Battle of the Beat Down Beaches – Revere vs. Nantasket

In this tale of two beaches, one just a bit north of Boston and the other a little bit farther south, both locations share many of the same qualities. The most notable of those being that they have seen better days.  Revere Beach was in fact "the first to be set aside and governed by a public body for the enjoyment of the common people". In its heyday Revere Beach flaunted a 1400 foot pier with a dance hall, the Cyclone roller coaster, bowling alleys, roller skating rinks, a fun-house and a variety of rickety rides where death awaited. In Nantasket’s glory days the beach was home to Paragon Amusement Park, which survived the Blizzard of ‘78 but finally closed in 1984. At both locations, most of these attractions have been replaced by condominiums. Big ugly ones. Only a few remnants exist - an arcade in Revere and a carousel in Nantasket. Oh, and a place called Fascination on Nantasket which is actually a game that combines the “skills” of skee ball with the tedium of bingo – oh fun!  It is in no way a strip club.

One of the remaining structures on Nantasket - the old clock tower

There certainly are beaches closer to Boston, and beaches in town, but I chose these two because of their size and services. Both have plenty of parking options, changing rooms, showers and budgets to keep the beaches kinda clean and lifeguards paid. Revere Beach can be reached by the Blue Line and there are plenty of four hour on-street parking spots. Earlybirds at Nanatasket might be able to find one of the coveted free street spots – but there are plenty of lots, and they only fill up on the busiest of summer weekends ($10-$20).

   

Revere Beach - parts of its past still linger

There’s also quite a bit that sets these two beaches apart – and for me, the biggest is swimming. I have never ever, nor will I ever swim at Revere Beach. It’s four miles from Boston and surrounded by industry, refineries and a lot of dirty toxic shit. Granted, the entire beach has been re-sanded, the original pavilions restored and the boardwalk as a whole revitalized, but I just can’t get passed the location. We live in a dirty, filthy world.  The closest beach to Boston where I have plunged into the ocean and flopped around like a baby seal is Nantasket. This is actually one of five beaches in New England that I’ve surfed – okay, tried to surf. Fine – I suck at surfing.  But the point I’m getting at here is that if your goal is to get in the water and ride some waves (even if it’s just to body surf), Nantasket is the obvious choice. If the weather is mild there may not be any waves, and if there was a recent downpour always check beach conditions for high bacteria levels. If there's a storm out at sea making the ocean gods angry, Nantasket can make a person forget that they are about 45 minutes away from downtown Boston. This beach has one major downfall though, during high tide there is no beach. Only a few pockets of sand will survive as the tide pushes everyone against the rocks or up onto the boardwalk. It makes for an awkward afternoon – check the tide chart and conditions before planning a trip.

Nanatasket Beach - getting smooshed onto the rocks...

So why go to Revere Beach if swimming is not the best option? One of the answers is roast beef. Kelly’s has been slinging beef, fried seafood and lobster rolls along the shore since 1951. I can’t say I’m the biggest fan, nor is it an old family tradition or anything like that, but at least once a year I find myself snarfing down a Kelly’s roast beast sammy down by the seaside. And that’s part of the appeal to Revere Beach – if you find yourself with a craving and nothing to do on a nice sunny day, Revere Beach is only minutes away. It’s also good for a quick ice cream getaway – with Banana Boat and Kell’s being much revered.  Revere Beach is also world renowned for its famous people watching – trust me, you’ll get an eyeful!

   Car show in front of Joseph's Pizza on Nantasket

What these beaches lack, for the most part, is fine or decent dining (especially seafood) and late night entertainment (where you won’t get shanked).  There are some options, Barefoot Bobs on Nantasket has a nice little outdoor deck with a Tiki theme going on, and their margaritas always hit the spot. Both locations have multiple pizza options, a hotdog stand and Revere Beach even has a Chinese food shack. The C Note on Nantasket is known for its live entertainment - but it’s mostly dad-blues, open mic nights and DJ’s. Revere Beach has a plethora of ill-reputed dive bars, the entrance to the Shipwreck Lounge might actually be a wormhole that goes right to 1979. Hairy chests and gold chains still rue the day here. A few traditional Italian restaurants are scattered up and down the strip in Revere, but I’m not usually looking for pasta with gravy at the beach.

Overall – both beaches have their quirks but make for great day trips. Sometimes a trip to the beach to get silly can do wonders for the soul. I wouldn’t stay overnight, or even too late into the evening at either beach – unless you are a brave warrior looking for a true Boston adventure.


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