Mission Hill residents reflect on change

Text by Peter Schworm, Globe Staff / Globe photos by Erik Jacobs and John Blanding

Mission Hill, the gritty, urban enclave that even some longtime Bostonians struggle to categorize, has been thrust into the international spotlight, improbably chosen to host one of the most anticipated funerals in recent memory.

Mourners for Senator Edward Kennedy will gather Saturday at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, seen in the reflection as Mario Flores cleans the window of Cut-It-Up Haircutters on Tremont Street.

Mission Hill, the gritty, urban enclave that even some longtime Bostonians struggle to categorize, has been thrust into the international spotlight, improbably chosen to host one of the most anticipated funerals in recent memory. Mourners for Senator Edward Kennedy will gather Saturday at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, seen in the reflection as Mario Flores cleans the window of Cut-It-Up Haircutters on Tremont Street.
John Blanding/Globe Staff