From Dave Brigham:
When last we talked about the Charles River Speedway -- nearly 15 years ago! -- I learned that the historic but long-abandoned buildings at the intersection of Western Avenue and Market Street in Boston's Brighton neighborhood had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. As well, I reported that the State of Massachusetts had committed $132,000 to do some restoration work at the site. But at that point, there was no master plan for redeveloping the old horse track complex.
I first wrote about the Charles River Speedway a few weeks prior to the post linked above (see September 6, 2010, "UPDATED: Horsing Around At the Old Barracks"). Here's a bit of history: "In the 1890s, the Commonwealth created the Charles River Reservation, transforming a polluted stretch of tidal mudflats into a beautiful riverside promenade, a mile-long harness racecourse, and two-mile long bicycle track. Administration buildings were built to support the Reservation in 1899, providing necessary space for offices, housing, storage, horse stables and a cow barn. Designed in the Shingle and Colonial Revival styles by renowned local architect William D. Austin, the complex looks more like the high-style seaside 'cottages' of Newport than a municipal building. This was likely intentional: Austin’s thoughtful design projected dignity and permanence, while also implying that access to nature and recreation was not an upper-class privilege, but a public right."
That description comes from the web site for The Speedway, the hipster destination that grew from the redevelopment of the the complex in a joint effort by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Architectural Heritage Foundation. The "vibrant and welcoming marketplace, home to a brewery and biergarten, dynamic food and drink purveyors, and small-format shops," as well as an event space called Garage B, opened in 2021.
I've been to The Speedway three times in the last 18 months or so, and I absolutely love it. Walking through the gate from Western Avenue into the open-air patio for the first time, I was transported to a magical world.
Just steps away is the very busy Soldiers Field Road, but sitting at a long wooden table under a bright blue sky, drinking a tasty beer from Notch Brewing and grooving alongside millennial hipsters, I couldn't hear cars or trucks at all.
On that first visit, I went with two friends to see Margaret Garrett, the singer and guitarist from Mr. Airplane Man, play with a different band. All around us people were drinking, eating from the handful of small food shops, playing board games, dancing to the music. I couldn't believe this was the same place I'd driven past for years, wondering, "When the hell is someone gonna fix up that eyesore?!"
I returned more recently with my wife and the same two friends, once again on a wonderful afternoon, to see more live music. And shortly after that, my wife and I returned after hitting a Brighton Bazaar event nearby. When the weather is crappy or cold, Notch has an indoor space for boozing.
Even if you're not into pizza, beer, live music or small-biz shopping, you'll find it worth visiting The Speedway for the restoration work on a fantastic property.
I love the nod the designers have given to the Speedway's history as a race track.
