Jayne Morley Harvard Square

 I am writing this budgetary proposal in response to witnessing the exponential decrease of local stores and restaurants within Cambridge. Over the past 5 years, the amount of local food, beverage and goods legends has plummeted. Classics such as the Curious George Store, Border Cafe and most recently Darwin’s Deli can no longer compete with chain stores such as Starbucks, Sweet Green and Shake Shack. Cambridge used to be a town that favored and was known for their small businesses and forever families. Restaurants such as Hong Kong, which has been in Harvard Square for over 70 years, used to be the standard.    The reason that these small business favorites can no longer stay open… rent. The rent in Cambridge is uncontrolled and inflating faster than local businesses can compete with. It seems as though only the best of the best small businesses can afford to operate in Cambridge while any large scale, chain, restaurant has endless financial backing to stay open; whether...

1. The First Parish in Cambridge (1833) http://aboveabc.com/first-parish-in-cambridge-2/ 2. Old Cambridge Baptist Church (1870) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Cambridge_Baptist_Church_from_Massachusetts_Avenue,_Cambridge,_Massachusetts.jpg 3. The First Church of Cambridge (1872) https://www.firstchurchcambridge.org/staff/steven-brown/ 4. Society of Saint John the Evangelist (1905) http://harvardmagazine.com/sites/default/files/img/article/1211/jf12_reg_08_002_.jpg 5. St. Paul’s Parish (1923) https://i.redd.it/co3le7eu6ui41.jpg 6. Tremont Street Shul (1924) https://cdn.jewishboston.com/uploads/2016/09/542893_297506956996317_469533413_n.jpg 7. Memorial Church (1932) https://www.wheretraveler.com/sites/default/files/images/harvard_menorial_church_c_rian_castilloflickrcc.jpg 8. Islamic Society of Boston (1981) https://live.staticflickr.com/7255/7729914580_a67fc95286.jpg 9. Ikeda Center (1993) https://www.ikedacenter.org/sites/ikedacenter.com/files/styles/sidebar_image/public/sideba...

  https://www.universityevents.harvard.edu/venues/harvard-faculty-club https://www.hfc.harvard.edu/about/history The Harvard Faculty Club began in 1920 as a private club known as the Colonial Club. This was a private club in which only members who could pay the dues (mainly white men) could be a part of. In 1930 Harvard Cooperation bought the house, tore down and completely rebuilt it in a Georgian style and rebranded it as the Harvard Faculty Club. The requirements to belong changed slightly that decade in which all male faculty members could be a part of the club and other Harvard affiliates who would have to pay the dues. It was only in 1968 that women could be admitted to the club with full membership and only in 2009 when all faculty and students, not only academic professors or privileged students were allowed access. This building represents the changing wealth and social dynamics within the Harvard community; both within the school and the surrounding area of Harvard Square...