African American Diaspora: City vs. City Neighborhoods (to move, association)
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Meh. Says Diaspora in the thread. Also technically they are ‘African Americans’ if you google African Americans 2 of the first 5 names are Malcolm X and Barack Obama…I’ve never heard anyone say they’re not African Americans.
From Wikipedia: African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and formerly Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from any of the black racial groups of Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslaved Africans who are from the United States.
So generally, but it’s not set in stone. Especially as many people are of mixed ethnicity.
Dictionary definition is much more open:
an American of African and especially of Black African descent
At some point a person becomes an African American 2nd and 3rd Gen people. the divvying up the black community based on grandparents serves no purpose, and honestly? I’d really like non northeastern black peopel to let it go. It really wasn’t until I joined this site that I realized people even thought like this.
Tbh I’m very tired of the diaspora wars, the gender wars, skin tone wars, in the black community. Very tired. I get it- just seems equal part/ stubborn, xenophobic and then slightly immature.
White Americans are all white. Never heard a white persona like “yo he’s German and Swedish- naw” maybe 80 years ago, but I’d love if we could bypass that step. I understand immigrants are new for most of the country but West Indians have been in Boston and NYC from the very beginning. Most of our leaders have some west indian ancestry somewhere. Not really the same as being Barbadian in Nebraska. But I digress. I guess.
Yea gotta keep in mind the pockets of poverty in Boston are a bit deeper and in general the metro has many areas that are physically similar to DRM that are less black and cheaper. Boston also saw just slightly more abandonment than DC ever did but the population has rebounded more slowly …so the vacant lots are kind of plentiful .
The incentive to develop there is less than DC which is a wealthier metro with fewer traditionally urban locales (pre-1940) construction. Much of Boston immediate burbs were heavily working class, developed/settled, and white and are still shifting in terms of diversifying racially while gentrifying.
In contrast DC had way more open land around it and developed copious fairly dense suburban locales. Also I think there more latent racism and segregation in Boston metro to deter people from even bothering with a black or Latino area in the first place.
DC NY CHI have a more upscale taste than blacks in Philly Boston or Baltimore. Boston may be different in that I believe has retained most of its black upper class, which is small, in city limits than Bmore. Many of those folks are waiting for Nubian square to take off and in the meantime just enjoy Downtown, Brookline, Central Square in Cambridge and South Bay Mall in Dorchester. If not South Shore Plaza in the suburbs:
I said a while ago that super dense urban livi ngg outside of a few mostly torn down projects isn’t really mainstream in the Boston black culture outside of the South End and that was 40 years ago. There are also elements of Yankee/New England so frugality/hardnoseness at play. New is nice but not a dealbreaker at all.
I wonder if DC is the only metro area with brand new Class A buildings that are 90% Black. Are there any examples in other cities around America?
I wonder if DC is the only metro area with brand new Class A buildings that are 90% Black. Are there any examples in other cities around America?
Well first you'd have to prove it's 90% black but yea id proly guess so. Well naw maybe Houston and Atlanta..maybe even a building in Detroit somewhere? I don't even know what a Class A building is just that 'A' is good and it's probably expensive lol. Never heard of it but from you. I think I know what it is more or less though.
I've been to 2/3 nice buildings in DC with a lot of black people but they were west of the river. Baltimore has a good # of professional black people in nice apartments downtown but not 90%.
I'm going to Boston tomorrow morning to just cool and hang out for my birthday.. Gotta a very full schedule but I'll let yall know what's going on or anything interesting I notice. I always have a good time. Going to a 4/20 party at a black-owned dispensary in Cambridge. Doug E Fresh is gonna be there...don't know what that means as he is an old head/ I've got another event lined up so I might dip ut. Going to a Cousin Stizz Concert at the new RoadRunner venue. Park 54 is a nice restaurant that should be open now but while they say they have the green light to open from the city they cant fin any staff to hire. They should have been open a month ago smh. I'm annoyed because it's in Hyde Park near my Dad's house too. Only black full liquor license restaurant in Hyde Park- may be the first-ever.
Last edited by BostonBornMassMade; 04-19-2022 at 07:35 PM..
Well first you'd have to prove it's 90% black but yea id proly guess so. Well naw maybe Houston and Atlanta..maybe even a building in Detroit somewhere? I don't even know what a Class A building is just that 'A' is good and it's probably expensive lol. Never heard of it but from you. I think I know what it is more or less though.
I've been to 2/3 nice buildings in DC with a lot of black people but they were west of the river. Baltimore has a good # of professional black people in nice apartments downtown but not 90%.
I'm going to Boston tomorrow morning to just cool and hang out for my birthday.. Gotta a very full schedule but I'll let yall know what's going on or anything interesting I notice. I always have a good time. Going to a 4/20 party at a black-owned dispensary in Cambridge. Doug E Fresh is gonna be there...don't know what that means as he is an old head/ I've got another event lined up so I might dip ut. Going to a Cousin Stizz Concert at the new RoadRunner venue. Park 54 is a nice restaurant that should be open now but while they say they have the green light to open from the city they cant fin any staff to hire. They should have been open a month ago smh. I'm annoyed because it's in Hyde Park near my Dad's house too. Only black full liquor license restaurant in Hyde Park- may be the first-ever.
