“It’s a weird spot. There are a couple of different restaurants that don’t seem to fit.”
Kate, captain of a Charles River boat, which docks aside the Galleria in Lechmere Canal”
“I remember when this was all dilapidated liquor warehouses and parking lots.”
Bobby Valmay, manager of David’s
It’s often said that Boston is a city of neighborhoods. Each week, Metro will toss a dart at a map of the Hub, then provide you a snapshot of what we’ve found.
EAST CAMBRIDGE. There are three floors of air-conditioned Gaps, Best Buys and Sunglass Huts to choose from, and a food court that runs deep with options once one tires of shopping inside Cambridgeside Galleria.
It’s as uniform as any retail center in this country. Step outside, however, and uniformity steps out with you, soon lost on this stretch searching for an identity.
First Street is near MIT, but not really part of it. It’s close to the river, but not quite on it and with no view. And while it’s got everything you need on a commercial front inside this brick monstrosity, the other side appears to be hanging by a thread.
Businesses built into the First Street Garage speak to this trend, some cut from that thread long ago.
Newspaper clippings still hang in the foyer of the boarded up Indochine, touting quality Asian cuisine now served there only by ghosts. A bar around the corner, hidden inside the garage as if it never wanted a customer, doesn’t seem to get many.
But the VFW Post that shares that space still shows signs of life, with trophy’s of its memorable athletic achievements showcased in the front window, among them a title in the ‘D’ Division of
the Minuteman Dart League during the fall of 1989.
Tiles showcasing flags from around the world have been built into the garage walls, but many of those are even chipped beyond recognition. Congressman Michael Capuano’s offices sit rather inconspicuously across the street.
A block away but looming overhead is the Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse, named for the city’s former mayor. It attracted sensationalists from both sides of the pond during the infamous au pair murder trial in 1997, but is getting little use these days through renovations and asbestos treatments.
A biopharmaceutical company here just laid off dozens, adding to the shrinking pool of everyday customers. David’s, a shoe store in operation since 1960, stands as a beacon.
“You don’t find this stuff anymore,” said Bobby Valmay, manager of David’s. “We’re a dying breed.”
1 Many local factories being converted and residential towers being built offer fantastic views of the Boston skyline.
2 Canal Park, an improved North Point Park and the Museum of Science are within walking distance, as are the paths along the Charles River.
3 One of the few neighborhoods in the area that’s easy to navigate, with numbered streets in a grid pattern.
4 The Galleria has gained a reputation for attracting violence, usually between teens.
5 Green and Red Lines sit on the north and south sides of the neighborhood.