Sukanya+Seshadri

 = __Porter Square and the Porter Square Shopping Center __  =

Porter Square is quite the popular landmark for when one is needed to provide directions to any place in the Cambridge/Somerville area. On stepping out from the Porter Square T-station, one is surrounded by sights that reflect the tastes and preferences of the area’s residents, which primarily include members of the academic institutions nearby and working professionals of different ages. Massachusetts Avenue, one of the veins of the city of Boston, stretches on adjacently while the Porter Square Shopping Center spreads out across the station to the right side – both of which are lined with shops of all types.

Located in the northern part of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Porter Square is connected to its neighbor, Harvard Square by a mile-long stretch of Massachusetts Avenue, which also connects the city of Cambridge to the nearby town of Arlington.

The city of Cambridge is reputed for its academic giants – Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), but in addition it is also very well-known for its wealth of independent bookstores, many of which call Porter Square home. Porter Square is a cultural landmine that houses bookstores such as McIntyre & Moore, which has been in business since 1983 and Porter Square Books, which is home to a rich variety of classic as well as contemporary books on a wide range of topics. On any typical day, people can be seen browsing through the collections of these bookstores as well as lounging on the benches outside Porter Square Books or enjoying soothing beverages while reading at their coffee bar. The structure resembling a wind vane that stands tall outside the Porter Square T-station is also a pearl in the area’s cultural necklace. 

 The tall prominent red structure is called the ‘Gift of the Wind’ and was designed by Japanese artist, Susumu Shingu. This structure was incorporated into the area surrounding the T-station by its designer, Peter Kuttner. The designing of the Porter Square T-station marked the launch of Boston’s ‘Arts on the Line’ series (Hempel).

The Porter Square Shopping Center by itself is a relatively popular landmark. This commercial center lies at the heart of Porter Square and consists of stores where the area residents can find everything from food to healthcare. There is something in this center for everyone – whether it is one’s doughnuts and coffee cravings, or whether it is a good bookstore one might want to browse through or even that suit that needs dry cleaning – the Center has it all.

With one of the major veins of the Boston area, Massachusetts Avenue adjacent to it, the Porter Square Shopping Center draws patrons from around a large radius. Its proximity to the T-station also plays a major role in this. In a city like Boston and its surrounding suburbs in the Greater Boston area in which a large majority of the population is heavily dependent on public transportation, most of the city’s town squares are situated around the T-stations. This is true of Porter Square as well.

The Shopping Center is home to stores such as Roots Drycleaners, Shaw’s (formerly Star Market), Cambridge Naturals, Porter Square Books, Pier 1 Imports, Tag’s Hardware; eateries such as Qdoba Mexican Grill, Dunkin Donuts, Emack & Bolio’s ice cream; fitness centers such as Healthworks Fitness (a fitness center for women), Planet Fitness in the nearby Porter Square Galleria; as well as a dental clinic, a pharmacy and two local banks.

The center has gone through various facelifts before reaching its present state of existence. The building has gone through major renovation processes such as the expansion of the Shaw’s grocery store, widening of the walkways, as well as efforts to make the building much more environment-friendly by planting trees and shrubs along the parking lots and lining the roof with solar panels (Helman).

On many occasions, young volunteers belonging to various social non-profit organizations can be observed in their effort towards convincing passersby to fund their causes. Also, some elderly men selling newspapers can be seen outside the stores along the sidewalk.

The location of this shopping center is very strategic to the business of its stores since it is a major link between various roads and towns. Porter Square is located between Cambridge and Somerville and is on the way to the town of Arlington. For this reason, many buses passing by link the areas of Union Square in Somerville to Davis Square as well as Harvard Square and Arlington. Over the years, this has only helped the stores draw in more patrons. Apart from the location, the preferences and priorities of people have changed. We live in a very consumerist society in which people have become a lot more materialistic. Shopping has become much more than just a necessity; it has become a part of our activity schedules. Commercial establishments realize and reflect these changes before anything else does. Store-owners now dress the windows of their stores in a lucrative manner that will invite people into the stores. These attention-seeking techniques are also an effort at increasing impulse buys. For this reason, many bank ATM outlets have sprung up all over the city wherever there is a multitude of commercial establishments. Porter Square alone has two banks located near the Shopping Center.

Most of the people who live near Porter Square are students and professionals who study and work all over Boston and its surrounding areas. The stores and other establishments that are located in the Shopping Center as well along side of the building that faces Massachusetts Avenue act as a place where people get together with friends or colleagues or family. The diversity of the population is reflected in the various cuisines that restaurants around the Square offer. The Porter Square Exchange which is a building that houses Lesley University had various Japanese establishments under its roof; however, recently, one of its most illustrious stores, Kotobukiya, a Japanese grocery store, was shut down (Irons). But the building still continues to be referred to as ‘Little Japan’ due to the presence of all the other Japanese restaurants and shops that continue to function there. A short walk even leads up to Davis Square which is another cultural landmark, in the city of Somerville.

Boston and its surrounding areas are truly exploreworthy. Walking through the city is the best, however, not the only way to see the places in their entire splendor.  

Works Cited 

 Helman, Scott W. "WHERE DRIVERS BEMOAN THEIR LOT REDESIGN OF PORTER SQUARE MALL YIELDS 30 FEWER SPACES FOR CARS :[THIRD Edition]. " __Boston Globe__ [Boston, Mass.] 21 Nov. 1999,1. __Boston Globe__. ProQuest. Healey Library, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston. 19 Jun. 2009 <http://www.proquest.com.temp8.cc.umb.edu/>

Hempel, Carlene. "THE PEOPLE'S ARCHITECT - PETER KUTTNER IS INTERESTED; IN PUBLIC SPACE, NOT PUBLIC NOTICE :[3 Edition]. " __Boston Globe__ [Boston, Mass.] 2 Aug. 2007,E.1. __Boston Globe__. ProQuest. Healey Library, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston. 19 Jun. 2009 <http://www.proquest.com.temp8.cc.umb.edu/>

Hurley, Mary. "FOR PORTER SQUARE, THIS WAY UP AND OUT :[THIRD Edition]. " __Boston Globe__ [Boston, Mass.] 16 Feb. 2003,CW.10. __Boston Globe__. ProQuest. Healey Library, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston. 19 Jun. 2009 <http://www.proquest.com.temp8.cc.umb.edu/>

Meghan Irons. . "’Little Japan’ to lose its center :Lesley University's plans cost market its location. " __Boston Globe__ [Boston, Mass.] 4 May 2009,B.1. __Boston Globe__. ProQuest. Healey Library, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston. 19 Jun. 2009 <http://www.proquest.com.temp8.cc.umb.edu/>

__ The Department of Cambridge Community Development __. Community Development Department, City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. 18 June 2009

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