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Memories of Nantasket Beach and Paragon Park

Share Your Memories of Nantasket Beach and Paragon Park

Al Citro
June 2008
When I finally got my driver's license it meant no more trips to the beach with my family. My buddies and I high tailed it to Nantasket Beach and Paragon Park. Lunch at Joe & Nemo's (.25) dogs and burgers) and cold orangeade. My fondest memory though is seeing Fats Domino at the Blue Bunny nightclub in Paragon Park. My buddy Steve and I were barely old enough to drive, let alone drink. A sport coat and tie got us into most any club in those days. Fats put on a great show and we proceeded to get blitzed on long necks. On the way home to Belmont on Rte 128 I was crusing along at 80 mph when a trooper pulled me over. Steve was passed out on the front seat and was not waking up for anything. I'll never forget, the cop's name was Chase. He asked me where we got the alcohol and he let us go. The Lord was watching over us that night.

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By Art Milmore
June 2008

I worked 2 summers at Nantasket at age 14 and 17. The first at the old Tivoli Gardens restaurant right on the beach and at 17 for Paragon Park. With all the beautiful young ladies cruising by all day and night, it was like I died and went to heaven --- and I got paid for this --- wow!! I went on the roller coaster over 1000 times and got to walk it for 3 hours in 1985 photographing it for the builder that moved it to Largo, Maryland. I walked it there too and have the before and after photos. I went on it 40 times over 2 days with the builder, Charlie Dinn and it is now higher, longer and 8 mph faster than it was here.

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By Bob Ganno
May 2008

Fun Times in the 60's
I grew up in Hyde Park, but on the weekends in the summer we use to thumb to Nantasket Beach. i use to go with Mark Goodless, Al Feinberg and Mike Fuller. We use to go to the Surf or a Dance near Kenburma Street. The Park was great, lots of rides and food. Now I still go back to the Beach with my Grand-kids and enjoy the beach. I have a lot of great memories there.

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By Carol Harris
October 3, 2007

I am 73 and the best times of my life are when our family spent time at Nantasket Beach when I was very young. The sky was so blue over the Atlantic and how I loved the wonderful smell of salt air. Nothing in the world is quite like it. You who are so fotunate to live near by, enjoy it. I have lived all over the world and I still long for those times.

 

 

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By Rose McHugh

As a child it was a big thrill to come down (from Quincy) to Nantasket for a day at the beach & an evening on the rides at Paragon - I can remember the thrill of being in the station wagon on George Washington Blvd. & the first sight of the roller coaster as we came around the corner - everyone in the car would want to be the first to yell out "there's the roller coaster!"

As a teenager in high school we would come down on the weekend to go to the beach & hang around the park at night, I was too "chicken" to ride the roller coaster but loved the "Mighty Mouse", "Tiltawhirl" & of course the "Red Mill" (I think that was the name of the ride like a "Tunnel of Love" with a splash down a slide at the end) & also as a teenager loved the Surf on Saturday night to dance & listen to live local bands.

Friday nights we would go to Broad Cove in Hingham to dance, (where auction hall is now on 3A) A big date would be a day at the beach, then supper (pizza) at Al's Spaghetti House (I think that was the name - where Mezza Mare is now.)

When my children were small & we were living in Abington - Nantasket was the beach to go - first I would go to Quincy to pick up my mother who would have packed lunches then to Nantasket where we would drag the playpen & all the beach toys over to the beach from the parking lot near the "comfort station". I do know as a child & even as a young mother I never dreamed of living here - but I'm so glad I do!

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By Lucille Ciani

As spring is finally here my first thoughts take me to Hull where that beautiful stretch of beach sprawls called Nantasket. Even in the midst of the bleak winter my thoughts anticipate when I can stroll along the sand. Hull is truly my primary place to visit in the summer.

Early in the morning is when I love it the most. There is a great sense of seeing a new fresh day soon to burst with a beautiful summer sun glistening on the ocean. Early in the morning there are people walking are always cordial. I usually only stay two to three hours and get on with the rest of my day.

Many of us have so many memories of Nantasket Beach as children. As a child, family and friends together visited Nantasket Beach and Paragon Park frequently. It was so exciting driving into the Hull and seeing the large roller coaster. Us kids would all scream, "Nantasket! Nantasket!"

I have such a fondness in me of Hull that lives on. I almost feel it is home. And as I continue to travel to Hull I am making new memories.

By Al Rossi

I fond memories of summer vacations on Nantasket Beach. I was born in Boston and my family had a summer cottage located on Marginal St. I hail from a large exended Italian-American family and we would all join together to spend enjoyable summers at that location. We all lived in Boston not far from one another and the family would rendezvous in Nantasket to have fun and enjoy the simple pleasures of life that mean so much -- and, of course, Paragon Park. Man, what memories of a by-gone era - a time I'm afraid is past forever.

I now live in Atlanta, Ga and have raised my family which has included my two great sons and a loving wife and from time to time wish that they could have experienced what was, in my estimation, the greatest time of life. 

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By Denise Fontaine

I was born and grew up in Concord,Mass.I remember my Mom packing up the convertible with 6 kids, our dog,barbeque grill and all and heading to Nantasket almost every weekend during the summer.Seeing the blue horizon of the ocean felt like Christmas Eve! As if I was about to enter a magical realm. I now have rekindled treasured Nantasket Beach memories thru my artwork.Creating nostalgic beach shadowboxes,collage,mixed media with vintage embellishments I have collected from local antique shops. I posted one for the heck of it and was amazed by the need for treasured memories of a bygone era.

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