Cambridge Patch: 2016's Five Most-Read

As with any news roundup that lists a year's most popular stories, our readers on Cambridge Patch felt most compelled to click the bad things in 2016—the bicycle crashes, police incidents and (who could forget?) the massive, block-burning fire.

But, you gave us a little hope this year, readers. More below...

5. 6 Arrested, Mall Evacuated After Chaos At Cambridge Shoe-Signing Event

CambridgeSide Galleria exploded into pandemonium this fall after a fight broke out at a crowded shoe-signing event.

4. Bicyclist Dies After Cambridge Crash

This is the first of two sad stories we had to report this year, writing about cyclists killed in Cambridge traffic.

3. Fatal Bicycle Crash in Porter Square

After we wrote the second of these stories (above), we started wondering more about the "ghost bikes" erected to commemorate fallen cyclists like Amanda and Joe. Turns out, one couple has been behind many of the memorials around Boston. We wrote about them in a story you can read here.

2. Cambridge Fire: How You Can Help

Here's where the hope comes in. As soon as Patch began publicizing the mayor's relief fund, hundreds of readers were clicking through to find out how they could help. So many, in fact, it was our second-most read story in 2017. If that doesn't speak volumes to our readers' generosity and empathy, we don't know what does.

1. Cambridge Fire: Neighborhood Burned; 10 Alarms Struck

And finally, of course, our biggest story in 2017 was a fire so large that it caught the attention of thousands of readers across the country. We spoke to neighbors and local officials on the scene that night, and diligently cataloged the ashy aftermath and outpouring of public support.

Image by Sarah Betancourt, Patch staff