Boston rednecks...over parking (Cambridge, Somerville: local, live, neighborhood)

[mapl]

I think that Boston, Cambridge and Somerville could/should take time to learn something from NYC and other big cities that frequently get hit with lots of snow in the wintertime: They should invest in snowmelters, which are two hundred thousand dollars apiece and would save tons of money on snow removal and ice control in the wintertime.

Snow melters are attached to the sewer system, have been known to melt at least 60 tons of snow per hour with the use of diesel-powered steam(which is nonpolluting, btw), filter out trash in the process and the water from the melted snow goes into the sewer system. NYC uses the snow melters when they get 6" or more of snowfall.

All that being said, I believe that snow melters would be an excellent thing to look into. It's disgusting that Menino has displayed no interest whatsoever in that.

[smarty]

Average Snowfall (in inches):

------------January/Annual
Boston, Mass., 13.5/41.8
New York, N.Y., 8.1/22.4

Boston Snow removal budget was $12 million

Last I heard, NYC snow removal costs about $1million an inch... and I don't recall NYC had that many 6in snow storms. Dense population does have its advantages.

[CityGirl52]

Boston definitely gets more snow than NYC if you put it that way Smarty! Can I just throw my two cents in to this? I grew up most of my life in Boston. When I was a kid, there were may be 20 cars on our street that I grew up on and that's it. That same street today? Forget about it, what used to be a neighborhood block of single family homes where you knew every one's mother, father, sister, grandparent? Is now filled with each floor being a "condominium". Most people now are strangers to each other living there, flying by with their IPOD 's stuck in their ears. Each condominium floor has one car, some times there's two if there's a spouse or roommate, that's each floor, so there's other floors with cars on top of that, also don't forget, they're making basement apartments and condo's now too left and right, so there's another car or two. Don't you realize? Our basements when I was living there were used for our bikes, our shovels, our tools, wood etc...It's actually worse than ever before in the City now and another thing? Boston's size is NOT New York's size at all and it never will be, although some people think they're living in NYC they're NOT, hello? You're in Boston, the City of Boston, remember! Each neighborhood is much much smaller. Quainter too IF people would just get rid of their cars may be! BUT that's NOT going to happen any time soon with the way people are about their "toys"!

I actually rented a parking spot in the City of Boston and it was only a block down from my condo because I didn't want to deal with parking on the street when I came home at night and for during the week, after work. It worked out great through those years. Now? That same spot with my own lock and key for the gate? Forget about it. It literally cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Which, by the way is hard for me to comprehend how ridiculous and how any one would pay that is beyond me, BUT they DO now, (whatever!) You literally need a 2nd mortgage to pay for that same spot that I had and I only had to pay $40 a month, yes 10 a week! What a bargain back then huh! To me now? It's totally assinine. Just absolutely ridiculous to park on the street and put up with what you're putting up with to live there. Walk blocks and blocks on freezing cold sub zero nights to get home after parking my car? NO thank you. when there's not enough room there; but to each his own, whatever floats your boat I suppose. These people that want to live in the City of Boston with their "toys" and their fancy lifestyles? Be my guest; but don't even think for one minute I sympathize with any of you because I don't and believe me, I don't envy you either! Don't expect change while you're living there to happen, if you don't have a spot to put your car either because it "ain't gonna" happen! With the parking situation and what's going on there these days? It's worse there now than ever before and it's NOT about to change with Menino or any other Mayor for that matter that runs things after he goes, trust me on that! What it will do though eventually is drive hundreds of you out of the City like it did to hundreds upon hundreds of us that left there in droves all through the last 20 to 30 or so years that this has been going on with the parking situation. Oh you don't believe me? The "circle of life" will follow you right out of the city limits and don't let the door slam on your way out their bud, remember my words. It'll be pay back time, and you'll all be just like the rest of us in society with your garages up and your cars in it and your own driveways and a couple of guys there ready to plow you out! OH yes you will, you'll be JUST like the rest of us soon enough, you mark my word....

[HowGoesIt]

Originally Posted by CityGirl52

Boston definitely gets more snow than NYC if you put it that way Smarty! Can I just throw my two cents in to this? I grew up most of my life in Boston. When I was a kid, there were may be 20 cars on our street that I grew up on and that's it. That same street today? Forget about it, what used to be a neighborhood block of single family homes where you knew every one's mother, father, sister, grandparent? Is now filled with each floor being a "condominium". Most people now are strangers to each other living there, flying by with their IPOD 's stuck in their ears. Each condominium floor has one car, some times there's two if there's a spouse or roommate, that's each floor, so there's other floors with cars on top of that, also don't forget, they're making basement apartments and condo's now too left and right, so there's another car or two. Don't you realize? Our basements when I was living there were used for our bikes, our shovels, our tools, wood etc...It's actually worse than ever before in the City now and another thing? Boston's size is NOT New York's size at all and it never will be, although some people think they're living in NYC they're NOT, hello? You're in Boston, the City of Boston, remember! Each neighborhood is much much smaller. Quainter too IF people would just get rid of their cars may be! BUT that's NOT going to happen any time soon with the way people are about their "toys"!

