Hey vampyrusgirl...

[jon_chaisson]

...or anyone else in the Boston area who knows Harvard Square reasonably well: I need some info!

Specifically, this deals with my vampire story. The scene I'm writing right now takes place right outside of Harvard Square at Cambridge Common (that big park right around the corner, up a ways on Mass Ave). Looking at Google Maps, there seems to be a statue in the southern corner. What would this statue be of? Nothing important, just being particular with my settings.

Also, I seem to have forgotten quite a bit about Davis Square. I know the Somerville Theater and the Rosebud Diner are up there, but I'm forgetting a lot of other things...nothing in particular, but do you know of a few offbeat places I could use as backdrops?

Thanks! In return I may use your first or last name somewhere in the book (as is my habit when wanting to throw a friend in there... :) )

Comments

[editswlonghair.livejournal.com]

The only statue I can remember being in that park is a statue dedicated to the Irish Famine victims- it's a bronze statue of a mother holding her child if memory serves...

Local color in Davis Square- McIntyre and Moore (the fantastic independent and used book store), Diesel (an independent coffee shop- notorious for it's lesbian and polyamorous contingents), Redbones BBQ (overrated imho, but considered by many city folk as the best BBQ in town), and the notorious (at least in my social circle) 'Wall of Respect for Women,' a cheesy mural painted on the wall of the pharmacy (A Walgreen's I think) to celebrate the contributions of women- in the lower left hand corner there's a meter maid filling out a parking ticket. You have to see it to believe it: http://www.besargent.com/murals/worfw.htm

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Ooh, used books! Perfect! :) And I'm sure I could use Diesel in there somewhere...

As for the statue, I'm not sure but I think the one I'm looking at might be the war memorial one...just from what I've found online so far.

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

Damn it! There is another one, and I was *just* there a few weeks ago, but forget who it's of. I'll post to the people I was with and see if they remember.

[chaoticmoth.livejournal.com]

Took a quick peek, it looks like there are a couple of war memorials, the famine one had to have an exemption granted.
http://www.s-t.com/daily/07-97/07-24-97/a06wn027.htm

There is always the Burren Irish Pub in Davis Square.

[chaoticmoth.livejournal.com]

Oh, and the Boston Baked Theater, a little hole-in-the-wall basement theater. It's where we saw Musical the Musical a couple of times. Alissa knows more about it, she had a friend who played there.

[editswlonghair.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes! The Burren... Best Irish brunch in town, imho.

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

It's actually a Brooks Pharmacy. Fucking Wall of Respect...don't even get me STARTED.....

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Yeah, from the pictures it looks very...bland. Very inoffensive to pretty much anyone involved, almost earthy-crunchy in a way...

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

It's not really offensive, per se, but I find it kind of insulting, if that's the right word. I think it was done by some kind of youth group, but still, if you want to show respect towards women? DO something! Don't just paint some bizarre mural and call it the 'Wall of Respect Towards Women.' I'm not saying that art and memorials are meaningless, but there's just something about that mural that I find patronizing.