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That's very different than Black neighborhoods in DC which lack significant retail. That is about to change in a huge way though. Are there any upscale Black owned establishments in those Black Boston neighborhoods? How about trendy Black owned spots (Brunch etc.) for hanging out? Black neighborhoods in DC have the lower end retail and carryout spots, but what is coming through the pipeline are upscale Black owned establishments.
No not many trendy black spots or black spaces in Boston in general- especially not compared to DC. Darryl’s Slades are staples but after that it a pretty damn dry. There is the Pearl which is new and District 7 Tavern closed as soon as that opened… and Park 54 is about to open. Top Mix is kind of upscale and Dominican but half their clientele is definitely black. Jazz Urbane Cafe should be opening in Nubian Square in the fall (it’s been delayed a few times). Apex Noire is going to be black owned by former mayoral finalist Tito Jackson- a Cannabis store/Cafe and full service bar and lounge as well. It will be in a 5 story building in the heart of Downtown Boston, nearby Savvor. But certainly not in a black neighborhood. The only nightlife spots are Kay’s Oasis Macumba Lounge (Cape Verdean owned and catering to Dominicans, located in 77% black Mattapan) and Russell Auditorium. People also use Hibernian Hall and Dublin House (lower class folks and Irish owned). If you want a mature black crowd in a black neighborhood you’re pretty much gonna be regulated to the Pearl, Slades, Darryl’s, Wally’s and Fort Hill Bar and Grill. But Fort Hill Bar and Grille the Pearl and Darryl’s are all in formerly black and now mixed race sub neighborhoods. Park 54 and Jazz Urbane should expand those options. The Underground at Northeastern is black owned and hosts some black events.
Wally’s is the longest lasting black jazz club and lounge establishment in Boston- founded in 1947 by a Barbadian immigrant, Joseph Walcott. It’s in the South End near Lower Roxbury.
Some folks prefer to go to the Coast Cafe in the Coast neighborhood of Cambridge
Personally I really only go to TopMix, the Pearl and then I’m usually at bars that cater to a mixed crowd and are downtown/Fenway like the 4th Wall, SideBar and Jillian’s. For nightclubs there are a few but they play to a 20 somethings crowd and usually cater to a mixed black/Latino/immigrant sound as opposed to straight hip hop it’s gonna almost always be “HIP HOP • DANCEHALL • SOCA • TOP 40 • AFROBEAT • INTERNATIONAL (•REGGAETON)”
It’s not uncommon for a two room/two level club to have hip hop and afrobeat in one room and reggaeton/dancehall in the other room.
Last edited by BostonBornMassMade; 01-04-2022 at 07:42 PM..
That's very different than Black neighborhoods in DC which lack significant retail. That is about to change in a huge way though. Are there any upscale Black owned establishments in those Black Boston neighborhoods? How about trendy Black owned spots (Brunch etc.) for hanging out? Black neighborhoods in DC have the lower end retail and carryout spots, but what is coming through the pipeline are upscale Black owned establishments.
Interesting.
I know in Downtown St. Louis, there is a lack of retail. No City Target, Nordstrom Rack or Burlington. Those seem to becoming staples in many DTs. DT STL hasn't developed due to demographics of the area.
When I say suburban- yes I mean outside of Boston. There’s a system that busses black Latino students to suburbs outside of Boston. It’s been running since 1966.
Retail in black neighborhoods is pretty thorough- like NYC lite, very lite. Significantly more retail than DC. “Squares” are common Place but there’s also a lot of retail along main travel corridors.
Hyde Park Ave, Washington Street, Washington Street (Roslindale), Roslindale Village, Dudley Street, South Bay Center, Blue Hill Ave, Dorchester Ave, Norfolk Street, Warren Street, Mattapan Square, Codman Square, Clearly Square all are lined with retail. Plus the Mall of Roxbury: There are a few off street parking shopping plazas along River Street in Mattapan and again in Hyde Park. There’s another in Roslindale. In Fields Corner and Roslindale there’s a Target.
Most of the retail is lower income working clas like Rainbow , Eblens, Expressions (our DTLR and ShoeCity) Planet Fitness, Funkin Donuts, Walgreens, CVS, Footlocker, Cellphone stores a bunch of smaller clothing stores and boutiques, African Clothing stores, Computer repair, casual restaurants etc. it’s lined with 1 and 2 story retail. All the neighborhoods are “open” to it. Not many vacancies
South Bay has a movie theater, Best Buy, a target, Home Depot, brewery, Olive Garden, Applebees, Nikeyown, Forever 21 and more.
Hyde Park has Americas Food Basket, PriceRite, Star Market and Stop and Shop.
Dorchester has Daily Table, PriceRite, Foodland, Americas Food Basket, Star Market, and Stop and Shop
Roxbury Has Tropical Foods, Daily Table, PriceRite
Mattapan Has Americas Food Basket, and Baby Nats Fruitland
There’s also a Whole Foods in Jamaica Plain near Roxbury, and a Stop and Shop in Mission Hill near Roxbury. Roslindale has a Target Grocery and A PriceRite in its blacker areas nearest Hyde Park.
