Brady Street Area Has Many Delights
It’s a great urban walk, filled with Polish and Italian history and so much variety.
By
Cari Taylor-Carlson - Dec 29th, 2020 03:04 pm
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Brady Street. Photo by Cari Taylor-Carlson.
Distance: 1.5 miles|
Start: Walgreens at the corner of Brady and Farwell.
Start this walk at the strip mall anchored by Walgreens, neither interesting nor historic, but necessary. Every neighborhood needs or should have a place to grab a bottle of water, a roll of toilet paper, laundry detergent and some emergency Aleve.
Before you begin walking, take a long view of Brady, a jumble of architectural styles, most built between 1870 and 1930. It was main street for Polish immigrants who modeled it after their villages in Poland. Note how the street is a study in diversity, a tapestry of shops, bars, restaurants and cafes. It has also earned its reputation as a center of hippie funk. When the weather is warm you might see a busker or two with a guitar or a horn, and a bucket for your spare change, or an enthusiastic group at the corner of Farwell and Brady holding signs devoted to their cause.