By Emilia Alves
Feature photo: A view of the stone wall on Edgewater Drive (Emilia Alves/NEHSJC)
Birds chirp from the trees, the Neponset River flows peacefully and children can be seen playing on the swings at Kennedy Playground in Mattapan.
But citizens of this neighborhood are unable to fully enjoy the scenery — a stone wall, unkempt vegetation, and litter stand in their way. The Edgewater initiative has been working for 15 years to open up the river to Edgewater residents and will start construction as soon as spring 2025.
Vivien Morris, longtime resident of Edgewater Drive and a pioneer in the Edgewater Neighborhood Association, has helped construct the Edgewater Food Forest, the Kennedy community garden and the Kennedy Playground in Mattapan.
The Kennedy Playground is a children's park on the edge of the river that serves to further bring the community together.
“It's crucial for our children,” Morris said.
The park borders the overgrown and inaccessible space beside the river which is set to be cleared up and converted into a walkable space.
Photo: Vivien Morris on a bench in Kennedy Playground (Emilia Alves/NEHSJC)
The six-block long, almost 5-foot tall stone wall which blocks Edgewaters’ access to the river, “was built as part of what was called the Works Progress Administration back in the 1930s,” Morris said.
Although building the wall was unnecessary, it served as an opportunity for employment, she added.
Almost 90 years later, the wall is still standing and preventing the community from accessing the picturesque landscape that lines the neighborhood. The initiative calls for lowering the wall in certain areas, as well as building more entrances for easier access.
Photo: The nearly century-old stone wall in Mattapan (Emilia Alves/NEHSJC)
Spending time in nature is known to have major mental and physical health benefits, and Morris believes in this sentiment strongly.
“All of these things are just really good at helping you relax,” she said. “And it’s a nice thing to spend time with others … It’s just good for us all.”
For years, Mattapan didn’t have safe access to the river, unlike the Milton community. This shows the state’s lack of motivation to offer resources to low-income communities, especially to those like Mattapan, with a majority being people of color.
Photo: Current riverwalk on the Neponset River (Emilia Alves/NEHSJC)
Opening up the waterfront, while a small step, is proof of the city’s commitment toward making community spaces more accessible.