Boston -- Classic or Dirty Water?

I have nothing against Memphis, mind you (beyond a somewhat irrational feeling that moving back to the city where you grew up is tantamount to giving up), but if we're going to move to the South, I would much prefer Atlanta or the DC area. If we move at all, I'd like to go to San Francisco, DC, Chicago, Vancouver, Montreal, London, Berlin, Sydney, or Amsterdam. (If I knew Japanese, Tokyo would also be under consideration.)

Aerosmith now, please. I think the early 80's version (Steven Tyler locked away in seedy motels, emerging only to score smack) was preferable to todays incarnation. Though pissing off the crowd at the Indianapolis 500 is always admirable.

As much as I hate to admit it now, I used to be a Mets fan, and so alienated friends and family in 1986. Though on the bright side, the gambling was nice, I won countless bets and took money from friends and family alike.

My parents still want me to move there. "We know you like big cities, how come you never gave Boston a try?" Because it always feels second rate to me. Sorry, Bostonians. And it just doesn't seem as gregarious a town as New York. Though it's a hell of a lot friendlier than the town I live in now, Los Angeles.

However, it has the big city charm (from the hours of 6 AM to 1 AM) without much of the skeevy element that causes me to despise New York when I'm not in awe of it. However, were I living on the outskirts of Boston, working in some sort of programming capacity, pulling down the mean green, I would be in such heaven. (For a little while, anyway.) That said, I should probably escape the East Coast one of these days and check out US locales not named Bump or Bend or Coos Bay.

The traffic. Where else do people routinely cut you off, then give YOU the finger? Where else but Boston can you find signs that say "traffic lights timed for frequent stops". Why are there so many intersections where the two streets have the same name? And is there a law against signs which name the major streets? Why is everything so backwards here?

Why, why, with so many young people, is there so little alternative culture here? Why are there so many sports bars?

Why does it cost so much? Sure, you can find similar prices in SF or NYC, but take a look at the space, quality, style and the neighborhoods in those cities. People keep going on about how close something is to "Central Square". Who cares? - So you can be near to the Maxi's 99c store, a (ubiquitous) Dunkin Donuts, the Jax liquidation outlet, Putnam's discount furniture, the list goes on. $1400 for a filthy 1br hole in some horrible vinyl-sided 70s renovation in this "highly desirable" neighborhood.

I guess this dowdy puritanical New England town is just not for me.

So, yeah, Bri, visit, ya fule.

First off, I've been living here going on five years now. I've never lived in "Boston" proper--I lived in Cambridge for 4 years (MIT), and now I work on documentary films for WGBH (the Boston PBS affiliate) and live in Somerville. I think in order to love/hate this place fully, you've got to experience all the parts of it.

Of course most of Boston--the rich, snotty parts, like the Back Bay--suck. Avoid them like the plague. Yes, Central Square (which is in Cambridge, not Boston) has become more gentrified..but look beyond Central; explore the outer edges..Jamaica Plain, Brighton, Allston, Somerville. South Boston. The parts of Cambridge that aren't directly on the T but still within walking distance. The parts that are less traveled.

There is beauty here; you just have to find it. And as much as I sometimes think I hate living here, I find myself getting defensive about it. Today in Central Square I ran into a group of kids from Berkeley. They were walking down Mass Ave, and one of them said "Dude, this is nothing like Telegraph." Of course it's not.. keep your alterna-hippies to yourself, I say. Sure, we don't have Amoeba Records, but we do have some fucking good record stores here! I live a stone's throw away from Other Music, Planet Records, Disc Diggers, Twisted Village, and Nuggets, to name but a few of the great independently- minded music shops around here.

So I found myself walking these Berkeley kids around Central Square, pointing at things and saying "See this bank? This used to be an anarchist bookstore. See this Gap and this Starbucks? This block used to be full of great independent coffeehouses." I felt terrible, and cheesy, a back-in-the-day geezer even though I'm in my 20s. But this small-town city is a part of me. Then I pointed them out to some interesting places that they should go. I cheer for the little independents around the city that are still thriving, and support them as much as I can. Central Square still does have things going for it. The Middle East, for one, (with many great & cheap shows this year!), Harvest, 1369 Coffeehouse, etc. I live near Davis Square now, which has got a good amount of independent coffeeshops, bookstores, and bars...good restaurants, and its own modest little art scene that isn't New York in scale but doesn't try to be. Everything here is in miniature, but there's something odd and wonderful about that sometimes.

Sometimes I feel like I'm living on a sinking ship--like this place has had it's day and now it's over. But that's like crying and saying that you'll never listen to an other band after the Pixies broke up, because they were the best band ever. (Mind you, I did this.) You've got to keep looking around for the interesting bits of life. And when I move out of here for good in August for grad school, I think I will miss it sorely, because for as many faults as Cambridge/Somerville/ Boston/etc have, they've still got a lot of good, and a lot that we take for granted.

