Braddock Beach
I grew up a couple miles south of Pittsburgh. I moved to the city for college and claim it as my hometown. Because, seriously, who the hell has heard of White Oak, Pa.?
However, I was born in the projects. West Mifflin, specifically. And I was very familiar with other bad areas like Rankin, Wilkinsburg, East Liberty (worked there) and Braddock. Spent lots of time passing through each.
We didn’t have money for much of anything, let alone vacations. My grandfather would joke that we’d go to “Braddock Beach” on holiday. Braddock had no beach. Just the giardiasis-infested waters of the Monongahela River.
I find myself in Boynton Beach, Fla., these days. I hate it. Absolutely abhor it. With rare exception, the people and apartments and cops are something I cannot WAIT to leave behind.
I call it Braddock Beach. Because, we do have a beach but we also have Braddock right on it.
I have stories to tell but it’s one of my busiest work weeks in a while. But I wanted to post this here because now you know where to find me. And where NEVER TO MOVE EVER EVEN IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.