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Community Resources

Mattapan United is a community organizing process that connects residents and other leaders to define the future of Mattapan. This resident-led process, convened by ABCD Mattapan Family Service Center, resulted in a community contract that identifies strengths and challenges, and outlines solutions. Mattapan United envisions a community grassroots engagement process that creates an identity of Mattapan as a dynamic, desirable place to live, work and visit. The aim and objectives of Mattapan United is to bring residents and stake holders together to develop strategies in order to improve the quality of life for the people of this neighborhood. Their goal is to bring about positive change that will be empower residence especially youth developing that will carry on into their future lives. They are a very active group which encourages members of the community to become engaged into different aspects of what is currently taking place within their neighborhood. They strive at helping the elderly in different ways such as the ‘Senior Brown Bag Program’ which is a food and nutrition program for the elderly, ‘Senior Day Trips’, ‘Senior Educational Workshops’ and ‘Senior Exercise Workshops’. This organization is funded by Boston LISC and other partners and convened by ABCD's Mattapan Family Service Center which helps in maintaining and operating currently. According to the Executive Summary Pamphlet for Mattapan United it stated their missions statement as “Mattapan United envisions a community working together to build a stronger, safer, healthier and more vibrant community so that people identify Mattapan as a dynamic, desirable place to live, work and visit.” Their main focus involves seven strategies that are explained in detail. They are; Strategy 1: Community Fabric—Weave and Preserve the Bonds of Our Community Fabric, Strategy 2: Business Development—Invigorate and develop our business sector so it provides more varied services and products, Strategy 3: Housing—Revitalize, preserve and expand affordable housing, Strategy 4: Public Safety—Provide a safe neighborhood for children, youth and adults to live, work and placy in peace and security, Strategy 5: Open and Green Spaces—Promote pride in our neighborhood by realizing its beauty through the full utilization and expansion of our open and green spaces, Strategy 6: Jobs—Increase opportunities for well-paid jobs for youth and adults through the establishment of a workforce development center, Strategy 7: Health—Improve the health and well-being of our residents and decrease the incidence of chronic diseases. All these strategies and steps that Mattapan United aims at preserving within their community is very understandable. Mattapan United along with the ABCD Foundation also created 'Mattapan Square Main Streets'. This development comprises of helping all the local businesses within the area as they help them to carry out safe and productive shopping experiences. ABCD Mattapan Family Service Center provides free income tax preperation for residence as well as local businesses within the Mattapan community. Mattapan Square Main Streets promotes Mattapan Square as a culturally and economically rich commercial district in collaboration with community residents, business owners, property owners, volunteers, and other stakeholders by focusing on design, economic restructuring, organization and promotion. Mattapan United created a website known as 'mymattapan.org' which allows residence to see every aspect of community development as well as ways they can also get involved into community life. It creates a transparent medium for residence to understand what is going in their neighborhood.

Government and Infrastructure

Mattapan is mainly made up of triple and double decker houses. These types of buildings were used to house multiple families by using less land space. Each apartment of the triple/double decker’s consist of three bedrooms, kitchen, one bathroom and living room. They were design to house small unit families. Mattapan also has a few apartment style buildings. Some of these can be found on River Street. Most apartment complexes have a maximum of three bedrooms. These apartments were built recently and an example of this is Mattapan Heights which was an abandoned rehabilitation facility that was then turned into a great gated community with major townhouse apartment styles. Other types of housing are ‘School Housing by Lower Mills’, these complexes are new development in in the community.

Recreation Areas/ Green Space The Ryan’s Playground is a well-known park for many parents to take their kids in the summer time. This park provides water sprinklers, swings and other activities for kids to enjoy as well as for parents to meet up and socialize. Almont Park and Hunt’s Park are also fun for kids as they provide a range of sporting facilities such as tennis courts, basketball courts and more. Take a walk on the future Neponset Trail, meet live Trailside wildlife, enjoy a nature scavenger hunt, kid’s games and races or fitness activities for the family. Office Buildings: Small Smiles dentistry is located in a shopping district that facilitates a planet fitness gym as well as a beauty supply store. There’s also Mattapan Community Health Center and there’s an Academic and Behavioral Clinic that helps with mental illnesses.

Shopping Districts- Mattapan square is the shopping district hob as it has multiple stores on a strip that is placed beside each other which gives shoppers easy access from one store to the next. A few of these stores are Rainbow clothing, Payless, McDonalds, A Nail Gallery, CVS pharmacy and other stores. A few are locally owned and others are franchises. These infrastructures are well grouped together as there is a very high density among the physical structures in Mattapan.

Affordable Housing plan in Mattapan is available to residents who makes little income. Affordable housing is housing deemed affordable to those with a median household income[1] as rated by country, State (province), region or municipality by a recognized Housing Affordability Index. A few of these apartments are; Morton Apartments (This is a low income apartment which the government gives funds directly to this apartment owner, they charge lower rent for low income persons), Gallivan Boston Low Rent Public Housing Apartments (Gallivan is a Low Rent Public Housing Community operated by the Boston Housing Authority), Cummins Highway Condo, Mattapan Center For Life (This is a low income apartment. The government gives funds directly to this apartment owner. They charge lower rent for low income persons).

Entertainment

Mattapan is known for its night life entertainment as it hosts many adult parties for residents to attend. Macumba's Latino night club located at 477 River St, Mattapan MA, is the entertainment hob for a mixture of Caribbean, Central American and South American parties. The night club accommodates adults who want to have a fun time, with good music and great food. Kay's Oasis Function Hall is the place for having great parties as a lot Caribbean celebrities hosts birthday parties and other entertaining events. A great place to have a good meal while socializing is the River Street Grill. It provides a welcoming atmosphere for residents to drop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Simco's is a fine established hot dog stand that is located in the square that serves up delicious hood food for late night party goers. They are known to be open late at nights to facilitae those who are in need of food after a long night of partying. Residence can always rely on Simco's get freshly served meals at anytime of the night."Simco's is a classic hot dog stand located just north of Mattapan Square and the Milton border (there is also a second one in Roslindale) that has been around since the Great Depression. You can't miss the well-worn signs that are on the front and the side of Simco's; indeed, these signs look as if they are the original ones from the 1930s. In fact, everything about Simco's seems to be from another era--the simple displays in the windows advertising every kind of food from pizza to spaghetti to chicken to fish to ice cream. But for those who are regulars at Simco's, the hot dogs perhaps rule over all the other dishes. Not quite foot-longs, Simco's hot dogs are thin, juicy wieners with a barely noticeable skin (a good thing for those of you who are turned off by natural casings). And they can be ordered as a cheese dog or a chili dog, or both, any of which are well worth getting. The buns are buttered and grilled, rounding out this bit of culinary perfection." Simco's takeout on the bridge in Mattapan creates a social environment for residents to stand and chat a bit while their food is being prepared. It creates a social hub for many residents to meet up with each other for a little fun chat.