- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Revere Beach
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
-
Beachmont (Blue)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
54 reviews for Revere Beach
Indeed. It may not be the prettiest or the cleanest beach you've ever seen. But can we all agree that this is the most convenient beach in Boston area?
Sure. This beach is often used as a punchline of many jokes but once you actually see it. It is not as horrible as we anticipate.
If you wake up late in the summer morning with major hangover and are looking for a cure? Hop on the blue line with a few plastic bags in case you need to throw up during the journey. Get off at Revere Beach and jump in the cold water.
Believe me. You'd be surprised how much you'd feel better after that.
No plan needed to come here as it's only 20-30min away from Downtown Boston. Revere Beach is very precious existence for spontaneous dudes/dudettes like myself.
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.
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.
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!
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 »
-
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 »
First time on Revere Beach. Although its not on a major route it is fairly easy to get to. Parking was a bit of a problem. There were no parking lots? Street parking was all I found and that can be impossible if you dont get there early.
Other than Kelly's Roast beef, there wasnt really many food options on the beach.
The beach was pretty dirty and FILLED with seaweed EVERYWHERE. Want to swim in the water? Sure if you want to come out looking like a sea creature.
Overall not impressed. I wouldnt choose this beach but Id go if friends were going.
I was all set to go wadin' in the water, as they say....until I saw IT.
It was pink.
A condom. In the ocean. Where it really does not belong.
Didn't want to find out if it was used or not. Ran far, far away.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
6/9/2009
I came here a couple times at the end of last summer, and have visited twice already this year so… Read more »
I just got back from seeing the sand castle competition on Revere Beach near Beach Street, which was very interesting. Albeit, it could have taken place at a nicer venue. The general vibe here is .... ghetto fab. Lots of families make their way here to get away from their regular routines at home, but all you really get is crying babies, Brazilian bikini clad gals, "gangsters" in their long, heavy jeans & sneakers, and lots of seaweeds and rocks to stab your feet in the water.
This isn't my idea of relaxation, but if you're 16 and have no where else to go, go here!
I'm hoping that all the people who trash talk my town won't come back... that's a few less people to come down and crowd/dirty/traffic up my beach. That's right... MY beach. (But I do share with the rest of my neighbors here in Revere.) Sure, there are lots of people. It's a beach near a major city!!!! And maybe some people aren't used to Brazilians or teenagers or the working class in general, but this beach is for everybody. Come down dressed as you are. Baggy jeans, thong bikini, speedo, sweater, whatever.
Sure, you found a condom in the water. Newsflash! People have sex on beaches EVERYWHERE, ALL OVER THE WORLD!
And the seaweed... come on people! You're swimming in the sea. There are going to be weeds.
Sure, we don't have big beautiful rocky cliffs, or gigantic multi million dollar homes or lots of expensive restaurants. (check out reviews for Kelly's and Bianchis)
But no one who doesn't live in Revere would complain if they just came down on a winter, spring, or fall morning to watch the sunrise.
Or to jog along the beach. Or to walk your dog.
Or try coming down on a cool, rainy day when the beach is empty, there's a fog hanging over the water, you can just barely see the glow of the lighthouse in the distance and listen to the fog horns and the sea gulls. (fantastic!) Plus I hear we have some great sea glass on the beach.
Its comfortable and has been my home for 10 years and I love it.
I've always loved the ocean. When I was kid, every summer weekend my brother and I would coerce our dad to drive to the beach with false promises of clean bedrooms and good grades. We'd stay in the water until our lips turned blue and our toes cramped, fighting the waves and trying to drown each other. Eventually, my dad would remove us from the water by the napes of our neck and drag us to the showers to clean up. We'd find these funny looking brown casings in our bathing suits while we were washing. A very wise person once told us they were baby shark pods. I thought it was exciting to have shark pods in my bathing suit and I thought one day I might give birth to a shark.
For me, the beach is about more than just tanning and cooling my toes. If I wanted transparent blue water, I'd find a public pool.
The beach lures me with the power and thrill of nature. I like the challenge of trying to disentangle myself from a seaweed net while being slammed in the head by the crest of a wave. I flirt with the rip current that threatens to drag me to Nova Scotia.
I might wonder whether that floating dog carcass will give me rabies or if I just stepped on a hypodermic needle, but here I am, alive and well having dodged both of those bullets on my trip to Revere Beach.
And not even a shark pod in my bathing suit. Guess I'll have to go again.
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.
I just realized how busy this place gets! It seems like every weekend there are tons and tons of people eating, drinking, having fun and even caught glimpse of an outdoor concert. There is also a farmers market every thursday from noon to 6pm until October 29(too bad it wasn't on a weekend).
Then you've got the sand castle festival which is awesome. There are a wide variety of restaurants, some with outdoor seating and some with bars. It really seems like an up and coming place, as the waterfront is really nice and not scummy like many reviewers think.
I also never realized how huge the beach is. Its just really very long and wide and I haven't seen people having to sit on eachothers laps like you might see at other beaches.
