Walking alone to Dorchester: safe or not? (Boston, Cambridge: houses, neighborhoods)

[nicole.cpp]

I'm visiting the Boston area from Texas, and I love a good walk. Today, I was thinking about going from Cambridge to the Target store in Dorchester (about 3 miles, most of which is straight down Massachusetts Avenue).

For a lone 22 year-old female, is this safe? It will be the middle of the day, but I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods around here (sometimes my motto is, "better listen to an area's stereotype than be sorry," but I don't want to needlessly worry )

[495neighbor]

Probably perfectly safe in daylight with so much traffic on that walk. Because of the traffic, not the most enjoyable walk one could do around Boston and Cambridge, in my opinion.

[Urban Peasant]

Safe in terms of getting mugged - not likely unless you're walking in the middle of the night (and since you are heading to Target, I assume you will be walking during the day). Safe in terms of getting hit by traffic - be careful. Massachusetts Avenue is very busy with lots of vehicular traffic. It's not an avenue you'd like to jaywalk or dart across on a green or yellow light. Even on red lights, be vigilant as vehicles turning right don't always see pedestrians crossing right away. Some of the intersecting roads such as Boylston Street, Huntington Avenue, and Washington Street are very busy too. On the further end of Mass. Ave near the Target, a lot of trucks pull in and out of lots and trucks have bigger blind spots so again be watchful in case a truck is backing out. Walkers will likely have an easier time than bicyclists on Mass. Ave but still be careful.

[sharencare]

For future reference, that part of Dorchester is fine. I wouldn't walk from the north. Once you leave the South End and pass the BU Medical Center, it's not the best showcase of Boston because it looks industrial with warehouses and auto shops.

I would just walk to Copley Square, and then catch the #10 bus toward City Point. That bus goes through the South End, BU Medical Center, and the South Bay Mall where the Target is located. Then you can catch the #10 bus or mall shuttle back to Andrew Square on the Red Line and ride back north toward Cambridge taking an inbound Alewife subway train.

[goyguy]

The OP inquired on Saturday and hasn't been heard back from. But there wasn't anything in the papers about somebody meeting her description murdered, or hit by a car, so I'm betting she made it there and back just fine.

[flowbe202]

Or, is still waiting in a Target check-out line.

In which case, we shall hear from her in...oh...2 weeks.

[Niandra]

Dang, there's a much closer Target in Somerville.

I always drive between that stretch of the BMC area and South Bay. It's pretty grim.

[snatale1]

Once you pass the hospital, it get pretty crappy pretty quick. I hate south bay.

[nicole.cpp]

Ha ha...I'm alive, y'all; thanks for checking up. :-)

I have in fact walked to the Somerville one before, too. And the lines...wow. It's the same in Texas as well. ALWAYS takes forever. You'd think such a big and popular chain wouldn't have this problem.

[flowbe202]

Glad you made it out of the store and back home in under my 2 week dire forecast.

People do go missing in the clearance aisles...