Taylor+Dudley

Rainy Night Endeavors in Davis Square Taylor Dudley 11/26/2009 Davis Square marks the intersection of six different roads in Somerville, Massachusetts. Named after Person Davis who once owned a 10-acre estate where Davis Square is located today, it was named one of the fifteen “hippest places to live” in the United States by **//Utne Reader//** in 1997. With all its roads converging, the square represents organized chaos at its finest with people and cars travelling in all directions, but not always sure that it is the correct direction. The eclectic square is a trendy location for people from all walks of life, whether they are young professionals, students, middle class workers, or even the very wealthy. Stay long enough and not only will you notice pedestrians and cars; but also bikers, runners, walkers and others using the Somerville Community Path which runs along an old rail line. Students commuting by bus or shuttle to and from Tufts University are commonplace as they travel to their individual destinations. The square is filled with everything needed for a night out on the town, or a Sunday morning workout and coffee. With places such as Boston Sports Club, CVS, multiple coffee shops, Somerville Theatre, restaurants, and a serene beauty unique amongst the squares of the Boston area it is a third place for the entire neighborhood.



As I walked to Davis Square, the rain began to fall, gathering in puddles on the brick sidewalks. I approached the Davis Square T Station; people were huddled underneath the overhang of the station protecting them from the unexpected rain. Upon reaching the opening of Davis Square, I was met with a crowd of people gathered outside the Somerville Theatre waiting for the next show to begin. Across the street is another crowd, this one consisting of students waiting for the next Tufts shuttle bus to come down Elm St. As my hair started to get wet, I noticed the trees. They were all covered with bright yellow leaves, the result of the rapidly diminishing daylight Boston experiences in the fall. The trees were attempting to squeeze the last bit of photosynthesis before the winter took hold leaving the trees to wait for the warmth and sun that only spring brings. Lacking an umbrella, I enjoyed the cool rain as it lightly fell on my face and hair. However, because the rain began to increase in intensity, I decided to travel to Starbucks as I shivered with cold.

Although it was a wet Sunday evening, Starbucks was completely full with not a single seat available for me to sit down. The large tables were filled with students and professionals working on laptops with stacks of paper littering the table as they talked, typed, and sipped their drinks. Smaller tables and comfortable chairs were filled with people relaxing watching the rain and people, reading newspapers, or sitting deep in thought. Starbucks was a warm friendly atmosphere, but with no seats available, I decided to head outside into the rain and see if I might be able find a dry place to sit and take in everything the square had to offer.

Because I could not find any dry place and because the rain had become a drizzle, I decided to sit across from the Somerville Theatre on a cold, wet black metal bench. I wiped off the bench allowing my hands to get wet and then I wiped them off on my relatively dry jeans. While I sat, I noticed that I was the only person sitting down on the benches. I slowly turned around taking in the scene and I noticed a ticker tape sign above Middlesex Savings Bank as yellow words quickly travelled and disappearing upon reaching the length of it. I smelled the dusty wet air, a result of the leaves covering the ground, slowly decaying with each passing moment. Using my feet, I scattered the leaves kicking up more of the wet leaf smell. I turned to my hot chocolate savoring the warmth and richness of the chocolate as it slid down my throat. And as I finished my hot chocolate, I stood up and walked to the closest green trash bin which are found scattered throughout Davis Square. The rain began to pick up again as I made my way across the square. I meandered my way through the students waiting for their shuttle bus as I heard the sirens of an approaching fire truck. As I reached the crosswalk I waited as the fire trucks got nearer. Once they passed, I crossed the road leaving Davis Square and retraced my steps back home.

Even though the square serves a practical use as a hub for traffic it, also serves as a meeting place for people from not only the neighborhood, but from Boston and around the World. Davis Square is filled with trees wrapped in yellow lights creating a beautiful atmosphere, especially during the evening hours when dating couples and friends meet to enjoy a nice evening together. In order to keep the square clean and presentable, it is filled with trash and recycling bins which means that litter in the square is almost nonexistent. The square is designed for people to linger and enjoy the atmosphere as a portion of the square is dedicated to benches. All of these practical aesthetics turn Davis Square into one large third place hub incorporating restaurants, coffee shops, gyms, and more. As a third place, it incorporates both public and private spaces which allows people to feel safe and comfortable, but it is also is free from the confines of a strictly private place which may have an implied set of rules concerning etiquette and customer use only.

One of the most remarkable things about Davis Square is the lack of big name companies that inhabit the area. It is one of the last areas in Boston that is mostly comprised of locally owned businesses. These establishments are robustly supported by people living in the neighborhood day in and day out. People come to Davis Square to experience the unique locally owned shops, restaurants, and theaters that are able to offer a personal experience that sometimes a large corporate chain can lack. In addition to the locally owned companies, Davis Square is also a large supporter of the LGBT community with rainbow flags present in many shops, churches, and homes in the area. The diverse and accepting community is what makes Davis Square unique amongst an increasingly corporate-controlled world especially with recent economic conditions. The neighborhood supports these locally owned businesses because, without the support, they realize that the square would lose its charm and become just another location to shop in Boston. Ultimately, these locally owned businesses combined with being just far enough away from the Boston and Cambridge city centers create the unique experience and appeal of Davis Square.

Subsequently, Davis Square is one of the areas of Boston that locals treasure and love. The square is representative of Boston’s true face with people of different creeds, races, religions, nationalities coming together as one community. There is a respect present in the neighborhood and square that it is representative of why squares were created in the first place. Squares have been around for all of human civilization acting as a central meeting location for people, from the poor to the rich. As a third place, Davis Square clings on the premise which America was built. It is a melting pot of hard working individuals serving the greater good by supplying the needs and entertainment of the community. As we progress into an increasingly corporate world, it is places like Davis Square that we slowly lose as we increasingly become technologically advanced and therefore independent from the confines of our home, office, and even third places. In a society dominated by multitasking and always being on the move, places like Davis Square can become forgotten and lost in the dust of progress, forever vanishing from future generations who would benefit from such a location. The places in which we live and inhabit shape our morals, beliefs, and life. Davis Square is a teacher to our future generations about acceptance, diversity, and the importance of human interaction in everyday life.

Sources:

"Davis Square". Wikipedia. 25 Nov 2009. . "Davis Square Somerville". Google Maps. 25 Nov 2009. . "North Cambridge & Boston, MA Area". 25 Nov 2009. . "Somerville". The Patriot Ledger. 25 Nov 2009. .