“Hey, curiosity is killing me- what’s with the clipboards?”

Were the words that greeted us as me and two of my close friends walked from the underground bookstore on Adomson Square to the local ice cream shop. While my class was walking around the square for an AP Lang class project/feildtrip, a nice old man came and said those words, so we explained the assignment. We’re meant to explore Adomson Square and look at the architecture and the layouts of the stores and businesses, documenting how certain styles of decoration might either invite people to linger or make the space feel like an assembly line. Meaning it feels like you’re meant to get in, order something, and get out. We were also told to document and write down what makes these spaces feel the way they are.

He thought it was cool and then offered, if we had time, to give a short history lesson on the square. He told us that about 30 or 40 years ago, urbanization killed the square. He told us that, after years of a dead square, a rich family moved in and created Mayfest and other yearly fairs. He told us about how that made people more interested in exploring and staying at and around the local businesses. Eventually, two friends opened a restaurant called The Corner Cafe, and slowly new businesses started to arrive, and the square began to come back to life.

This brief history lesson actually got me thinking about the square and its significance. Before that encounter, I’d just thought that it was a common gathering place and a nice collection of businesses that had always been like that, in a sense. I had no idea that the square was once an active marketplace that died and then came back again due to a few people’s commitment and dedication.

I started seeing the square as more of a place with a story and a history rather than just any old dot on a map. Which, if you think about it, is what all locations are. From repetitive offices to local hubs, all locations have a history and a story for anyone who cares enough to look into them.

Another connection I made to the square and the history of the square while writing this comes from James Kunstler’s TED Talk titled “The Ghostly Tragedy of the Suburbs.”. We watched it at one point a few weeks before the trip to the square. In this TED Talk, Kunstler criticizes the way that most modern American landscapes are designed around cars, quick and easy ways of transportation, rather than creating meaningful places where people want to spend time together. At one point, he describes a successful public space, saying it has “shops, bars, bistros, destinations” that activate the center and “make it a place that people want to hang out in.” This connects directly to the story about the square I just told. The original reason the square died is that it was essentially gutted to make it easier to drive around in and through, and it lost all of its core and appealing features were removed in favor of roads. Later on, however, when the rich family moved in, the festivals and the new stores brought life and a certain allure to the local population and created a space that interestingly blends social interaction as well as the modern efficiency of American culture. Basically allowing people to be able to move quickly through the square as well as take their time and explore a beautiful town center if they wish.

While we were exploring the square, I noticed that many of the stores are set up to be cozy and inviting so as to keep people there and coming back for more. Small things such as the locations of furniture, to more obvious things such as the shades of colors and types of art on the walls, all add to a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Certain places just made me want to grab a book and relax with a coffee (because it is too cold for iced coffee at this point, y’all).

Now I bet you’re wondering what’s with the title. Well, when I was talking about this to another friend who was on this trip to the square, she made a comment that I thought was interesting and funny. I told her the history of the square, and her immediate response was “Oh, so like Jesus!” which was absolutely hilarious and has stuck with me ever since. Thanks, Noa!