milton, mass. - i love irish people ! (Boston, Cambridge: transplants, home)

[gypsy lady]

i understand there are many irish people living in milton. is that correct? i love the irish. i just adore them. they are the most wonderful people. i would love to live in an irish based community.

is milton an irish community and if so what condition is the town in? what are other irish communities in the u.s. i understand many settled in the new england area.

[lrfox]

I believe (don't have the data handy) that Milton has the highest percentage of people who claim "Irish" heritage out of any city or town in the Nation. Many other communities in the Boston area have similarly high numbers. But as you noted, Milton does have a large Irish population.

Milton isn't a bad town at all. It's really a more dense, mainly blue collar suburb of Boston (about a 15-20 minute drive from Downtown Boston).

Like I said, many towns in the Boston area have large pockets of Irish population (including Boston itself). South Boston had was very Irish until recently. Now, while some pockets of South Boston remain very Irish, it's gentrified to be more of a melting pot neighborhood.

Some of the neighborhoods in Dorchester (a large portion of Boston, south of downtown) are very Irish, though I don't know specifically which ones.

If you're looking for an area with a lot of Irish ancestry, Eastern Massachusetts (specifically around Boston) is a good bet. Many towns here have large Irish populations.

[Serenity141]

Milton does have many Irish people, particularly the more affluent Irish since this is generally a more upscale area than some adjoining communities. However, it is not an all Irish town by any means. This is no "Irish neighborhood" in Boston any more. My Irish mother grew up in an all-Irish neighborhood in Dorchester that is now a very integrated neighborhood. South Boston (different from the South End of Boston), still has a heavy Irish/Irish American population. But many Irish have moved further from the city too..mostly to southshore towns, like Weymouth or Cohasset. Having I have met quite a few Irish who live in Braintree, Quincy, Somerville, Cambridge and Medford. Years ago Quincy was very Irish, but it now has a large Asian population too.

No matter what neighborhood you end up in, if you are near Boston you'll have many opportunities to interact with Irish people. Just hang out at the Greenhill Bakery in Dorchester and you'll hear Irish accents all day. Great Irish bread, soups and sandwiches and bakery too! You can take part in everything from tin whistle lessons to step dancing or listening to music in an Irish pub here. There is an active Irish Cultural Centre in Canton (see Irish Cultural Centre of New England). Great Irish festival every summer.

If you love Irish culture...Boston is the place to be! I must admit, though, you have to really bundle up for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade!

[Brillig]

No "Irish" Neighborhoods in Dorchester? Try Savin Hill. Pretty much anywhere from Southie to Quincy is Irish.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by Brillig

No "Irish" Neighborhoods in Dorchester? Try Savin Hill. Pretty much anywhere from Southie to Quincy is Irish.

Plenty of Vietnamese and "yuppie transplants" in Savin Hill now. Still a lot of Irish everywhere but not so monolithically. A lot of Irish from Ireland in parts of Dorchester and also Brighton/Watertown

[hymalaia]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Milton isn't a bad town at all. It's really a more dense, mainly blue collar suburb of Boston (about a 15-20 minute drive from Downtown Boston).

Milton isn't all that dense or blue collar. Maybe pockets here and there, but there's plenty of sprawling, estate type sections as well. The Governor is from there. It's also borders the blue hills preserve which raises property values. It's home to Milton Academy, a prestigious prep school. It does border less wealthy sections of Boston (Mattapan, Dorchester, Hyde Park) and there is a little bit of overlap into the town itself, but on the whole I'd consider Milton to be affluent, and at least as white collar as blue (if not more).

The drive downtown is only 15-20 minutes outside of rush hour. Otherwise you are going to have to triple that, at least.

[seamusnh]

West Roxbury still has a lot of Irish in it. Norwood has a high % of Irish. The Irish cultural center in Canton is great: www.irishculture.org

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by hymalaia

Milton isn't all that dense or blue collar. Maybe pockets here and there, but there's plenty of sprawling, estate type sections as well. The Governor is from there. It's also borders the blue hills preserve which raises property values. It's home to Milton Academy, a prestigious prep school. It does border less wealthy sections of Boston (Mattapan, Dorchester, Hyde Park) and there is a little bit of overlap into the town itself, but on the whole I'd consider Milton to be affluent, and at least as white collar as blue (if not more).

The drive downtown is only 15-20 minutes outside of rush hour. Otherwise you are going to have to triple that, at least.

I say "dense" because it has a population density of nearly 2,000 people per sq. mi which, while not as high as many larger cities, it's not very low either, particularly for a town of about 26,000 people. the median household income in Milton is $78,000 which isn't low, but it's not as high as many similarly sized towns in the Boston area.

Maybe I should have said "diverse" when discussing income levels and density. Like you said, parts have wealthier citizens, and some don't. Also, some portions are denser, old suburban areas while others are newer, larger, and a bit more sprawling.

[maemae]

I am first generation American (parents came from Irelaand) living in Milton. Milton is , I believe over 50% Irish heritage - meaning lots of Irish names, etc but not necessarly from Ireland originally.