Burroughs Adding Machine

Three things that reinforce my decision to live in the Dorchester community:

1. Dot2Dot Cafe. I’ve been waiting for a cafe to open up in Dorchester since I moved here three years ago. Alden turned me on to Ula Cafe in JP, but I still have to drive over there. And JP–though I love it–has gone the way of post-gentrification: lack of affordable housing for long-time residents, pushing out local businesses like Spanish bridal shops, and strollers everywhere (see The South End 2008 vs The South End 1998). I’m psyched to visit and support Dot2Dot, eat their homemade food, and take full advantage of the wireless.

2. DotOut at the Dorchester Day Parade! Last Sunday, DotOut, a grassroots GLBTQ org for Dorchester folks, hauled out a flatbed truck and did it up with a beach theme. A sunny, breezy day, and the best things about a thriving neighborhood: a mix of long-time residents (Vietnamese Americans, African Americans, and Caucasian Americans) plus the sight of new sources of economic growth–namely young professionals (like myself). Can’t we all just get along?

DotOut is also hosting a Summer Tea Dance at dbar on Sun, June 22. Mark your calendars.

3. Revitalization of Dot Ave. Here’s a great article in the Dorchester News about the excitement brewing in my hood. New mixed-use housing at Field’s Corner, bright T stations, granite both in fancy-kitchens and on Vietnamese storefronts (a sign of prosperity in Asian countries).