Beloved Boston beach, gym reopening in time for heat wave
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The L Street's lobby overlooks Dorchester Bay with views of the JFK Library. Photo: Mike Deehan/Axios
As temperatures rise over 90°F, Boston residents can get some relief at the recently reopened L Street Bathhouse and beach.
Driving the news: The Boston Centers for Youth & Families' Curley Community Center — affectionately called "the L" — had been closed since March 2020.
- The city's $31.2 million renovation delayed the grand reopening until this month.
Why it matters: The gym, community center and guarded stretch of beach offer residents a cheap way to work out and cool off.
- Membership to the city-owned center is open to anyone and free for July and August.
State of play: While the gym portion of the L soft-opened in June, the beach had been closed until last week because the state had to sign off on a plan to protect nesting seabirds.
- Beach lifeguards were on duty Tuesday afternoon, but only one or two people were enjoying the sun when Axios Boston visited.
- The nearby M Street Beach had dozens of visitors.
What they're saying: "There's a good vibe here about people watching out for each other. We've got seniors, we've got little kids and everybody watches out," U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Boston) said at the center's ribbon-cutting event last month.
- Lynch, who's been a member for 50 years and learned to swim at the L, said it's a destination for many in South Boston, especially seniors looking to connect to life and community.
The facility's brand new gym features cardio, weight training and fitness studio rooms.
- The new locker rooms have saunas, though the men's steam room isn't operational yet.
- The 92-year-old beachfront building got a climate resiliency upgrade, with an open basement that allows flood waters and sand to flow in and out.
💠Deehan's thought bubble: While the gym equipment isn't quite as expansive as what you'd see in a $90-a-month mega gym, the Curley Center's a great place to work out in a superb location along Dorchester Bay.
- And with free WiFi on the new beachfront deck, expect a few Axios Boston stories to be written there.