BRING THE FAMILY
On the waterfront
WHO: Arts writer Joanna Weiss, her husband, Dan DeLeo, and their 4-year-old daughter, Ava
WHAT: Watching planes, boats, people, and hermit crabs
WHERE: Castle Island, South Boston
We enjoy pristine nature as much as the next family - quiet state parks, manicured gardens, that sort of thing. But if you live around the city, sometimes you want your outings to involve a little grit. And for gritty goodness, there's no place in Boston that matches Southie's Castle Island.
We've been taking Ava here since she was a baby, and at every stage of life we've found something new to engage her. First, we walked her stroller along the lengthy promenade that leads out into Pleasure Bay, saying hello to dogs, fishermen, and careening kids on in-line skates. Later, we showed her the cruise liners and freight ships inching through the harbor, and the planes that fly so low, heading into Logan Airport, that it feels as if you could reach up and touch them. She's spent fall days watching people fly kites and throw balls on the hill by Fort Independence. (We haven't ventured into kiting yet, ourselves. It seems a recipe for trauma.) And she spent one memorable summer afternoon marveling at the sparkly tar that connected the promenade sidewalk. "I've never seen this before!" she kept shouting with glee.
There's some nature here, as well, in the form of a rocky little beach. Last summer, we spent a day collecting - and returning - tiny hermit crabs and snails. In every season, there's the playground, which puts our local park to shame. And if you're too lazy to pack a picnic, there's take-out from Sullivan's, purveyor of clam strips, fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, and ice cream. (Act fast: The restaurant closes for the winter on Nov. 30 and won't reopen until March 1.)
The best part about Castle Island, though, is the people-watching. Nowhere will you find a better cross-section of urban life, from tiny babies to tanned retirees. You'll find families of every ethnicity, gathered for some unpretentious fun in the shadow of an industrial zone. What could be more natural than that? JOANNA WEISS 