BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Today is a special day for Boston residents and Star Trek fans alike.
Before heading to Washington D.C. to become U.S. Secretary of Labor, Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh declared that March 26 would be Leonard Nimoy Day in the city.
Long before he was cruising across the universe on the Starship Enterprise, Nimoy grew up in the West End, which is also where his acting career began.
Duane Lucia, President of the West End Museum, said the late actor's success has meant a lot to the Boston neighborhood.
"[He is a] regular guy [who] made good," Lucia said. "He was the product of the neighborhood -- you know, it takes a village to raise a child I think."
The 'village' was eventually demolished for urban renewal in the 1950's by the time Nimoy made his Hollywood debut. But the memories of the area and the actor’s part in those memories remain preserved within the museum's walls.
Born in 1931 to Jewish immigrants from Ukraine -- Nimoy grew up in the West End with three generations of his family in a tenement apartment -- while his father worked as a well-known barber in the community.
"[Nimoy] participated in everything that was good about the West End," Lucia said. "From the West End House, to the Elizabeth Peabody House, to the comradery, to the street sense and the multi-ethnic community.”
The museum is currently closed because of Covid-19 -- but visitors can learn more about Nimoy's story and connection to the city when the facility reopens it's doors on April 16, 2021.
WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@carlwbz) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio:Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|iHeartmedia App
Written by Rachel Armany
(Photo: Getty Images)