Boston is without a doubt the worst place I have ever lived. (Newton: construction, school)
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I've been here for about 20 years and my wife and I are planning a move to the West Coast (Bay Area) for the same reasons you cited. Now, Boston used to be really, really bad when I came here (1992, Google 'Charles Stuart Case'), and things have gotten better, but still. I've been called the N word multiple time, had a few racial incidents etc.
It's funny you mention Brookline. My wife used to live there when we started dating (she's white, I'm black). We were once walking arm in arm in Brookline when a Brookline cop drives by on the other side, then swings a quick U-Turn and pulls up to us, glares at me, and then asks my wife 'Are you OK'. We were gob-smacked. I've had my share of 'random' traffic stops (they went down precipituously after Boston Globe and Northeastern University did a study that proved definitively that Boston police were racially profiling black drivers and the police were forced to take concrete steps to stop it
Now, Boston has its nice side (walkability, old architecture, lots of free stuff if you're of intellectual bent of mind etc), and if you like outdoors stuff (I do) you will enjoy the biking/hiking etc. I'm also a software engineer, and this place is probably second to Silicon Valley in career opportunities. Career wise, I work with very few minorities, and I've definitely worked in companies that have had, either consciously or unconsciously, bias against blacks (thankfully, not in a few years). I've formed my circle of friends of all races (but I realized that of all the people I've befriended, none are originally from Boston other than my wife, they are from other parts of the U.S or other countries).
The thing to understand about Boston is that it has a really ugly racial history (Busing, serious segregation etc) and it is also very clannish, very 'us against them'. People here are also just not friendly (irrespective of race, they are just even less friendly if you are a minority, especially black). People, other than recent immigrants from outside the state just don't mix around here. And once you venture outside certain areas (I lived in Somerville and for the most part loved it), it is made very clear to you as a black person that you are not welcome (i.e. differential/rude treatment in restaurants, shops etc). Once again, it is much better than it used to be. When I came here, areas like South Boston were no go zones for minorities. In the late 90s a girl I was dating from LA (African) came to stay with me for a few months and she said she had never experienced such racism. I just thought she was naive. I remember we were walking by a Laundromat that had a position advertised and she said 'Hey, maybe I could work here a few hours a week to occupy myself while you are at work'. She enquired, and was told that the position had just been filled. I had been here long enough to know what was up, she initially didn't believe me until we walked by the next day and the position was still being advertised (and the day after that). This was in the Back Bay. That was just one of many incidents.
Now, there might be many native Bostonians here who think I'm giving the area short shrift, but this has been my experience. I have a bunch of African and African American friends who have moved out of the area (Canada, Georgia, NC, Texas, LA etc) for the very same reasons. They just never felt welcome here. If you went out to a club as a group of black people, no matter how well dressed you were, you would get treated rudely or even have 'sudden dress code enforcements' (like 'sorry, no jeans', while you can see white frat boys in sandals and short or jeans let in). The weird thing is also how local it is. You can be in one neighborhood that is fine (i.e. where we live, also Somerville and parts of Cambridge) and all is fine, but go into Boston proper, or another neighborhood, and it feels like you've traveled 40 years back in time as far as race relations go. When I get restaurant recommendations, I'm definitely aware of who is giving the recommendations. I've definitely had instances where one of my white friends have recommended some high end restaurant in glowing terms and when we go there, the reality is different. From attempting to seat us by the restroom, to rude or inattentive service (and in one case bringing the bill to us after tacking on an 18% tip BEFORE the food came, and when we asked the white couple sitting near us whether they had to pay before they ate they said no), to just feeling 'tolerated' rather than being seen as customers worthy of at least decent service. So now we have our list of 'black and interracial couple' friendly restaurants.
Now most Northern cities are experiencing an organic loss of African-Americans to the South (this is sort of a reversal of the Great Migration now that parts of the South are not as hostile as they were when their families migrated up North). The same thing is happening to Boston, but the outflow is above and beyond that natural organic process that is going on. I've linked to a relevant article about Boston's reputation.
The infrastructure of Boston indeed needs improvement.
BTW I want to ask a question. Mass Ave (which is relatively broad) in Arlington has no lanes at all. Why is it like that? It still has lanes in Cambridge. It's kind of weird to see cars drive anyway they want.
