north cambridge

Just because it’s dcr / state police jurisdiction and not Cambridge police jurisdiction, doesn’t completely and totally release the city from any responsibility over this little wooded area, which is in Cambridge after all. The folks living in this encampment are benefiting from it being an ignored area. There’s somewhat of a permanent structure there again. Folks are defecating on the paths, building fires, using drugs, doing crimes associated with the drugs such as prostitution, etc. Last year, a woman perished when her camp caught on fire —- I had been trying to get Dcr and the troopers to pay attention to her before that happened but they just shrug their shoulders and roll their eyes. I keep trying to explain to MEMA and the troopers the exact location but they don’t get it. I will keep posting about it here so that you can’t act like you’re not aware of it. I will keep calling all the numbers to complain about it until someone takes responsibility, acting like it’s not your problem is only going to make me call more. If they aren’t able to keep themselves warm without building an illegal fire, then they’re at risk. If they build a fire, everyone else is at risk. There’s no authority, that has the authority, to just allow it.

Getting dropped off by a rideshare to have dinner at a locally-owned restaurant. Thinking I’m doing it right. Bicyclist comes up from behind, riding way above the speed limit. As he’s going around, he shouts, “Get out of the bike lane you @#$% r*etards!!!” Pretty typical interaction with a bicycle rider in Cambridge.

I have played at the tennis courts on Pemberton St for over a half of a century! I am 72 and I still play with some of the same people that I played with when I started playing there. For me, tennis is my only excercise and the only time I get to see these people. I don't have any family and the 2 friends I have are distant and work constantly. Me playing there is a huge part of my life. Pemberton courts have been a lifeline for me. When I slowed down a year ago, I only noticed because of it being on the courts there. Turned out that I needed heart surgery and after 2 of them I was back on court and was not slowed down anymore. I always parked near the crosswalk across from the practice wall. At least 99% of the time. Then Cambridge stopped parking from a new sign that was near the crosswalk towards the close houses. OK, so I parked on the other side of the sign. Now the sign has new arrows the say you can't park on either side. When I go, I always have my pro bag with holds 6 rackets and all the gear I like to have available and I have my ball busser which holds 60 balls so I have to go by car. I usually start off by hitting on the wall so I bring my bag to the ground on the side of the wall. If I don't have or meet a partner, sometimes I go to the car and get the ball busser and practice serves on court. I don't want to be carrying those things any great distance obviously. Over the more than 50 years I have played there, my car was hit twice by baseballs fouled out of the park across the street resulting in damage and I have seen it happen to other cars too. Parking closer to the practice wall half court generally keeps my car safe. The cars that were hit in the past were junky and I didn't care about a dent but now my car is decent and I care. I don't want to park near the ball field. I don't see how parking near the practice wall causes any problems. It is several house lot sizes away from any house. I think all the houses there have driveways too. I live in Somerville , just a 5 minute drive away from there and in the nice weather they have been like my second home. When tennis was really popular we even had tournaments there and holiday cookouts there. If I can't park there, I can't go anymore. I feel like you are telling me that you don't want me there. I am crushed. I got a ticket and paid the $30. This is having a huge impact on my life. How about doing a tennis parking permit program? I would even pay for a permit as long as it was like $20. , even though it should be free. For over 50 years this has been a huge part of my life, my health, and my happiness. When my parents died the place I went to find solace was the Pemberton courts. I just sat on a bench staring into space for hours both times. Help!

One aspect of what’s so upsetting about the issue of the encampments is that in the past, when Dcr has done a cleanup, it was the same individuals camping back then. It’s not the case that those people were helped or moved along and then new people arrived and began camping, it’s people who were doing it before who continue doing it. I finally spoke with someone at Dcr community affairs and they are planning to do another cleanup of the little area under their control. I believe that outreach services may have even interacted with some of the campers to let them know of their options etc. However I’m fearful that this issue will never be resolved as long as folks are allowed to disperse to other wooded areas in Arlington Belmont and Cambridge, then return back to the alewife center area after the state has cleaned it up, and bring more and more trash there and continue to use drugs there… I have spotted at least 7 individuals that I recognize from last year and the year before that. And I recognize them to be local folks, not new people, not “migrants” or folks from mass and cass in Boston, but the same old Cambridge and Arlington people. Someone needs to address the behavior and not just pick up trash and invite them back.

I saw an off duty Cambridge police officer get served 7, 8, 9, and more ounces of alcohol. They were stumbling and slurring their speech and the server kept serving them. Do they think people don’t notice?

Signal timing at this intersection is such that it is almost impossible for traffic southbound on Mass Avenue to cross into Cambridge from Arlington. The traffic from Alewife Brook Parkway turning right onto Mass Avenue southbound fills the intersection, and doesn’t clear out due to congestion and signal timing further south on Mass Avenue, so only one or two cars from Arlington can get through on each light cycle. I realize this is probably a state controlled intersection and not something Cambridge can manage but I don’t know how to contact the state about it.

Illegal/Unregistered short term rental operating at 25 Fairfield street #6. When this was reported previously on 5/14/25 ID #18996743, ISD posted "We have contacted the owner and they will be getting the listing taken down." That public message from ISD was on 5/19/25. Today is 6/3/25, two weeks later, and listing is still active. Here is an example listing:

www.booking.com/hotel/us/fairfield-manner.html

Why do some cambridge residents need to follow the rules, while other cambridge residents who previously ran for Cambridge City Council, need not have our laws apply to them?

The rules must apply to us all equally - Please enforce our laws here.

New encampment at the location on the map. Actually it’s the same encampment it’s just moved to the other side of the road. On the Cambridge side of the brook, but on the bank of the brook, on the other side of the fence from the road. Dcr is not taking responsibility for their jurisdiction. It’s as if they think people won’t notice.

The lights along this path to the East of Alewife Brook Parkway and to the north of Alewife station are all out. The vegetation is really overgrown on both sides. Together this makes a very dark and unsafe area for people who need to get to Whittemore Ave from Alewife Station. It will be pretty much the only option when the Linear Park repairs begin.

At 10:15 today 11/17, I watched an orange The Works garbage truck, on Mass Ave southbound, decide to pass a (legally) parked semi by going around it *on the right*, which meant driving in the bike lane and deliberately plowing right over every flex post for 100yds, from just north of the Dunkin all the way to the Cedar St intersection. This is extremely reckless driving for somebody in charge of heavy equipment, and whoever it was should be taken off the job immediately! It also shows a disregard for public property and presumably his/her own publics works colleagues who will have to go out and replace these flexposts more often due to stuff like this.