The Readville Guys

The Readville Guys

My dad grew up in a small part of Boston called Readville, located in the southern-most tip of Hyde Park between Dedham and Milton. He grew up playing baseball and hockey in the public parks of Readville with all of his friends. These friends, the “Readville Guys,” I call them, are still friends today. Although my father passed away nine years ago, I still see the members of this incredibly tight-knit group a few times a year. When we’re together, I become a part of the audience to their stories, as the mere presence of another Readville Guy brings out a shower of memories. For this project, I was motivated to learn about how the group got so close during their time in Readville, and what about the small neighborhood of Boston kept them close over time. I learned a lot about the strength of their friendship and their loyalty to their common roots. They have enormous pride for Readville. I entered into this endeavor with an understanding of the fun surface-stories, and learned beyond those about the times when they were really there for each other. I am coming away from this project with a stronger understanding of their group dynamic and what makes it as strong as it is, and I am left to compare the longevity of this group’s friendship to that of my own hometown friends. This project is in many ways not done. There is a lot more to unpack and understand. I don’t want people to think that my brief interpretation of what they said and what I captured in conversation is the true character of this group, but I understand that this may be the first step to ever actually achieving that.

Tanner Skenderian