A Favorite Place

in the city

I need to be doing things with other people that reinforce a sense of common purpose and optimism these days or I feel my head will explode. The place where I’ve been going lately is the Somerville Community Growing Center. A quarter acre urban green space in one of the most densely populated cities in the country, the SCGC has paths curving up a gentle slope, lots of trees and bushes, a small lagoon, squares of garden, patches of wild-growing plants, a grape arbor, and a clearing where there are performances, classes, picnics, and all manner of gatherings. Volunteers do all the upkeep and activities. Over the summer I saw an impressive high school production of As You Like It, sang Woody Guthrie songs, listened to poetry and jazz, planted and weeded, learned amazing things about bees, and enjoyed just being in that oasis of green relaxing with others. One of the best things is to see the kids learning about nature or just running around playing, happy to be outside.