September 1997

I grew up on the South Shore. That was all I knew. For all intents and purposes, anything North of Route 128 could have been considered the other side of the world. It amounted to uncharted territory. However, even when you spend just a little time traveling through a place, somehow, no matter how short the duration, you seem to have vivid recollections of those memories. Especially from childhood. And sometimes, even when you never took part in the experiences, just hearing about those times makes it feel like they are part of your upbringing.

Revere has a lot of those good feelings when you talk about times gone by.

Everyone has either heard of or seen the amusement park. It's legacy speaks for itself. You either had a favorite ride, or became amazed at hearing stories of what was once alive on Revere Beach Boulevard. No one young enough today can either fathom that there was once something on the block other than high rise condominiums.Today, the occasional carnival that springs up in the parking lot near Wonderland is their only experience with what once occupied whole blocks for miles. A gigantic roller coaster with its own reputation. Fun houses, hawkers, a real midway taste and feel.

It disappeared with urban renewal. But, the atmosphere somehow remains in the memory.

Point of Pines lasted. A sharp, sophisticated neighborhood within a honky tonk beach front community. Quite a contrast, but if you drive along there now and look at the stately homes, one different than the next, you can see it. You can feel what it must have been like. It is still here. Going down to that end of the beach, one feels a slower pace, less of a crowd to deal with, a different feel. A mile down the road, and you are back into the wonderful aroma of the " other side ". So much, even now, happens along that small strip of road, and it is varied. One without the other just wouldn't be Revere.

The city used to have a drive-in movie theater. If you are a teenager, you might be asking: " What's that? " It used to be down on the rotary at the site of the Showcase Cinemas. Somehow, Revere should have had a drive-in that survived, where all the others have failed. Perfect type of entertainment for the city with a beach on its backdoor. The two go hand-in-hand with the local environment. One wishes that some self effacing businessman could bring it back. Movies under a darkened sky. Why something so simple could not be a part of the 90's generation is a crime. If it ever made a comeback, I hope it could be reborn in Revere.

And, as hard as it may seem, people tell me that there used to be a small airport near the Lynn Marsh! What an interesting place this must have been, oh, those many years ago with all this activity! In a small parcel of land, Revere's flavor was vibrant, without size, fresh, and alive. It still is. I wish those things long gone could exist in more than just the memory. Progress should not mean killing off other ways of life just because society did not call for it.

On a personal note, my father spent many years growing up in Revere. This, and the other aforementioned reasons, makes me long for parts of the past. I wish I moved here long before I actually did to experience it.

Better late than never!