Picture this: An open green space that was once a parking lot. That transformation defines Bremen Street Park. It is an urban oasis in East Boston.
Bremen Street Park serves as a green buffer. It lies between Logan International Airport and the residential areas. MassPort owns and operates Bremen Street Park.
Originally this land housed a Park ‘N Fly lot. It offered off-airport parking. The City of Boston bought it to create Bremen Street Park. This was part of the Big Dig’s environmental plan.
Conrail abandoned the Grand Junction Railroad section in the 1970s. This section ran between Lovell Street and the East Boston docks. The former rail yards became a private parking lot for Logan Airport.
In 1989, the Massachusetts Highway Department started acquiring the land. This acquisition was part of the Big Dig project. The Third Harbor Tunnel increased traffic to Logan Airport. Converting the site into a public park was partial compensation. It was restitution for the 1969 destruction of Wood Island Park. Wood Island Park was sacrificed for airport expansion.
After a scandal involving land acquisition, Massport bought the land in 2001. Brown, Richardson & Rowe designed Bremen Street Park. It opened in 2007. MassPort took over operations, maintenance, and security.
What can you do here at Bremen Street Park? The park offers a range of amenities. These include large lawns and a shared-use path. A spray fountain provides summer fun. There is also a community garden. Playgrounds and a performance amphitheater are available. Bremen Street Park even features East Boston’s only dog park.
Directly across from Airport Station sits a large spray fountain. It is open during the summer. Next to the fountain stands a pavilion building. This building houses restrooms and park security offices.
Along the park’s northeast edge lies a community garden. Residents can grow their own flowers and vegetables here. The gardening season runs from late March through Thanksgiving. The Boston Natural Areas Network helps manage the garden.
Bremen Street Park has three playgrounds. One is at the southwest terminus, next to the YMCA. Two are in the center, near the spray fountain pavilion. Playgrounds are open during daylight hours in spring, summer, and autumn.
At the park’s northern end is the East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library. Its glass facade offers an open view of Bremen Street Park.
At the southwest end sits the East Boston YMCA. The building was once an engine house for repairing locomotives. It later became a manufacturing facility.
East Boston’s first dog park is at the southeast terminus of Bremen Street Park. It is located under the Route 1A overpass near the Sumner Tunnel. The dog park has separate areas for large and small dogs. Each area includes exercise centers and water fountains.
In the park’s center, you will find an outdoor performance amphitheater. It is a tiered grassy area for events. At the center of the amphitheater is a cement platform. It features a map of East Boston and its original islands.
Also, there is a monument of Donald McKay. He was a famous East Boston resident and clipper ship builder.
Bremen Street Park is more than just a park. It is a transformation of space. It shows how a community can reclaim and repurpose land. Bremen Street Park offers recreational opportunities. It also improves the quality of life for East Boston residents. It connects them to green space, community, and history.