EMMA D'ARPINO

A New Home

A New Home portrays my journey from the Fenway area to Hyde Park over the course of 3 months. Stumbling upon a small, striving convenience store/diner I’ve found a sense of faith, family, and warmth. Richy’s started as a pharmacy back in the 1800s - the place to go to grab breakfast and pick up your prescription. As times advanced, customers were no longer choosing Richy’s - instead they were using their local CVS or Walgreens.

The end of this business did not stop regular customers for coming in for their usual coffee and egg sandwich. The aura of familiarity and comfort overwhelms me as I sit at my usual seat at the counter - pretending to be a regular. Two sisters, Patty and Paula come in at 6:00AM each morning to start their day - following in the footsteps of their grandfather who once owned Richy’s Pharmacy.

At Richy’s I am capturing the environment of this persistent, worn out endeavor while placing myself in the shoes of this community. This started out slow due to my uncertainty of entering this neighborhood with my camera around my neck. But as weeks went by I became more confident, facing the fear each time. These moments of apprehension are noted specifically in some of the photos, and I chose to include them in the project to represent my moments of discomfort with entering an unfamiliar neighborhood. Newly becoming a piece of my family myself, Richy’s has given me some sense of home back to me. Giving Hyde Park this attention allows me to share my new passion and interest with the residents - showing them how special this place has become to me. Each photo shares a piece of Hyde Park that has changed me this semester. Old men, burnt coffee, and good antique conversation have come to be warm mornings when I need them most.