When I moved to Boston I got lost frequently on runs. Asking directions from locals gave me glimpses of other perspectives and cultural richness of the places. People bring up landmarks they are familiar with, places they pass routinely, things that used to be on the location, or spots they have an emotional connection to. Sometimes people are new to the area or too busy, rushing to and from work with earphones on, to develop a connection with their environment so they cant direct me through their space.
I plan to make eight trips into Mission Hill at various times of day and days of the week to ask directions from residents and workers I find. I have developed a list of over 40 locations of historical significance, current interest and well-known streets in the area. I will secretly audio record the interactions. After gathering and editing sound clips I will put them on a blog so that people from outside the community can learn about Mission Hill’s community and landscape.
By asking directions from people who live in Mission Hill I hope to force people to discover their neighborhood if they are unaware of it or encourage curiosity if they are aware of it. By posting evidence of this experience on the Internet I hope to encourage others to explore the area in person or virtually and change the connotations Mission Hill has outside of the neighborhood.
-mariah
