Hyde Park, safe or unsafe neighborhood (Boston, Cambridge: rent, landlords, college)

[Whatsnext75]

I think a lot of people are tired of the high COL around here and are looking for cheaper alternatives. a lot of people want a starter house yet it seems like a starter house is about 500k around here if u want to be closer to the city. a house is not the only expense people have either of course. Many people want to save for their dreamhouse, hard to do when you are struggling to save with the starter house. So that's where I see cheaper areas like hyde park and dot becoming more attractive. There are frugal people out there looking for a deal. Not everyone wants most of their paycheck going to rent or a mortgage.

[ormari]

I used to live in Somerville, and considered Hyde Park and Roslindale as I was looking for a house. Somebody will correct me if I am wrong, but one drawback both these areas have, that Somerville doesn't, is their distance from the center of Mass (of) technology jobs, if you will.

[missionhill]

West Roxbury has no need of gentrification; it is a very stable middle class area. My impression is Roslindale has come up over time. Both neighborhoods seem to have rising prices and lots of bidders. Dorchester is at greater risk of gentrification than Hyde Park. Dorchester has urban density and subway service. Most of it is very walkable. It has great architectural character-- ripe for fixing up. Poster goyguy reminds us of failed efforts 30 years ago to to speculate in real estate on Meetinghouse Hill/Ronan Park, but areas like this have incomparable assets-- walkable and walkable to the subway, big comfortable 3 decker houses, a nice park and views out over the bay. Also no housing projects, only privately owned real estate. Someone's going to make a lot of dough speculating around there. Hyde Park is much more suburban. But the Fairmount line could spur some increased interest there. Also, as whatsnext says, lots of buyers want SF houses and HP has lots of those, but it's not a Somerville-type market, whereas Dorchester already is in parts and seems likely to become more so.

[Whatsnext75]

Meetinghouse Hill/Ronan Park- beautiful area the problem with this area is that the people that currently live there do not give a crap about it and it's disgusting. I know because i lived there up until a year and a half ago. Ronan park is beautiful, has beautiful views. St peters church and that other church in meetinghouse hill are also beautiful, there's a pretty park nearby. BUT the people that live in the area are just trashy. Not just poor, but on drugs, throw trash in the street. They dont own their home so they dont care. I'm all for gentrification in this area, but i think it will be a while. Where are these people going to go?

[bigfatdude]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

Meetinghouse Hill/Ronan Park- beautiful area the problem with this area is that the people that currently live there do not give a crap about it and it's disgusting. I know because i lived there up until a year and a half ago. Ronan park is beautiful, has beautiful views. St peters church and that other church in meetinghouse hill are also beautiful, there's a pretty park nearby. BUT the people that live in the area are just trashy. Not just poor, but on drugs, throw trash in the street. They dont own their home so they dont care. I'm all for gentrification in this area, but i think it will be a while. Where are these people going to go?

DotBlock | Major Mixed-Use Development in Dorchester's Savin Hill | BLDUP - this might push Meetinghouse Hill landlords to condo out their section 8 triple deckers.

[Whatsnext75]

but that's savin hill. Not really closeby to meetinghouse hill.

[missionhill]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

but that's savin hill. Not really closeby to meetinghouse hill.

But at the edge of Savin Hill and just down the street from the First Parish Church (i.e., the meeting house of Meetinghouse Hill).

Yes it's a poor neighborhood but that won't be a barrier to newcomers for long. Betty Gibson (South End realtor) tried marketing around Ronan Park in the '80s-- Maybe too soon. Now there's so much pressure on core neighborhoods. I don't see how it can remain ghetto for long. It also has sentimental associations for Irish Catholics, no? St Peters Church-- Father Ronan-- practically the founding parish of Catholic Boston. The archdiocese has closed lots of troubled churches, or tried to, but not this one-- it's too important historically.

[missionhill]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

Where are these people going to go?

Great question. Hard to know, but the poor have few defenses against big real estate interests unless, as others have pointed out, they're living in public housing or subsidized housing. That's true in other areas of Boston but not to my knowledge on Meetinghouse Hill. There are lots of places to move-- Massachusetts is full of smaller cities like Brockton that attract poorer people who can't afford to stay in Boston.

Whatsnext, what is the neighborhood all the way east on Park St?-- Mill St and around there? People are always talking about Savin Hill OTB as a choice neighborhood in Dorchester but this Mill St area seems almost as nice.

[Whatsnext75]

'I don't see how it can remain ghetto for long.'

I guess i feel this way about hyde park also. I think Mattapan and part of Roxbury will be the only ghetto left at the way things keep going. Many people will likely move to Fall River and Brockton.

Whatsnext, what is the neighborhood all the way east on Park St?-- Mill St and around there?

Wellesley park? That's an area of dot that few will ever be able to afford.

[bigfatdude]

Originally Posted by missionhill

Great question. Hard to know, but the poor have few defenses against big real estate interests unless, as others have pointed out, they're living in public housing or subsidized housing. That's true in other areas of Boston but not to my knowledge on Meetinghouse Hill. There are lots of places to move-- Massachusetts is full of smaller cities like Brockton that attract poorer people who can't afford to stay in Boston.

Whatsnext, what is the neighborhood all the way east on Park St?-- Mill St and around there? People are always talking about Savin Hill OTB as a choice neighborhood in Dorchester but this Mill St area seems almost as nice.

Savin Hill OTB has gotten rather ridiculous lately, just take a look at https://www.redfin.com/MA/Dorchester.../home/11833762 . No one wanted those units at anything over $180K just a few years ago. It has already become too expensive for many, meaning the wave of gentrification will keep rolling down Dot Ave towards Fields Corner.