After checking out the awesome murals in Salem, I searched for other places we could view outdoor…read moreart, and Beyond Walls in Lynn popped up! We drove over on a Saturday afternoon and easily found parking on Mount Vernon Street. The Beyond Walls website has an interactive map which we tried to follow, but it was a bit difficult, so we ended up just walking around the downtown area. We saw some really beautiful murals, and it got us out to a part of the state that I probably wouldn't have gone to otherwise. The streets weren't always the cleanest, but it was definitely worth the trek - I'd just recommend wearing close-toes shoes. After seeing a good number of murals, we hopped back in the car and parked nearer to the waterfront to walk along Nahant Beach. All in all, a really nice weekend afternoon outing in the time of COVID!

From the owner: Beyond Walls stands out as a unique nonprofit due to its integrated approach to urban…read morerevitalization through creative placemaking, with a strong emphasis on community engagement, public art, and safety improvements in our cities. Beyond Walls uses large-scale public art, such as murals, neon art, and light installations, to transform public spaces, reduce blight, and spark community pride. Unlike traditional beautification efforts, we: • Curate world-renowned artists while involving local talent. • Activate underutilized or unsafe areas (e.g., dark alleys, train underpasses). • Use art as a catalyst for economic and social change, not just decoration.

There are just so many good things to say about this place that I'm not sure where to start…read more First, it is not a "shelter" in the typical sense of the word, and the staff and guests do not refer to it as a "shelter". They consider themselves a "community", and act as such. There are NO lines for anything at the WLP. The women are served their meals at their tables by volunteers, and their materials are bussed for them once they are done, unless they choose to self-bus. The food. Oh heavens! WLP prides itself on serving nourishing, FRESH food. Each meal will have all nutritional requirements met, and there is always a veggie option. We're not talking canned goods or sandwiches here, folks. No, this is chopped and diced fresh veggies, prime cut meats, the finest ingredients. If you're a good cook and after you've volunteered a few times, they are happy to let you get in the kitchen and help whip up stuff. The resident chef there, Gina, is wonderfully creative in the kitchen (and very nice), and from time to time, other professional chefs from local restaurants come in to put together a meal. The WLP isn't jsut a food place, although that's the highlight of the day. It also provides the women with full time advocacy support to help with finding housing, food, or other services. There is a computer room/resource room that the ladies may use. There is also a nap room where women can go to get sometimes some much needed rest, and also a quiet room for just some peace, solitude, and maybe reading or reflecting. Women are also able to get various toiletries and clothing that they may need. They may do their laundry and take showers. The Program Manager, Heather (also very, very nice and competent) has done a great job of making sure that there are interesting activities for guests if they choose to participate: yoga, painting, field trips, knitting, etc. Since the WLP is run as a "community", the staff are INCREDIBLY patient with the women, and if a guest is being disorderly or breaking a rule, she is not immediately tossed out, but is counseled and given more than one opportunity to redeem herself by correcting her behavior. Throwing someone out is a last option at the WLP. WLP treats its volunteers as the valuable commodity we are. We are appreciated, thanked, and made to feel a part of the "team". Added Perk: They also have really incredible volunteer thank you events! I enjoy volunteering here. I learn something new and meet new people each time I go. I don't have a lot of spare time to volunteer, but when I do, the WLP gets me all the time, every time. It's important to know that this place could not be so great without us- the community at large supporting it through donations, volunteering, contributions, etc. The staff, Regina, Linda, Joanna, Lauren, Linnie, and Cheryl are terrific- go meet them! This is just a wonderful, wonderful place. You will not leave here without your heart being touched in some way.

Just to add to the great review by Adrienne -- The Women's…read moreLunch Place is an amazing community run by dedicated and caring people. I've volunteered there many times, and the experience was wonderful. The staff is as open, kind and welcoming to volunteers as they are to their ladies. The ladies? Wow. Having the opportunity to really get to know some of the women in this community is a real blessing. The WLP is one of my favorite volunteer opportunities. Try it out!

If you're looking for a hall to rent for a wedding, I'll graduation give the nights a Columbus a…read morecall. It's a nice clean. Well kept bathrooms. I've been to many functions and I have enjoyed myself.

My family likes to host functions here as it is a large venue that uses Rollys for catering. We had…read morea birthday celebration for my recently passed grandmother. As far as I'm aware, communication was good and planned months if not a year in advanced. There's a full bar to make almost any drink you'd want. They wouldn't allow open bar for liability concerns but the prices were less than $10 a drink. One bartender was nicer than the other but overall friendly people. For food they set up a cheese and crackers table with fruits and vegetables to pick from as well. I liked the variety of options they had but I did notice some of the cheese had blue spots of mold on them. At the end of the day, I found out they were horrified and compensated for the whole set. They even showed the cheese packaging which was not even close to expired. We appreciated their response and fortunately nobody appeared to have gotten sick. Catered food was a garden and Cesar salad, chicken broccoli and ziti, meatballs, chicken tenders, and an assortment of deli sandwiches. I liked the meatballs the most and the rest was okay. Overall, the place could use an update but we had a good time. Would coordinate more events with them in the future.

Swampscott's Big Blue Bargains raises money for charity. They comb through the donations and don't…read moreput out any junk. The hours are limited, but it's worth a trip. I just want to correct what another poster said: Big Blue Bargains is located on Norfolk Ave in Swampscott and the back door of the former Clarke Elementary School (not the Middle School which is on a different street).

I almost want to keep this place all to myself, but I have to share whenever I find a great thrift…read moreshop. I went to Big Blue Bargains today for the first time. They're located on the backside of Swampscott Middle School and the friendly volunteers told me that they've been open for four years. They operate to raise funds for the Swampscott school system. This place is awesome - they have mostly clothes for adults and kiddos, with some small home goods and a smattering of other random items. I got some great stuff and all on the cheap - 2 pair of pants, 2 workout tops, a pair of boots, a backpack, and a couple small decorative items, all for about $20. I'll be visiting this store again, and I hope you will, too! Word to the wise, they're only open Wed mornings and Saturdays until 1 and they seem to be cash only (tho I didn't verify this).

It's hidden away but it's a big store with a lot of stuff. Easily accessible and always has a…read morevariety of clothing and housewares. Nice staff and good hours.

I just wanted to reply to the guy Nicholas that said every time he walks by it's closed! Look up…read morethe hours! It's clearly stated here on yelp. They don't work until 9pm at night! They are always fully staffed, helpful, organized and always doing something, no one is ever just standing around. If there's stuffed left outside it's because people drop off after business hours. If you want to eat at a restaurant you wouldn't go after hours right? Pretty simple...Cheers!