Thomas Kneeland
Age when this tile was made: 6
Where did you live when you made this tile?Broadway across from Paulina Street
Where else have you lived in Somerville?Hudson Street but only until the age of two.
Where do you live now?Littleton, MA
Do you consider Somerville your hometown? Yes
What is your earliest Somerville memory?Lining up on the first floor/basement of the Power House outside the library on the first day of Kindergarden.
How has Somerville changed?I think Somerville has changed a lot since the 1980s and I think the T played a major role in that change. When I was growing up, West Somerville was comprised mostly of working class families. The double and triple deckers had a high rate of owner occupancy with the other apartments in the building either rented or occupied by members of the same family. Up and down Broadway, and on the side streets, were families with kids about my age that I would play street hockey or baseball with. The T made it convenient for people working in Boston to live outside the city at Somerville's affordable rents and still have easy access to everything Boston had to offer. By the mid to late 1990's the neighborhoods seemed to be made up mostly of college students and young professionals. I feel like I matured right along with the city enjoying the restaurants and coffee shops all through college and while dating my wife. The neighborhoods definitely do not feel family friendly any more. I don't remember any kids out playing when I moved away in 2002.
