They said they’re boarders, I said “So Wa?”
By NARA MOHYEDDIN ‘21
Sometimes I think Milton students, complaining about how boring Boston is, have never even tried to find the city’s charm—they miss the ethnic enclaves, the towns of Tibetan temples and Haitian accents, saris and suits, Caribbean restaurants, Chinese bakeries, Arab sandwich shops, completely Vietnamese streets, Korean communities, Italian libraries, and Persian and Brazilian grocery stores. They frequent famous places like the South End and Harvard Square, so of course they never venture into equally awesome opposite-end-of-the-spectrum places like Somerville and Mattapan. Sometimes I’m concerned that everyone has missed all the parks—the Esplanade by Beacon Hill, the Boston Commons, Public Garden, and Arboretum—and all the museums: Isabella Stewart Gardner and African American, Semitic and Paul Revere. It seems that Boston, from the Milton eye, is either Newbury street or irrelevance.
I get that it’s hard to think outside of Milton, due to the workload and the stress. But we live in the greater Boston area, and it’s time we learn about home. Yes, I said home. I know we boarders like to pretend, because boarding is temporary and Milton is exhausting, that we don’t spend most of our year here. Milton kids are sheltered, gated off from the rest of society. We need to stop denying the bigger community we live in and start venturing into it. I know it’s the end of the year, but it’s also spring, so here’s one suggestion for a nice Friday night or Sunday afternoon, away from Milton and its workload: SoWa, a perfect way to enjoy, support, and experience the rest of Boston.
Welcome to SoWa, named in a Bostonian attempt at trendiness, but also quite an awesome place. Once an abandoned piano and shoe manufacturing district, the area got its warehouses renovated, became an artistic powerhouse, and, in 2015, was Ranked #2 in USA Today's 10 Best Art Districts in the country. SoWa, or South of Washington, is jam packed with galleries, boutiques, stores, and studios.
On the first Friday of every month, all the artists in SoWa open their studios and galleries to the public from 5pm to 9pm. Every Sunday from May through October from 10am-4pm, there’s the SoWa Open Market. A farmers market full of musicians, food stalls, groceries, and artists, the Open Market is an amazing place to spend a Sunday, and it’s also an awesome way to support small businesses. Every couple weeks, it features DIY workshops, where you can learn how to make a body scrub or earrings, depending on the event. There are also performances and interactive painting classes on occasion; just check the calendar—it’s all there!
The Open Market goes into hibernation after the SoWa Spooktacular, which features Halloween costumes and crafts galore. Thankfully, it pops up again for the iconic SoWa Winter Festival: the perfect place to get your Christmas gifts and, as per usual, have good delicious food, hot chocolate, and cookies.
Running alongside the Open Market and only a two minute walk away, the SoWa Vintage Market is located in the downstairs of 450 Harrison Ave. You could buy yourself a cute pair of leather boots without contributing to the tanning industry, your friend a hippie bead necklace, or your parents a sofa—the opportunities are endless (unless you’re a boarder of course, in which case no candles or textiles). So get on the Orange Line towards Oak Grove, hop off at Tufts Medical Center, and trek that short half-mile. It’s worth it.