Because some jerk-hole (Eric Berger) who is anti-bike moved to Arlington in 2008 (I've lived longer in Arlington than he has) has spent tons of his money fighting the perfectly reasonable plans to add bike paths and revamp pedestrian access to Mass Ave in Arlington. Boston Biker » Blog Archive » Mean Old Rich Guy Yells At Cyclists To Get Off His Lawn!
The city wants it, the residents want it, but he doesn't and has spent over $40,000 of his own money fighting it
The ironic thing is that when they were converting the decrepit railway tracks into a bike path (Minuteman trail), similar idiots used the same arguments to oppose the dedicated bike path. It got built, and ended up revitalizing Arlington, Lexington and Bedford (essentially it made the towns more desirable for young families)
I've been here for about 20 years and my wife and I are planning a move to the West Coast (Bay Area) for the same reasons you cited. Now, Boston used to be really, really bad when I came here (1992, Google 'Charles Stuart Case'), and things have gotten better, but still. I've been called the N word multiple time, had a few racial incidents etc.
It's funny you mention Brookline. My wife used to live there when we started dating (she's white, I'm black). We were once walking arm in arm in Brookline when a Brookline cop drives by on the other side, then swings a quick U-Turn and pulls up to us, glares at me, and then asks my wife 'Are you OK'. We were gob-smacked. I've had my share of 'random' traffic stops (they went down precipituously after Boston Globe and Northeastern University did a study that proved definitively that Boston police were racially profiling black drivers and the police were forced to take concrete steps to stop it
Now, Boston has its nice side (walkability, old architecture, lots of free stuff if you're of intellectual bent of mind etc), and if you like outdoors stuff (I do) you will enjoy the biking/hiking etc. I'm also a software engineer, and this place is probably second to Silicon Valley in career opportunities. Career wise, I work with very few minorities, and I've definitely worked in companies that have had, either consciously or unconsciously, bias against blacks (thankfully, not in a few years). I've formed my circle of friends of all races (but I realized that of all the people I've befriended, none are originally from Boston other than my wife, they are from other parts of the U.S or other countries).
The thing to understand about Boston is that it has a really ugly racial history (Busing, serious segregation etc) and it is also very clannish, very 'us against them'. People here are also just not friendly (irrespective of race, they are just even less friendly if you are a minority, especially black). People, other than recent immigrants from outside the state just don't mix around here. And once you venture outside certain areas (I lived in Somerville and for the most part loved it), it is made very clear to you as a black person that you are not welcome (i.e. differential/rude treatment in restaurants, shops etc). Once again, it is much better than it used to be. When I came here, areas like South Boston were no go zones for minorities. In the late 90s a girl I was dating from LA (African) came to stay with me for a few months and she said she had never experienced such racism. I just thought she was naive. I remember we were walking by a Laundromat that had a position advertised and she said 'Hey, maybe I could work here a few hours a week to occupy myself while you are at work'. She enquired, and was told that the position had just been filled. I had been here long enough to know what was up, she initially didn't believe me until we walked by the next day and the position was still being advertised (and the day after that). This was in the Back Bay. That was just one of many incidents.
Now, there might be many native Bostonians here who think I'm giving the area short shrift, but this has been my experience. I have a bunch of African and African American friends who have moved out of the area (Canada, Georgia, NC, Texas, LA etc) for the very same reasons. They just never felt welcome here. If you went out to a club as a group of black people, no matter how well dressed you were, you would get treated rudely or even have 'sudden dress code enforcements' (like 'sorry, no jeans', while you can see white frat boys in sandals and short or jeans let in). The weird thing is also how local it is. You can be in one neighborhood that is fine (i.e. where we live, also Somerville and parts of Cambridge) and all is fine, but go into Boston proper, or another neighborhood, and it feels like you've traveled 40 years back in time as far as race relations go. When I get restaurant recommendations, I'm definitely aware of who is giving the recommendations. I've definitely had instances where one of my white friends have recommended some high end restaurant in glowing terms and when we go there, the reality is different. From attempting to seat us by the restroom, to rude or inattentive service (and in one case bringing the bill to us after tacking on an 18% tip BEFORE the food came, and when we asked the white couple sitting near us whether they had to pay before they ate they said no), to just feeling 'tolerated' rather than being seen as customers worthy of at least decent service. So now we have our list of 'black and interracial couple' friendly restaurants.
Now most Northern cities are experiencing an organic loss of African-Americans to the South (this is sort of a reversal of the Great Migration now that parts of the South are not as hostile as they were when their families migrated up North). The same thing is happening to Boston, but the outflow is above and beyond that natural organic process that is going on. I've linked to a relevant article about Boston's reputation.
