Most North “hood” in the northeast (Boston, Worcester: fit in, city hall)

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Yeah the scene one would get at the Dunkin Donuts on Main St. late night circa 2000, has definitely passed (I stopped there on a Friday or Saturday around midnight 10 years later and couldn't believe the difference). But I do know somebody who had a business down there, and said there are still waves of problems (especially property stuff). This was within the last 5 years.

Yeah, it's still a high poverty area which has the associated issues which come with. Not trying to claim otherwise.

The difference is you don't have an informal group trying to 'culturally' claim the entire Main St. by being loud, brash, and generally threatening. It's too mixed these days and the newer property owners, most of whom employ and serve the immediate community, aren't going to tolerate the 'bad actors' to the same degree daytime-only blue-collar industrial owners did. Appearances matter now.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

New Bedford is leaning hood at this point IMO. Its gotta somewhat notable (locally) rap scene/hip hop culture more akin to Brockton than Fall River, albeit smaller. New Bedford is gonna get me of that hood-gentrified dichotomy than Fall River over time.

We had a Weld Square discussion after a shooting recently. Weld Square has been a hooker/junkie disaster since the early 1970s urban renewal bulldozed in Route 18.


Some of the worst projects like "Fort Kempton" were knocked down and replaced. The big change is the Portuguese/Azores multifamily neighborhoods with mostly owner-occupied housing stock have gone Section 8 investor. Blocks that used to be immaculate with grandmothers out with brooms sweeping sidewalks are now really run down. With that kind of ownership model, there's no way those parts of the city will ever come back.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Yeah, it's still a high poverty area which has the associated issues which come with. Not trying to claim otherwise.

The difference is you don't have an informal group trying to 'culturally' claim the entire Main St. by being loud, brash, and generally threatening. It's too mixed these days and the newer property owners, most of whom employ and serve the immediate community, aren't going to tolerate the 'bad actors' to the same degree daytime-only blue-collar industrial owners did. Appearances matter now.

Another difference be could be the act that people don't need to or want to be out on the street corners as much as people in inner-city areas did back in 2000. Internet, cell phones, prescription drugs etc. In general street activity is less everywhere.

[magicshark]

I work in Main South. I don't drive so I take the bus and walk up Main every day. I would never call it a 'hood. Sometimes it vaguely resembles a skid row though. No just kidding.
The vast majority of people I see everyday are the working poor with most of those being Immigrants. They look tired every morning as I pass them at their bus stops or waiting for a car to pick them up. There is definitely some sketchy people in the neighborhood though. They tend towards drug addicted homeless. Although I would never call them harmless they invoke mainly pity and not fear.

If you are not aware then diagonally across from Eastern Boarder is The Ivy Corset Building. The city just approved a dispensary to open on the second floor. It should be interesting.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Another difference be could be the act that people don't need to or want to be out on the street corners as much as people in inner-city areas did back in 2000. Internet, cell phones, prescription drugs etc. In general street activity is less everywhere.

Yeah, this an interesting tech/social transition point which I'm not really accounting for. During the same period, my white suburban peers were also 'in the streets' away from the tyranny (intentional hyperbole here) of our bored semi-rural PDs.

A lot have changed in two decades.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Yeah, this an interesting tech/social transition point which I'm not really accounting for. During the same period, my white suburban peers were also 'in the streets' away from the tyranny (intentional hyperbole here) of our bored semi-rural PDs.

A lot have changed in two decades.

It was only like 2007/2008 when you'd be out and people would be out too just at the park with friends or walking around because entertainment wasn't as accessible and omnipresent. When people were out they'd be heads up because there wasn't anything on your phone to be looking at. 'Texters' were kind of considered sort of young/weird/disassociative. Everyone shopped in person with only occasional purchases online, more likely for something rather serious than frivolous. You had to go to places to make things happen.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by magicshark

I work in Main South. I don't drive so I take the bus and walk up Main every day. I would never call it a 'hood. Sometimes it vaguely resembles a skid row though. No just kidding.

Chandler St. is skid row hahaha.

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Chandler St. is skid row hahaha.

Not sure what he is talking about either.

I am on Chandler st. pretty often and I have never once felt uncomfortable, let alone in danger. Not sure I have ever seen homeless tents either.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Lampert

Not sure what he is talking about either.

I am on Chandler st. pretty often and I have never once felt uncomfortable, let alone in danger. Not sure I have ever seen homeless tents either.

You must have seen all the strung out junkies, how could you not?

[magicshark]

Originally Posted by massnative71

You must have seen all the strung out junkies, how could you not?

Depends on which part of Chandler. The lower half past Park Street has a huge population of addicts and homeless. The shelter is right off of there on Queen St. My kids are forbidden from even thinking about going down to that part of Chandler.

They sleep in the doorways of some the buildings and hang out in groups on the park benches. I am a lot more nervous as a short woman on Chandler then down in Main South.

There are some bright spots down there though. I really like Big Boi Meat Market. I also used to like bringing the family, pre pandemic, to the backroom of Suney's.