January 11, 2008
Cuz I Love That Dirty Water
(Extra points for getting the title of this post).
For seven years I worked in Kendall Square in Cambridge at a company called “Intersolv” (first Index Technology). Coincidentally, the Microsoft team that I manage is just across the street from where I used to work. I can see my old office from the new Microsoft office.
I’ve been back to the area a few times in the past eleven years, but haven’t spent a long time there.
Back in the late ‘80’s, Kendall was going through a bit of a revitalization, as old warehouses (Just look at the illustrations of Cambridge from “Make Way For Ducklings” to see what it used to be like) were being torn down and turned into office building, retail space, and other new construction. This trend has accelerated after a slowdown after the Dot-Com bust. In fact, office space is now scarce in the whole area.
It was interesting to see what businesses have opened and closed since I was there last time. There was an amazing photo development shop right in Kendall – long closed. Who prints photos anymore in that way? Two of the really famous restaurants in the area – closed – Florentina and the Sail Loft.
BayBank – after numerous acquisitions and mergers – gone – now Bank of America. Sad.
We had gone over to Harvard Square – that’s changed a lot as well. Its been way more “Gapified” than I remember – and a Harvard Square landmark – Wordsworth Books – gone – space empty.
It still felt familiar – but not the same.
However, the margarita(s) at The Border Café are just as good as ever, and go down just as smoothly.
M( ) 
CGHill said,
January 12, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Oddly, Ed Cobb, who wrote “Dirty Water,” and the Standells, who recorded it under his guidance, were Californians and had little personal experience with the river Charles.