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Actually, allow me to point this out, if I may. Those 93,360 people of Irish ancestry that live in Boston represent this much higher and greater percentage of both the overall population and white population of that city ((Boston!)) as opposed to the higher numbers in both Philly and Chicago.
For like I wrote above, Boston is at least 16% Irish ((down from 25% back in 1994, roughly 1/3rd back during the late 60's, and nearly half back during the 20's and 30's!)),
WHILE Philly might just be below the 12% threshold ((and Chicago is between 7 and 8% Irish, if that!)). So on this strictly per capita basis Boston is still number ONE, America's premier Irish BIG city ((also, as someone wrote earlier, the Irish largely dictate the particular, local ethos of white, working class Boston, AS much of its working class cultural template, attitude and outlook was established, shaped and roughly molded by the Irish!))!!!
Though, as I've wrote previously, and has been written before, Quincy is the MOST IRISH AMERICAN CITY in the United States, THIS FACT that was mentioned in the South Shore section of The Boston Globe, on March 17th. Quincy, with roughly 90,000 people, is 34% Irish, this figure that is well above all other middle sized cities found anywhere in this country ((back in 1995 Quincy was 42% Irish, and even that number seemed like this relatively conservative figure back than!)).
Also, many, if not most, of the Irish Americans who now call Quincy home originally came from Boston, mostly either South Boston or Dorchester ((Southie and Dohcesta!)). And we all know that both South Boston and Dorchester are two of the most famous and well known Irish American neighborhoods in the land, the settings for many Irish themed movies and mystery stories.
More-over, Toure, I have no doubt that Philly tosses and holds this GREAT, outstanding Saint Patty's Day parade, along with holding and hosting other such awesome and fun filled parties where booze and shamrocks abound! For you guys have the spirit, Philly is a wonderful and thrilling and hospitable city ((better than Boston!)), and I've no doubt that if Saint Patrick himself were to be thoroughly resurrected he'd choose Philly to party in on his day of days!
Furthermore, the highest concentration of Irish Americans in the United States can be found in Quincy, Braintree and Weymouth, as all three areas combined, lumped together into one jurisdiction, would be roughly 40% Irish ((as Braintree, at 46.5%, is the second most Irish town in the United States!)), while the entire South Shore---which includes Quincy and those 14 or 15 towns found south of Boston---is still 38-40% Irish, making that region THE MOST IRISH IN AMERICA
((I believe Rockaway, Queens, is only 25% Irish, and the Irish down on that famous peninsula have this strong and commendable tendency to mix in with other ethnic groups better!)).
For 8, or even 10, of the most Irish towns in the United States are found directly south of Boston, in that very green region, as the Irish have been pouring out of Boston in droves and droves since the end of W.W.2.
Though both Boston and Quincy still reign supreme in both their respective, BIG city/middle sized city categories, as Quincy, in terms of its extremely high concentration of Irish Americans, IS WAY AHEAD of the pack, at 34% Irish
((with Squantum, which is found in its north east tip jutting out into the ocean and from where I'm now typing these words, is nearly 60% Irish, putting it right up there with Breezy Point, Queens, as one of the two most Irish neighborhoods in the whole country, or jurisdictions with between 1500 and 8000 people!)).
Actually, the part of Dorchester that my mother lives in, several blocks known as Adam's Village, is right up there with Mclean Ave in Woodlawn, on The Bronx-Yonkers border, in terms of boasting this very high percentage of people who come straight from Ireland,
AS there are more people from the old country than Americans that live on my mother's street--Minot Street!
Though in terms of good and great and spectacular times, special Saint Patty Day get togethers and other such thrilling, booze splashed and exuberant celebrations, no doubt both Philly and Chicago take home the first place prize in that respect--two GREAT, awesome and renowned cities that do it right!
Savannah Georgia has a GREAT St. Pats day celebration! The parade is great, they dye the Savannah river green, several very nice Irish pubs, and tons of great food choices. Plus, it is a lovely city. Erin go Braugh!
I believe that Woodlawn is roughly 53% Irish, definitely making it one of the most Irish and Irish American neighborhoods in the whole country. Though Adam's Village, over in Dorchester, Massachusetts, is at least 60% Irish, and, from all that I was told over in Ireland, is considered the premier and most famous Irish community in the entire United States.
