Is Lynn, MA on the rise? Is this an underrated city? (Salem: homes, living)

[Bruins_Fan]

Originally Posted by BUer

Drove through Lynn yesterday. Still looks like a sh!thole.

Miles and miles of run-down homes and chain strip malls, with shady characters walking down the streets. You definitely wouldn't know you're in New England in one of the wealthiest states in the country from driving around Lynn.

Hate to tell ya, but you can find dumpy areas, run down homes, and shady people in all 50 states. Doesn't matter if it's Mass, CT, RI, CA...etc

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by BUer

Uh, my point was that Lynn doesn't have many of the New England charms that people associate. Nice try at being a smartass.

Originally Posted by BUer

Yeah there's a reason why that part of CT shouldn't really still be called New England. It doesn't look too different from Arkansas.


Waterbury, CT

I like how that strip mall is called Colonial Plaza and owned by New England Rental Properties.

I'm guessing you've never been to Danbury. I'm also guessing you've never been to the Mississippi Delta. If you'd been to both you'd realize how silly it is to compare Connecticut to Arkansas based on strip mall. Sure they look the same from inside a McDonalds, but that's not a fair or reasonable comparison.

And I'm not sure what you think New England is supposed to look like, but poor industrial towns full of immigrants are as much if not more a part of real New England history as rich small towns that specialize in looking pretty for tourists.

[pennyone]

"And I'm not sure what you think New England is supposed to look like, but poor industrial towns full of immigrants are as much if not more a part of real New England history as rich small towns that specialize in looking pretty for tourists."...

If I could rep this 100 times plus, I would. After a while I want to throw up whenever a segment of ch 5's Chronicle comes on tv.

[parried]

Originally Posted by BUer

Drove through Lynn yesterday. Still looks like a sh!thole.

Miles and miles of run-down homes and chain strip malls, with shady characters walking down the streets. You definitely wouldn't know you're in New England in one of the wealthiest states in the country from driving around Lynn.

It's basically the big sister of Lawrence. I remember being near the common once, and asking people for directions and it took me a few tries to get someone that spoke english. Most of the people couldn't even speak english very well. That common was probably the filthiest I've ever seen. It looked like a city dump with grass on top.

I hope you don't feel this way towards Nahant though.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by parried

It's basically the big sister of Lawrence. I remember being near the common once, and asking people for directions and it took me a few tries to get someone that spoke english. Most of the people couldn't even speak english very well. That common was probably the filthiest I've ever seen. It looked like a city dump with grass on top.

I hope you don't feel this way towards Nahant though.

Many parts of Lawrence actually are very well kept up. Parts of the downtown are pretty clean, similar looking to downtown Nashua. Higher Hispanic population percentage-wise than Lynn, but many more are middle-class who eventually leave Lawrence for Methuen or Salem, NH.

The area along the beach in Lynn is very scenic, as classic New England as Swampscott or Marblehead.

[sal1181]

I lived in the Diamond District section of Lynn(bordering Swampscott) for 6 years and enjoyed it. Especially in the Summer the beach area is nice.

[Urban Peasant]

I first set foot in Central Square/Lynn in 2000. It was really horrible back then, with run down buildings, vacant sotrefronts, broken windows, and a whole bunch of druggies/homeless congregating around the bus depot. Since then, it has gotten significantly better. The run down buildings with broken windows have all gotten remodeled into new apartments and condos, there are more occupied storefronts, and farmer's markets have added a new sense of vibrancy. I kind of liken Lynn to Roxbury and Central Square as another Dudley Square, getting better but not quite glamorous yet.

[wheelz]

The schools in Lynn are being overrun with illegal, non English speaking, immigrants and yes, some of them are adults, in fact, one "child" was found out to be 26 years old. It is putting a tremendous strain on the city's budget.

The Illegals do not have to show birth certificates in order to attend and also do not have to show medical records, which forces the city to have to supply (and pay for) the necessary immunizations for them to become part of the school system. Almost none of them speak English which also puts a terrible strain on the schools and unfortunately takes away from the Legal Citizens who do speak English and/or who are doing things properly according to Federal and State unenforced laws.

Judith Kennedy, Lynn's Mayor, has been extremely outspoken about these issues and unfortunately her hands are tied. She even went so far as to try satellite classrooms and after hours teaching to try to tackle the overcrowding and the overall burden of trying to accommodate so many non English speaking students. She was told she was breaking the law by attempting these things and had to cease and desist.

This problem has put a tremendous strain on the entire school system and the city itself. She only has so much money to operate the city and because of the school system budget she has had to cut fire, police, highway departments and even the library budget. She is fighting the good fight, but she is getting creamed.

If I had school aged children there is no way I would consider living in Lynn

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by wheelz

The schools in Lynn are being overrun with illegal, non English speaking, immigrants and yes, some of them are adults, in fact, one "child" was found out to be 26 years old. It is putting a tremendous strain on the city's budget.

The Illegals do not have to show birth certificates in order to attend and also do not have to show medical records, which forces the city to have to supply (and pay for) the necessary immunizations for them to become part of the school system. Almost none of them speak English which also puts a terrible strain on the schools and unfortunately takes away from the Legal Citizens who do speak English and/or who are doing things properly according to Federal and State unenforced laws.

Judith Kennedy, Lynn's Mayor, has been extremely outspoken about these issues and unfortunately her hands are tied. She even went so far as to try satellite classrooms and after hours teaching to try to tackle the overcrowding and the overall burden of trying to accommodate so many non English speaking students. She was told she was breaking the law by attempting these things and had to cease and desist.

This problem has put a tremendous strain on the entire school system and the city itself. She only has so much money to operate the city and because of the school system budget she has had to cut fire, police, highway departments and even the library budget. She is fighting the good fight, but she is getting creamed.

If I had school aged children there is no way I would consider living in Lynn

And Duval actually had the nerve to offer Massachusetts' "help" in taking in those illegal children who have
no where to go". Luckily they did not come to MA. Otherwise, they would have been taken in, and escaped and then all congregate in cities like Lynn and Lawrence, making the situation even worse. I used to be very liberal about these issues until I begin to see the social and economic costs exacted on our cities due to these policies. Very often these policies are enacted by politicians who do not live anywhere near where the problems would be. Didn't Duval live in Milton? I am almost ashamed to say it since I grew in in Milton.

[wheelz]

Originally Posted by pennyone

And Duval actually had the nerve to offer Massachusetts' "help" in taking in those illegal children who have
no where to go". Luckily they did not come to MA. Otherwise, they would have been taken in, and escaped and then all congregate in cities like Lynn and Lawrence, making the situation even worse. I used to be very liberal about these issues until I begin to see the social and economic costs exacted on our cities due to these policies. Very often these policies are enacted by politicians who do not live anywhere near where the problems would be. Didn't Duval live in Milton? I am almost ashamed to say it since I grew in in Milton.

Yes and Charlie Baker's stance on the importation of said illegals was pathetic. I am hoping he does something in regards to the illegal immigration here in Massachusetts. There is a 500 million dollar shortfall in the budget, eliminating some of the 2 billion dollars illegal immigration costs the state annually would be a great place for him to make up the shortfall he is facing.