5 Things That Say Swampscott

In its densely populated 3 square miles Swampscott has lots of landmarks, events and items that give it local character. Here are five we found in an hour or so Saturday afternoon.

1. Block Parties. Lower Elmwood was blocked off for a street party. Families and friends held cookouts and kids played games. Neighbors wandered from table to table. The mood was light and relaxed under shade trees in the summer air.
2. Fisherman's Beach Pier. The pier is a place to cast a line or yourself into the water. On a warm day, chances are kids are jumping off the dock for a swim.
3. Water Tower. The big blue water tower with the black letters  that spell Swampscott stand high above Paradise Road.  The tower says Swampscott to us, literally and figuratively.
4. Dories. Whether it's a dory moored in the harbor or the dory in the colorful, folksy painting by the Lynn line, dories say Swampscott.
5. Monument Avenue's islands of monuments and grass always appear neat and well cared for. On Saturday, the grass was freshly cut, the large American flag flapped, waved or sagged at intervals, and the blue harbor lingered in the distance.