MATTAPAN THE POWER OF COMMUNITY By Borja Santos Porras Mattapan Neponset river Greenway Mattapan is a predominantly residential neighborhood in the south of The Neponset River Greenway on the Boston and Milton shore of the Boston. The Native American Mattahunt Tribe inhabited Mattapan in the River is a miles-long, multi-use trail that connects a series of parks and early 1600s, and the name they gave it seems to mean “a good place to provides an exciting opportunity to appreciate the outdoors in an sit”. Although some statistics and past stories have stigmatized its otherwise urban area. It was opened in 2001, however, one “missing reputation, many neighbors and associations fight on daily basis to build link” has been uncompleted for more than a decade. It was only in 2015 a better district, encouraging everyone to come and visit any time. The scale model of the that the work started for the 1.3-mile section between Central Avenue in greenway shows how Milton and Mattapan Square, which included a pedestrian bridge where Mattapan has a population of 36,480 with a very ethnically and culturally the construction is the trail would cross the river from Milton to Mattapan. diverse black/African American community (74%). Out of the foreign bordering the river in population 48% of the foreign-born population are from Haiti, 24% from its pass through For many citizens of Mattapan, this project symbolizes the abandonment Jamaica, 14% from the Dominican Republic, 8% from Vietnam and 6% Mattapan without that Mattapan experiences. “It is difficult to explain why this stretch from Trinidad and Tobago. The richness of that diversity is sometimes passing through the languished in the planning stage for so many years,” claim some of the clouded by the risks of segregation, in contradiction with Boston´s neighborhood. neighbours when they are asked the reasons for the delay. Although lack values of inclusiveness and integration. This is because migration and of funding or weather conditions have been used as arguments for this certain ethnicities are associated with lower economic status. More The map of the delay, the oblivion of the neighborhood and the controversy involved to than half of Mattapan households are low-income, and one in four are David regularly uses greenway shows the connect a segregated area like Mattapan stigmatized by crime or racial below the poverty line. the part of the missing link sixteen issues have been on the negotiation table. Even the final construction of greenway built out years after the project the greenway will just border the neighborhood by the river. The That lack of opportunities has turned the neighborhood into an older outside of Mattapan: opened. greenway is ready to be inaugurated soon after 16 years of being a community (it has a larger percentage of elderly residents than the city of “It is a great way to go “missing link.” Boston). The number of children in Mattapan has fallen (from 5250 from my house in Jamaica JamaicawayPond Park Parkman Memorial Brookside Community Garden Pattens Cove Elm Hill Park Larz Anderson Cr Hellenic Association Cr Starr Lane Park Granada Park Community Garden children in 2000 to 3679 in 2014) and is expected to continue to do so. Mattapan to the school ARBORWAY Mt. Calvary Holy Church Garden Vietnam War Memorial Thompson Island Larz Anderson Park Flaherty Plgd QU Downer Ave Plgd SAVIN HILL Fox Point Boat Dock and Landing The Country Club Brewer/burroughs Tot Lot NEWSTEAD MONTEGRADE IN Umass Boston Quincy/stanleyCY Play Area Y FernaldST Terrace Rock Savin Hill Park R A GREEN STREET E W King School Park E Kane Sq. Deer St. Park in the other T N Additionally, public safety is a major concern for residents and a large Ceylon Park PIA S AM Savin Hill Yacht Club E GR A A R Soldiers Monument V E Childrens Park B E U O S R N R O S Coppens Square McConnell Park T E Brunswick-king Play Area W U Dorchester Bay R V D SouthT St Mall Massachusetts DepartmentA of Conservation and Recreation E A Allen Park neighbourhood”. A factor in considering where to do business and where to live. H E Y T L O L R Newton St Parcel S I A Malibu T I Savin Hill Murphy Plgd English High Fields H B Log School Community Garden R BOSTON E M Beach E U Beach E U L WASHINGTON STREET PIERPOINT ROAD O Norton St. Park Neponset RiverT Greenway L C B Dorchester to Boston Harborwalk QUINCY Public Ground Yacht Club Franklin Park Zoo to DCR Dorchester Shore to Boston Harbor Islands E IV MOUNT IDA National Recreation Area DR Beades Bridge Reservation NS MOUNT BOWDOIN Area of Critical Environmental Concern*RA Public parking Multi-use path TE E V Nickerson Beach/chappel Rock Southwest R Walnut Hills Cemetery Carry-in boat launch Path in design ARBORWAY Salt marsh A Rainbow Corridor W H GENEVA AVENUE Swash S Franklin