Should have come to DC for your bday. National Cannabis Festival is this weekend in DC. Happy Birthday bro!
There are very few people outside of African Americans near the metro stations I mentioned (Minnesota Avenue Metro Station, Largo Metro Station, Branch Avenue Metro Station, Prince George's Plaza Metro Station). I don't have stats, only census tract information and personal visits. Prince George's Plaza Metro Station does have a very high Hispanic population, but I don't think they live in the new buildings around the metro station.
I look forward to your updates for Boston after your visit.
Last edited by MDAllstar; 04-19-2022 at 10:09 PM..
Should have come to DC for your bday. National Cannabis Festival is this weekend in DC. Happy Birthday bro!
There are very few people outside of African Americans near the metro stations I mentioned (Minnesota Avenue Metro Station, Largo Metro Station, Branch Avenue Metro Station, Prince George's Plaza Metro Station). I don't have stats, only census tract information and personal visits.
thank you!
Everytime I go to DC I spend like 40% of my time in traffic and 20% waiting in a line. I honestly avoid DC it’s too much of a headache.The NCF looks dope though I see it on my IG fee but I just know it will be too much too hectic. Th last time I tried to go to home coming and then the time I saw Wale at Bliss kinda sealed the deal for me, unfortunately:
I’ve gone to Hemfest in Boston many times but after legalization the old mayor truncated it from 3 days of smoking in the Boston Common down to one mostly because after legalization the smoking and dealing got pretty crazy downtown and tourist didn’t like it or weren’t expecting it. Mayor Wu will def let it be lengthened again. It used to be amazing. More Half Baked/aide Herre My Car/How High than Wiz Khalifa… Before NCF it was the second largest Cannabis festival in the US. It’s a thousand different cannabis festivals and MA is a legal state with 200+ dispos and like 4 black owned one sun Boston/Cambridge. so it’s a no brainer.
Lotta minor incidents like this were mad common and got the event shortened (plus the legalization goal was achieved so the city said there no reason for it) https://youtu.be/QpbocV2od5g *note that yet again, like Carribean Carnival a large event with no police presence…. Police stand on the outside of the common to make sure people didn’t smoke outside of that area.
Everytime I go to DC I spend like 40% of my time in traffic and 20% waiting in a line. I honestly avoid DC it’s too much of a headache.The NCF looks dope though I see it on my IG fee but I just know it will be too much too hectic. Th last time I tried to go to home coming and then the time I saw Wale at Bliss kinda sealed the deal for me, unfortunately:
I’ve gone to Hemfest in Boston many times but after legalization the old mayor truncated it from 3 days of smoking in the Boston Common down to one mostly because after legalization the smoking and dealing got pretty crazy downtown and tourist didn’t like it or weren’t expecting it. Mayor Wu will def let it be lengthened again. It used to be amazing. More Half Baked/aide Herre My Car/How High than Wiz Khalifa… Before NCF it was the second largest Cannabis festival in the US. It’s a thousand different cannabis festivals and MA is a legal state with 200+ dispos and like 4 black owned one sun Boston/Cambridge. so it’s a no brainer.
Lotta minor incidents like this were mad common and got the event shortened (plus the legalization goal was achieved so the city said there no reason for it) https://youtu.be/QpbocV2od5g *note that yet again, like Carribean Carnival a large event with no police presence…. Police stand on the outside of the common to make sure people didn’t smoke outside of that area.
You're from the city though. Aren't you used to that?
You would think right? It’s weird cuz Boston has traffic (apparently the worst congestion in the nation) but it doesn’t feel as bad as DC in regular neighborhoods. But yea I never eve drive in downtown Boston. It doesn’t get worse than that. It wasn’t designed for cars at all which actually makes Boston really pleasant to walk around downtown, ‘Americas Walking City’
But most of the worst traffic coming into the city is from route 3 to the far southeast and route 2 to the far northwest and out of the city. I never drive in those because it ain’t no black people along those routes. Boston lack of street grid means far fewer 4 way intersections than grids cities and it also doesn’t have speed bumps or traffic cameras. It’s an easier drive by experience.
WMATA>>MBTA though… I should ride it more. But it’s just kind of more expensive than what I was used to. Im probably being unfair realistically but that DC congestion in the city feel unbearable. Even east of the river Northeast feels bad, Southeast I can do.
Boston crowds are full but DC it seems like every event everywhere is super full. I think because it’s activities are a bit more centralized ? Like uncomfortably so-I remember last time I tried to go to the Howard like tailgate for homecoming and it took us like 40 minute to walk a few blocks because the crowd was so thick.
