Dating and African American in Boston (neighborhoods, high school, college)

[knocklives4life]

I am in the process of relocating to Boston, MA and I was curious about the dating scene. I'm a 30 year old professional African American woman. I don't have a preference when it comes to race, I just wanted some honest opinions about the dating scene in Boston.

[Lcstyle]

I think where you are from and what are you looking for is more important (what your used to). I don't know what it's like in the Dallas, TX dating scene, but most people do experience a huge culture shock when they get to Boston.

[knocklives4life]

Well, I have had a cousin that attended college there and a friend who is in love with Boston, but have never really discussed the dating scene much. They are both from Mississippi and they didn't seem to experience a culture shock while they lived there. I was just curious about the dating scene.

[jayrandom]

I moved here married, so I don't have any actual experience on the dating scene here, but no one seems to be answering so I can at least convey what I've learned from city-data. I think the general consensus is that Boston is a great dating scene if you're in college and the further you stray away the college age or mentality, the more difficult it becomes. It could be selection bias (unsuccessful daters tend to have more time to complain about their lack of success), but that is the stereotype of the Boston dating scene at least. Hopefully someone will correct me and give you a first-hand account.

[goyguy]

Boston's being "the world's largest college town" does distort the club scene in favor of persons under 30. While it's becoming somewhat less true in these recessionary times (jobs getting scarcer and the cost of living staying high) the city still tends to be a magnet for folks fresh out of high school or - if they didn't already enroll here for their Bachelor's - college. So what you'll see is nightspots' hyping events like an evening with an '80s-music DJ, and scrapping for bragging rights as to which place serves the most microbrews or mixes the meanest martini. It's all about the young and young-at-heart crowd. Once you've reached a certain stage of chronological (if not mental) maturity it can get tiresome pretty fast.
I realize that the TO takes a "color-blind" attitude toward socializing, but regardless of that I should mention that the club scene specifically for Black adults has been found wanting in this town for a long time. For either lack of support (Skycap Lounge, Tinker's) or due to violent incidents that scare people away (The Gallery, The Rolls Club) places simply can't stay in business. In the absence of a citywide gathering spot, when AA individuals here want to meet and mingle in a relatively race-specific setting they visit a neighborhood lounge or get involved with a fraternal (Masons, Elks, etc) organization that has a dedicated meeting hall or clubhouse - not to mention going to church.
Boston still lags behind much of the US when it comes to "race relations," but the climate has improved by leaps and bounds during the three decades I've lived in Massachusetts. No longer do conversations stop and heads swivel in a bar when a person who's "of color" walks in. There are many more towns and city neighborhoods where diversity is a given and no one gets inferior treatment. Interracial couples don't feel conspicuous now that almost every other White guy seems to be paired with an Asian woman (in particular.) Prejudiced and "ugly" people will never completely vanish from the face of the earth. But their attitudes are less the norm at present than ever before.
Having said all that, the rules for having a better chance for meeting "someone nice" are the same as always: Find and join a faith community, volunteer your time for a worthy cause, take night-school classes, affiliate with your college's alumni association, be politically active in your neighborhood and for a party or person...

[miu]

I see lots of interracial couples in the Boston area. I suggest you DM C-D member sportsfangal and ask her about her dating experiences in Boston.