There are many things everyone remembers from growing up in Charlestown. Whether it's summers spent down the Neck or watching and playing in the annual Kitchen Cup, there has always been something fun going on in this Green Square Mile. Here are a handful of my many memories growing up in Charlestown.
1. You have a love/ hate relationship with the Forty Flights
Growing up, and even today, the Forty Flights can be viewed as someone’s personal stair master. The 70-step climb from top to bottom was the only thing stopping you from diving into the Bunker Hill Pool on a hot summer day. Although the climb up is sometimes a pain, the view from the top makes it all worth it. This staircase that connects one main street of Charlestown to the other has a view of the skyline that truly captures the beauty of Boston.
2. Bunker Hill Day is as equally important as Christmas
Family, friends, Richie’s Slush, and bagpipes… what else is there left to say?
3. Everyone knows everyone… and somehow you’re probably related to them
One of the unspoken rules about living in Charlestown is it’s probably not the best idea to date someone else from Charlestown, because chances are you are related to them in some way. Because of how close this town is, whatever you do, good or bad, will eventually make it back to your parents. One of the main ways people find out who you are is by asking, “Who’s your grandfather?” This is not entirely a bad thing, though, because the people of Charlestown will always look out for you and have your back.
4. Charlestown Catholic closing was the saddest moment of your childhood
Although most of the classes in Charlestown Catholic had about 15 students in them, those 15 students soon became close friends. The closing of Charlestown Catholic meant that all of these groups of friends would have to go their separate ways and attend different schools. But don’t worry; the closing of this school never affected the level of their friendship.
5. The baseball and softball fields are where you spent most of your summers
Between the ages of three and 18, chances are you spent most of your summers either down the neck, at the Charlestown High School softball field, or down the Oilies playing the sport you love. On these teams are where you made some of your best friends, which made playing the game a lot more enjoyable. There was also a 99% chance your dad, at some point, was your coach, but that never bothered you because the extra batting practices and 100s of flyballs hit to you are what made you into the talented player you became.
6. Parking is literally the worst
If you haven’t parked your car yet and it’s 8:30 pm, chances are you are not going to find a spot on your street. Besides the like 15 houses in Charlestown with driveways, the remaining citizens have to compete for a parking spot. This fight for a spot gets worse as the winter weather comes around. I have literally seen people leave traffic cones, rocking chairs, and even some old furniture in their parking spots in order to protect it when they leave.
7. At some point, you were a part of the Working Theater
Whether it was Wednesday night Irish step dance lessons or weekend plays, the working theater was always a place you could go to meet new people and explore your interests. I still remember riding down Bunker Hill Street on my RAZR scooter in the middle of December on my way to the annual Christmas play (and if you must know, I played an elf named Tree).
8. The Boys and Girls Club was literally 100% of your childhood
Whether it was afternoons in Friendship club as a little kid or summer days in Teen camp, the Boys and Girls Club was where you spent your days. And when it came to the age where you were too old to attend the summer camps don’t worry, you just became a counselor! All jokes aside, the staff members at the Boys and Girls Club are some of the most influential people in this one square mile town. These are the people that watch you grow up, and help shape you into the responsible adult you are today.
9. The friends you made when you were five and six are still some of your closest friends
Charlestown being as small as it is, it’s almost impossible not to get involved and meet your best friends from a young age. Some of these friend groups might even have their parents, specifically mothers, to thank because the parents grew up together as best friends. It is a great feeling to be a part of a “second generation” best friend group because it is basically like having a group of second moms, which makes Charlestown more like a family than a community.
10. No matter how far away you end up, Charlestown will always be home
I have lived in Charlestown my entire life, so when I decided to go to school in Western Mass, it was bittersweet. Of course, I want to go out and explore places beyond this one square mile town, but leaving my comfort zone made me nervous. Leaving the town you have called home is hard, but seeing the smile on people’s faces when you have finally returned back to this amazing town are what makes it all worth it.