Oh and unfortunately I just read about the cape having one of the top 10 polluted beaches in the US.
Newsflash! There is trash and gasp, condoms! On every beach. They don't necessarily come from Revere. Do yourselves a favor and google: pacific garbage patch. That is where all of your trash goes and ends up on our beaches.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/9/2008
Revere beach seems to be loved by those of us on the north shore and not loved by those of us… Read more »
Not bad for a T accessible beach.
If you are a lady and your mission is to tan in peace and enjoy the sun... pick another beach. Or try a one piece.
Otherwise, this is a great people watching beach. I can usually do about three hours here and I'm ready to go.
I can't comment on the water because I've never been when the water was warm enough (is it ever?)
Revere Beach was on our way back from Nahant Beach so we decided to see what all the fuss was about, for better or worse. Well, we definitely went at the right time. We got a good (free!) parking spot and the beach was not crowded despite the holiday weekend. The tide was very low, creating lots of sandbars and shallow pools teaming with (surprise!) wildlife. Now granted, we heard a woman exclaim, "This is the first time I've seen things alive here!" so maybe it was an anomaly, but I have never seen so many free-roaming hermit crabs in my beach-going life! We also saw sea mollusks, razor clams, garden variety clams, tiny sea crabs, and even a live sand dollar (see the Revere Beach pictures for my photos of the sand dollar and a mollusk)! The water was crystal clear and the beach seemed quite clean -- definitely cleaner than Nahant.
To the haters: Have you been to the Jersey Shore, where you're more likely to see medical waste floating ashore than sea creatures? I think Revere Beach gets made fun of because it's not a far-away exclusive destination beach populated with people named Muffy who play squash in pearls (in a state where such posh beaches and their $25 parking fees are easy to find). So what? It's a really nice beach! Go at low tide to avoid the crowds and see sea creatures!
Good place to relax and read a book on a warm day. I didn't go in the water (there was either masses of people or masses of seaweed in the water all the way down the beach) but my friends and I found a fairly close and quiet spot adjacent to one of the beds of seaweed in the ocean. Not a very large beach (erosion-wise) but, as I mentioned, not a bad place to lie out and read a book.
Let's be fair here people. This is a city beach. It is not fair to compare it to a nature preserve. People don't bemoan the Arboretum because it's not as majestic as a national park.
We went to the beach on a hot Tuesday afternoon and were very happy. The water temperature was great, especially compaired with beaches further north. The beach was uncrowded and we found free parking.
For those of you who think Revere is scarry and dangerous, please don't feel obligated to drive so far away from your posh suburb to visit us. We're fine without you.
I would seriously question some of the complaints about the quality of the water. The state has done a weekly bacterial analysis during the summer for all major beaches. The results are available at the link below, and show that the water quality on Revere Beach is actually no different than most of the beaches at Cape Cod.
http://mass.digitalhea...
I believe that a lot of the perception that the water is dirty is a leftover from the days when the harbor was polluted, and I also have to wonder if some of this is due to the typical Bostonian's biases toward the cleanliness of many of the different ethnic groups that visit this beach (as opposed to the cape beaches, whose crowds are largely mono-racial).
The water at any beach is going to look a little dirty when the tide is going out. At high tide, however, the water at Revere Beach often looks nearly as clear as the Caribbean.
The trash can definitely be a problem at times, but the DCR gives it a pretty good cleaning twice a week during the summer. I think some of the most recent reviews were based on an unusually hot day in April, when the people who maintain the beach weren't quite ready for the unusually large influx of people.
Like most other places around downtown, VERY difficult to navigate and absolutely no road signs. The beach is a true honky tonk with crack heads and gang members and homeless folks roaming around year round.
The police will be around - to look pretty.
Event days - like the Revere Beach Sand Scluptors - is a major disastor area. If you take yuor car, you will be stuck for hours (like I did). If yo utak ethe Blue Line T in - you will be waiting for a long long time for the MBTA lords to show up. Either way - the horrible planning from the city and the logistical nightmare and the overall low quality of the beach is a downer. I would say - avoid at all costs.
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.
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.
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.
nice, wide, clean.
the find the lion that spits water.
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.
Some friends and I stopped by here on an uncharacteristically warm day in May, and for all the complaints we had a great time.
So what if the beach has its fair share of broken glass and razor clams lying in the sand. Sure, there are a few biker-gangs that frequent the bars up on the esplanade. And maybe the water is freezing and occasionally smells like dirty feet.
But that's the point. Nothing beats jumping into the water and then shivering back to your warm towel in the sun. Pointy rocks just add an element of danger.
Oh, and the bikers are hilarious - After a car loudly backed up into another, one tattooed gentleman in chaps:
"At least she ain't running nowhere. License plate's branded onto that fender."
Real Waves in Boston. I was happy!
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
I've only been to Revere beach twice... once last year for the Sand Sculpture Competition.. and this year for the same event.