Park ARBORWAY I W Path on road DCR owned or managed W A Byrne 14 Public boat ramp E S J H Commercial IN Playground M G M T Point OO Neponset Parkways Other major FORESTpath HILLS Other parkland O FIELDS CORNER Squantum N RR S R R River Point T CENTRE STREET II Allandale Woods Iii Cr R SS mouth Park E SS E 13 *Areas of Critical Environmental Concern are managed by DCR for their significant natural and cultural resources. Learn more EE T at www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/acec.Arnold NOTE: this is not a survey plan; locations are not authoritative. dn2011-07, rev. 2014-09. YY Victory Brandegee Estate Cr B Arboretum FOREST O Road U L Park Squantum HILLS DORCHESTER D E A V Naval Air Station T O A EE R A R R ½ Mile ST Y R MORTON STREET ARD R Historic Site HARV O DD VIC T McMorrow Allandale Woods I Playground Forest Hill Riverwalk HYDE PARK AVENUE Tenean Cemetery T N Beach E E E P DORCHESTER SHAWMUT O R TALBOT AVENUE N SquantumT Marshes S S Port CENTER E Billing M A T Norfolk D A U Marsh T A V M E N N A S U U S E T Q AY R S W E T WASHINGTON STREET ROSLINDALE H G E S CENTRE STREET HI ON T A GI Billings E LE Boston BLUE HILL AVENUE AN D C Nature Creek V I ASHMONT STREET L ER Garvey M Center B Myles Standish School A Playground A E H S DRIVE RR RE R O NEPONSET Bridge E SH D CY NUE N BELGRADE AVE IN A U HYDE PARK AVENUE Neponset Ave Q M M 12 Bridge M O O R T QUINCY SHORE DRIVE C T E Toohig T ON E E ST R Park E REE ST ASHMONT R T K to Emerald Necklace T OL S RF Quincy Shore Reservation D NO to R The A G Hallet Street Quincy Shore V Mt Hope R W R Riverside A A A Brook Reservation H L N NORTH QUINCY Cemetery K I Martin MOUNT HOPE H T I E L Playground DORCHESTER AVENUE Riverwalk L A West Roxbury Parkway N S V E T GALLIVAN BOULEVARD E T Davenport W R N Neponset 3A E E E U P E CEDAR GROVE Park Creek O T MORTON STREET R E R T Pope T S Cedar Grove BLUE HILL AVENUE A S John Paul Cemetery Sagamore V M II E A N Creek U D Park E A E Atlantic Jr High Granite Ave X Skate Quarry Pg First water-powered mill in America T Bridge E NORTH N QUINCY Dorchester Riverwalk SI Cavanaugh Field B O A Baker Chocolate Factory Park N B CLARENDON HILLS S First chocolate company in America O NORTH QUINCYFrancis Parker School N S LOWER MILLS 11 3A T Ware Mill R E Public Deck E 28 T Lower Overlook Adams St Bridge Park Mills BUTLER Gulliver's Landing HANCOCK STREET Lower Mills Dam T Mass Fields Pg WASHINGTON STREET MATTAPAN Gorge E Granite Railway E TREET Central Ave Bridge R CU IVER S RR Bridge National Historic Site T N MM R S E INS M W HIG Ryan First commercial railway U P HWA T O Y MILTON Ventura in America N Park A R U T CENTRAL AVENUE Park Q MONTCLAIR A S V Rice Islands ST E Bicycle Path Access WE N Gulliver's Creek U E VALLEY ROAD MILTON VILLAGE Town Neponset Neponset River Estuary Landing Marshes Aea of MATTAPAN CAPEN STREET WOLLASTON Wright W Mattapan Square Bridge Critical Environmental Concern O Golf O GRANITE AVENUE D City Natives Garden Center E Hutchinson's Field N Course A Forbes N V E Kennedy Playground Suffolk Resolves Pierce K E Neponset Espalande Park Woods IN N Historic Marker Reservation G U E P A MILTON E Model for the R U QUINCY K UPPER MILLS Declaration W N E A of Independence WollastonStafford School Park V Y A First paper mill in America MILTON K T R B 93 EE A to DCR R R T&H Dam O T P Playground S Stony Brook Reservation Blue Hills OK LE E R EA D O 1 B Reservation A TURNER'S Y D H POND BROOK ROAD Pine Tree Brook TRUMAN PARKWAY EAST MILTON 10 AD HYDE PARK RO OK BRO Stoney Brae Playground AD AM R S S BLUE HILL AVENUE E TR E EE Y D T A S Furnace Brook Golf Club D W Stony Brook A BLUE HILLSPARKWAY K BLUE HILLSPARKWAY L Reservation E R A R O Y P A A W HYDE PARK 28 RANDOLPH AVENUE M D K R A Unquity Brook A H FA IR M OUNT P D TRUMAN HIGHWAY 9 K E O D First industrial canal Mother RO WEST QUINCY E B in America Brook AC ADAMS STREET RN Confluence Fairmount Ave Bridge MILTON FU Hyde Park Ave Bridge CENTER CANTON AVENUE Whitwell St Pk Pg FAIRMOUNT Blake WILLARD STREET Reservation Dana Ave Bridge Rd Park Estates Kelley B St Footbridge POPE'S Playground POND Glenwood Ave Footbridge -40 feet deep- North Commons Mill Mill Pond Neponset River Basin Fairview Cemetery Pond BLUE HILLS Dam - 120 square miles - Smith & Quarry St Pg Knight St BOSTON map Quincy C Trout Brook OP Stone Mill Bridge Footbridge 138 EL Moynihan area QuarriesDorchester AN Bay D Play MILTON ST IN RE Mother T E Colella Center E T R Playground Brook S T Shea Park A Reservation T Martini E 9 3 Memorial UNQUITY ROAD Shell UNQUITY ROAD READVILLE Dedham Rail-trailWEST MILTON STREET Granite Links Sterling Jr High School Golf Course Great Blue Hill - 635 feet - to DCR Balaster Brook Stony Brook Truman Parkway Bridge Reservation READVILLE NEPONSET VALLEY PARKWAY Paul's Bridge