davis_square | Davis Square 1997 vs. Davis Square 2007

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cvs-is-king.livejournal.com posting in

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which do you prefer?

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From:

cvs-is-king.livejournal.com

The Joshua Tree wasn't here in '97.
Score a point for 97.

Rent was more reasonable in 97.
Score a point for 97.

More artists lived in Davis in 97
Score a point for 97

Less "yuppies" in 97
Score a point for 97

More and uglier statues in 97.
Score a point for 2007!

Slackers (not hipsters)were a larger part of the community.
Score a point for 97.

Your backpack wasn't stolen at the Someday in 97.
Your backpack was stolen at the Someday in 2006.
Score a point for 97.

The Someday served the best coffee in the city in 97.
Now you have to go to Union to get that same good cup of coffee.
The Diesel's coffee is just plain nasty in 2007
Score a point for 97.

There was a barter system between businesses in 97.
Pretty sure nothing of that sort in 2007.
Score a point for 97.

There was more conversation and less cellphone blathering fools in 97.
Score a point for 97.

Dolly's late night in 97.
Now...nothing.
Point for 97.

on and on and on and...

From:

aki.livejournal.com

Wow, did you really go and create a LJ account just to troll here? Are you disappointed that this thread has remained reasonable? Am I a hypocrit for taking the bait?

Yes.

From:

aki.livejournal.com

Hypocrite. I'm a hypocrite. Long day.

From:

cvs-is-king.livejournal.com

opinionated i am, but a troll i don't plan on being.
a new member with a question and a response is a troll?
what a welcoming community!

From:

xsemperfidelis.livejournal.com

....how was that "troll-like"? It seems to me like this person is just sharing their opinion.

From:

ron_newman

His opinion is different from yours (and mine); that doesn't make it troll-ish.

From:

spettacolo.livejournal.com

Troll, or not. You make excellent points. I've lived in the neighborhood since 1991 and saw the rise of the modern Davis Square. I think it peaked in about 2000 and has gone slowly downhill since then. I used to go to Davis square 5-7 times a week for Someday coffee. I now go weeks at a time without setting foot in the square. Ball Square is getting my business these days.

From:

xsemperfidelis.livejournal.com

Aww, I like weird/ugly statues. :)

From:

hahathor.livejournal.com

I've only been here since '98, so there's one thing that's better now than in '97 - more me!!

Seriously though, I agree with many of your points, but I think a lot of them are more general than Davis (e.g., higher rents, more cell phone blathering, more theft at coffee shops). I wish Dolly's were still here - but I also wish there were simply more late night eating options. It's distressing that by the time you get out of, say a movie, or home from seeing a show in Boston, the only options are Redbones late night menu, take out from China Sun, or Gargoyle's bar food. Those options start disappearing at 11, and are completely gone by 12:30. But it's not much better elsewhere in Boston. The city really needs to take a tip from NYC & recognize that there are a lot of people who continue to need food, transportation, and coffee late into the night - especially given how many colleges this town has.

I happen to like it here better than I did in '97, but a lot of that may have to do with my block in particular (I'm on the corner of Meacham & Campbell Park Place) and the people who have moved in (and in one case, thankfully moved out) over the past 5 years or so. There are a lot more families with young children, and though I don't have (or want) kids myself, I love coming home to find half a dozen children playing in the street. Plus people seem to be out on the street more & I know a lot more people now. I don't think that's just a function of me having been here longer.

Plus there's a lot of new businesses that I really like: Mr. Crepe (though I understand the dismay over the loss of Someday), Martsa's, Namaskar. I'm very happy we have a Planned Parenthood place now. I like Downtown Wine & Liquors a lot better under Alan's management, and I've very pleased with the wine & cheese expansion of Dave's Pasta.

From:

chumbolly.livejournal.com

But back in '97, we had to walk up hill both ways through two feet of snow just to get to the Square! Score one for 2007!

Just kidding--you've got some good points (if perhaps a tad nostalgic), but a few counterpoints--the Square is generally cleaner now, the housing stock surrounding the square is in significantly better repair, and there's a lot of new people that have moved in and created enough of a sense of community that they will fight to protect it (which is really sort of the backstory of your original question, right?). I'll bet there's still lot of people around who would like to make similar points between '87 and '97. And I'll bet they weren't so psyched about those invading artists you're missing....

To remain vital, neighborhoods need to constantly change. As a place becomes attractive, as Davis did in the mid-90s, of course it's going to draw in money and investors who will want to put a polish on things but inevitably either burnish away the neighborhoods oddities and charms or calcify said charms into kitsch. If you want to ride the funky wave, head on over to Union, where there's probably still money to be made. Of course, you won't have Dave's, the Somerville Theater, a subway stop (yet), and on and on and on....