Some of it inevitably concerns Pine Point, such as this pic of a sign from the late, lamented Russell's restaurant parking lot. Whoever he is he writes well and entertainingly about his 16 Acres boyhood, along with historic photos and other nostalgia. Although this blog isn’t exclusively about growing up-and returning to-the Springfield area, I can’t seem to escape it. I don’t live in the old ’hood now (my new digs are in Wilbraham), but I work in The Acres. Then, after college, I got out of Dodge and lived in Boston for 21 years, only to return in 2007, when my career brought me back here. Well, I was born and raised in the Sixteen Acres neighborhood of Springfield, MA. You can't go home again," wrote Thomas Wolfe. The author of Hell's Acres doesn't reveal his identity, but explains his quest thusly: For example Danny Croteau was a 16 Acres kid, but was well-known in the Point because he went to boy scout meetings at the Point's Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Social Center and also attended school there. Indeed there is a lot of cultural overlap between the two neighborhoods, with Pointers feeling a special affinity for the Acres and with Acres folks also having a special relationship with the Point. How did this escape my attention for so long? There's a great website called Hell's Acres that I recently stumbled upon that is written by someone who grew up in the 16 Acres section of Springfield, which is located right next to my old stomping grounds of Pine Point.
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