Whats it like to live in East Cambridge, Massachusetts?
It may be a small pocket of the city across the Charles, but East Cambridge is a thriving village in its own right. But back in the day, this self-sufficiency was more of a consciously curated divide, as wealthier, Protestant folks chose to stay ensconced in their western Cambridge enclave. It was then that East Cambridge had to establish itself, evolving into its own community—and it did so with flying colors. Filled with industrial jobs, the neighborhood welcomed working-class residents, who spent their days on the factory lines. Immigrants from Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, and Poland found their home base in East Cambridge, with their church parish serving as a touchstone for their local ethnic community.
By the 1960s, factories began to shut down. Nearby, Kendall Square started its ascension into a technology stronghold, filling up with life sciences, pharmaceutical, and venture capital companies, bolstered by MIT just around the corner. Today, these companies continue to hold court in the area, as the neighborhood works to coexist while maintaining its character in the face of change.