Not too bad of a T ride from my place, although today we were "assholes to belly buttons" on the blue line... and this one guy near me REALLY needed some deodorant (I think on hot summer days I'm going to start carrying around a spray can and take care of those in need)... but that's neither here nor there in terms of the beach.
I think the view here is very pretty, and the sand sculptures amaze me. How do these people make such beautiful things from sand and water. Talent... lots of talent.
There were lots of beach-goers and the sidewalk highly-unhealthy food was tasty. :-)
Good place to spend a part of your day relaxing.
I still go here, because it's relatively convenient (when I'm at work) and because the State Police patrol it regularly. But, aside from that I'm more impressed by a lot of other beaches in eastern Massachusetts.
Every time I go I think of the same things...ill-mannered beachgoers, more trash than should be considered acceptable, too much noise and landscaping (?) that can be described as, at best, uninspiring. That, and the state could add a few more lifeguard stations. I'm sorry, but the ones at Revere are spaced out much further than they should be.
Good points? It's a beach, there are women in swimsuits (sorry for the sexist remark but I am a heterosexual male, after all) and there are plenty of places in the vicinity to get food that tastes good but is bad for you. Problem is, other places have those amenities too. At Revere they're not enough to make me drive out of my way to get there and its drawbacks outweigh its good points. Call me spoiled but I'd take Singing Beach or Nantasket any day over Revere.
i retract this statement! i returned to revere beach today and the masses of seaweed have been cleaned up! revere is ripe for swimming, and getting better every year!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/21/2009
broken glass, screaming high school hoodlums, an abundance of far too tan men in speedos and… Read more »
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.
How come everyone gives this beach such a bad rap? I was really hesitant to go here... I heard whispers of hypodermic needles and trash in the sand. I was pleasantly surprised to see what a good looking beach it was! If you're looking for a secluded beach in a nature reserve.. no, Revere Beach isn't for you. And Revere isn't the most beautiful place, but I didn't really care to stray far from the beach. But it is pretty good at being a city beach, with respectable facilities, yummy ice cream across the street, fairly easy to park, and I got what I wanted... a day next to the ocean, warm sand beneath my feet. As a bonus, they were having a sand sculpture competition which was really impressive! Overall, it seems like a nice place to go if you don't want to drive too far from the city. I'd go back for sure.
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.
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!
i've really enjoyed the two beach excursions i've had here.
it's true it's not for beach snobs, it's not scenic, or a quiet getaway. but it is convenient, literally right off the T, which is great! and it is fun, in a tacky kind of way. fun people watching/griping, soft sand, and large enough to not feel too crowded.
definitely not the nicest beach in the area, but when my driver isn't available, this is a good afternoon with friends and a picnic.
Revere Beach. Well, I grew up on the North Shore, so I've seen it evolve over the years, and it ain't what it used to be in a lot of ways. First of all, there's a lot of beach, and it's quite different from end to end. The end I like is the old part called Crescent Beach. It's the end across the street from Bill Ash's Lounge and Sammy's Patio. That area. That's the area that's best for watching beach people.
Revere isn't as dirty as people think. The DCR keeps it clean and grooms the sand regularly during beach season. The water may be dirty, but who needs it except to wash off oil and sweat at the end of the day. I like oil and sweat and tanned flesh especially on the bevy of babes that frequent there. The Brazilian chicks are super sweet, but they speak a language I don't understand. Not a problem, everyone can smile. A smile looks good in any thong. The Hispanic girls are just as nice, as are the Russians, Germans and Asians. Many languages spoken heah.
The heart of the beach community is the hard core, ageless brownies who pitch their beach chairs right out on the sidewalk near the bathhouse and talk about 1962 in gravel voices between drags on their cigarettes. It's still 1962 along the sidewalk. They're the quaint anchors that hold down the beach and give it its tough image.
I don't understand what this loathing of North Shore Muscleheads is about. Those guys are more show than substance. I know - I used to be one. But they all left in the '90's.
When you get parched from the sun, you'll find two water fountains near the pavilion. The pavilion is where the homeless get out of the harsh summer sun and the pervs, voyeurs and other assorted creeps hang out to sniff the action. The fountains, however, are the water holes where all the animals commune in their common need.
The hot sand will burn your feet, but at day's end if your mind is baked to the point where you can feel your brain itch, then it is great just to worm through the sand and feel the spaces between the grains.
Seagulls suck, but if you can't get away to Singing or Crane's Beach and just have a need to dig the beach before, during, or after work, Revere Beach is what you want.
A Revere Beach hiaku:
When summertime comes
Revere Beach is the place
We worship the sun.
It's a pretty beach. It was definitely dirty with cigarette butts near the road and seaweed, but it also has a peacefulness about it.
I went there yesterday, and it was quiet. Not too many people around, because it still is kind of cold to be at the beach. It was a good place for my friend to sit at the benches near the road and talk. It has its own charm, and it's nice to have a beach on the T line.
