Cleanliness - Boston vs. Everywhere Else (state, compared, places, people)
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Was recently back in Boston. As a West Coast resident, couldn't believe how clean it was. Walked all over downtown and the Back Bay, didn't see a single tent. No poop on the street, even the subway was clean. Was shocking compared to what I've seen in SF, Seattle, Austin, DC, and other cities. I got on the T and no one was sleeping, eating on the train, and there was no pee runnnig down the aisles or anything. Is it the weather? Respect for public space?
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheseGoTo11
Was recently back in Boston. As a West Coast resident, couldn't believe how clean it was. Walked all over downtown and the Back Bay, didn't see a single tent. No poop on the street, even the subway was clean. Was shocking compared to what I've seen in SF, Seattle, Austin, DC, and other cities. I got on the T and no one was sleeping, eating on the train, and there was no pee runnnig down the aisles or anything. Is it the weather? Respect for public space?
I'd take DC off that list, in no way or form should it be mentioned in the same sentence as San Francisco in cleanliness. SF and LA both are glaringly dirty cities arriving from the nation's capital. Boston is a very clean city much like Chicago and Washington DC, and has a prestigious upscale feel to it. Major "boutique" cities as such like Boston should be kept up nice.
The weather probably has alot to do with it. I''ll vote for that.
The city budget (budget $ per capita/per square mile) can't hurt. I bet Boston is spending more money on cleaning and beautification per square mile than most of their East Coast peers.
It'd be interesting to do a study of New Englanders in general when it comes to things like litter and "tidiness." The region is uniquely well-cared for.
I do get a sense of very rigid attitudes about respect for public spaces in this area; people will pitch a fit about even the slightest bit of litter or being unkempt.
I think the Puritan influenced-culture definitely plays a role in terms of obsession with having a "proper" appearance.
I never thought of Boston as being a uniquely clean city/region relative to some other cities/regions I've been to like San Diego, Tampa and San Jose.
Thinking back to the '88 Presidential campaign and the "Harbor of Shame" comment. This was describing the polluted state of Boston Harbor. VP Bush used this hot topic for his own political gain as he took a ferry across it and pointed the finger at then Mass. Presidential candidate Dukakis for this environmental disaster effectively ending his run.
I do love all of the quaint, tidy New England towns and villages but not sure I would say cleanliness is more exclusive to Boston or the overall region.
I never thought of Boston as being a uniquely clean city/region relative to some other cities/regions I've been to like San Diego, Tampa and San Jose.
Thinking back to the '88 Presidential campaign and the "Harbor of Shame" comment. This was describing the polluted state of Boston Harbor. VP Bush used this hot topic for his own political gain as he took a ferry across it and pointed the finger at then Mass. Presidential candidate Dukakis for this environmental disaster effectively ending his run.
I do love all of the quaint, tidy New England towns and villages but not sure I would say cleanliness is more exclusive to Boston or the overall region.
I think OP is referring to other large scale Pre War cities like SF, NYC, LA, Philly, Baltimore, Chicago and Seattle.
I get this comment a lot and people generally mean big cities. Because obviously places like Rockport, Gloucester, Newport, Montauk, Ocean City NJ and Cape May are clean… but they arent big international cities where perception of these cities are usually big/dirty/chaotic.
The city budget (budget $ per capita/per square mile) can't hurt. I bet Boston is spending more money on cleaning and beautification per square mile than most of their East Coast peers.
I don’t think Boston’s budget is actually that big compared to similarly sized cities. It’s tricky since universities and hospitals can’t be taxed and together, those things take up a lot of land and jobs in the city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by masssachoicetts
Also go to Mass and Cass. Theres a lot of tents down there
Mass and Cass themselves don’t have many people in them right now. Not sure about the nearby streets to the south. There’s still a decent amount of litter but fewer junkies I think.
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