Gr. Lynn sites enjoy prominent spots on state’s ‘1,000 Great Places’ list

Local parks, historic sites and promenades well loved by Lynn area residents are featured on a newly released list of “1,000 Great Places” in Massachusetts that make the state special.High Rock Tower looming over the downtown, Lynn Shore Drive with its sweeping ocean views, Lynn Woods, Raw Art Works and the city museum and state park are local spots on the list. The selections are no surprise to city Community Development Director James Marsh.”Lynn has 1,000 hidden gems of its own. From our woods, which is one of the largest municipal parks in the nation, larger than Central Park in New York, to Lynn Shore Drive’s beautiful beach boardwalk, to High Rock Tower with its powerful Meade telescope, we have many wonderful resources to offer,” Marsh said.In order to celebrate pride in Massachusetts and promote tourism, the Legislature ordered the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission formed in 2009 and Gov. Deval Patrick signed the order into law. The commission collected 12,000 nominations for great places before narrowing the list. The list is meant to give local residents the opportunity to visit known and less-known historic, cultural and natural sites.Spring Pond Woods, which includes acreage in Lynn, Salem and Peabody, was also on the list. It could potentially be impacted by the proposed construction of a Super Walmart store and a Lowe’s Home Improvement Center on Highland Avenue in Salem.Katerina Panagiotakis, a member of the Lynn Historical Commission, the West-High Neighborhood Association and opponent of the retail project, said the adding of Spring Pond Woods to the list of places shows that hundreds of area residents appreciate its natural beauty and hope to have it further designated as a reservation or sanctuary.Spring Pond Woods was included among the special places in Peabody, along with Brooksby Farm and the George Peabody House and Museum.Several places in Nahant made the list of 1,000 must-see sites in Massachusetts put out by the The Great Places in Massachusetts Commission. Nahant Historical Society Curator Calantha Sears explained the Nahant Civic Historic District, which was on the list, includes Town Hall, the public library and post office.”The library is a beautiful building that is full of treasures,” she said. “Town Hall is a beautiful historic place.”The other places in Nahant that made the list include Bailey’s Hill and the Nahant Beach Boulevard.In Swampscott, the Olmsted Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the place to visit.The Olmsted Historic District was designed in 1888 by Frederick Law Olmsted, who is known as the father of American landscape architecture. Olmstead also designed Boston’s “Emerald Necklace” park system and New York’s Central Park.Swampscott Historical Commission Vice-Chairman Angela Ippolito said she is pleased to see the district receive recognition.”It is a lovely stroll along beautiful serpentine streets,” she said. “It is quite lovely and we encourage everyone to pick an Olmstead Walking Tour brochure at the library.”Among the non-profits, historical centers and park lands listed as favorites, there was a different sort of landmark named as a Saugus standout – Kowloon Restaurant.Selectman Donald Wong, who along with his family owns the Route 1 north Asian eatery, said he was surprised and honored by the listing.State Rep. Mark Falzone (D-Saugus) said, in theory, all of Route 1 could have made the list.”You’ve got the nation’s biggest cactus, the leaning tower of pizza, you can take a tour of the world and never leave Route 1,” he said. “All we need is a place to open with the Eiffel Tower.”The Saugus Iron Works also made the list, which Falzone said, came as no surprise.”I don’t think there was any doubt that would make the list,” he said. “It would have made a top 50 list or a top 20 list. It’s just one of those special places unique to our town.”Wong said he thought there was one notable miss.”Breakheart is so nice,” he said