The other day as I said two masses in East Cambridge, I decided to take a walk in between the liturgies. I used to live in the area and I wanted to see what has changed in the area.
The first thing I noticed was just how quiet the streets were. I could not hear any automobile traffic and there were no people walking along the sidewalks. It was the most quiet I've heard in an inner city neighborhood for a long time. Sometimes parts of Roxbury can be this quiet.
As I walked towards Kendall Square, young professionals were outside for exercise or to walk their dogs. The area, while remaining quiet, had some energy. MIT borders Kendall Square and the students receive many commercial services in the area. I remember when the area contained just a few hotels and some computer company offices. Now there are some fine restaurants, boutiques, and coffeehouses.
Just down the road from the T-station is a new Square called Federal Square. It contains a series of restaurants, open gathering spaces, and a walkway to the Charles River. It feels hip and seems like the place to be. As I continued my walk, I came across more specialty shops and coffeehouses. I was pleased with the amount of development. Of course, there are also many new residences that support these markets and restaurants and the professionals who occupy these spaces have disposable income.
This new area is just three streets away from the church, which is basically a modest working-class neighborhood. I can see many changes coming fast to an area that was once, and for the present, a sleepy, quiet neighborhood. When I went back to church, I was hoping some of those people might have found the church, but that discovery is still to happen.
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