For everyone looking to move to Boston - read this before you do. (Cambridge: houses, job market)

[sportsfangal]

Just a quick question-is South Boston unsafe for Blacks? There are some bars/restaurants I'd like to try out, but my black co-workers tell me not to set foot there. Just wondeing if this is still the case. Will I be called the "n" word if I am walking on a particular street? Are the bar/restaurant workers okay with serving Blacks? Its a shame to have to ask these questions in 2008, but I am not originally from Boston, and I have heard things about "Southie" regarding Blacks and their treatment there.
Unfortunately racism still exists alive and well everywhere, I just want to enjoy a drink or meal at new places.
Thanks!

[WannaGoHome]

I think you'd be fine in Southie but if you want to go watch sports, I like to go to the bars across from Gov't Center off of Hanover (where the Union Oyster House is). Sometimes you get a lot of tourists, but you can always catch a game and a good brew. . .

Now. . .onto the original post.

I live in Boston and after living in California and parts of the south, no offense but summer is definitely not terrible in Boston. And humid? Have you ever lived in the south? If you think Boston is humid, I'd love to see you take a vacation to Disney World in August or to N'Orleans during the same time period. When I used to live in the south, there were days where you'd just want to live in the shower because the minute you got dressed your shirt would be stuck to your back. Frizzy hair, sweaty everything, ab-so-lutely nasty! That's real humidity. Boston doesn't have anything on the bayou in the south. And mosquitoes? I'm not sure where you are located. We did have a few bites this summer while running along the Esplanade, but I used to get eaten alive as a child and didn't feel like it even touched that. Also, winters are cold. Then again, it wouldn't be winter if it wasn't cold. But, extremely? I guess it's all relative. Try Oswego or Syracuse on for size if you want an extremely cold winter. As for the heating, yes it can be expensive. One good program though, through National Grid (gas), is paying a little more throughout the year to offset the winter costs. This is only helpful if it's available in your area, but you could always research it first before signing a lease.

As for the nightlife, it isn't NY or Amsterdam or Vegas, that's for sure. But, it doesn't claim to be, so I think that's a positive. We don't boast a fantastic after-hours scene in Boston like these cities do. It depends on what you want to do though. I have had plenty of fun in Boston after 2. I guess I'm just creative.

Crime rate. It's a city. There is going to be some crime. Some of it violent. But I really think that if someone uses common sense, they'd stay away from areas where crime seems to be higher. I've never felt unsafe in Boston proper (north end, back bay, downtown, beacon hill, south end), but then again I don't go galavanting in the middle of the night and I steer clear of "rougher" areas. I put that in quotes because even the roughest parts of Boston make me laugh compared with other places I've been too. There are places in NY and CA that make the "rough" areas of Boston look relatively nice.

So. . .Boston has it's issues for sure but there is give and take and I think that your cons were pretty general and biased.

The cons are really neighborhood and lifestyle specific though I think. Overall, Boston is a pretty great place. It's clean, there's plenty to see, it's close to nature, has great public transit, etc. But, if someone didn't have a college degree and had kids to take care of, i wouldn't suggest living here. Or if someone was going to make less than is neccessary to be comfortable and account for emergencies, I wouldn't recommend it either. It doesn't make sense for everyone.

If you want to move to Boston, ask questions and people who live here will hopefully answer you honestly.

Cheers!

[miu]

Originally Posted by boston mark

How's your math? There have been 46 homocides in the city so far this year, and this is October 8th.

Hey, since January1 of this year, Baltimore up to 161 homicides!

[boston mark]

Originally Posted by miu

Hey, since January1 of this year, Baltimore up to 161 homicides!

That was exactly mypoint. the OP claimed "Every day a person dies, or even multuple people".

Now if on the 282nd day of the year, there have been 46 homicides in the city, my 3rd grade math skills tell me that equals approx .16 homicides per day. Very very low for a major US city.

[BunnyD]

I'm really not trying to scare anyone away from the city. I feel like some of you aren't very honest here. Every single day when I read Metro someone's stabbed to death, shot to death, or whatever and it happens mostly in Dorchester. Please do your homework before you say Dorchester is nice and all. I used to live in Dorchester, Ashmont and Fields Corner...you know what...even the police was scared to go in certain streets - how on earth can someone say Dorchester is a nice place to live. Gangs like Crips, Bloods, TRG, ETG, Latin Kings, Hells Angels all present all over Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Roslindale... I have friends in the law enforcement who work for BPD and I saw a few of their log entries... and EVERY SINGLE DAY SOMEONE'S SHOT... it's mostly gang related tho. Many times they don't even report deaths, WHY ?? so they can prevent people from moving away that is a FACT. And you know what check this out: Revere (Shirley Ave) organized blood gang - all over Revere, Lynn - a place known for Hells Angels, Crips and Latin Kings. Chelsea (Tiny Rascal Gang - very violent Asian/Kambodian street gang, East Boston/South Boston - Probably the most violent gang in the US today MS13!

From the recent police report, all gangs I just listed are getting bigger and bigger and they are spreading in Saugus, Salem, Peabody, Waltham, Medford and Malden.

