Best for: Going via public transit
Southie, that residential enclave where you’ll find more pubs than you could shake a stick at, is also the unexpected site of one of the best stretches of sand within Boston’s city limits. On a hot summer day, neighboring M Street Beach fills with young people in search of a party scene, but Carson Beach always has a bit more of a relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can walk from here to the far east end of Southie, where you’ll find Sullivan’s Castle Island (“Sully’s”), a seafood restaurant dating back to 1951 which just took home a 2025 James Beard America’s Classics Award. Carson Beach is a no-brainer, complete with a boardwalk, lifeguard station, picnic areas that allow grilling, a playground for little ones and restrooms with rinsing showering. It’s easily accessed from the JFK/UMass Red Line station, but the real move here is to take the 7, 9 or 10 buses from downtown down East Broadway and get off at I Street—that way you can grab sandwiches from American Provisions before walking down to the beach for a classic Southie experience.
Where to stay: Almost any hotel in Boston is a quick subway ride away.
