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I like the North End a lot, but it's becoming more of a tourist spot than a real little Italy. Someone said north end isnt gentrified, I wonder if we are talking about the same place. If 2-3k rents isnt gentrified i dont know what qualifies. I very much enjoy Cleveland's Little Italy and Providenc's Federal Hill. Any way underrated places.
And all those Italian landlords are raking in the cash. The North End is still majority Italian owned.
The North End is the best Little Italy that I have seen. Of course it benefits from being in a neighborhood that has existed for 400 years.
And all those Italian landlords are raking in the cash. The North End is still majority Italian owned.
The North End is the best Little Italy that I have seen. Of course it benefits from being in a neighborhood that has existed for 400 years.
In terms of sheer urbanity, the North End is very hard to beat. It's physically dense, beautiful and, of course, old and historic. It really has an Old World air and is extremely walkable and interesting. Sometimes, though, its a little tough (for me anyway) to distinguish where NE's Little Italy ends and the Colonial Paul Revere-historic area begins.
In terms of sheer urbanity, the North End is very hard to beat. It's physically dense, beautiful and, of course, old and historic. It really has an Old World air and is extremely walkable and interesting. Sometimes, though, its a little tough (for me anyway) to distinguish where NE's Little Italy ends and the Colonial Paul Revere-historic area begins.
It doesnt "feel" particularly Italian, though yes it's a great area. I guess i think in terms of what a little Italy is specifically, somewhere like federal hill with its plentiful outdoor dining and piazza feels more Mediterranean to me. It is a bit strange to have such plain English protestant style churches in a little Italy.
In terms of sheer urbanity, the North End is very hard to beat. It's physically dense, beautiful and, of course, old and historic. It really has an Old World air and is extremely walkable and interesting. Sometimes, though, its a little tough (for me anyway) to distinguish where NE's Little Italy ends and the Colonial Paul Revere-historic area begins.
That is because the two areas aren't distinct they completely overlap. The Italian North End completely envelops and built around the older colonial development. The only things remaining from the colonial period are the Revere house and some churches nearly all the other buildings of the time were replaced.
On the separate comment of the churches seeming too plain. I agree the exteriors are very plain but having been inside a few of them they are definitely not plain inside. Part of the reason they may be plain on the outside is to preserve money to decorate the inside.
I wouldnt call the North End gentrified, I would call it desirable with the 2-3k rents.
Compared to old video and images i've seen of a 1980s North End with large vacant lots, an overpass bisecting it, smog, rundown tenement and a huge youth population and roughneck teens-it's extremely gentrified. Beyond gentrified really.
It's just tame old time italians who own property and a bunch of yuppies for the most part. Not saying it's less "authentic" just that it feels, looks, and is priced like its pretty damn gentrified.
That is because the two areas aren't distinct they completely overlap. The Italian North End completely envelops and built around the older colonial development. The only things remaining from the colonial period are the Revere house and some churches nearly all the other buildings of the time were replaced.
On the separate comment of the churches seeming too plain. I agree the exteriors are very plain but having been inside a few of them they are definitely not plain inside. Part of the reason they may be plain on the outside is to preserve money to decorate the inside.
I've been in all the churches. It's not that they are not pleasant in their own way, but they just arent close to the masterpieces typical of Italian catholicism.
I wouldnt call the North End gentrified, I would call it desirable with the 2-3k rents.
My numbers are very old. I just looked at apartments.com. more typical price would be around 4k. Some over 6 k. What is that if not "gentrified"? We are supposed to believe this is the authentic working class Italian neighborhood of old?
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