Where crack dealers once congregated like merchants in a bazaar, a little girl was playing hopscotch the other day.

The many homeless people who once congregated in and around Grand Central are now absent.

Bald eagles and grizzly bears that once congregated at the rivers to feed on salmon disappeared, as did tourists who had come to see them.

The garden where travelers once congregated for meals, or after meals to play their instruments has been removed.

The barroom, where neighborhood regulars once congregated, now boasts a baby grand piano and a wood mirror-backed Art Deco bar.

Just up the beach from Beauport is the Rocky Neck Art Colony, where famous artists once congregated and somewhat less-than-famous artists congregate now.

Pushcarts selling watches, headphones, even underwear fill the newly lit niches and corridors where homeless people once congregated.

The other must-see attraction, a two-mile drive from Blackwoods, is the Jordan Pond House, where society matrons once congregated for tea.

Downtown shopping districts where youths could once congregate have either been replaced by malls or actively discourage young people through curfews and anti-loitering ordinances.

Suits and ties congregated in the back room every once in a while, and it was best to leave them alone.