And hey, if anyone is visiting the Boston area, send me an email and I'd be glad to show you around to all the glorious weird bits that still lie below the surface.

Really, a lot of the problems Boston has could be marked down to poor transportation infrastructure. Make it easier for people to go places and more people will consider going to them.

Hell, Seattle pretty much winds down at 2am on any given night, with the exception of a few later places... and that doesn't seem too, ur, restrictive... Or is everyone in Boston an excommunicatee from New York?

Same deal with OC.

What I define as "shutdown" time is the time where 80% of nightlife retail shuts down, therefore making barhopping, convenience store loitering, and various shopping vices difficult. The odd open late night joint or rock venue doesn't count.

I did arrive there when the weather became really good, so maybe that's why everyone along the way was so friendly (I'm talking passerbys here, not just friends). And the public transportation is good...

I'm very likely coming back for Terrastock in October...

Woo-hoo!

Note too that I don't need to trash other cities to defend here. The great things about Boston speak for themselves. If you want to hate Boston, it's easy to do, but it's also easy to do that anywhere. I know grass-is-always-greener type of people. But if you want to love Boston, it's really easy too. It's a great walking city with a lot of fun things to do.

People talk about the lack of integration, but I don't know how many of you have walked through the South End, where you'll see people from every continent in the world and other diverse backgrounds all on the same streets. And people say hello to you when you're walking down the street there. JP is really integrated too. Or check out Cambridge or Maverick Square in East Boston. Since the 1990 census, every area that had predominantly one racial group lost people from that group and gained people from other groups. We also have the university with the most nations represented (BU) of any university in the nation.

Things close at 2 and it's definitely annoying, but you can go to the North End, Chinatown, or certain bars after and hang around for most of the night. Boston's great in the day too. You're never more than two blocks from a great park of some waterfront, and there are some of the most beautiful skyline views in the world here. Check out the view from the East Boston waterfront, or the view when you're landing at the airport or the view from the Mass Ave Bridge. Walk along the harbor walk throughout the north end and South Boston.

As to friendly people, try really smiling and saying hi to people as you walk in the morning. Sure, many will look away or not say hi. I've tried the same experiment in a bunch of cities and that's true everywhere, but some people will say hi. And people are much more likely to say hi if you're just a bit further from downtown or the touristy areas- once you get into neighborhoods.

We definitely have great culture at a manageable size. We spend the most on culture per capita of any major city in the US. Our Symphony Hall is one of the three best, acoustically, in the world. Our Museum of Fine Arts has the second largest art collection in the Western Hemisphere. Then we also have several university art museums, the Museum of Bad Art, the world's largest outdoor modern art exhibition center (in the western part of the state), and a great sculpture park in Lincoln, MA.

Our local music scene is great. Listen to 101.7, WFNX radio, or the college stations and check out the bars around Central Square.

And it's a city of today. Where else can you find two of the nations top universities (three of the top 25) within four stops on a public transportation line? Where else do you have 5 of the top 10 hospitals in the nation? The largest music store in the world? The largest university library collection (the third largest library collection in general)? The most books per square mile in the nation (Harvard Square)? People who don't need to spend an hour getting ready to leave the house every morning? The city ranked healthiest in the nation by men's health? And the most liveable by some Swiss Magazine.

Then Massachusetts is ranked the second best place in the nation to raise a child for a combination of safety, education and other reasons. This is one of the best job markets in the nation, and has the most college-educated population of any state.

Boston brought you the telephone, the Internet, anasthesia, the nation's first subway, the nation's first post office, the nation's first police department, the nation's first YMCA, the birthplace of two churches, the bulk of 19th century literature.

Then let's talk about people. Harvard educated 7 of the nation's presidents. 4 presidents called MA home. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X both called Boston home at one time or another. We were the birthplace of the abolitionist movement and a center of the women's rights movement. We are undoubtedly the nation's greatest sports town, but if you don't like sports, it's not hard to find ways to avoid them altogether.

We had the most breweries per capita in the nation at the turn of the 20th century. Today, we have much of the best beer again. Sam Adams is great and a tour of the brewery, including 4 samples of beer and a free souvenir glass is only $1.

We have two of the nation's top 10 beaches, aesthetically, within this state. 3 of the top four liberal arts colleges (including the best women's one). The best roller coaster in the world, according to Park World Magazine (at 6 flags New England). We have one of the lowest murder rates in the nation in this state, and we have been held up as a national example of crime prevention.

