Paris Street – A Place Where People Build Connections & Community

When thinking of East Boston — its calming breeze by the waterfront, the yellows, reds, and greens of the trees, the lingering smells of tacos, pastelitos, and carne asadas from local restaurants — and where to hang with friends, meet new people, play sports, or swim, it’s Paris Street Community Center. Located on 112 Paris St, BYCF Paris Street is a center for kids, teens, and adults to be active and have fun. Eastie’s center offers a variety of programs, ranging from basketball, martial arts, mixed sports, a walking club, training, and much more.

Ira Rivera, a teen who comes to Paris Street often, stated that he enjoyed “the community that Paris street has,” and added that “it’s a nice place to hang out.” He hasn’t been a part of any programs here yet, but he said he’d be willing to join the program “I wanna Hoop,” a nonprofit organization run by Elijah Mookie. Rivera has been involved in the Paris Street community for around a year and a half, enjoying the memories made and people he’s met.

Anthony Holman, another person who attends Paris Street and who used to work there, talked about his time with the community and how it’s had an impact on him since he was five years old. He stated, “It’s like one big family at Paris Street. We don’t discriminate anybody and we welcome anybody who comes in, whether male, female, dog, cat, anything, you’re always welcome at Paris Street.” Holman shared that when you enter Paris Street “you feel welcomed by everybody, from the person from the bottom of the rankings to the top of their rankings. You just feel loved and feel welcomed. And you know everybody here, all the workers want to know who you are and want to get to know you to become close to you.” He got his first job at Paris Street at the age of 13 being a part of Superteens, another opportunity Paris Street has for teens and young adults to be involved in the community. 

Christopher Snow, the program supervisor at Paris Street, described what it was like working here for about 20 years. Snow stated that for him “the highlights” were. “Seeing the kids grow up here, go through high school, some go to college, some to onto their careers, see them raise a family,” he said. “I’ve been here long enough where a lot of kids I know when they were younger, their children now work here. Eastie is so close knit that you know the families I’ve seen — it’s someone’s uncle, someone’s cousin, someone’s big brother, someone’s aunt. So definitely the sense of community is powerful and you see it, and I think that translates down to Paris Street. The cool thing about Paris Street is it’s not just only East Boston. It’s kids from all over, everyone from Dorchester, Roxbury, and Southie. We have kids from all over them. I think it’s because of our welcoming atmosphere.” 

Overall, Paris Street is loved by many. People from all around Boston come here because of its welcoming atmosphere and the staff’s openness. Many people have mentioned in interviews that Paris Street is one big family, welcoming everybody who comes in and making sure they’re seen and heard. I can personally relate to this experience, knowing the staff working at Paris Street and being involved in that community. Paris Street has a very inclusive community, no matter where you come from, your race, or ethnicity, people are welcomed and are included in the family Paris Street has built over the years. Paris Street has a strong sense of community and the people there love meeting new faces every day.