From their vartage point in Harvard Square, many would consider Cambridge a city of affluence and majesty.

Cambridge is home to the nation's two most prestigious universities. It is moving into the 21st century as the home to dozens of fledgling biotechnology companies. Pedestrians walking along Brattle Street would soon find themselves among million-dollar homes complete with automatic lawn sprinklers and personal security units.

But just beyond the gates of Harvard, past the view of the Square and closer to the heart of Cambridge, one would see a much different scene.

A 10-minute walk down Mass. Ave. toward Central Square would place a pedestrian in Area Four, the poorest neighborhood in Cambridge.

Area Four's unemployment is double that of the rest of the city. Its median family income is about 70 percent the city's average. Minorities comprise 52 percent of the population, as compared to Cambridge's 18 percent overall.

But statistics often fail to paint an accurate picture of life. A visitor to Area Four would soon discover an area whose residents are full of pride, optimistic about the future and eager to make their mark on the world.

Many residents complain about common stereotypes of this lower-income neighborhood which are perpetuated by individuals who have never toured Area Four themselves.

Within Area Four, several groups and organizations have sprung up to rekindle the sense of community which residents say is implicit in the neighborhood's tradition.

"It makes poverty even worse that there's these huge class differences," says Lili Allen, director of the Cambridge Community Services (CCS) which serves Area Four.

"But on the other hand," Allen says, "education is highly valued in the American Dream, and education can transcend inner-city violence, guns, substance abuse and single-parent families."

From music and drama courses to SAT preparation classes, from family dinners to weekend retreats and summer camps, organizations in Area Four seek to expose residents to the opportunities they might pursue in life.

"After school, they don't have the Girl Scouts, the voice and piano lessons to go to, because the parents just can't afford it," says Moacir C. Barbosa, director of the Area Four Youth Center. "So here's a good place to give them that exposure."

Barbosa's Youth Center

Barbosa, whose youth center is located on Prospect Street, looks out at the neighborhood surrounding him.

After grassroots campaign, the Cambridge City Council in 1993 allocated $2.9 million to construct the center, which serves neighborhood children from nine to 19 years of age.

The center's bright yellow banisters and red framed windows contrast with some of the unkempt homes in Area Four. The center's facilities include a computer room, kitchen, indoor gym, game room, study room and outdoor basketball courts.