Mission Hill!!! (Boston, Lowell, Lynn: fit in, apartments, co-op)

[riyadh290]

Hello everyone.
Im from New York City and I will be transferring to a school in Boston this Fall. I was wondering if people what the general feel of the Mission Hill neighborhood is...
I'm wondering if I would fit in, I am 19 years old and will be a sophmore in college this Fall in the Longwood Medical area.
Are there Frat houses in the area?
Will Mission Hill have enough to offer for a Bronx NewYorker?

[holden125]

Originally Posted by riyadh290

I'm wondering if I would fit in, I am 19 years old and will be a sophmore in college this Fall in the Longwood Medical area. Are there Frat houses in the area?

You are close to being the only demographic that will fit in there. Boston is a city and there are not "frat houses" in the sense that they have them in small college towns, but the whole neighborhood is kind of like a frat house. Northeastern has fraternities and I guess the other schools might too.

Back about 20 years ago Mission Hill was much rougher. Huntington Av. is the main drag where the T (Green Line E trolley) is, and there are a lot of apartments on Huntington and also hospital buildings and universities and museums. Off of Huntington going up the hill are narrow side streets with a lot of older wooden houses that are split into apartments with students from the nearby schools and other people in the same age group. At times (for example Saturday night) it can get a bit noisy up there. If you go to Google maps and enter "Hillside St, Boston" and click on the street view picture you'll get an idea what it looks like.

Originally Posted by riyadh290

Will Mission Hill have enough to offer for a Bronx New Yorker?

Personally I think it has enough to offer, as much as the Bronx does, and it's also very, very close to downtown Boston and Kenmore. If it's enough for you is a personal issue. There are some people from NYC who come in and spend all their time whining about all the ways Boston is not as exciting as NYC or whatever. If you're not in that category you should not have any problems keeping yourself occupied.

Nobody likes the Yankees though.

Good luck

[clevedark]

I've driven through there and it's really cute.

I don't know the Bronx all that well, but I do know Manhattan, and don't expect any similarities between Boston and that place!!! You'll wear yourself out with frustration if you look for NYC in Boston. Just come here and accept it for what it is. You'll be much happier!!! Besides, you're here to study anyway.

[Urban Peasant]

Umm, I think you will like it there. I grew up in Mission Hill during the 1980's when it was a horribly dangerous neighborhood but I do agree that it has quieted down a bit. Some streets are safer than others and there still are some rough parts but you ought to be able to pinpoint which ones are good and bad (hint - the bad streets have really filthy sidewalks with beer bottles and litter strewn about - not that many nowadays). Yet for a person from the Bronx, I don't think it will be shockingly disgusting at all and yes it is convenient with two rapid transit lines going near the neighborhood.

[riyadh290]

I was born and raised in the South Bronx, the last thing I am worried about is crime, been there, seen it ALL...
I am more concerned about the night life and the college scene. Do they "card" in the bars around mission hill? This may be a question more for a college student, but feel free to answer if you would know.

[goyguy]

They definitely card, and a lot of places now won't accept any kind of out-of-state identification. But that's only until the people get to know you.
If you get homesick for the Bronx of bodegas and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, the Hyde Square neighborhood of Jamaica Plain should help treat the symptoms. Although heavily gentrified, the area still is home to many Hispanic-owned and oriented businesses along Centre St headed east from South Huntington Ave toward Jackson Square. Other heavily Spanish-speaking pockets of the city are in the far end of JP along South St, throughout most of East Boston, and in the Uphams Corner section of Dorchester. Neighboring Chelsea is predominantly Hispanic, as are parts of Everett and Lynn and a goodly proportion of the cities of Lawrence and Lowell farther north. In warmer weather the Puerto Rican festival is one of the mega-events of the season.
Boston's North End is the closest thing we have to Arthur Ave.
The adjacent town of Brookline might be reminiscent of Riverdale or Pelham Pkwy since it's a heavily Jewish community with synagogues, delis, lots of Chinese and other Asian restaurants, and - yes - high-rises.
We don't have any streets that replicate Fordham Rd or the Grand Concourse, exactly. Nor is there anything to compare with Co-Op City. No el trains now, either, and our local zoo is hopelessly outclassed by the one in your home borough.
But, welcome - make yourself at home!