Which major Boston neighborhood have you spent the least time in? (Cohasset: 2015, apartment)

[Nbdotbosma]

Originally Posted by BruinsGirl

Mattapan,Charlestown, Chelsea.

We immigrated to US and lived and worked in Brighton & Brookline (not Boston I know) in 90s, parents arrived and bought condo there by the end of 90s. Moved out of Brighton/Boston but kept working in various parts of Boston. I worked in Roxbury near medical area. We often walk and spend time in Downtown, Beacon Hill, North End, Dorchester Shores, South End(?).

Chelsea is not Boston either.

[Mayei]

Probably Roslindale and, strangely, Mattapan. I say strangely because my grandmother lived in Mattapan as a child, so I have familial ties to it. Unfortunately, I haven't had many opportunities to spend time there. My experience with both of these neighborhoods is mainly driving through them. Hopefully I can change that at some point.

[Space_League]

Originally Posted by Mayei

Probably Roslindale and, strangely, Mattapan. I say strangely because my grandmother lived in Mattapan as a child, so I have familial ties to it. Unfortunately, I haven't had many opportunities to spend time there. My experience with both of these neighborhoods is mainly driving through them. Hopefully I can change that at some point.

Peters Hill section of the Arnold Arboretum is a nice place to visit in Roslindale. It's less structured than the JP parts of the park but there are still marked species and stuff, but a different feel. The top of the hill might be the highest point in the city of Boston and offers a nice view of the skyline.

If you're stopping by Roslindale square for lunch or something it's easy to get to Peters park from there. There is a pedestrian entrance on Fairview St just a few minutes walk from the square.

[WestieWhitie]

Hyde Park because there zero reasons to visit unless you live there but at this point our crime is decriminalized attitude is about to get Downtown Crossing added to the list of places not to visit.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Mayei

Probably Roslindale and, strangely, Mattapan. I say strangely because my grandmother lived in Mattapan as a child, so I have familial ties to it. Unfortunately, I haven't had many opportunities to spend time there. My experience with both of these neighborhoods is mainly driving through them. Hopefully I can change that at some point.

Mattapan is lame. Saying this as a native Hyde Parker. We call it "dustpan". Architecture is bland, stores are less than, not much in the way of interesting history, one nightclub and it is dangerous and only plays Latin, dusty people, long bus rides, and crime. Don't recommend it. Some parts of it are okay but I really don't recommend it for anything. Roxbury and Dorchester are more stimulating both socially and visually. Hyde Park is safer and more middle class with more social cohesion. Mattapan is pretty split between Southern Mattapan and Northern Mattapan.

[bostongymjunkie]

Yeah, I saw someone waiting for the 28 bus....dusting himself off. Couldn't get all that dust off. All kinds of other dusty people standing around him. Terrible situation.

[Space_League]

Wasn't Mattapan once/sometime considered a section of Dorchester? My experiences there are mostly limited to residential visits. It's true there isn't much to do there. I've heard the dusty thing before but I don't really get it.

I've know some people who had a thing for Simco. Ice cream was pretty good, scallop plates and the like were overpriced for a walk up window that looks like a money laundering operation. Maybe the hotdogs are good though, I don't like them in general.

I like some of the residential streets around Mattapan, Wellington Hill area seems nice. Not a fan of the square. Not a fan of NorfolkSt. A few streets further East off Gallivan look nice but most not really. This development looks weird, out of place and depressing https://goo.gl/maps/xgbFyy3SYKmENzSv6

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

Yeah, I saw someone waiting for the 28 bus....dusting himself off. Couldn't get all that dust off. All kinds of other dusty people standing around him. Terrible situation.

id unironically believe this. swear I've seen it before. Sorry, Mattapan..

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Space_League

Wasn't Mattapan once/sometime considered a section of Dorchester? My experiences there are mostly limited to residential visits. It's true there isn't much to do there. I've heard the dusty thing before but I don't really get it.

I've know some people who had a thing for Simco. Ice cream was pretty good, scallop plates and the like were overpriced for a walk up window that looks like a money laundering operation. Maybe the hotdogs are good though, I don't like them in general.

I like some of the residential streets around Mattapan, Wellington Hill area seems nice. Not a fan of the square. Not a fan of NorfolkSt. A few streets further East off Gallivan look nice but most not really. This development looks weird, out of place and depressing https://goo.gl/maps/xgbFyy3SYKmENzSv6

Mattapan was considered a part of Dorchester.

My friends' cousin lived in that development before moving to Vegas. Ive been there once or twice. Aptly described as dusty.

Wellington Hill is actually not a great area but its okay.

Area near Gallivan Boulevard and Lower Mills is nicer. Down by River Street and the Mattapan Heights development is very nice.

[Space_League]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Mattapan was considered a part of Dorchester.

My friends' cousin lived in that development before moving to Vegas. Ive been there once or twice. Aptly described as dusty.

Wellington Hill is actually not a great area but its okay.

Mattapan is strange in that parts of it are so suburban you can forget its almost all hood. Parts of Wellington would apply there but I'm thinking specifically of like Colorado St /Almont St and places near there. First time I went there it felt like I was in Woburn but turns out that's a pretty tough spot or at least it was at the time. That side near Rozzie/HP/JP I'm more familiar with not at all with the Dot/Milton side. I knew someone on W Seldon St and that was about as far East as I ever went besides just driving through.

Mattapan on average doesn't seem worse to me than Dot/Rox and I can think of places I feel less comfortable in both those neighborhoods than any I've personally experienced in Mattapan although Morton & Norfolk area would give them a run for their money.

Thing is Mattapan doesn't have any answer for Fort Hill, Savin Hill, Jones Hill, Ashmont, Nubian Square (in terms of amenities / culture moreso than safety/stability), Shawmut especially that super nice neighborhood off Melville, O'Bryant, BLA, RCC and Roxbury Crossing. And that's purposely excluding certain neighborhoods of Dorchester for the comparison.

Doesn't have the history or stature of Roxbury, doesn't have a claim to being the biggest and most diverse neighborhood in the city like Dot.

In fact it's kind of only diverse in the context of the overall city and especially metro from what it brings to the table essentially as a uniquely Afro-Carribean enclave. Something like a third of residents were born in Haiti, around a quarter speak Haitian French or Creole at home. Then add in all their kids and grandkids born here,and you're getting close to a majority. Then add in the 25% Jamaican and Trini residents. What you're left with is a minority AA population and a small hispanic population that's lower than the average % for the city of Boston.

Not that internal-diversity is the end-all-be-all or even the best measure of diversity, but interesting to think about how that compares with someplace like Dorchester which is just flat out diverse in every way, shape, and form as a stand-alone entity. I'd put Rozzie, Roxbury, Mission Hill, HP, Eastie, South End even Allston as more standalone diverse than Mattapan.

Another problem is the lack of transit. It fares horrible against Roxbury and Dorchester in terms of accssibility and walkability, even though both of them are known for being underserved.

All that being said, I'm still kind of surprised there isn't a bit more gentrification spillover especially by the Milton Border would seem like a ripe place for the fringes to be nibbled, but afaik that hasn't really happened and it's just an abrupt change from city to suburb when you cross the river