DC's Black neighborhoods in Ward 7 and 8 will need a lot of redevelopments to match the retail in Boston's Black neighborhoods. Some of the most popular Black owned restaurants in the region are opening locations east of the river currently so that will start the change. Here are a few of them:
Wow, thanks for posting that link. It's very informative on what those neighborhoods in LA looked like in 2008. I noticed many of the historically Black neighborhoods like Compton, Watts, and Historic South Central had very low Black populations in 2008. Have they migrated to new neighborhoods? Inglewood was still around 46% Black back in 2008 based on that website. Where are they living now?
Ladera Heights looks like a neighborhood that would qualify for this thread. You didn't mention it for LA. Here are the demographics from 2000 off your link.
I don't think Takoma or Petworth in NW are predominantly black anymore, but I haven't checked the census data for them. I would recommend Hillcrest, Penn Branch, Benning, and River Terrace.
Population Density: 4,960.4 people per square mile (Includes Large Park Land)
Percent Black: 76% Black
Median Household Income: $110,194
Median Age: 47.1 years old
Population Density: 2,707.8 people per square mile (Includes Large Park Land)
Percent Black: 76% Black
Median Household Income: $118,011
Median Age: 47.2 years old
The increase in retail options EOTR is great and sorely needed.
I included petworth and takoma because of their walkability and retail options. I’m trying to think of there are other neighborhoods in DC that meet the criteria…maybe Carver/Langston and Kingman Park?
Wow, thanks for posting that link. It's very informative on what those neighborhoods in LA looked like in 2008. I noticed many of the historically Black neighborhoods like Compton, Watts, and Historic South Central had very low Black populations in 2008. Have they migrated to new neighborhoods? Inglewood was still around 46% Black back in 2008 based on that website. Where are they living now?
The west side of Inglewood was still overwhelmingly black (>90%) when I lived there 6 years ago, but I hear that it's changing rapidly. In LA the pattern has been for black neighborhoods to become more Latino (Compton, Inglewood, Watts, South LA), but the very recent pattern is for more white people to move in. White people used to only gentrify Latino neighborhoods, but not anymore. Some streets/neighborhoods that had no visible white people, even visiting, are now increasingly white.
Quote:
Ladera Heights looks like a neighborhood that would qualify for this thread. You didn't mention it for LA. Here are the demographics from 2000 off your link.
Population Density: 7,553.5 people per square mile
Percent Black: 76% Black
Median Household Income: $124,286
Median Age: 47.9 years old
It's not very urban and very car-centric. The walkscore for that neighborhood is a 32. It's nice though. I remember Coolio used to live over there. Maybe still does for all I know.
The west side of Inglewood was still overwhelmingly black (>90%) when I lived there 6 years ago, but I hear that it's changing rapidly. In LA the pattern has been for black neighborhoods to become more Latino (Compton, Inglewood, Watts, South LA), but the very recent pattern is for more white people to move in. White people used to only gentrify Latino neighborhoods, but not anymore. Some streets/neighborhoods that had no visible white people, even visiting, are now increasingly white.
So Black people aren't going to other neighborhoods in LA? Instead, they are leaving LA?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Easy
It's not very urban and very car-centric. The walkscore for that neighborhood is a 32. It's nice though. I remember Coolio used to live over there. Maybe still does for all I know.
Are there any major developments coming to Ladera Heights? I have never been a fan of walk score because it's based on retail which can change. The walk score in all the neighborhoods I have been talking about in DC is horrible, however, their walk scores are about to increase dramatically because of the retail being built in those neighborhoods.
For now it does. Not sure if it will still be 50% black by the end of the decade, which I find disappointing. The single family home neighborhoods east of Crenshaw on both sides of Manchester were a hidden secret with well kept homes and yards and considerably less crime than surrounding areas. That article was written at just the start and from what I hear there's lots more white people now.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but desirable middle class areas where black people are not a minority are very few in LA. Some don't like it, but others made some money by selling. Those that didn't sell early made a lot more.
For now it does. Not sure if it will still be 50% black by the end of the decade, which I find disappointing. The single family home neighborhoods east of Crenshaw on both sides of Manchester were a hidden secret with well kept homes and yards and considerably less crime than surrounding areas. That article was written at just the start and from what I hear there's lots more white people now.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but desirable middle class areas where black people are not a minority are very few in LA. Some don't like it, but others made some money by selling. Those that didn't sell early made a lot more.
Do you about the status of similar neighborhoods in NE Carson or northern Gardena with similar demographics?
The increase in retail options EOTR is great and sorely needed.
I included petworth and takoma because of their walkability and retail options. I’m trying to think of there are other neighborhoods in DC that meet the criteria…maybe Carver/Langston and Kingman Park?
Obviously, most neighborhoods west of the Anacostia River have substantial retail in very urban, dense, vibrant neighborhoods, but are those establishments Black owned? I think that is the criteria most neighborhoods around the nation will struggle to meet.
All the neighborhoods I posted in Ward 7 and 8 have substantial mixed-use development being built which will change the way people experience them from an urban standpoint.
Kingman Park and Carver/Langston would be an option, but there aren't any developments coming to those neighborhoods. The retail along that corridor has massive potential through redevelopment, but it won't happen till well after all the developments east of the river open up.
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