Revere is a melting pot of cultures, there is no doubt about that.This town has been that way for a great many years, and we can look around and see a plethora of different people no matter where or when we are in the city. It’s a beautiful thing.

 This diversity may be on it’s way out however, and there have been questions crossing people’s minds: what about the children? Life seems to be getting more expensive in Revere in the places where it once wasn’t. Places near the beach such as Shirley Ave have had a wave of projects all in the form of residential living spaces. For many there has been a lack of community projects that benefit the people who already live in these places. 

This is an issue that needs to be fixed, an overall importance of increase residential revenue does not trump the importance of the children, teenagers, and community of these places that are being overtaken by an increase in rent. It’s time for the city of Revere to focus more on those who live here than focusing on market value and to start building an ever stronger community for the sake of everyone there. 

The Importance of Recreation

Being a kid who has lived in Revere for more than ten years, it’s easy to say that there was not much in terms of playing areas where I lived. There have been projects put into place to improve upon this lack of safe play areas, such as the refresh of the local Costa Park that started development as soon as 2010.

Projects like these revitalize the community and bring them closer together. This helps children develop at a far steadier and safer pace. 

There is a large amount of incentive for these parks and recreational places to be built. The Park District of Oak Park lists a variety of benefits ranging from individual, familial, to even environmental. 

When it comes to the children “Games children play, whether it’s in a sports league or summer camp, encourage the development of socialization skills and improves coordination and self-esteem.”(PDOP). Building more of these recreation areas along with making them more accessible to those in the surrounding area should one of the main areas of focus in Revere.

 A Shirley Ave local mother when asked about her view on this proposition of refocus said “Oh my God yes, kids need to have more places to play other than one park, these kids need places to explore and run around safely without fear of being hurt” 

We as a community need to work harder for the people around us, the love and admiration that can be present in revere can be staggering yet beautiful at times. With the increase of acts of violence, fear, and injustice in America, it’s up to us to provide a safe space for the children of the future so they can improve the lives of thousands upon thousands of people in their same situation. Parks are the building grounds of the childhood mind, so let’s come together to build more of them for the future.