4 ms·

In the author's defense, Cambridge is surrounded on three sides by Boston (Charlestown to the east, Back Bay to the south, and Allston to the west, all part of

by wgrover 15y ago

In the author's defense, Cambridge is surrounded on three sides by Boston (Charlestown to the east, Back Bay to the south, and Allston to the west, all part of Boston).

jsavimbi 15y ago
That's incorrect. Cambridge is bounded in its majority by Somerville, Belmont, Watertown, Arlington and Boston descending in size of the borders. The only areas where Cambridge physically meets Boston are located along Charlestown and East Cambridge and only so because they filled in Miller's River and I can hardly put a fair price on geographical ties based on what lies beneath the expressway. People from East Cambridge do not have any historical or cultural ties with Charlestown and vice versa, except when the townies get locked up at the East Cambridge courthouse. Prior to that, there was no land-to-land contact and I cannot grant you the River Charles as a border because it is administered and policed by the state. It's a separate city in a separate county with a separate culture of its own. Sure, if you're not from around here it's easy and practical to lump everything together as who really cares about imaginary lines on a map, but then again we lump all outsiders together as tourists so no harm, no foul. One thing is to speak out of convenience, but to purposely confuse the two is to mislead the reader. I'm from one and I live in the other. To me there's a very big difference. And don't even get me started on Brookline.
- wgrover 15y ago
  I was going to make a Brookline joke, glad I didn't! :) Of course you're correct and I commend you for your knowledge of local geography and history. BTW, If you haven't read "Gaining Ground: A History of Landmaking in Boston," I bet you'd enjoy it: http://www.amazon.com/Gaining-Ground-History-Landmaking-Boston/dp/0262194945 http://www.amazon.com/Gaining-Ground-History-Landmaking-Bost...
  - jsavimbi 15y ago
    Just added to the Wish List. Thanks!

by wgrover 15y ago

In the author's defense, Cambridge is surrounded on three sides by Boston (Charlestown to the east, Back Bay to the south, and Allston to the west, all part of Boston).

jsavimbi 15y ago

That's incorrect. Cambridge is bounded in its majority by Somerville, Belmont, Watertown, Arlington and Boston descending in size of the borders. The only areas where Cambridge physically meets Boston are located along Charlestown and East Cambridge and only so because they filled in Miller's River and I can hardly put a fair price on geographical ties based on what lies beneath the expressway. People from East Cambridge do not have any historical or cultural ties with Charlestown and vice versa, except when the townies get locked up at the East Cambridge courthouse. Prior to that, there was no land-to-land contact and I cannot grant you the River Charles as a border because it is administered and policed by the state. It's a separate city in a separate county with a separate culture of its own. Sure, if you're not from around here it's easy and practical to lump everything together as who really cares about imaginary lines on a map, but then again we lump all outsiders together as tourists so no harm, no foul. One thing is to speak out of convenience, but to purposely confuse the two is to mislead the reader. I'm from one and I live in the other. To me there's a very big difference. And don't even get me started on Brookline.

wgrover 15y ago
I was going to make a Brookline joke, glad I didn't! :) Of course you're correct and I commend you for your knowledge of local geography and history. BTW, If you haven't read "Gaining Ground: A History of Landmaking in Boston," I bet you'd enjoy it: http://www.amazon.com/Gaining-Ground-History-Landmaking-Boston/dp/0262194945 http://www.amazon.com/Gaining-Ground-History-Landmaking-Bost...
- jsavimbi 15y ago
  Just added to the Wish List. Thanks!