Robin Heafey
Age when this tile was made: 9
Where did you live when you made this tile?Chandler Street
Where do you live now?Melrose, MA
Do you consider Somerville your hometown? Yes
What is your earliest Somerville memory?Walking to Davis Square, just about every day of my life. Watching "Grease" at the Somerville Theatre at least 20 times. Shopping and browsing at FFC, Gorin's and Robbin's Smoke Shop for cheap stuff. Standing in the long line for Steve's Ice Cream. My grandmother serving us free ice cream at Brigham's (Now Starbuck's, I think). My mother working the switchboard at the Woodbridge Inn on College Ave.
How would you describe Somerville in the 1980s?My memory is that it was a bit run down, in some areas. The construction for the Red Line made it a mess for years. There were lots of small shops and businesses that came and went. Teenagers (including myself) hung out at most of the squares and parks. There were people of many different nationalities, as there still is today.
How would you describe Somerville today?It seems to be the place to be! Good restaurants, bars and coffee shops and more. Apparently it's a popular place for some very cool, famous people to visit. I'd live there, if I could afford it now. It also seems a little prettier, because homes are maintained better, and there's more gardens.
How has Somerville changed?Very much. After the Red Line, more professionals and college graduates started moving in. It was cheaper than living in Cambridge, so it became the alternative. Then came the hip coffee shops and stuff.
