beaches that I actually want to frolick around in the sunshine and play in the sand in, like Crane's Beach and Singing Beach, I just can't bring myself back to Revere Beach. -
Review from Allison T.
Allston, MA
7/27/2008
Well children, gather round. Let me tell you a story about how looks can be deceiving. You see, Revere Beach looks like a pleasant place to enjoy a swim, lay out, and relive beachside summers. However, Revere Beach really is a giant cesspool.
Granted, I had an excellent time here yesterday for Colin's welcome back. I couldn't have asked for better company, or, for that matter, better weather. The T accessible location made Revere even more promising. And there were of course the lifeguards who were either too bored, or to clueless, to really make any sort of deal about me running into the water with an open bottle of champagne to douse Monsieur (PS - Colin I'm still really sorry about shooting champagne up your nose, down your throat, all over your clothes...).
However I learned two things yesterday:
1. When it comes to beaches, I'm spoiled. I grew up near the water, and spent many many summers on Fire Island, in the Hamptons, or on the Cape (oh beemers I sound like a yuppie asshole).
2. Red tide. Yup. Those of us who, excited at our first beach visits in aeons, took to the water, emerged covered in blotchy, red, very itchy spots. Nope, it's not a sunburn, it's not salt, it's pollution...crawling all over our skins. At the time of writing, no amount of showering or cortizone has yet to ameliorate the situation.
So great day with friends balanced out by scourge from outerspace taking over my skin...probably 2 stars overall. -
Review from Ryan W.
9/9/2007
I'm thankful for the naysayers of Revere Beach, because they set expectations so ridiculously low for this public beach. I think I would have been pleasantly surprised as long as the sand wasn't entirely composed of seagull droppings and ecstasy pills.
Although the other MBTA accessible beaches (Crane Beach, Singing Beach) easily outdo Revere in charm, cleanliness and family-friendliness, they require serious planning and a lot more cash since fares went up. I went to Revere on a whim with some friends, late on a Saturday afternoon, and price of entry was simply a swipe of my monthly LinkPass. Sometimes you just need a beach hit, and to be able to score this easily and cheaply is wonderful.
Yes, as promised, the sand seemed a bit unsettlingly rife with small beer bottle shards. Yes, the scenery did indeed include racuous women shouting, potbellied oldsters in too-small shorts, old-school ghetto-blasters, and frequent airplane flights overhead. But on the upside, we got to bury a friend shoulders-deep in the sand, and he hasn't yet developed a rash from the experience. We also got to peruse the beautiful remains of the sandcastle competitions, from a half-washed-away pirate ship to a now-headless woman or Gorgon. Sure, the sculptures were branded with Dunkin' Donuts, but what other cultural institution in Boston isn't these days?
I'm not familiar with the apparently more horrifying sights of the Jersey shore, or the bum-ridden beaches of Cali, or whatever. I'm from the landlocked yet gorgeous state of Utah, and I often get homesick for long stretches of dry sand and a horizon wider than the span of my hand. This experience didn't exactly cure me, but I didn't catch any other diseases, either. So I'd say it's sixes for Revere Beach.Listed in: Go Outside, Already!
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Review from Alison D.
Somerville, MA
6/27/2011
Revere beach is one of the closest beaches to me in Somerville. When it is a hot summer weeknight it is a great place get out of the house to go for a walk and smell the ocean. Other than that it is dirty and crowded with teenagers. Thus, the average rating.
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Review from Alex T.
Quincy, MA
8/13/2008
I don't go to Revere Beach because:
-Crowded in the afternoons, shady at night
-Garbage and various trinkets in the sand
-Water is un-swimmable
-North Shore muscleheads
Revere Beach does, however, solidly earn it's one star rating given that it is actually a beach close to the T and I also shared a special moment with an ex-girlfriend here so ... congratulations!
The end. -
Review from Kellen F.
