Boston waterfront

Growing up in Dorchester, Maria Lyons said she had limited access to nature. Her family went to the handful of small beaches in the area, spent time at the Franklin Park Zoo and public parks, but had few options beyond that. Then work to extend the Neponset River Greenway opened up a whole new resource.

Each summer, throngs of people head to Boston’s downtown waterfront to kayak, sail or relax along the water. But many in Boston’s Black and brown communities often feel cut off from the city’s shores.