You would think right? It’s weird cuz Boston has traffic (apparently the worst congestion in the nation) but it doesn’t feel as bad as DC in regular neighborhoods. But yea I never eve drive in downtown Boston. It doesn’t get worse than that. It wasn’t designed for cars at all which actually makes Boston really pleasant to walk around downtown, ‘Americas Walking City’
But most of the worst traffic coming into the city is from route 3 to the far southeast and route 2 to the far northwest and out of the city. I never drive in those because it ain’t no black people along those routes. Boston lack of street grid means far fewer 4 way intersections than grids cities and it also doesn’t have speed bumps or traffic cameras. It’s an easier drive by experience.
WMATA>>MBTA though… I should ride it more. But it’s just kind of more expensive than what I was used to. Im probably being unfair realistically but that DC congestion in the city feel unbearable. Even east of the river Northeast feels bad, Southeast I can do.
Boston crowds are full but DC it seems like every event everywhere is super full. I think because it’s activities are a bit more centralized ? Like uncomfortably so-I remember last time I tried to go to the Howard like tailgate for homecoming and it took us like 40 minute to walk a few blocks because the crowd was so thick.
DC metro ($2.00) is now cheaper than NYC ($2.75) and Boston ($2.40) the entire weekend and at night.
-One-way Metrorail fares: $2 for any one-way trip all weekend.
-Late-night Metrorail fares: $2 for any one-way trip after 9:30 p.m.
-Seven-Day Unlimited Pass: Ride unlimited Metrorail and Metrobus for a week for $29.
We haven't talked much about Philadelphia's Black neighborhoods in any of these threads. How are they doing? Are there successful retail corridors in Black neighborhoods in Philadelphia full of Black owned businesses? If so, where and what businesses? Is there a corridor like DC's Anacostia neighborhood with predominantly Black owned businesses?
If not, are there plans to revitalize Black business corridors in Philadelphia? If so, which ones?
The principal business districts in Philadelphia's majority-, plurality- and significant-minority Black neighborhoods — 52d Street in West Philadelphia, North 22d Street in North Central Philadelphia, Ogontz Avenue in West Oak Lane, Chelten and Germantown avenues in Germantown, Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy, Wadsworth Avenue in far East Mt. Airy, Germantown Avenue in Nicetown and Fairhill, Baltimore Avenue on the border between South and Southwest Philadelphia, Point Breeze Avenue in Point Breeze — are generally pretty full of businesses, Point Breeze Avenue something of an exception, but I wouldn't say Black-owned businesses make up a majority of any of these strips.
You will find them scattered across each one of them, though, as well as in some places outside these neighborhoods (Harriett's Bookshop in Fishtown, Ida's Bookshop in Collingswood, NJ, and Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, also in Fishtown, I'm looking at you).
From what I can tell, the one group that has done a really good job of renewing a struggling business corridor and filling it with Black businesses is the Nicetown Community Development Corporation, which has built new mixed-use residential-retail structures on Germantown Avenue below Wayne Junction and found a number of Black businesses to fill them. The city's CDCs in general have a pretty decent track record of helping Black businesses along, and most of them have a commercial corridor as their focus, but they often fly below the radar.
-One-way Metrorail fares: $2 for any one-way trip all weekend.
-Late-night Metrorail fares: $2 for any one-way trip after 9:30 p.m.
-Seven-Day Unlimited Pass: Ride unlimited Metrorail and Metrobus for a week for $29.
Ayyyee that’s lit!
I remember paying like $4.50 for service in DC sometimes (up to $5.75) at the time it was $1.70 in Boston. But even when Boston rose it’s fares (twice) it was always cheaper than DC because DC does the smart thing and charges by distance and peak hours. Add to this you never had to pay for a hard plastic Charlie card. The practice was to leave a bunch of them on top of the machines. Very often I’d find one with $1 or $2,
Tbh back in those days I was a hooligan I rarely paid in Boston because like everything else there is/was no enforcement of fare evasion. I was young and just hopped the gate routinely or came through behind someone else. One time a T employee left their ID on top of one of the gates and I just grabbed it not know it was a T employee. I rode the train for like $.60 all 2017. Heavenly
Boston has or had a weird culture of people who don’t have any manners or decorum (see: Kyrie Irving v Celtics fans feud, see: Bobby Brown, See: Mark Wahlberg, See: Patrice O’Neal, See: Joe Rogan and many others) within a pretty regimented city in terms of laws. The police is a patronage job and they’re a little unprofessional. And there was a very big scofflaw culture/‘cut me some slack’ culture. In DC in 2011 it was very much not like that at all. I was struck by the “no eating, no playing music no drinking” signs on the WMATA but saw it was effective for cleanliness. I learned things about different cultures. In Boston it was culture to eat dunks in the train on your way to school or work so I was like..”do all these people just eat at home and actually pay these fares??” Lol. But DC was more loose on some other things.
Last edited by BostonBornMassMade; 04-19-2022 at 11:40 PM..
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