An American Icon Hangs On

Once a significant part of the American popular culture, the diner has changed, but not disappeared. Gone are the days when you could stroll into the Town Diner in Watertown at three a.m. for a cup of coffee and some fries. Now it only serves the morning crowd and closes down after the lunch-time crowd has left. One regular customer attributed the diner's demise to the closing of local factories and the changing demographics of the neighborhood; with fewer workers and more professionals, the demand for a local center dwindled. During those hours when it is still open, however, the coffee flows, the fries sizzle, and a counter space is still hard to find. Although a number of diners have closed and others have restricted their hours, these images from a diner in Watertown and another in Kendall Square show that this American institution has not yet left the American scene.