First run npm install to install all dependencies. Next get environment variables: SESSION_SECRET, MONGO_SRV (get access to mongodb db), CENSUS_API_KEY (https://api.census.gov/data/key_signup.html).
First, open two seperate terminals. Then, run npm run hotloader in the first, and npm start in the second.
Then open http://localhost:5050
You can open two maps side by side and make comparisons across years (1980-2020). The sidemenu contains different categories of demographic data that can be searched for each census tract in the Allston Brighton neighborhoods.