"They all seemed to be able to traverse the same avenue," Reeves said, speaking of the vast range of people of different backgrounds seen every day on the streets of Central Square.

The various ethnic groups represented in Central Square, from the original European immigrants to the more recent arrivals from Latin America, Africa and Asia, continually added to the square's growth and charm.

Back to the Future

In the latter half of the century, however, Central Square began to experience a slow decline.

"People started moving out to the suburbs," Boyer says. "They got better jobs and cars and had more money, so they started going to the malls that were being built."

The elimination of rent control and the overall increase of housing prices also reduced the number of residents in the Central Square area.

"It has become more and more expensive to live there," Boyer says.

Throughout the '80s and '90s, Central Square saw a gradual decrease in the number of businesses that made it popular.