User:GMRA2001/East Boston

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East Boston, nicknamed Eastie, is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts annexed by the city of Boston in 1637. Neighboring communities include Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea. It is separated from the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown and downtown Boston by Boston Harbor. The footprint of the East Boston neighborhood as it is known today was created in the 1940s by connecting five of the inner harbor islands using land fill.

East Boston has long provided homes for immigrants with Irish, Russian Jews and later, Italians. John F. Kennedy's great-grandfather was one of many Irish people to immigrate to East Boston, and the Kennedy family lived there for some time. From 1920 to 1954, East Boston was the site of the East Boston Immigration Station, which served as the regional immigration hub for Boston and the surrounding area. A once Italian dominated community, East Boston has demographically changed to reflect a diverse population of immigrants. After the 1990s, the neighborhood witnessed growing numbers of Latin American immigrants, who have come to make up over fifty percent of the population according to the 2020 Census data.

Boston's "Ellis Island"[edit]
'''In the 1880s, the Immigrants House operated in East Boston to help immigrants during their arrivals with economic support and social services. The building in which the Immigrants House operated was later named Landfall and served as the first senior citizen housing in the community.'''

'''The East Boston Immigration Station operated from 1920 to 1954 as the region’s immigration hub. In 2011, the Immigration Station was torn down.'''

Community Gardens[edit]

 * Bremen Street Community Garden — The garden is located in the Bremen Street Park, that the Massachusetts Port Authority owns and operates. The garden is run by garden coordinators.
 * Eagle Hill Community Garden sunflower blooming in the Eagle Hill Memorial Community Garden on Border Street. — The Trustees of Reservations maintains the garden in collaboration with residents.
 * EBNHC Wellness Garden — The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center operates the garden to promote healthier lifestyles by giving garden plots to patients and Let's Get Movin' participants.
 * Joe Ciampa Garden — The Trustees of Reservations maintains the garden in collaboration with residents.
 * "Nuestro Jardín" ("Our Garden") — sited across from the Umana School, was formerly reserved for use by schoolchildren, but is now maintained by a community-based youth program and Eastie Farm, a non-profit that works in addressing the effects of food insecurity and climate change in East Boston.

Parks[edit]

 * Piers Park — Public park constructed on top of an original 1870 seawall and pier, it includes a meandering brick pedestrian promenade and four shade pavilions, and the Piers Park Sailing Center. As of October 2022, Phase Two of the park's development by the Massachusetts Port Authority was expected to end in 2023. Phase Three, announced in 2020, is under the oversight of The Trustees of Reservations.

=== Places of Worship (Past & Present)[edit] ===
 * Maverick Congregational Church – Formerly named the First Congregational Church; East Boston's first place of worship.
 * Church of the Most Holy Redeemer – The first Roman Catholic church in East Boston.
 * Our Lady of the Assumption Church
 * Saratoga Street Methodist Episcopal Church – As of 2022, the church's location is the Central Park Lanes Bowling Center.
 * First Presbyterian Church – In 1996, the church closed down but since the 2000s two other congregations gather there; Iglesias del Dios Vivo and La Luz del Mundo.
 * Church of the Sacred Heart
 * Maverick Congregational Church
 * St. John's Episcopal Church – Wallis Howe from Martin and Hall Architects built the church in 1903 and since the 2000s, the East Boston APAC Headstart has operated there.
 * Church of Our Father – Organized in 1845, this was the only Unitarian church in the neighborhood. In 1900, the church was sold and moved; the East Boston Post Office is located in the former building.
 * Temple Ohel Jaocob – Founded in 1893 as the first place of worship for the Jewish community, this was the neighborhood's oldest and longest synagogue.
 * Church of St. Mary Star
 * Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Italian immigrants built the church in 1907, and in 2004 the Archdiocese of Boston closed the church.

Sports arenas and stadiums[edit]

 * East Boston Memorial Stadium — Since 2015, Suffolk University has used the stadium for their baseball, soccer, and softball teams to practice and play games. The stadium belongs to the City of Boston and serves multiple purposes for the community. East Boston High School also utilizes the stadium annually to hold their graduation ceremony.

Government and neighborhood[edit]
'''As of the 2022 election cycle, East Boston's local elected officials include State Representative Adrian Madaro representing the First Suffolk, State Senator Lydia Edwards representing the First Suffolk and Middlesex, and City Councilor Gabriela "Gigi" Coletta, who represents District 1 of Boston. '''

Historic Demographics[edit]
'''According to 2020 Census Data, analyzed by the Boston Planning & Development Agency, East Boston shared the highest population of Hispanic or Latinos in Boston with 50.4% of the neighborhood. East Boston’s total population is 43,066 with half of the population identifying as Hispanic or Latino and the second largest demographic group being White at 36.6%. The demographics for Hispanic or Latino decreased from 2010 when the group made up 52.9% of the population. In September 2022, Mayor Michelle Wu questioned the 2020 Census data for the whole city, sharing concerns over uncounted individuals, citing the pandemic as a factor for low census turnout, and expressing her belief that Boston's total numbers needed to be adjusted higher. '''

Community Centers [edit]
'''East Boston has various non-profits that work to address issues the community face like immigration, tenant's rights, youth engagement, environmental justice, housing, and more. Such organizations are Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), East Boston Main Streets, East Boston Social Center, YMCA, Harbor Arts, Piers Park Sailing Center, and more.'''

Public Schools[edit]
East Boston has two high schools in their district; East Boston High School '''and Excel Academy Charter High School, which was founded in 2015. Excel Academy Charter School also has two charter middle schools located on Moore St. and Bremen St. in East Boston.'''

Open space[edit]
'''In 2019, the East Boston Greenway was renamed the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway, honoring Mary Ellen Welch, a well-known community activist. She was one of the first individuals who supported the greenway creation and challenged Massport for their responsibility for noise pollution from the airport. '''

'''As of June 2022, East Boston had the lowest tree canopy cover in the city with only 7% coverage compared to the City's 27% total coverage. The low tree coverage has been cited as an additional environmental burden by many activists that deprives the community of benefits like lower air and noise pollution. A youth group from Neighborhood of Affordable Housing began working in 2017 to advocate for greater tree cover in the community and enhance efforts on addressing the lack of cover. In September 2022, Mayor Michelle Wu announced increased efforts from her administration to address low tree coverage in the whole city such as adding more jobs and planting more trees. '''

Eastie Celebrations [edit]
'''East Boston has two annual recurring celebrations take place every summer. Eastie Week takes place for two weeks every July in collaboration between Boston Harbor Now and local partner organizations. During the celebrations, the organizations offer free and affordable events for families in East Boston. Eastie Pride Day is a long-standing celebration founded by former City Councilor Sal LaMattina that takes place at Piers Park. The celebration is open and free to the public and offers food, music, kids games, and community resources. '''