Carson Beach, South Boston facts for kids
Carson Beach is a fun public beach located in South Boston, Massachusetts. It's also known as L Street Beach. The beach is looked after by the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation. It's part of a three-mile stretch of parks along the South Boston shoreline, which is great for walking and playing!
If you want to visit, the closest subway stop is the JFK/UMass station on the Red Line. It's only about a half-mile walk from there. Back in the 1990s, the water at Carson Beach wasn't very clean, so the beach had to be closed sometimes. But don't worry! As of 2019[update], the water is usually clean and safe for swimming, which is fantastic news for beach lovers. Plus, the building where you can change and get ready for the beach, called the bathhouse, has been recently updated and looks great!
The Cool Bathhouse at Carson Beach
The bathhouse at Carson Beach was first built way back in 1925. It was a handy place for local people to change their clothes and get ready for the beach. It also served as a community center. This bathhouse was a busy spot through the 1950s and 60s. However, by the 1970s, more and more people started using their cars to explore beaches further away, like those in Maine or Cape Cod. Because fewer local people were using it, the bathhouse became quite old and wasn't kept up very well.
But things changed for the better! On July 26, 1994, the leaders of Massachusetts and Boston decided to give the beaches a makeover. Governor Bill Weld and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced a big plan called "Back to the Beaches." They shared exciting news about spending over $6.8 million to fix up the bathhouse and clean the beach area.
The new bathhouse was built a little further back from the sand dunes, closer to Day Boulevard. It was finished in 1998 and was named after Edward J. McCormack Jr.. He was from South Boston and served as the state's Attorney General from 1959 to 1963. The updated bathhouse is really nice! It has three open areas called pavilions, places to buy food and drinks, and clean restrooms for everyone.
Images for kids
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Columbia Point in the background.
