Exploring Your Neighborhood

Posted August 13, 2013 by Carolyn Lucas

For the first time in seven years, I am so happy that this coming September 1, my husband and I will not be moving.  I will be excluded from the uHaul hassle, the security deposits, the shady landlords, and dealing with the fact that dishwashers are still a sought-after commodity despite our foray into the twenty-first century. 

In the past year, knowing that we wouldn’t be moving in September, we have made our little apartment a true home (rental-style) – temporarily replacing the dim lighting fixtures, accruing beautiful (if eclectic) art and photographs, even adopting a puppy for our pet-friendly pad!  But one of the things that we have admittedly slacked on is learning our area.

When my husband randomly plugged our address into Walkscore.com and a 97 popped up, his friend asked what great coffee shops, bars, parks, and restaurants were in the area to inflate our score so much – sadly, we had no idea.  It wasn’t until very recently that we actually made exploring our area a priority – and we have discovered essentially paradise.  There is a craft shop two blocks away, to meet all of my crafting needs; there is a liquor shop/convenience store around the corner; there is a bar literally across the street from our apartment, becoming our own MacLaren’s (from How I Met Your Mother).  While Kendall Square is known as “technology square,” I have to say that the accompanying East Cambridge neighborhood is amazing – and definitely worth a visit. 

And, here are a few of the places that I have recently discovered, should you happen to be in the area: Lizzy’s (a bar whose fan base practically rioted when they closed briefly due to liquor permit complications), Courthouse Sea Food (a fish market, where you can buy a pound of sashimi-grade salmon for $15 bucks) or the restaurant of the same name next door (with $5 burger and fries), Poultry Fresh Killed (Boston’s best butcher with a dubious name),  and Cafe Kafofo (makes the best iced coffee I have ever had).  Just sayin’.