So we're making a value judgement. We want to be in a place where we feel welcome, we also don't like the cold so we are planning on moving.
Anyway, so that's my two (overly long) cents.
Hopefully things are changing. I don't hear much of this from people my age (late teens/early twenties.) My best friend whom I go to college with it black and she's from Brockton, and she got reprimanded by a professor for not being able to come up with a significant moment in her life where she was a victim of racism.
It's unfortunate that people feel the need they have to leave. Boston's culture and it's...well everything...Boston is just as much it's black residents or other minority as it is it's white Irish and Italian residents. Sigh. It can be a lot to ask people to stick around and help make it better when they're the one who have to deal with it but...I'll miss you!
Hopefully things are changing. I don't hear much of this from people my age (late teens/early twenties.) My best friend whom I go to college with it black and she's from Brockton, and she got reprimanded by a professor for not being able to come up with a significant moment in her life where she was a victim of racism.
It's unfortunate that people feel the need they have to leave. Boston's culture and it's...well everything...Boston is just as much it's black residents or other minority as it is it's white Irish and Italian residents. Sigh. It can be a lot to ask people to stick around and help make it better when they're the one who have to deal with it but...I'll miss you!
It's very possible I am giving the place short shrift (I live in Arlington and love it). And it has definitely changed a lot. I just think that for me my past experiences color the lens which I see Boston through.
Thanks. I will miss certain things about Boston, there are a lot of things that I love about it that I didn't go into in my post (I'm a Geek, and love the Arts, Boston is kind of ground zero for that sort of thing. I also ride a lot, and despite Boston's sometimes insane drivers, riding through rural back-country roads just has no equal. I will also miss it's walk ability (though I won't miss the inefficient MBTA :-) )
Stop comparing apples to oranges. I moved from MA to TX, and believe me if I complained about the mammoth churches, low educational attainment of residents, lack of walkability, lack of good seafood, Italian food, or Asian food (yes if you hate Asian food in Boston, try TX), I would be miserable. Boston is not going to change for you. Accept what is around you and lose the attitude.
MOved from Boston to Houston 10 years ago
I wish I have never seen Boston
Boston must be the worst city in US in every avenue you can think of
except schools
Boston is a disgrace to a country like US. The whole city is like they live in 1st world war era.
Please, please trade with me! I wish I could move back to Newton. That's where I spent most of my childhood. Safe neighborhoods, good schools. (and unfortunately lots of snobs) I'm curious what you mean by "racist encounters." When I went to Newton South back in the horse & buggy days it was probably closer to 98% Caucasian, but I rarely heard any bigotry, if ever. In fact, I had a very explosive argument with a racist recently and said "I'm so glad I grew up in a place where I didn't hear that kind of garbage." Did I have my head in the sand? Have things changed that much?
How is Newton racist? Let's explain by giving an example
20 years ago when I first arrived to Boston, I heard alot about Newton so wanted to pay a visit. Don't remember which T station I got off, but I got off the train and started walking on the street. It was a residential neighborhood, typical houses and cars, it was summer, sun was shining and weather was beautiful.
I was just walking on the sidewalk and I realized people were gazing at me thru the windows and I saw curtains are being closed while I was walking. I did not know that Newton was a very wealthy neighborhood, it just looked nice.
All of a sudden a police car pulled over and asked me if I live in Newton and wanted to see my ID. I said I don't live here, I am just walking and I handed my ID to the police. He talked over the radio to the station and cleared my info and turned to me and said "you better not walking around here, people called and complained"
I was gonna ask "complain about what?" but the way he looked at me with those Irish eyes, I knew I should go. He even pointed with this fingers the T station direction.
I am not black and yes Boston is racist.
This will never happen in another country. Not even in a 3rd world country. Capitalism and racism can be felt even in the sidewalks.
Construction is extremely expensive due to regulations forcing every builder to employ Union members.
In Houston, you can pick up any noncitizen on certain streets and pay them 1/6th of what you would pay in Boston maybe less.
The living standards in Houston is like 50 years ahead of Boston.
As I said, Boston is a disgrace to this nation.
Ok explain to us how 'living standards' (I'll assume you mean quality of life) in Houston is 50 years ahead of Boston, when workers earn 1/6th the pay?
I'm having a difficult time wrapping my head around this one.
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