Also, from the turn of the century till the late 80's Charlestown, which is located in the northern part of Boston, was close to 90% Irish, which made that by now famous neighborhood ((For Ben Affleck's ""The Town,"" about the four Irish American bank-robbers, was largely filmed in Charlestown!)) quite possibly the most Irish in the nation ((now that honor belongs to Squantum! )).
Quincy center now boasts six Irish pubs, down from 10 a decade ago, as there are at least 2000 Quincy citizens who originally come from Ireland, not to mention the several thousand more spread out throughout the region.
Though Woodlawn, and especially McLean Ave, is very, very, very rich, and thoroughly steeped in, traditional Irish culture, this place where I'd love to live! What a leap that would prove to be, from one GREAT Irish neighborhood ((Squantum!)) to another, even more exciting and awesome one ((Woodlawn!))! Quite the Squantum leap!!!
Here's a list of the most Irish neighborhoods found throughout the Greater Boston area--
1.) Adam's Village, Dorchester
2.) Squantum, Quincy
3.) Hough's Neck, Quincy
4.) West Quincy
5.) Savin Hill, Dorchester
6.) East Milton Square, Milton
7.) Scituate Harbor, Scituate
8.) West Roxbury, Boston
9.) North Weymouth, Weymouth
10.) and parts of Hull, Braintree, Walpole, Abington, Milton, Weymouth, Somervile, Canton, Marshfield, Scituate, Pembroke, Duxbury, Hanover, and other parts of Dorchester ((in Boston!)) ALL have substantial and significant Irish American populations, rivaled ONLY by Woodlawn in The Bronx, Breezy Point, Queens, parts of Philly, and maybe Chicago's South Side.
Otherwise Dorchester, much of Quincy, Squantum, and much of The South Shore completely and thoroughly dominate this particular subject/theme/topic/discussion, basically---with very few exceptions---blowing all the competition away! Hell, not even the N.Y. Yankees were ever so dominant all throughout their several eras of preeminence and glory!
Because Quincy, Massachusetts is usually lumped together with Boston, and often not properly extracted from the larger ""Metro Boston"" equation, it doesn't get the recognition, credit and reverence that such a designation as ""America's most Irish American city"" would usually garner and receive.
Though my city of 90,000 people, Quincy, which is right south of Boston, is just that, at 34% Irish ((down from this high water mark of 42-43% back all throughout the 80's and 90's!)). No other middle sized city comes close in that respect!
And, IEnjoyBeer, ALTHOUGH Philly is this very, very close 2nd in terms of its Irish American population ((at 12-13%!)), Boston---as far as large cities go---is still number one at roughly 15 or 16% of its overall population
((moreover, there are no doubt more people who actually come from Ireland that live in the Boston area, including Quincy, Braintree and Weymouth, WHILE out here in Squantum there is around 70-80 Irish born and bred residents/long established immigrants, THOSE who still speak with old country brogues, out of this total of 2600 people!)).
Also, to Irish Philly's everlasting credit---as far as mixing in and inter-marrying with other ethnic groups goes---they probably do a better job than the Irish up here do, as the Irish in Boston tend to lag behind all their other big city counterparts in that respect,
AS the percentage of Irish Americans from Philly who are 100% Irish is most likely well below that of, and far smaller than, the ones who grew up in, and still live within, Boston, Quincy, and their thoroughly Irish South Shore suburbs
((which are roughly 40% Irish, AND with EIGHT of the top TEN, and 16 of the top 20, MOST IRISH TOWNS IN THE NATION being found in that patch of suburbs that comprise that part of coastal Massachusetts!)).
For like I wrote before, we---the Boston/Quincy/Squantum/South Shore Irish---are FAR MORE ""incestuous"" up around these here parts!
Furthermore, I believe most of the Irish in Philly to be more open minded and far less discriminating, not to mention less clannish and tribal, than say their counterparts that spring from Charlestown ((think that superb and exciting 2010 movie ""The Town!"")), South Boston, Dorchester, Squantum, and other parts of Quincy.
I gotta give the Irish down in that GREAT and Beautiful city, Philadelphia, much credit for maintaining and encouraging such an open minded and more inclusive mind set. That is very, very commendable, and AWESOME!
Though Boston, in popular culture and in actuality, is still the champ in that very Green and much discussed department ((though Philly is right behind us!)) in terms of what big city has the highest concentration of Irish Americans ((15% to Philly's 12-13%, with Quincy, Massachusetts being the overall champ at 34%!))!
