Surprises in Dorchester

I approached Dorchester for the first time with an open mind. I assumed the neighborhoods in Boston were all similar. Though this may be true to some extent, I found Dorchester at least to contain many subtleties setting it apart from its neighbors. An orderly little slice of the Boston area, Dorchester has much to offer, as its residents can attest to. You’ll hear people say “this is an historic place” over and over and for good reason. The oldest house in Boston, the James Blake House, is one of many notable sites of preservation. One longtime resident, an old man we’ll call Howard, said, “A lot changes here, but it all feels the same in the end.” For over a hundred years Dorchester has been a diverse and working class community. Indeed, each of the residents I spoke to was unique in their own way.

I had expected to encounter a stuck-up people, but I was hastily proved wrong. Those I held conversation with seemed friendly and fun loving. One gentleman, probably in his thirties, suggested I check out his favorite spot, the Franklin Park Zoo. With two colleges around, students are not an uncommon sight. They seem to know where all the best restaurants are. One girl, fresh out of college, bragged about the local bar scene. “Dorchester has my favorite bar in Boston, the Banshee,” she said. I asked the same girl what she knew about the Battle of Dorchester Heights and was impressed when she noted the fight resulted in the British evacuation of Boston. Even the kids I talked to were well versed in Revolutionary War history. A twelve-year old boy pointed out the actual site of battle, which I had not even noticed.

Misconceptions often skew the fact of a matter. Who I thought would be elitists Bostonians turned out to be hard working and down to Earth individuals. Sure, there were some fancy boutiques and restaurants with names I could not pronounce, but beneath the surface lies an area rich in history home to some of the nicest people I’ve encountered in Boston.

-Matthew Lee