Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Back in the 70s I had a very friendly family who lived in the projects on Powder House Boulevard. I heard that it’s being torn down and it just uncovered a lot of memories for me. When I think of the projects I think of fun and a little bit of mischief too.

On a particularly bad judgment day my friend was driving early on a Sunday morning in wet conditions and we hit a telephone pole. The hood crumpled up so bad that my friend had to lean out the window to drive. The funny thing about the story is that the cops were already at the projects at my friend’s house when we pulled up. File under crazy kids.

I reached out to my social network friends for their memories of the projects on Powder House and North St.

“I grew up at 125A. I lived there until I was 23. I love the friendships I made there. I have so many memories of both joy and heart break associated with growing up in such an insulated community. For better or worse, it was somewhat isolating. For the most part I didn’t wander the city and I was never too far from home. Did I miss out on things by not ‘hanging’ outside the projects? Possibly. But it was what it was. I can’t change the past so I am just thankful happy memories and try to understand the sadder ones.”

“They’re tearing down to rebuild. Long overdue. Everyone deserves somewhere livable. Those buildings have been falling apart for a long time. Def deserves the updates that are coming.”

“The Clarendon Hill Project. My family’s apartment was on the corner of North and Powder House Blvd. This housing was built in 1948 to ease the housing situation created when veterans returned home from WWII. We originally lived in Section B on the third floor at 34 North. We outgrew that apartment and moved when a 3-bedroom became available right on the corner. Favorite memory: Del’s Pizza truck on Saturday, two slices on a piece of cardboard for 25 cents.”

“I grew up at 278 PHB. I hung there until age 14 then started hanging in Teele Sq. Moved out at 16. Lots of memories. We all share a lot of the same memories. Not only do we share Somerville memories, but also growing up together there.”

I can’t wait to see what they build over there.

Some pretty tough close-knit kids grew up there. I had some of the most memorable fun I ever had with my friends who lived in the North St Projects.