Moving to Dorchester, Massachusetts

So you're moving to Dorchester? As a new resident of Boston's largest neighborhood, there are so many facets of Dorchester living to appreciate. The diversity of Dorchester is manifested on nearly every street corner. Vietnamese restaurants neighbor Irish pubs all along Dorchester Ave. Buddhists and Baptists worship just blocks from one another. Perhaps some pockets of Dorchester are more homogenized, but sit long enough at any T stop and you're bound to hear as many languages spoken as there are continents.

If you're not already indoctrinated in Dorchester-ese, surely you know the basics: Dorchester is referred to by locals as "The Dot," this was the neighborhood formerly inhabited by the majority of the New Kids on the Block (Joey McIntyre claims Jamaica Plain), and most recently, Dorchester was featured as the setting of Dennis Lehane's book-turned-film "Gone Baby Gone."

But we're not here for the penny tour of The Dot. We're here to live like a seasoned denizen. So while it's important to know the hours of the JFK Library for when your out-of-town visitors come, the majority of your life spent here will not be as a tourist.

So let's address the basics, beginning with food. You'll have to eat, of course. Stop n' Shop and Shaw's, both on Morrissey Blvd. (which elides into Gallivan Blvd.). I find Stop n' Shop's parking lot to be perilously tight, but I like their products better than Shaw's. For more specialty items, such as fine meats and cheeses, there's Lambert's, also on Morrissey, and somehow every time I go in, I end up realizing my deep and burning need for some imported pineapple shortcakes. That is just to say that there is no entrance fee at Lambert's, but there might as well be.

For eating out, may I recommend DBar for a rung-above pub food and I hear they have festive dance nights on Saturday evenings, as well. During the summer, I insist you eat out on their patio and admire the rooftop herb garden. The Blarney Stone at Field's Corner has a great and affordable menu, too, and has pool tables aplenty. My favorite ethnic restaurant in the Dot thus far is Taste of Thailand in Lower Mills and after cleaning my plate there, I recommend "walking it off" by taking a gander around the chocolate factories converted into condominiums, and then suddenly, serendipitously finding yourself at the Ice Creamsmith (although hopefully not when they are closed through the winter months). Of course, the number of eateries to try in Dorchester are far too many to count. Keep your eyes on Ashmont Square in the coming months and years as this is sure to be a hot destination for foodies.

For outdoor recreation, check out Dorchester Park which has a fair number of goings-on in the summer, the newly manicured Ronan Park, the immaculate Pope John Paul II Park along the Neponset River, or take your bikes, your stroller, your rollerblades, or your dog along the Harborwalk which stretches from UMass Boston all along Dorchester Bay to Castle Island in Southie.

Other residential resources include the public libraries. Both the Adams St. and the Fields Corner branches are staffed by lovely people; I find both locations to be well-utilized (read: crowded!) all the time.

Wherever my resources may have left off, check out The Dorchester Reporter (www.dotnews.com) for current events and all the local listings.