New Yorker looking for potential move to MA. Need advice. (Boston: new home, neighborhood)

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

But if your problem is with illegals from third world countries.. how do you even know if they are illegal? Your obviously just stereotyping here.

Did I accuse somebody of being illegal? I'm confused.

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

It wasn't too long ago Irish folk were coming over using dead peoples social security cards and working in Boston (~2013-2015). We never hear anyone complain about that. Ireland sure the hell isn't a third world nation. So why characterize third world nation's as the problem? Is it because they are mostly non white?

Eh, there were quite a few complaints actually. Many of them came from IRISH Americans. There is a BIG gap between "Irish" Irish and Boston Irish. Separate communities, cultures and very often not on the same page.


But it would be lie to say not SOME of the anti-illegal sentiment is rooted in racism, it just doesn't really apply in the cases I'm talking about.

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

Sure there may be a few illegal immigrants, working in Massachusetts to try to help out food on their table. But the only thing that is propelling crime is systematic raciam. Until you fix it youll be back to square one.

Huh???

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Negative effects? Aren’t all the towns you listed objectively better in every single way than what they were in 2000? if you can collect two or three data points that prove that’s not the case then OK we can talk.

So far as I know compared to 1995 or 2000 crime is lower in Lynn, Somerville, Chelsea.

Home Values are up.

School test scores are up.

Residential infill and new restaurants are abundant..

What’s the negative effect? Gentrification? Don’t almost all the old timers up there own their homes? Don’t they eventually sell for a big cash out and move to warmer states? Seriously, correct me if I’m wrong.

Higher rents. Overcrowding. More unregistered cars, unlicensed drivers (leading to more accidents/higher insurance, etc.), Old timers cashing out of their old homes and selling to an investor who will put 9 families in a 3 decker, does not exactly help the younger folks starting out. Fewer local jobs available to younger people. Some neighborhoods have seen an increase in crime, statistically or not. Some of it is perceived, some of it is real. There are many reasons...

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Higher rents. Overcrowding. More unregistered cars, unlicensed drivers (leading to more accidents/higher insurance, etc.), Old timers cashing out of their old homes and selling to an investor who will put 9 families in a 3 decker, does not exactly help the younger folks starting out. Fewer local jobs available to younger people. Some neighborhoods have seen an increase in crime, statistically or not. Some of it is perceived, some of it is real. There are many reasons...

Higher rents and over crowding don’t affect lifers who mostly own their homes. At all.

I thinks the complaints are valid for people who compete for apartments or live in buildings with arrivals from South America but again if you look at people per househols for those cities there’s no hard data on overcrowding being prevalent-but I’m not naive enough to think it doesn’t.

Is there any data to suggest there are actually mire accidents?

I think you make some decent points I’d just want to see real data. Only thing I know to be actually try and not just fears and concerns about possibilities.

Regardless -al things considered-it seems these communities are healthier than 20/25 years ago.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Higher rents and over crowding don’t affect lifers who mostly own their homes. At all.

But they vastly affect those late 20s to early 40s who grew up there, but weren't able to get in on the housing market early enough. And then you get those older than that who just happened to have rented their whole lives. I worked with a few, every few years they would get pushed out to Revere, then to Peabody or Lynn, then to Haverhill (and so on). I imagine those "lifers" who own their homes are laughing all the way to the bank, and not crying a whole lot in the process. Some might be reliant on that money to fund their retirement in FL however, and have a bit bitterness about their kids not being able to remain in the community.

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

I thinks the complaints are valid for people who compete for apartments or live in buildings with arrivals from South America but again if you look at people per househols for those cities there’s no hard data on overcrowding being prevalent-but I’m not naive enough to think it doesn’t.

Not totally sure, but the populations are rising in these cities faster than new housing construction would suggest. Also remember that illegals are vastly undercounted on the census, and the 2020 one is supposedly going to be the most inaccurate one yet.

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Is there any data to suggest there are actually mire accidents?

