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I will bet down payment on a house amounts of money that I've spent more time in that area in the last 5 years than you. The reports of its dangerousness are overplayed from people who left the city 20 years ago when it was a more dangerous place. The SW corridor used to be a nice place to get stabbed too, and now it's lined with million-dollar condos.
It's a lot better than it was 20 years ago but it's worse than it was 5 years ago and it's continuing to get worse. It's not a place on the upswing anymore.
I do not understand why the people pushing this area on the OP, are the same ones who seemed so happy to get away from there. This does not sound at all like a place for a single young woman to be transiting on foot, on an everyday basis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by id77
Yes, actually I have. Oh, and depending on which source you ask, I live in either Roxbury or the South End. I've watched drug deals go down, in front of cops, because they're not worth the hassle. I've had my place broken into, stuff stolen, and the police officer who showed up was visibly annoyed that I had the gall to summon them out for something so boring as burglary.
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Originally Posted by id77
I watched one of those go down near Mass Ave and Tremont once. About 30 of them overrunning the convenience store/gas station there and (from a distance) looked like they were threatening the clerk. Soon as the cops rolled in lights blaring (from multiple directions), they scattered like the roaches they are, though 2-3 couldn't get away in time and were detained.
Quote:
Originally Posted by id77
If the crime and opioid zombies are your only complaint, you could consider relocating to a different part of the South End. While the southern part by BMC and Roxbury (and definitely the stuff over by South Bay) are still gritty and rough, the northern parts of the South End are 175 degrees different. The invisible line seems to be Columbus Ave, so if you can land something north of Columbus, you'll keep the neighborhood character and the walkability and lose a lot of the crime and drugs. Of course, the one downside to this is cost -- home prices are about 30% higher. If you can swing it, though, you'll get to keep what you love and lose what you don't.
I used to be closer to BMC and it was noisy. There were random zombies on my steps. The occasional major crime by Chester Park. I moved up by Restaurant Row. Streets are quieter. Have yet to kick an addict off my steps. Haven't heard a gunshot since moving, either.
I'd also say Back Bay or Beacon Hill could work if you don't have a car. If you do, you're either going to want off-street or stay in the South End where resident parking is much easier. Brookline along Beacon, Brighton, and Charlestown are decent alternatives, too.
Beyond that, it gets tough. I had this exact concern about a year ago when I asked here and came away realizing there's just nowhere else in MA that approaches the character of the South End/Back Bay/Beacon Hill area. There simply is no suburb that comes even 80% as close excepting the ones above. Some will say Salem or Newburyport, but IME they're just walkable town centers and don't really replace the character of Boston.
I do not understand why the people pushing this area on the OP, are the same ones who seemed so happy to get away from there. This does not sound at all like a place for a single young woman to be transiting on foot, on an everyday basis.
Ok, let's go through this then since you seem so eager to help me reinforce my points.
Textbox One:
I've had my place broken into. I've also had previous places in suburban havens broken into. Or are you telling me porch piracy and smashed windows aren't a problem anywhere else but in the South End? It's not the fact that I had a break-in that bothered me in that post, it's that the desperately-in-need-of-no-more-qualified-immunity BPD doesn't bother to do anything when it does happen. If you fear living in an area that has break-ins, then you must live on a deserted island somewhere. Wasn't a home invasion, and wasn't someone assaulting me or anyone else in my building.
Textbox Two:
The wheelie-biker gangs going down Mass Ave also do those same things all along Tremont, Boylston, and several other streets. Did they give anybody around the area a fear of walking around in the evening? Lol, no.
Textbox Three:
Yep, the occasional major crime. There's been occasional major crimes by Copley Square, too. Oh, and did you know Chester Square extends over to Shawmut, too? Have you walked from Tremont to Shawmut? That's a nice short block, isn't it? And the block between it and Washington? We've already established that's a less-safe area. One block makes a difference? Actually.... yes.
Did I upgrade to the other end of the South End? Yep, I did. Oh, now why would I do that? Because I still love the South End, but wanted to be in a quieter place in the South End, and I could afford to. If I had a choice of living back in the other part of the South End or moving out to some place like South Boston, Newton, Natick, or pretty much anywhere on the South Shore, I'd go right back to that part of the South End every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Now, to your main point: This same messaging was also given, by myself and others (feel free to go paste them too, pal). If the OP can afford to spend the extra money and move up, go for it. If they found something they are happy with there, and the only concern is fear of safety, they should execute on it. Noise isn't a threat to her safety, obnoxious bikers aren't a threat to her safety, and the occasional break-in and crime is no different than any other parts, nicer or otherwise.
I chose to remain in the South End over a 3,000 sqft single-family abutting a park in Lexington, that's how happy I was to "escape". I certainly wouldn't flee it for somewhere like Quincy. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, I still go walk to Mass and Tremont area quite frequently in the evenings.
It seems hard to believe that a cop would be annoyed for getting called to a scene where someone's home had been broken into and had stuff stolen. That is. It a trivial issue. Perhaps it's just your aggressions towards the police.
I've also never had my home broken into. I spent 5 years living near bowdoin st in Dorchester and it never happened. Maybe I got lucky but it confirms for me that parts of the south end are indeed bad and I wouldn't want to be walking around there at midnight.