Berkeley, CA
10/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
As someone who comes from California, it was nice to see a decent beach in Boston. We took the T all the way to Wonderland, which was a much better place to get off to avoid more crowded areas and more trash.
I had no problem with trash, plenty of space for myself and girlfriend and the water was nice. No complaints! (Oh wait, yes: no bathroom in sight.) -
Review from Ryan B.
Dorchester, MA
4/30/2009
I decided to check out Revere beach this week for 2 reasons:
1) It was the last couple days we could bring the dog - After may 1st dogs are not allowed on the beach - he had a good time.
2) It was supposed to be 90 - in April!
Apparently every else had the same idea. the beach was pretty packed and Revere Beach Blvd as bumper to bumper. People were trying to cruise like it A1A - Beachfront Avenue! The beach itself was pretty dirty, lots of trash. Smelled funny too. The water was brown, but there were actually people swimming in it! I would have to say - any beach that is accessible by T, you should avoid!
I might return only to check out the sand sculpture contest and to try the ice cream at Twist & Shake. -
Review from Orly M.
Somerville, MA
4/1/2008
Maybe this beach has been cleaned up since the first and last time I was there, or maybe it's one of those crappy places that have somehow become "cool."
My only revere beach experience was a few years ago. I was hanging with a college friend, and his friend who was totally trying to mack on me. Tip to the gents out there: don't try taking a girl on a romantic walk down REVERE Beach.
I only saw one used condom which was a bonus, as were the junkies on every bench hollering at us.
I'm going to stick with Carson Beach thankyouverymuch. -
Review from Furry L.
Somerville, MA
7/28/2007
I am sorry, but what sort of beach standards are all you naysayers actually using? Ok, so a seagull is not going to mystically land on your shoulder and lead you into some secret nature-fantasy dreamscape.
And yes, it's true that there will be some trash on the beach. But gawd, honestly, where else can you drive any time of day, park, and play in the ocean with normal people (i.e., not the ridiculous Cape crowd)? I have lived in wasteland Jersey and Boston for years, and the worst thing I have seen are cigarette butts in the sand--which I happen to bemoan anywhere, not just on the beach. Trash is part of city life in the U.S. I walk barefoot here (GASP), unafraid of unseen organisms and scummy harbingers of death, and I am always most happy that I can strip to my bra and panties to swim-when I have arrived spontaneously at the end of a workday-without being looked at askance for not having purchased the proper swim attire from Lands End or wherever people waste money on bathing suits these days.
I guess it's pretty simple--the people who don't like Revere Beach are the same kind of commodity fetishists that waste good money at Whole Foods an then pat themselves on the back for doing the "right" thing, for their bodies, for the ever-increasingly abstracted concept of the "environment", or whatever. This beach is in an urban area, it's for public use, and it's free. For everyone. If you think the carbon molecules in your body are any more valuable than those in that disgusting cigarette butt, please correct me. Oh but wait, human body parts have no monetary value, I forget...
Anyhoo, I have wasted money at Crane's Beach, and I know it's just not worth it for the "cleanliness factor" alone to drive up through the WASP-ville that surrounds it. I could smell the evil there.
Revere Beach is nice place, where anyone can feel welcome...if you choose to welcome it back! -
Review from David C.
Chelsea, MA
6/29/2008
Revere Beach is a wonderful stretch of sand and surf. My concern, though, is that it is on the verge of swaying on its pendulum completely from honky-tonk 1970's and 80's eyesore, to gentrified, Starbuck's latte-drinking, "beautiful people" hell.
There are TWO Revere Beaches, already, really. There is the "Everyman Revere Beach", which stretches from Winthrop Circle to Kell's Creme. (Yes, it's Kell's, not Kelly's Creme!!!) and then there is the "Beautiful People Revere Beach" which basically extends from Kell's Creme to Point of Pines." The Ocean Club Condo complex will be in this area in the coming years.
The only exception to this "rule" is The Atlantica, a condo complex that sits just south of Kelly's. -
Review from Karen H.
