Question About Southie ( and Boston in general) (crime, neighborhoods)

[joshinchrist]

I'm from Milwaukee so I don't know much about Boston. What I've figured out so far is that Southie is not and never was a bad neighborhood , despite what countless movies portray it as. Too many people from Southie have dispelled that myth in other forums.


So my question is this...... I think the reason Southie intrigues people in the midwest is because I think people are intrigued by the thought of a dangerous neighborhood that is mostly white. Cuz in the midwest we don't have those. We have bad neighborhoods that are mixed with white and black or bad neighborhoods that are a mix of all races........ But to find a dangerous neighborhood that's mostly white is a laughable thought in the midwest anyway.


So....... Does Boston really have any bad white neighborhoods or is that all just hollywood hype?

[Cliff Clavin]

Southie was an extremely rough neighborhood going back 30-40 years. In fact I believe it had the highest murder rate in the city for some time. Certainly a white ghetto. Generally what the movies portray is true, just not true of Southie today. Pick up All Souls by Michael MacDonald. It's a story about a family growing up in the Southie projects. A good read.

Other rough, predomiantly white, neighborhoods in Boston would be Charlestown, East Boston and Dorchester. But again you really have to look back 30-40 years.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by Cliff Clavin

Southie was an extremely rough neighborhood going back 30-40 years. In fact I believe it had the highest murder rate in the city for some time. Certainly a white ghetto. Generally what the movies portray is true, just not true of Southie today. Pick up All Souls by Michael MacDonald. It's a story about a family growing up in the Southie projects. A good read.

Other rough, predomiantly white, neighborhoods in Boston would be Charlestown, East Boston and Dorchester. But again you really have to look back 30-40 years.

I had no previous interest in this subject, but the book sounds interesting. I just ordered myself a copy. Thanks for the recommendation.

[MassTwingles]

I, too, read Michael McDonald's book years ago and it was a fascinating glimpse into his world. Highly recommend.

[missionhill]

The book "Common Ground" includes an exhaustive portrayal of Charlestown, a famously bad white neighborhood. As with South Boston, much change for the better in the past 30 years but still a few low-lifes around. I especially enjoyed the account of car theft hijinks in C'town in the 1930s. Amazing.

[joshinchrist]

So there are no rough white neighborhoods in boston today?

[lovelife11]

Originally Posted by joshinchrist

So there are no rough white neighborhoods in boston today?

I wouldnt say yes or no to this question. Basically what u have to remember is this is the city. There have been people stabbed in Back Bay and robbed in the Fenway area, I live in newton which is supposed to be safe but weve had a lot of break ins and vandalism that doesnt always make the news. I would not walk alone at night in ANY neighborhood. A woman was assaulted in the South End during the DAY while walking down the street. So today crime happens anywhere. I would say south boston seems exaggeratted in the movies, today it doesnt feel like what they portray in the movies.