Boston Racial Stigma- is it "cool" to hate on Boston? (Cambridge: apartment, HOA)

[jcp123]

Originally Posted by mwj119

It’s a sizable domestic and international tourism destination. It’s arguably the most prevalent city in American History. It’s often considered one of the best places/areas to live due to education, earning potential. It’s widely considered one of the best, and most infamous sports towns in North America. It’s the gateway to all of New England. Places like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard are a “thing” these days. It’s been a hot commodity in Hollywood, with a lot of movies and shows being filmed or based in Boston (you could argue too many). It also has the second most colleges / students in the world behind Tokyo. And, three of the best hospitals in the world.

For all of these reasons, and many more, it’s one of the more recognizable cities in the country. Which, is why you’re getting the reaction you are.

But I don’t mean to patronize you. Again, I think we all have cities like that where, for whatever reason, it’s four degree of separation instead of two.

I mean, I guess. I’ve held back a little bit and only shared my legit ignorance. But I’m not gonna lie that I think I’ve had some willful ignorance as a west coast kid - none of which was Boston’s fault, that was all NYC.

[nadnerb]

Originally Posted by mwj119

It’s a sizable domestic and international tourism destination. It’s arguably the most prevalent city in American History. It’s often considered one of the best places/areas to live due to education, earning potential. It’s widely considered one of the best, and most infamous sports towns in North America. It’s the gateway to all of New England. Places like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard are a “thing” these days. It’s been a hot commodity in Hollywood, with a lot of movies and shows being filmed or based in Boston (you could argue too many). It also has the second most colleges / students in the world behind Tokyo. And, three of the best hospitals in the world.

For all of these reasons, and many more, it’s one of the more recognizable cities in the country. Which, is why you’re getting the reaction you are.

But I don’t mean to patronize you. Again, I think we all have cities like that where, for whatever reason, it’s four degree of separation instead of two.

Do not underestimate the average American's geographic cluelessness.

Some random person from California probably doesn't know the difference between Maryland and Massachusetts. Most Americans in the west probably have a rough concept that New England is a few states in the Northeast, but I doubt most would actually be able to name which ones or how many or what would be culturally distinct about it.

When I visited Boston years ago, I was taken by surprise that Harvard and MIT were literally right there. I thought Cambridge, MA was just some college town out in the country like Ithaca or Princeton or Ann Arbor.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by nadnerb

I know this opinion is a hot take for this forum, but I can see where you’re coming from.

Boston just isn’t a city that I ever hear about in real life. It’s just very much off people’s radars out here in the PNW. I’m not a sports person either.

You said in other post that you grew up in the West Coast so it would make sense that you would never hear about it.

Boston is “boutique world class”. Universities, biotech, a slice of tech, healthcare. If you’re not in those segments, it’s probably off your radar screen other than professional sports. Nobody is going to Boston for the nightlife. Other than the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the high culture is in Manhattan. It’s dwarfed by the Bay Area for tech. There are plenty of other healthcare centers in the US that are comparable so you’re not likely to fly to Boston to see a specialist. Again dwarfed by the Bay Area but it’s a large concentration of white collar professionals and has the things desirable to white collar professionals. It’s extremely socioeconomically segregated. Towns operate independent school systems. Snob zoning. The unwashed masses are kept in their triple decker tenement buildings. I’d argue that it’s more classist than racist. Nobody wants the poors in their fancy suburbs or upscale urban neighborhoods. It’s tough to have socioeconomic class mobility in a place like that because middle class housing is completely unaffordable due to the demand from younger white collar professionals who are priced out of the blue chip suburbs. If you’re in a blue chip suburb, you care about the socioeconomic status of your new neighbor. You care that their kids have the white collar education and work ethic.

[Space_League]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Boston is “boutique world class”. Universities, biotech, a slice of tech, healthcare. If you’re not in those segments, it’s probably off your radar screen other than professional sports. Nobody is going to Boston for the nightlife. Other than the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the high culture is in Manhattan. It’s dwarfed by the Bay Area for tech. There are plenty of other healthcare centers in the US that are comparable so you’re not likely to fly to Boston to see a specialist. Again dwarfed by the Bay Area but it’s a large concentration of white collar professionals and has the things desirable to white collar professionals. It’s extremely socioeconomically segregated. Towns operate independent school systems. Snob zoning. The unwashed masses are kept in their triple decker tenement buildings. I’d argue that it’s more classist than racist. Nobody wants the poors in their fancy suburbs or upscale urban neighborhoods. It’s tough to have socioeconomic class mobility in a place like that because middle class housing is completely unaffordable due to the demand from younger white collar professionals who are priced out of the blue chip suburbs. If you’re in a blue chip suburb, you care about the socioeconomic status of your new neighbor. You care that their kids have the white collar education and work ethic.