Allston, MA
7/8/2010
Being a local from Boston, it occured to me that never once had I gone to Revere Beach, not even for a late night drive down to Kelly's Roast Beef for a snack with friends. It wasn't until my boyfriend and I missed our train to Manchester for Singing Beach this past Monday after July 4th, that I was determined not to waste my precious day off and the perfect beach weather.
We left and hopped onto the Blue line towards Revere. The train brought us there in about 20 min and although the passengers were not exactly the classiest, I was really surprised at how clean and well-maintained the Blue line was. Not to mention, it wasn't crowded at all for a holiday. Sure beats waiting at North Station for 3 hours for the next commuter rail and an additional 45 min on it. When you get there, the beach is literally right behind the Revere train station, a few steps away.
Honestly for as bad a rep that Revere Beach has gotten in the past, I can honestly say that it's a pretty nice beach. There are broken rocks and sharp objects in the sand, but I wore flip flops so no problem there. We walked closer to the water nearby one of the lifeguard stands and secured a clean, uninhabited spot and planted our beach towels. It was super crowded but most families and beach goers were down by the farther end of the beach, which spans fairly widely. Tons of children and adults were already splashing around and swimming in the water. I felt a really good vibe.
We read our books, laid out in the sun, and took a dip into the cold water 2 hours later. The water does have a lot of seaweed and some though few polluted items from what I saw, but really my only complaint was the insane amount of rocks on the ground! I thought there would be less further in but there were just as many. Discouraged by the rocks, we got out of the water pretty quickly and walked along the wet sand down to the other end. It was slightly cleaner but about the same.
It was easy to find food along the boardwalk and has the typical: pizza joint, ice cream shop, a dive-y lounge, sub stand, but also a Chinese takeout spot. Not bad especially when you're hungry. There's a restroom area right at the center of the beach and outdoor shower sprays, which I didn't use. I had no problem disposing my trash into trash bins.
Revere Beach gets busy but what do you expect with 90 degree weather and being so close to a train? It's so convenient to get to and I really enjoyed my time there. I didn't even mind the sounds of airplanes flying across every 30 min. With this major heat wave going on, I will certainly be returning again this summer. -
Review from Alexandra T.
Philadelphia, PA
4/27/2010
Maybe I'm just spoiled having grown up in the suburbs and visitng beaches that were not anywhere near urban areas my entire life. Maybe I'm a little prissier than I thought when it comes to clean beaches. Either way, Revere Beach did just not do it for me.
There were about zero waves and lots of garbage. I don't know if I would classify the other clientle as gangstas or ghetto, but there were certianly a lot of heavy older men hooting and hollering at my friend and I. Also a fair share of loud middle-schoolers who had clearly skipped school, as it was 1pm in May and they were not wearing swimsuits.
I know it's a convenient location for the city, but seriously, find a friend with a car and take the drive to another beach. It's well worth it. -
Review from Chris K.
Boston, MA
8/14/2010
Often very busy with far too many small children running around and screaming, this beach is laced with crappy dining venues and hideously designed hotels and motels. I've visited this beach on four separate occasions. The only time that I had a really great experience was a night in early April; it was too cold to swim so there was no one else there, making for a pleasant, relaxing evening.
One nice thing that you may see if you visit Revere Beach during mid summer is a myriad of stunning sand castles. Every year there is a competition held on the upper section of the beach, bringing sculptors from all across the east coast. They do a really great job and the sculptures are usually around for a week or so, baring any attacks by mother nature or small children.
The rumors of dirty needles and various other undesirables may not hold true anymore, but head further down the shore if you are looking for a decent beach. The easy access via the blue line may seem appealing, but in reality its the exact reason you should steer clear of this beach. -
Review from Iska B.
4/29/2008
I'm reviewing this beach a little late (it being April and I haven't been here since July) but hey, it's nice to think about the day when it will be warm enough to go to a beach again...
