If towns in Massachusetts refuse to open their beaches to the general public, the state should not subsidize the cost of managing and restoring these beaches. If a town wants to privatize the coast, they should have to pay for it alone. #mapoli
wgbh.org/news/local-new…
There's a *huge* disconnect between Massachusetts' identity as a liberal state and the more conservative ground reality, and I can't think of a more on-the-nose example of this than our mostly-privatized coastline and how hard it is for the public to access beaches in this state.
IMO, the most feasible way to improve public access to Massachusetts beaches in the near term would be for the state to cut off beach upkeep funding for any towns that continue to ban non-residents from accessing their *public* beaches via parking restrictions or permitting rules
Here's another idea for improving access to all of these fiercely guarded beaches in Massachusetts. Run public shuttle buses to them from population centers during the summer months. Boom. You've just gotten around the "resident parking only" barrier and taken cars off the roads.

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More from @MilesPerHoward

Jul 4
To ring in the Fourth of July, I'm going for a midday hike on this little-known pathway through the backyards of mansions in Brookline. The rich people who live there try to keep the path hidden but it's open to the public from dawn to dusk. I'll post photos and a trail map soon.
Okay, folks! Here’s a detailed rundown of the path, which I’m calling the Secret Brookline Mansion Trail.

First, the link below will take you to an AllTrails map for navigating your way along the route.

Now, here’s what to expect along the hike...

1/
alltrails.com/explore/record…
The hike begins in Brookline at Chestnut Place, which you’ll walk down. Take heed of the Brookline Conservation Land Trust sign posted by the road entrance. Enjoy the condo views along the road.

2/ ImageImage
Read 16 tweets
Jun 16
Today's the day, folks.

I'd like you to meet the WALKING CITY TRAIL: a 25-mile hike through Boston's parks and urban woodlands. The trail is divided into four sections that are accessible by public transit.

Here's where the trail will take you....

1/
bostontrails.org
Section 1 of the Walking City Trail begins at the Harvest River Bridge, where you'll cross into Boston from Milton and hike through the woods of the Neponset River Greenway to Mattapan center.

2/
From Mattapan Center, the Walking City Trail passes through a much thicker patch of riverside woods on a more rugged dirt path that will soon be transformed into a more established greenway trail—the Edgewater Greenway!

3/
Read 36 tweets
May 8, 2021
And here we go! Walking the missing final section of the Emerald Necklace, from Franklin Park to Castle Island (and maybe a little extra, if my feet are up for it.) It’s about an 8-9 mile walk, so...a pretty big missing piece of Olmsted’s grand design!

1/
This is the part of Franklin Park where I began my Emerald Necklace traverse two weeks ago. It’s on the west edge, near Shattuck hospital. Today, we go east through the park, and on to Dorchester and Southie.

2/ ImageImageImage
So technically, I’m still on the Emerald Necklace proper, weaving eastward through woods and hollows in the leafy realm of Franklin Park. However, there’s something of an obstacle to clear before you get to the other side, if you’re a pedestrian.

3/ ImageImageImage
Read 31 tweets
Apr 24, 2021
Currently doing this and *really* enjoying it.

Hence follows an urban hike thread for Boston.

1/ ImageImageImage
Starting the Emerald Necklace traverse at the western edge of Franklin Park. Estimated journey to Boston Common will be roughly 9 miles. I’m not keeping track of mileage in real time but I am taking plenty of photos and trying to remember to hydrate just as often.

2/ ImageImageImage
Arborway Part 1. The first half was nice and shaded, but the rest will be a lot more pleasant to stroll when the saplings planted along the walkway get bigger. I’m not loving the car centric nature of this section, but good things lie ahead...

3/ ImageImageImage
Read 20 tweets
Oct 9, 2020
If you live in Massachusetts, this thread is for you:

Our eviction moratorium expires in 1 week. There's a bill in the House that would stop the resultant homelessness crisis. In this thread, I'll cover why that bill is crucial, why it hasn't been passed, and what we can do.

1/
Back in spring, Massachusetts passed one of the nation's strongest eviction bans. It allowed people to stay in their homes during the pandemic. But there's a problem: renters and small landlords are accruing debt (back rent or missed mortgage payments)

2/
shelterforce.org/2020/05/20/res…
This summer, the Mass. legislators who came up with the eviction ban introduced the Housing Stability Act (H.4878) which not only extends the moratorium well into 2021 but provides several mechanisms of financial support for renters and small landlords
malegislature.gov/Bills/191/HD51…

3/
Read 16 tweets
Jul 31, 2020
Folks: I am a travel writer by trade, and after a summer of nervously hitting the road for a couple of socially distanced work trips (within my region of America)...I am asking you, begging you to not travel until our political leaders have committed to containing Covid-19...

1/
I live in Massachusetts and back in March, when we went into lockdown, the idea of leisure travel before a vaccine struck me as ludicrous. Hundreds of people were dying each week. So instead of extolling the virtues of travel, I began writing articles that discouraged travel.

2/
This story, which I wrote for @NationalGeoraphic, took a hard look at the risks posed to mountain communities by seasonal hordes of summer tourists during a pandemic. And let me tell you, I got some PISSED OFF emails from readers about this story...

3/
nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/06…
Read 16 tweets

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