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In da PORT

September 11, 2017 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
My new neighborhood is called The Port by locals, though the yuppie newcomers (guilty!) have mentally subdivided it into three areas, attached to nearby squares: Central Square, Inman Square, and Kendall Square. Interesting that we see the neighborhoods as centered around these squares which are commercial centers for restaurants and bars and shops while the longtime residents see it as one continuous neighborhood with the residential area at the geographic center. Perhaps that says something about how we treat this place more for its usefulness to us rather than setting down roots in a community long-term. It hasn't actually been a port in about 100 years since the city filled in part of the river, but the name has stuck. The area has gentrified so much that it comes as a surprise to see a housing project sandwiched in between the tech companies expanding out of MIT and the trendy restaurants spreading out from Mass Ave. Still, according to the last census, the median income was about $35,000 making it one of the poorest parts of this rather wealthy city. Also, probably the first time I've even lived in a non-white-majority zip code. Most of the people I saw were either African American or immigrants from Haiti and other parts of Carribean. All this is to say that in spite of the tiredness in my legs from yesterdays' 16-mile-run and 38-mile-bike-ride, I had a great time meandering through the streets of my new neighborhood, discovering cool murals and alleys, noting the architecture, and getting a feel for the community I hope to be able to form some sort of connection with.