Except it really won't be this one. I'd never have come here if not for the sand castle contest they have. I'm a Cape Cod girl. My parents live there and I always/only go to the beaches on the Cape. I love them. They do not however have sand castle contests and Revere Beach does. The contest itself was phenomenal. Gorgeous and artistic sculptures that are so detailed you can hardly believe they are made out of sand! I highly recommend going to it.
Aside from this...uh well...this beach is downright GROSS. Cigarette butts everywhere, trash everywhere, USED condoms every 6 feet, and dirty sand. It took a lot of courage to lie down after walking a long ass way to find a semi-clean place to lie down. I didn't go in the water. That seemed too risky...
Aside from the icky sand, it's nice to stroll along the beach on the "boardwalk". Lots of little restaurants and ice cream shops dot the long stretch. Cute. It's almost like being at a "real" beach some where tropical...or as close as we can get here. They do have one commodity that's really appreciated: dog poop bags. If people actually used them it would be even better... -
Review from Lesley K.
Revere, MA
Updated - 7/27/2009 2 photos
Man, some people are slow-witted. Seaweed? On a beach? And people who aren't uniformly white? Shocking!
More to the point, it doesn't take a huge amount of creative thinking to realize that if you hop off the T and walk directly to the section of beach nearest the Revere Beach stop, the beach might be most crowded and trash-strewn there. The beach is 4.5 miles long, kids. The reality is that the very reason the beach is often dirty and overcrowded at that particular narrow stretch nearest the T is because of the folks coming in from Boston - the same folks who disdain Revere for receiving their garbage.
There are areas in which the sand is soft and rock-free, and the water clear, easily enough found for folks who can be bothered to walk. But I'm not telling y'all where they are lest you come over and filth them up with your dirty dirty city-dwelling ways.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/3/2008
I grew up in South Florida, home of some of the most gorgeous beaches in the US, so my beach… Read more »
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Review from Ana R.
7/27/2007
I'm not sure if there have been active improvements made to this beach since some of the negative reviews here, but I just went to Revere Beach last Saturday and had a really nice experience.
Saturday was not a typical beach day. The sun was beating down hard when it wasn't obscured by a few clouds, and there was a cool breeze blowing. The beach was not packed by any means, but there were many large groups of people tanning or just hanging out.
Getting there was not hard, although there was a short detour that ended up being easy to follow. Parking was a DREAM. Free parking all along the promenade, for four hours! Many, many spaces were available. We only had to move the car once, and we actually moved it much closer to where we were on the beach.
The beach was clean, except for your random bottle caps every so often. No syringes in sight, thankfully. The air was clean, except there was a bit of noise pollution, since the beach is directly under a flight path!! There was, however, a real shortage of garbage cans!! We had to take our trash home with us, since we didn't even pass ONE on the way back to our car! The grassy area behind the beach was also very well kept.
Food was easy to find. There are several stands/shops with your typical beach fare: hot dogs, burgers, fried dough, fries, pizza, ice cream, etc. There is also a sandwich place that has chicken finger/fry baskets and great subs for $4, and a malt shop with cool neon signs and such. Prices were pretty reasonable, but you can bring your own food, too.
Bathrooms were tolerable, although a lot of veterans were milling around the entrance giving girls "the eye". I didn't use the bathroom myself, but from what I saw, there were lots of stalls and most of them were clean/stocked enough to use. Flyers for local activities were also posted in the bathrooms, and I thought that was pretty interesting.
Although not a usual attraction, the day I went there were sand sculptures all along the entrance to the beach. Really impressive work from a competition the weekend before, I think.
I was pleasantly surprised by the state of the beach. Friends who used to live there warned us the beach was crappy, but we just wanted some time out in the sun. Turns out this place is pretty nice and we're going back there this Saturday night for some twilight beach time.
One star missing for: no trash barrels, not a lot of attractions/shopping.