I actually rented a parking spot in the City of Boston and it was only a block down from my condo because I didn't want to deal with parking on the street when I came home at night and for during the week, after work. It worked out great through those years. Now? That same spot with my own lock and key for the gate? Forget about it. It literally cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Which, by the way is hard for me to comprehend how ridiculous and how any one would pay that is beyond me, BUT they DO now, (whatever!) You literally need a 2nd mortgage to pay for that same spot that I had and I only had to pay $40 a month, yes 10 a week! What a bargain back then huh! To me now? It's totally assinine. Just absolutely ridiculous to park on the street and put up with what you're putting up with to live there. Walk blocks and blocks on freezing cold sub zero nights to get home after parking my car? NO thank you. when there's not enough room there; but to each his own, whatever floats your boat I suppose. These people that want to live in the City of Boston with their "toys" and their fancy lifestyles? Be my guest; but don't even think for one minute I sympathize with any of you because I don't and believe me, I don't envy you either! Don't expect change while you're living there to happen, if you don't have a spot to put your car either because it "ain't gonna" happen! With the parking situation and what's going on there these days? It's worse there now than ever before and it's NOT about to change with Menino or any other Mayor for that matter that runs things after he goes, trust me on that! What it will do though eventually is drive hundreds of you out of the City like it did to hundreds upon hundreds of us that left there in droves all through the last 20 to 30 or so years that this has been going on with the parking situation. Oh you don't believe me? The "circle of life" will follow you right out of the city limits and don't let the door slam on your way out their bud, remember my words. It'll be pay back time, and you'll all be just like the rest of us in society with your garages up and your cars in it and your own driveways and a couple of guys there ready to plow you out! OH yes you will, you'll be JUST like the rest of us soon enough, you mark my word....

Bitter, party of one? Your table is now ready. C'mon CityGirl52, lighten up a bit. Neighborhoods change all the time. Remember when Dorchester was a working class Irish neighborhood? Or when Mattapan was a Jewish area? Things change and it's great to see it happen. The fact is, with the exception of a few neighborhoods, the City of Boston is a very high growth area. There are an abundance of high paying jobs and a housing stock that reflects that. That is just the way things are heading. Be prepared to see more kids with iPods buying up the rowhomes in Southie and some brownstones in Roxbury (yes, Roxbury!). It's just the natural progression in a growing economy.

[CityGirl52]

Bitter? Are you kidding me? Is that what you get out of that post? It's called "reality" right now in a nut shell for the rest of us out there that grew up in the city & when it comes to the City's issues they have there now. It's how quite a lot of us feel that lived there through the years and it might sound bitter to you? But it's not and it's basically how we see it there these days. Oh, I have my property in the City and will most likely move back eventually; but not any time soon, it's nice having the best of both worlds right now! Good luck with your city living!

[oldsage]

If you were to do the chair thing in Denver, other drivers would simply run over your chair.

[CityGirl52]

Speaking of living in Boston. The funniest commercials on TV these days are the "This is NOT Boston" (Boston.com's) shoveling commercial! Every time we see it, we crack up laughing to no end; it couldn't be any more "on the money!"

Then came "This is NOT Boston" driving to the Cape in an hour commercial! They're priceless and on "You Tube" so check them out...

YouTube - Boston.com - Shoveling

Here's the driving to the Cape in an hour (ya right!)

YouTube - boston09091's Channel

[BlkAnjil]

Wow ... I am taking a promotion to Boston and was looking forward to experiencing the city life ... until I read this string. People actually "save" parking spots on the street?

Looks like I will be trading in the 2006 BMW X5 for a 1976 Ford Fury III and see how far I can launch a row of chairs!

[HowGoesIt]

Originally Posted by BlkAnjil

Wow ... I am taking a promotion to Boston and was looking forward to experiencing the city life ... until I read this string. People actually "save" parking spots on the street?

Looks like I will be trading in the 2006 BMW X5 for a 1976 Ford Fury III and see how far I can launch a row of chairs!

Save yourself the heartbreak. DO NOT drive a BMW X5 in the city. Trade it in for a nice reliable, used Civic. They are excellent city cars and get good gas milage.

[BlkAnjil]

Originally Posted by HowGoesIt

Save yourself the heartbreak. DO NOT drive a BMW X5 in the city. Trade it in for a nice reliable, used Civic. They are excellent city cars and get good gas milage.

Right on, I will be selling it once I get my PCS lined up. I have a house hunting trip set up for April, but I'm thinking I will just get an apartment, live the city life for 2-3 yrs, then start working another promotion back down at HQ in Northern Virgina or out to the field back down south.

After hearing about the "lawn chair parking spot savies" I'm think Boston might not have all the culture I was expecting from a historic city. Are there any other crazy ass Boston habits or eccentricities?