ADORE-chester 7

The assignment, should I choose to accept it, was to blog a list of the five top things I enjoy about Dorchester, Massachussets under the heading “ADORE-chester!”  Saying yes was a no-brainer.

I’ve lived in Dorchester two separate times, first in the mid 80s when I lived on one of the loveliest streets in Dorchester, indeed in all of Boston – Wellesley Park.  Currently, I live near Adams Village, where I’ve owned a home with my husband for nearly six years.

I adore my neighborhood.  Why?  Here are my top five not ranked in order of importance because that shifts depending on season, mood and need.

#1 – The terrain
especially the hills, the trees, the gardens, the beaches and the harbor. I can’t walk in my neighborhood without seeing beauty or encountering a hill.  There’s Pope’s Hill (I’ve scaled S. Munroe Terrace), Ashmont Hill, Savin Hill and the hill at Ronan Park.  The vistas from these hills are magnificent (and my legs are stronger for having walked them these past six years).

There is Cedar Grove Gardens the landscape and greenhouse at Cedar Grove Cemetery (where plants are for sale), and the numerous home gardens every where (two on Milton Ave. and several in Clam Point and Melville Park come to mind.)
The waterfall in Lower Mills, Tenean Beach in the Port Norfolk section and, of course, the path around U. Mass. and the JFK Library.  It’s like taking a vacation in my own ‘hood!

#2 – The libraries
There are four branches of the Boston Public Library in Dorchester and I’ve used them all.  The Adams Branch is the closest to my home so I visit it most frequently.  I also pass the other branches regularly when walking and often stop in –  Field’s Corner, Codman Square and Lower Mills.  I’ve been struck by the diversity and numbers  of people using the libraries’ resources (books, DVDs, computers, and knowledgeable staff).  Having this wealth of libraries is a book-lover’s dream.

#3 – The dining
From fast food to pub fare to dress-up-fancy, Dorchester is a great face for food and continues to evolve into a destination. There are the stalwarts like Phillip’s Old Colony House and Gerard’s.  There are the pubs – Blarney Stone, Erie Pub, Sonny’s Place,    Asian places abound:  Anh Hong and Pho So 1 being but two. There is Italian – Tavalo, Blaisi’s and Venezia’s (with beautiful views of the harbor).   I must stop and remember with fondness the late, great Nanina’s).  The islands – Irie Jamaican Style Restaurant, Restaurant Laura and Restaurante Cesaria’s. The soulful Southern – Perry’s  and Mrs. Jones. Coffee shops – Flat Black Coffee,, The Mud House. 

#4 – The neighborhoods
Dorchester is full of distinct neighborhoods that were once organized by parishes.  The architecture of the housing is stunning in its variety, my favorites being the grand Victorians and colonial farmhouses some of which still have the original barns behind them.  Clam Point, Melville Park, Ashmont Hill, Upham’s Corner, Port Norfolk, Adams Village, Lower Mills, Cedar Groves, Four Corners, Savin Hill, Field’s Corner, and so on…and so on.  Even the most bedraggled of Dorchester’s neighborhoods have a vibrancy.

#5 – The people
I’ve saved the best for last – the thing I adore most about Dorchester is its people.
Dorchester is wthout a doubt the most d i v e r s e neighborhood in Boston and is truly becoming multicultural in practice.  the people come from every part of the Globe and many of us are living in harmony.

These people also ADORE-chester:
 
The Dottie Hottie                                   http://www.dottiehottie.com
The Dot Matrix                                       http://whaleheadking.blogspot.com
Dot Boston                                              http://www.adampieniazek.com
The Dorchester Think Tank                http://www.dorchesterthinktank.blogspot.com
Lower Dot                                               http://www.lowerdot.com
Local Spice                                             http://localspice.blogspot.com
Social Butterfly Experiment                http://sbexperiment.wordpress.com
dotmass                                                   http://dotmass.blogspot.com
Greening of Dorchester                        http://greendorchester.blogspot.com


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If you liked this post, you may also like these previous posts I’ve written about Dorchester:
I Love Walking in Dorchester and Beauty Replaces Ugly: Two refurbished MBTA Stations in Dorchester.