It seems hard to believe that a cop would be annoyed for getting called to a scene where someone's home had been broken into and had stuff stolen. That is. It a trivial issue. Perhaps it's just your aggressions towards the police.
I've also never had my home broken into. I spent 5 years living near bowdoin st in Dorchester and it never happened. Maybe I got lucky but it confirms for me that parts of the south end are indeed bad and I wouldn't want to be walking around there at midnight.
Let’s just agree you and I will never, ever see eye to eye on police.
Consider it luck. Breakins can happen anywhere and to anyone. In this case it was only the common area, so think of it as someone stealing stuff off your porch or from your back yard.
I've also never had my home broken into. I spent 5 years living near bowdoin st in Dorchester and it never happened. Maybe I got lucky but it confirms for me that parts of the south end are indeed bad and I wouldn't want to be walking around there at midnight.
Based on your ridiculous logic. Bowdoin St. in Dot is the safest place in Boston to live ?
No. My point was that it's a BAD area and I was never robbed. I think the south end area can be more dangerous in that there's a lot of desperate junkies around.
I'm not sure why there is such a debate here. I like the south end. If I were a single young woman though I'm not sure i'd want to be spending the majority of my paycheck to live there and be nervous though.
Let’s just agree you and I will never, ever see eye to eye on police.
Consider it luck. Breakins can happen anywhere and to anyone. In this case it was only the common area, so think of it as someone stealing stuff off your porch or from your back yard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by id77
Ok, let's go through this then since you seem so eager to help me reinforce my points.
Textbox One:
I've had my place broken into. I've also had previous places in suburban havens broken into. Or are you telling me porch piracy and smashed windows aren't a problem anywhere else but in the South End? It's not the fact that I had a break-in that bothered me in that post, it's that the desperately-in-need-of-no-more-qualified-immunity BPD doesn't bother to do anything when it does happen. If you fear living in an area that has break-ins, then you must live on a deserted island somewhere. Wasn't a home invasion, and wasn't someone assaulting me or anyone else in my building.
You're becoming hard to follow there dude. First you say your place was broken into, more recently that your glass was smashed, and now saying that it was merely a porch theft???
But now that it was "just a porch theft", and you seem "shocked" that the police couldn't do anything, and your answer to that is....END QUALIFIED IMMUNITY!...IDK you're killing me today, man.
But now that we see how much the public school system has failed, perhaps we should end qualified immunity for teachers as well.
And put me down as another who has never been broken into, or had stuff taken from my yard or porch (knock on wood). I spent far more of my life in the city of Boston than you have, and still have family in some better parts of the city (who never experienced any of this either). Even in your beloved Quincy, I never had this happen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by id77
Textbox Two:
The wheelie-biker gangs going down Mass Ave also do those same things all along Tremont, Boylston, and several other streets. Did they give anybody around the area a fear of walking around in the evening? Lol, no.
Textbox Three:
Yep, the occasional major crime. There's been occasional major crimes by Copley Square, too. Oh, and did you know Chester Square extends over to Shawmut, too? Have you walked from Tremont to Shawmut? That's a nice short block, isn't it? And the block between it and Washington? We've already established that's a less-safe area. One block makes a difference? Actually.... yes.
Did I upgrade to the other end of the South End? Yep, I did. Oh, now why would I do that? Because I still love the South End, but wanted to be in a quieter place in the South End, and I could afford to. If I had a choice of living back in the other part of the South End or moving out to some place like South Boston, Newton, Natick, or pretty much anywhere on the South Shore, I'd go right back to that part of the South End every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Now, to your main point: This same messaging was also given, by myself and others (feel free to go paste them too, pal). If the OP can afford to spend the extra money and move up, go for it. If they found something they are happy with there, and the only concern is fear of safety, they should execute on it. Noise isn't a threat to her safety, obnoxious bikers aren't a threat to her safety, and the occasional break-in and crime is no different than any other parts, nicer or otherwise.
I chose to remain in the South End over a 3,000 sqft single-family abutting a park in Lexington, that's how happy I was to "escape". I certainly wouldn't flee it for somewhere like Quincy. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, I still go walk to Mass and Tremont area quite frequently in the evenings.
This is making the absurd assumption that OP has no other and much better options. As myself and others said, a single young woman concerned about safety ought to be looking out along the Green Line.
I think your problem (also see my personal experience of no break ins), is that you are conditioned to believe that your experience is "normal" when it in fact is not and nobody should have to accept that as their normal.
And btw, your comparing Copley Square to Chester Square has to be the most ridiculous (and reckless) thing I have heard on this forum lately (and that says an awful lot).
I think id77 is super defensive because he has investments in the south end. A condo that cost over a million. He is scared the place will go to sh*t. FWIW i dont think he has to worry that his precious condo will depreciate because well this is Boston...but it doesn't mean he's living in a 'safe' area as he wants to believe.
I think id77 is super defensive because has investments in the south end. A condo that cost over a million. He is scared the place will go to sh*t. FWIW i dont think he has to worry that his precious condo will depreciate because well this is Boston...but it doesn't mean he's living in a 'safe' area as he wants to believe.
And I can understand that, but just think it's highly irresponsible to push a neighborhood like that with a shaky safety record, on a young female who has already indicated that as a concern of hers. This is not a place to promote real estate, despite it being often used as such (and not just the South End).
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, and your answer to that is....END QUALIFIED IMMUNITY!
...IDK you're killing me today, man.
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