CONDITIONS
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
SOCIAL AND DESIGN ISSUES

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Click here for data from census tract 1201.02 (from U.S. Census 2000).

CONDITIONS:
Together, State Street and Asticou and Martinwood Roads comprise a tiny, independent neighborhood that is bordered by State Street, Washington Street, and the Bussey Brook urban wild. The neighborhood is accessible from Washington Street across from the Forest Hills MBTA Station, as well as from South Street across from the State Laboratory.

Asticou and Martinwood Roads have distinct characters. Asticou Road is paved. It is close to the busy MBTA station and has primarily two family residential homes. Martinwood Road is not paved and is dominated by single-family homes. Martinwood retains a greater sense of isolation from the busy Forest Hills area and has a slightly rural character that its residents are anxious to protect. The neighborhood's proximity to the Arnold Arboretum, the new Bussey Brook Meadow, and a community garden at the State Laboratory are major attributes that enhance many residents' quality of life.

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HISTORY and CONTEXT:
This is a small but active neighborhood. Its sense of identity is deeply tied to the serene Arnold Arboretum, as well as the almost constant activity at Forest Hills Station.

In the 1990s, some residents put up strong resistance to the establishment of a pedestrian link between Forest Hills Station and the South Street Gate of the Arnold Arboretum via the Bussey Brook urban wild. According to Matthew Kiefer of the Arboretum Park Conservancy, community concerns about the invasion of private property and public safety were allayed by a commitment to from the Conservancy to build a fence between the neighbors and the pedestrian pathway. Mass Highway contributed $60,000 for a high, solid chain link fence between the neighborhood and the new public space. The steep slope of the land also serves as a buffer. By the time the pedestrian connector was opened in May 2002, many residents in the neighborhood had become enthusiastic supporters of the project and agree that it contributes the quality of life in the neighborhood.

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SOCIAL and DESIGN ISSUES:
Some residents of the Asticou/ Martinwood neighborhood are community gardeners at the State Lab community garden. State Lab administrators are, however, facing a parking crunch and may eliminate the garden in order to provide more parking for employees and visitors.

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