I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO MENTION BEACON HILL, CAMBRIDGE, BOSTON DOWNTOWN and all these fancy places. Not everyone can afford to live there.

I rest my case.

[miu]

Originally Posted by BunnyD

I'm really not trying to scare anyone away from the city. I feel like some of you aren't very honest here. Every single day when I read Metro someone's stabbed to death, shot to death, or whatever and it happens mostly in Dorchester. Please do your homework before you say Dorchester is nice and all. I used to live in Dorchester, Ashmont and Fields Corner...you know what...even the police was scared to go in certain streets - how on earth can someone say Dorchester is a nice place to live. Gangs like Crips, Bloods, TRG, ETG, Latin Kings, Hells Angels all present all over Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Roslindale... I have friends in the law enforcement who work for BPD and I saw a few of their log entries... and EVERY SINGLE DAY SOMEONE'S SHOT... it's mostly gang related tho. Many times they don't even report deaths, WHY ?? so they can prevent people from moving away that is a FACT. And you know what check this out: Revere (Shirley Ave) organized blood gang - all over Revere, Lynn - a place known for Hells Angels, Crips and Latin Kings. Chelsea (Tiny Rascal Gang - very violent Asian/Kambodian street gang, East Boston/South Boston - Probably the most violent gang in the US today MS13!

From the recent police report, all gangs I just listed are getting bigger and bigger and they are spreading in Saugus, Salem, Peabody, Waltham, Medford and Malden.

I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO MENTION BEACON HILL, CAMBRIDGE, BOSTON DOWNTOWN and all these fancy places. Not everyone can afford to live there.

I rest my case.

So what is the real point of this thread? Every city is going to have it's rough areas and Boston isn't any different. And those rough and dangerous areas are going to be in the low rent districts. That's just what happens in every society. All I see is that YOU've talked yourself out of living in Boston. And therefore, you should just move away. Or whatever it is that you do for a living, you need to advance your career and to make enough money that you can live in a safer area of Boston. I also recommend that you take some self defense courses, just for your own piece of mind.

Oh and I knew five young Irish women that lived in Dorchester for the summer. And they never had any problems while they were here. They took the T everywhere, worked until late at night, and oftentimes it was just one of them on her own.

[findingmesomeday]

For a major metropolitan area, Boston is very safe.

I completely agree about the mosquitoes. I'm sure other areas have bad problems too, but it amazed me that they were so bad here.

I agree about the weather **for me**. Weather is a personal issue.

There are plenty of places that are not great for asthma suffers. Boston is not too bad, IMO. I do have a family member with asthma.

[shihtzumom]

Alot of what the OP said sounds like opinion to me. I.E. winters. If you grew up in Michigan (like me) your used to it. Florida native- not so much.

[Suericio]

i kinda skimmed through this thread but i didnt see anyone mention hospitals. but we have some of the best hospitals in the world located in boston as well....

[eevee]

Originally Posted by BunnyD

I'm really not trying to scare anyone away from the city. I feel like some of you aren't very honest here. Every single day when I read Metro someone's stabbed to death, shot to death, or whatever and it happens mostly in Dorchester. Please do your homework before you say Dorchester is nice and all. I used to live in Dorchester, Ashmont and Fields Corner...you know what...even the police was scared to go in certain streets - how on earth can someone say Dorchester is a nice place to live. Gangs like Crips, Bloods, TRG, ETG, Latin Kings, Hells Angels all present all over Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Roslindale... I have friends in the law enforcement who work for BPD and I saw a few of their log entries... and EVERY SINGLE DAY SOMEONE'S SHOT... it's mostly gang related tho. Many times they don't even report deaths, WHY ?? so they can prevent people from moving away that is a FACT. And you know what check this out: Revere (Shirley Ave) organized blood gang - all over Revere, Lynn - a place known for Hells Angels, Crips and Latin Kings. Chelsea (Tiny Rascal Gang - very violent Asian/Kambodian street gang, East Boston/South Boston - Probably the most violent gang in the US today MS13!

From the recent police report, all gangs I just listed are getting bigger and bigger and they are spreading in Saugus, Salem, Peabody, Waltham, Medford and Malden.

I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO MENTION BEACON HILL, CAMBRIDGE, BOSTON DOWNTOWN and all these fancy places. Not everyone can afford to live there.

I rest my case.

yeah, sorry OP, I'm calling bullsh*t on many of your claims. please find us a link to the Metro that shows 1+ people being murder EVERY DAY. b/c a rate like that would put Boston right up there with Chicago, something that hasn't happened since, well, ever. we'll all wait for that link to back up your BS claims...

while you looking up those stats, please look up WHERE in Dorchester these daily murders are happening. are they happening in Savin Hill? Ashmont Hill? Neponset? no, chances are most of the murders in Dorchester are happening around the same streets.

you have yet to provide any proof to back up your bullsh*t opinions, so please DO YOUR HOMEWORK before coming on here and trying to present false opinions as facts, especially when you are directing this thread towards newcomers to the city. they don't need such blatantly wrong info handed to them