I'm starting to think Boston is less classist and more just has an extreme abundance of weathly people in the metro. Not that it isn't classist.It definitely is above average there, in the way that it looks down its nose on places that would be square average everywhere else like Worcester or Haverhill. And places that are just a little below average like New Bedford and Lynn are almost universally seen as crapholes. On the other hand though, I'm not sure within the cit of Boston itself it's much different from other cities. There are still big projects in yuppie parts of South End and Jamaica Plain. There are still rich people living in Dorchester 2 streets from the hood. There aren't as many gated communities as you get in other parts of the country.A lot of upper middle class people not living in gated or secured properties, just regular houses on a street. In places like Phoenix, Dallas etc you will see more walled off fully secure zones for upper income folks to stay safe from the streets. Boston has so many rich people you can get whole counties of them and easily fill whole towns.

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by jcp123

I mean, I guess. I’ve held back a little bit and only shared my legit ignorance. But I’m not gonna lie that I think I’ve had some willful ignorance as a west coast kid - none of which was Boston’s fault, that was all NYC.

Once you hit Syracuse, Boston starts becoming a bigger deal. I went to school up in that area and atleast 1/3 of people followed Boston sports, people visited it more than NYC, etc...

[Gaylord_Focker]

Is Boston the northern most southern city?

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by Gaylord_Focker

Is Boston the northern most southern city?

I highly doubt the most liberal and educated major city in the Northeast, is the most southern lol. Id give that to Philly or NYC before Boston. DC is like 30% Southern, Philly is like 5% Southern, NYC is like 3% Southern, Boston is like 0.0001% Southern.

The cuisines, culture, energy, demographics, etc.. nothing like the South.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Racism is NOT a matter of liberal vs conservative.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Seeing this thread heated up again, this old Daily Show skit was recommended to me a while back. Didn’t know it existed.

https://youtu.be/QtUgq2Q1ivA

[908Boi]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

I mean.. there is it’s just no one really chooses to remember it. Lift, Squeeze, equalizer, proud Mary, survivors Remorse, Jumoing the Broom, New Edition Sotte, Bobby Brown mini series, Inkwell, Hightown, even arguably the latest Spencer for Hire, it was in NBA street…

It’s kind of selective memory and overshadowed by constant depictions of Sully and Murphy.

But in general Hollywood and people aren’t much interested in that so that’s not going to happen in a big way. Just saying Boston makes black people squirm.

The city hired a black head of tourism native to Boston who went to Morehouse and a black nightlife director from Chicago. It’s bidding to host the 2026 NBA all star game and is hosting the 2023 NAACP Convention. But I don’t believe anything would really drive black people towards Boston to visit unless they’re older and business like/upper middle class.

The black population of the Metro MSA ranges from a low of 250k to a high of 710k- it’s not relatively small d compare to most major cities except the very largest. And definitely bigger than places with better or neutral reputations among black people like San Francisco Denver Seattle and Austin. Or Kansas City Cincinnati.

It’s got a worse reputation than places where they literally had Jim Crow like ALABAMA and places where black metrics are abysmal like Milwaukee Detroit and Cleveland. Black people are so anti Boston Amy are convinced they’d rather hang out in a town with open racist and klansmen.

All this to say there no angle for Boston here.

I’ll be honest I have no idea what most of the things you listed are and I suspect most black Americans especially those younger than me also don’t know much about those things/people.

The NBA all star game in 2026 can be a game changer if it goes well. These days if boatloads of black families aren’t moving somewhere (or aren’t already present) then black folks aren’t going to pay attention to that city unless rap/sports/entertainment are involved.

The black population in the Boston MSA is roughly 364k and 7.4% of the total Boston MSA. That’s relatively small considering it’s a top ten MSA in the country by population.

I generally agree with you that Boston’s rep amongst black folks probably won’t changed much. It just doesn’t have enough to appeal to the average black American. But look at a place like Toronto. Drake almost by himself lol, made that city “cool”. And I’m pretty sure toronto is less black than Boston.