What do people mean when they say Boston is provincial? (Cambridge: gated, prices)

[rranger]

Originally Posted by holden125

That's nice.

Why do people from all over the place feel the need to drop in on this forum and leave posts like this? I absolutely hate most of Texas but couldn't be bothered posting about it on a Texas forum.

This really cuts to the heart of the matter. I've lived in Boston for far longer than I care to mention and I have lots of issues with it, but the old tropes about "snobbishness" and "uptightness" are really bizarre and outmoded in 2017 (must be all those Brazilian snobs that moved in in the last 20 years LOL!). After all, it's not as though one of the most powerful economic engines in the US is encased in amber from 1920.

My issues revolve largely around the ridiculous and ever-expanding numbers of college students, atrocious transportation system, lack of quality affordable housing and gross winters, in case you're wondering (and I don't care to elaborate further).

I could say much the same about the endless "Boston is racist.... blah, blah, blah ..." junk based, solely from what I can tell, on some busing issues from 1974. Boston is no more or less racist than any other large city in the US and - in fact - it is more integrated in terms of housing than even NYC is.

Given the ridiculous generalizing and stereotyping of Red Sox fans during the past week (I guess the Red Sox don't have any players of color - the irony of the story in that link couldn't be more apparent), you would think Boston held the patent on racism. Give it a break! I've lived in a number of places in this country, and none of them has a stellar track record with race and integration issues.

End mini-rant.

[LeavingMA]

I wouldn't just point out Boston, but New England in general is pretty "clicky". I grew up there and have better friends where I live now (Texas) then I ever did there. I go back to visit a few close friends and family, but sometimes I run into people and they are still the same that feel you aren't good enough for your group. Jealousy maybe, I'm not sure, I don't really care. They just never moved on past high school.

For the person who started talking about how safe Boston is, I would agree it is pretty safe, but you can't use crime stats. If you look at most cities outside of Boston they are substantially larger, while Boston is really small in general. Most cities compared to Boston would go all the way to the 128 corridor.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by anaphora

By provincial, people mean that New Englanders can be kind of insular and unaware or unconcerned with life outside the region. Some of the more "townie" types have this attitude of "I've always lived here, everything I need is here, why would I go to or care about any other place?" This tends to be more common among the older generation, and yes, you can find these people both in the suburbs and in the city.

I would argue that Boston is becoming less parochial every year as the old New England population dies out. Also, a lot of the old New England or Boston institutions are disappearing (Filene's, for example), which is kind of sad but in another sense also refreshing.

Still, do expect to occasionally find someone who hasn't been to NYC in over 20 years (even though it's a 4 hour drive) or who thinks Seattle sits on the Pacific Ocean. This person might then tell you about some place on route 1 that is absolutely amazing but upon description seems rather ordinary and dull to you. :P

Finally, there are still some people here who contend that Boston and New England is the beacon of the nation or even the hub of the universe. They've had a hard time accepting that this place had its heyday 200 years ago and it simply isn't the future of the country.

Interesting post, and with a bit of truth about. Boston is definitely less provincial than when I moved here about 30 years ago, but there are still elements of the "townie" culture in which peoples' lives revolve around Boston, the Cape,an occasional visit to NH or ME, and virtually nothing else. They don't know that an entire world exists outside of route 128.. sad but true.

On a cautionary note, Boston's lessening provincialism has come with an enormous price tag, as it's become one of the most expensive places to live in the US.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by LeavingMA

I wouldn't just point out Boston, but New England in general is pretty "clicky". I grew up there and have better friends where I live now (Texas) then I ever did there. I go back to visit a few close friends and family, but sometimes I run into people and they are still the same that feel you aren't good enough for your group. Jealousy maybe, I'm not sure, I don't really care. They just never moved on past high school.

For the person who started talking about how safe Boston is, I would agree it is pretty safe, but you can't use crime stats. If you look at most cities outside of Boston they are substantially larger, while Boston is really small in general. Most cities compared to Boston would go all the way to the 128 corridor.

To be fair, this is common to pretty much anyone's hometown.

[btownboss4]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Interesting post, and with a bit of truth about. Boston is definitely less provincial than when I moved here about 30 years ago, but there are still elements of the "townie" culture in which peoples' lives revolve around Boston, the Cape,an occasional visit to NH or ME, and virtually nothing else. They don't know that an entire world exists outside of route 128.. sad but true.

On a cautionary note, Boston's lessening provincialism has come with an enormous price tag, as it's become one of the most expensive places to live in the US.

Hey! Both Cape Cod and NH are beyond not just 128 but 495.
I don't know if its the different socioeconomic status but growing up in the Merrimack Valley probably less than 25% of people left the country (other than Canada), probably less than 20% had been west of the eastern divide. When I went to college out in NY it seemed like everyone had been to 20+ state and Asia and/or Europe.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Interesting post, and with a bit of truth about. Boston is definitely less provincial than when I moved here about 30 years ago, but there are still elements of the "townie" culture in which peoples' lives revolve around Boston, the Cape,an occasional visit to NH or ME, and virtually nothing else. They don't know that an entire world exists outside of route 128.. sad but true.

Oh, definitely. I see large swaths of it in my general area, and I work with a lot of people who fit the "townie" stereotype. I also see younger people following in those footsteps, which I think is a shame, but YMMV.

On a cautionary note, Boston's lessening provincialism has come with an enormous price tag, as it's become one of the most expensive places to live in the US.

True. I have neighbors who are putting their houses up for sale. They've been here maybe more than 10-15 years? They're moving simply because they can no longer afford to stay here.

[porterhouse]

It means they are unhappy for some reason and decided to parrot a phrase they have heard others use because it sounds good?

[missionhill]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

It means they are unhappy for some reason and decided to parrot a phrase they have heard others use because it sounds good?

Off topic question for porterhouse: Was there a Porter House in Porter Square (i.e., a hotel) and was the Porter House the origin of the porterhouse steak? Kind of like the Parker House roll, only different...

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by missionhill

Off topic question for porterhouse: Was there a Porter House in Porter Square (i.e., a hotel) and was the Porter House the origin of the porterhouse steak? Kind of like the Parker House roll, only different...

I have no idea if there was a Porter House in Porter Square. As far as the origin of the steak cut, I found the following online. One thing I know for sure is that I agree strongly with the 3rd paragraph.

Many claim responsibility for popularizing the Porterhouse. The origin of the porterhouse steak could have come from Manhattan’s Pearl Street around 1814 where the owner of a particular porterhouse, Martin Morrison, started serving large T-bones. While he established one of the first known porterhouses, it is not clear that Morrison was the first creator of the porterhouse steak.

The porterhouse steak may have also originated in a Cambridge, Massachusetts, hotel and restaurant. The owner associated the naming of the steak after himself, Zachariah B. Porter. The founding of the original porterhouse may have been tied up in the classic North vs. South rivalry, as the famous 19th century hotel, The Porter House, in Flowery Branch, Georgia claims to have been the first to coin the phrase.

Even among beef aficionados, the argument of "who called it first" is not as important as the fact that the Porterhouse steak has the best of both worlds: Beef Tenderloin (Filet Mignon) on one side and a N.Y. Strip on the other side of the bone.

[missionhill]

Exactly!