Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1198098
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 38 JANUARY + FEBRUARY 2020 FAC E S + P L AC E S PHOTOGRAPH BY lifestyle store." She says Reading offers a perfect location for Pamplemousse, and she's thrilled that so many exciting new things are happening in town. "Reading has a perfect demographic," she says. "You have a lot of families here. You have educated people who have traveled and really like good food and wine. For us, it was really a perfect fit." Another beloved downtown shop is Whitelam Books, an independent bookstore where great reads and gifts have become a backdrop for community events including half a dozen book clubs, story times, author events, knitting circles, and even popup comedy shows. "We're trying to serve a particular function for the downtown. I tried to make this a community space. It's not just a shopping destination," says owner Liz Whitelam. "We've tried to become a place where people have a reason to gather and feel comfortable." All of those things—the downtown's walkability, Whitelam Books, Pamplemousse, the train—figured prominently in a survey of what people love about Reading. The town conducted a survey and had more than 1,500 respondents, the results of which were published in November, as part of the ReImagine Reading Downtown initiative. In addition to illustrating what people love about Reading, the survey also revealed what they crave more of: They want more shops, restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment options to draw them downtown, from breweries with tasting rooms to specialty shops to live music and events. That's why Reading is doing so much work building and developing projects that can accommodate such places, along with plenty of housing. "Reading is also a model community for smart growth zoning districts," says Reading's assistant town manager, Jean J. Delios, describing a "zoning overlay district" that allows for dense, compact development in areas accessible to public transportation, while weaving in features like walkability, transportation, and mixed-use buildings for both housing and retail. "It incentivizes this idea of 'new urbanism,' but really there's nothing new about it," Delios says. "This is how downtown areas were always built. It's the true elements of what we think about when we think about a down- be a benefit for what people say they want, which is more restaurants, more shopping, more things to do downtown." It all results in adding even more ways for people to engage and spend time together. "We do have a very active and engaged citi- zenry. It's a nice community," Whitelam says. "A lot of people are really happy to get involved and that's why the downtown reimagining will work: because people will make it work." town." By adding more spaces to live and work downtown, Delios says the town aims to strike a balance between old and new. "What people love about downtown Read- ing is the New England charm: the white-stee- pled church, and the period street lights and the neighborhood friendliness—so building off of that and preserving that is important," she says. "At the same time, by having all these new housing units downtown, that's going to PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADAM PERRI Whitelam Books owner Liz Whitelam has created a community space in her bookshop.