Choosing Central Square
A
man wearing a box over his head was crossing the street casually. As he
approached me, I noticed that the box he was wearing had been
crudely cut and painted to resemble a TV set. A bent clothes hanger playing the
part of an antenna completed his bizarre body extension. Needless to say, his
face was on.
It
was my freshman year at MIT and my first time at Central Square. My friends and
I had come there to settle an argument. Earlier that day, my roommate had
suggested that we go buy dorm supplies at Central Square. Someone had told him
that it was a good place to shop cheap. Our common friend had disagreed, arguing
that if it was called a Square, the stores in the area must be expensive, and
the place was probably only frequented by elegantly dressed people looking for
places to squander their money. After some discussion, we had boarded the Red
Line to this Central Square place, hoping to settle the matter, and depending on
who was right; perhaps do some shopping as well. Right as we exited the subway
station, the gentleman in the cardboard box/TV set had been kind enough to
settle the matter for us.
Three
years later, I continue to be fascinated with the site. It is perhaps the most
visually stimulating place I have ever been
to. Nowhere else have I seen such an eclectic mix of radically different
classes, individuals and ethnicities come together in
such a festive manner as they do in Central Square. An old man on a bench
gives a speech in Spanish on what he announces to be the true history of Cuba.
Drumbeats and singing from the dance institute down the street mix with rap
music coming from a passing car's window. Young college students coming from GAP
cross paths with a Jamaican family leaving the boutique across the street.
Gentlemen in ties have coffee at Starbucks while a group of plain-dressed men
enter the nearby liquor store. A true melting pot; the area is home
to a tremendously diverse range of colors, sounds and cultures that surround the
visitor like playful children begging for attention. It is because of these
qualities that I didn’t think twice about picking Central Square as the
subject of my study for this class.
Besides its extreme diversity, there are several other aspects about Central that promise to make the study of this site a very rewarding experience. The fact that it is home to such important buildings as the City Hall and the Main Post Office point to the fact that the area has great historical significance in the City of Cambridge. Its history must also be rich and interesting from a sociological and anthropological point of view. Why people from so varied ethnic backgrounds felt attracted to an area as small as Central, and why they feel compelled to make their cultural presence known is a question whose answer is prompt to be found in the site’s history.
Another topic I wish to look into is the role of art in the area. Many artists have used Central as their canvas or subject, and public art, especially in the form of murals, is abundant in the site. I am sure that this is an element that, although not commonly studied, must be very significant in the development of an urban community.
These are just some of the topics and questions that I feel Central Square proposes to its visitors, and I look forward to addressing them all in the following assignments.
Photo Gallery: A Day in the Square
Figures 2-5: Whether it is a boutique, an alleyway, or a piece of public art, everything in Central Square seems to be rich in color, diversity and a sense of community.
Figure 6: This man stopped me to question my purposes in the area. Satisfied with my explanation, he treated me to a song.
Figure 7: This cheerful lady insisted that I take a picture of her.
Figure 8: Even the names of alleys and the like demonstrate the strong sense of community in the area.