I think you make some decent points I’d just want to see real data. Only thing I know to be actually try and not just fears and concerns about possibilities.

I'm going by people's perceptions. If data exists, I would certainly like to see it though. I do know auto insurance has gone off the charts in some of those communities (East Boston, Chelsea...), and I've heard multiple accounts of people being in hit and runs or struck by uninsured drivers, etc.. But is it worse than 10 or 20 years ago, IDK. Without seeing the stats, I have deferred to those who actually lived there during this time (who all say it HAS gotten worse no matter what background they happen to come from themselves).

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Regardless -al things considered-it seems these communities are healthier than 20/25 years ago.

Crime rates have certainly gone down in most, but that can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. Parts of East Boston have gentrified or cleaned up despite having more illegals and accompanying poverty/associated issues, while some blocks are as sketchy as ever. Interestingly, I've heard Orient Heights (what was the "quieter" part of Eastie) has had a growing number of issues.

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by Cantabridgienne

Since you're not Irish, why is it so important that you are around other "Irish" people? Is that just code for white?

I know plenty of people of any nationality that want to live in a community as similar as possible to who they are. I don't see anything weird about it even though I personally am the opposite.

[Cantabridgienne]

Originally Posted by Lampert

I know plenty of people of any nationality that want to live in a community as similar as possible to who they are. I don't see anything weird about it even though I personally am the opposite.

When my partner first moved to NYC (from Ireland) at the age of 20, he lived in Woodside, then Sunnyside (both in Queens), which have large Irish and Irish American communities. He did so primarily because someone he knew from home had an open spot in a cheap apartment and he was able to take advantage of an Expat network of people for legal help, job leads, etc.




When he and I moved from NYC to Boston years later though, proximity to other Irish people was never a consideration when we were deciding where exactly to live aside from him wanting to know which bars would show Irish rugby. I'm just curious as to why a middle-aged American is deeming it so important unless it's a way to say he doesn't want to be around people of color.

[OutdoorLover]

We do have a good many Irish in the area, but if you're super-conservative, holding onto a lot of rage, and your top drivers are that the people around you had better be of the same ethnicity and political viewpoint as yourself, I just don't think that Mass is a good choice.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by scorpio516

But all those are interconnected.
It's safe cause it's rich.
It's rich cause it's smart.
It's liberal cause it's smart
It's expensive cause it's rich (and small)

Boston isn't really a rich city. Just because someone male a salary there doesn't mean they live there. Crime has increased significantly in the past year as more that used to work are telecommuting and that tilts the average.

I wouldn't say liberal and smart are the same thing. It's expensive because of restrictions. 30,000 city employees must live in Boston, prevailing wages, zoning restrictions for new homes, lack of transit in some areas.

Post covid rents are dropping. September should be interesting. Kids go back or not? Boston wants a hybrid. Heck tens of thousands left Cambridge

[Bridge781]

Sooo this is again where I get frustrated with this forum. I’ve seen sooooo many posts from people of certain ethnicities come on here and say, hey where can I find a neighborhood with other indian, Chinese or black people. No one ever says a thing and just helps the person. Maybe this guy took it a bit far calling out the third world country thing but if he was living I a a neighborhood where he was witnessing crime frequently by illegals who happen to be from 3rd world countries I can see where he’s had enough. I’ve been there. Many people don’t want to live in a neighborhood where illegal activity is happening. Not a big deal y’all.

As far as not wanting to be around liberal people, well yes there are more and more in Boston and the greater Boston area these days. I am not familiar with the north shore but the south shore is definitely more conservative. I don’t what your budget is but there are parts of Quincy and Braintree that could work. Really any town on the south shore you probably won’t find to be particularly liberal. Oh how about the cape?

Are you from Ireland?

[Bridge781]

And for all of those accusing him of wanting to be around white people check your own neighborhood first. I’m guessing none of you live in mattapan, Roxbury, Dorchester or Hyde park. Stop being so hypocritical.