Any ways, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Baltimore DON'T EVEN COME CLOSE, as Philly, Boston, Quincy, Scranton, Pennsylvania and Butte Montana spank em all, spank em all hard!
Don't sleep on Baltimore. It was the 2nd largest point on entry for European immigrants after Ellis Island. Most of the people I know and work with are either Irish or Italian. Extreme northwest Baltimore and Pikeville, Owings Mills, Reisterstown, MD are Jewish communities. The Irish population is scattered all over the metro as well as Italians.
True, Baltimore does have a rather large and noticeable Irish presence, though I wouldn't put it up there with either Philly, Boston or Quincy. Last I check Baltimore was roughly 8% Irish, with maybe 20% of its white population being blessed with Green genes.
And, you wrote that ""the Irish population is scattered all over the metro,"" with scattered being the key, stand out word. For up in Boston, Quincy and south of those two cities, the Irish tend to concentrate ((and I place heavy emphasis on that term!)) very, very HEAVILY in the same area, towns, neighborhoods and blocks.
For there are at least 12 towns ((maybe up to 16!)) south of Quincy---actually in between Plymouth and Quincy---that are at least 40% Irish, so no doubt there are smaller parts and neighborhoods within those towns where the Irish population exceeds 50% ((Scituate Harbor, North Weymouth, Squantum!)). Those figures are entirely unmatched and unsurpassed, as no other patch of suburbs anywhere in the United States can boast such a high and huge concentration of Irish Americans!
As far as cities go, Baltimore definitely has this prominent, strong, influential and proud Irish American population, including one that thrives within its surrounding ""metro"" areas, though I wouldn't rank it anywhere near Philly, Boston, Quincy, Massachusetts, or Scranton, Pennsylvania in this very Green respect, even in its percentage of Irish Americans within the larger white population--
((maybe 20% tops, for Baltimore, AS opposed to at least 35% of the white population of Boston being Irish, roughly the same for Philly, while---as has been certified many times---nearly half the white people living in Quincy have substantial Green genes as of now, 2013, down from roughly 55% back during the mid to late 90's! The white population out here in Squantum is roughly 60% Irish, if not slightly more. Can any neighborhood in Baltimore match those figures??? Maybe back during the turn of last century, when it was this major entry point rivaling Ellis Island!))
Though no doubt Baltimore has many Great and Awesome and super cool Irish pubs, as, from all that I've been told, IT IS this wonderful and fine city, one of the finest in the country, and this place that I'd love to visit! Erin Go Braugh!!!
Can you all stop saying Quincey! The population is very minute and is not noticable. It's a very small town. And Philly has a avenue of Irish pubs along Frankford ave, there are zillions. And people always whereing a green Irish shirts, and the flags are everywhere in Northeast Philadelphia. The Italians are huge in south Philadelphia, they are annoying because they think there really Italian, and can't even count to 10 in Italian. Lol! Very strong presence of both. As well as northwest Philly for Germans, Germantown and west oak lane you'll find German architecture and German type feel.
To further reinforce my point concerning the pervasive, unavoidable and glaringly obvious Irish-ness of Boston and Quincy, I was down my local store out in SQ talking with a female friend of mine from County Cork, as she's lived in this area for close to 18 years.
She's been out to Chicago, lived in N.Y.C. for a wee bit, AND---as other Irish born and bred have made adamantly and fiercely clear---neither one of those two sprawling, vast and insanely diverse cities, Chicago and N.Y.C., feels, nor looks, ANYWHERE NEAR AS Irish as Boston, and Quincy ((we're talking as a whole!)), AS eastern Massachusetts, Boston and its South Shore suburbs feel far more like home to them ((and not just because the whole area is closer to the old country!)).
Just some food for thought, that's all! Though I've heard similar comments made several times before. Only Philadelphia comes close to Boston, only Scranton Pennsylvania comes close to Quincy, and only Rockaway, down in Queens, comes close to the Boston/Quincy South Shore
((with Rockaway being roughly 22 or 23% Irish, WELL BEHIND the 38-40% of South Shore residents who are of Irish descent, with this sprinkling of transplants who were born in the old sod!)), in terms of each city's and area's overall Irish population on this per capita basis!
Philly and Boston are the champs for big cities, hands down! Though like you wrote, Philly has the spirit, as it has in all likelihood captured and displayed the overall Irish cultural zeitgeist better than any city in the country. I don't deny that for even one second! You guys ROCK!!!
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Quincy has em all beat!!!
!)). 
