Arts boom in Eastie

There is a Boston Globe story today on the growing arts scene in our little neighborhood. There is "a burgeoning group of visual and performing artists, writers, and musicians" in East Boston, the article says, with one individual interviewed for the piece adding, "It's kind of a perfect place for artists to be."

Atlantic Works -- once an old industrial building near Maverick Square -- has been home to a number of artists for nearly a decade (photo is of recent reception there), and now, in the same building, the 80 Border Street Cultural Exchange Center will provide interactive space for arts and culture, as well as classes for children. The neighborhood is also home to the newly-opened New England Gallery for Latin American Art.

There's no secret to the lure of Eastie. Artists are drawn to places where they can work, exchange ideas with other artists, find stimulation in their surroundings, and show their work to the public -- affordable, multi-cultural, easily-accessible urban neighborhoods. Eventually places become cool and everyone else moves in. That's what happened in the South End, JP, the Fort Point area, Davis Square in Somerville and dozens of other places.

I am looking forward to checking out and possibly reading at the 80 Border open mic poetry night on Thursday. I hope we can develop a writers' enclave in East Boston as well.