We've also been seen as a national example for tobacco prevention, public health, and foster care and adoption services.

This is a city filled with life and on the cusp of more great things. The completion of the Big Dig will bring beautiful parks. We're updating our waterfront, our airport, and our sports parks. There's construction all over the city. Sure the construction doesn't look that great, but it's a sign of a city that's very alive.

We have always been a leading architectural city in this nation, and our building codes work very hard to ensure we keep things to scale. That's why our tallest skyscraper is only 60 stories. We have architecture from 4 centuries here, from famous names including I.M. Pei and Le Corbusier (Harvard's campus is the only place in the nation with architecture from him). We have intricate sculptures on the storefronts in downtown crossing and the building fronts in the financial district. Our skyscrapers show a lot of variation. Trinity Church is considered one of the top 10 architectural structures in the nation.

our ice cream is great; try Herrel's in Harvard Square, especially for their frappes.

If you know where to look, we have every ethnic food imaginable. And we continue to keep the independent stores alive. Some unfortunately are being lost to chains, but we still have many. Check out places like Arlington Center and other small town centers for these. The strip mall is not as ubiquitous here as elsewhere, and we have nice town centers.

Then the history is awesome.

Also, we're actually not as expensive a place for housing as many had thought. Recent census info showed that.

So I have way too good a memory for this stuff. I love my city, and if you have a pre-determined opinion, it's easy to remember the stuff that confirms it.

I think the windy streets bring more life to the city. It's awesome that cows were urban planners, though the signs could be better.

There are plenty of nice people around here. Don't complain about their city so much, and you'll find more of them.

jp

OK so brunch on Sunday. Remy, Sean, and Maura I will msg you on fb.

also brad we both live closer to each other than either of us do to boston!!!

― the masseduction of lauryn hill (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, May 17, 2018 1:50 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's true but i'm always in boston and never in philly

Boston Calling is next weekend, right?

yep

I was just thinking that's probably why B is coming up.

i'm actually not strictly coming for boston calling but may end up there anyway

my birthday is next weekend. that’s why brad is coming. much better reason, and portugal the man-free

agreed

aw yes that's a much better reason

I am going to be in Boston in April to watch my wife run the marathon. I was hoping to hit up a record store or two while hear. Any suggestions for places specializing in used vinyl? Reports of Newbury Comics upthread were not encouraging.

We will be staying near Copley Square, but will definitely be in Somerville and Fort Point areas at points.

Hear = there (duh).

I assume Newbury Comics now mostly sells Funko Pops

is cheapo still open? cheapo

cheapo is still around. there are a couple stores in union square in somerville but i haven't really been in them. no records in fort point, just rich people shit.

Cheapo looks good. Thanks for the recommendations.

I hope the weather is better this year!

I've never been but there is a record store in JP my friends like, uhhhhh http://www.deepthoughtsjp.com/

Planet Records on the outskirts of Harvard Square is good and often has nice surprises.

Armageddon, also in Harvard Square, is more specialized in their selection but similarly offers up choice stuff from time to time.

Newbury Comics downtown has a big vinyl selection, hit or miss in my experience.

Salem Record Exchange, about 45 minutes north, is one of my favorites but obviously not in Boston.

is stereo jacks still around? that place was p good for jazz, country, a few other things

it's still there as of the last time i walked past it which was maybe a few months ago

Thanks everybody. I will see how many I can actually make it to given this trip is for my wife.

tbf you can hit several record stores in the time it takes to run a marathon

Massachusetts as a failed state, Boston as a failed city

Two of the defining features of “failed states”—something typically associated with conflict-ridden countries in the Third World—are the inability to provide public services and the lack of democratic institutions that allow for meaningful citizen participation. In many cases, as in Massachusetts, these two failures are directly connected. The state’s inability to provide core public goods such as transportation, housing, education, and healthcare is a result of a closed political system that serves entrenched interests and undermines the political will of the people. And, here again, Boston is the leader. The city’s unrivaled economic inequality, its reputation for racism, its traffic, and its crumbling system of public education are all tied to state and local institutions that are effectively closed boxes shut off from public input or influence (whether it be the legislature, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the MBTA, etc.).

plz explain something to me

so NBC abandoned yr local NBC affiliate and the station turned into, like, a local news station? That only plays local news?? But it’s still just like.... kinda shitty local news, but it’s still got the biggest market share? Everyone loves 7 News?

I have been living w my boyfriend in Malden for 2 months and we often have the news on and I gotta be honest, 7 News is NOT that impressive but I can’t tell if it’s 7 News or of it’s just local television news, period

Also may I reiterate that I am so baffled and fascinated by a local tv station that has no network affiliation that is just an news station????????

I can’t explain what’s happening with channel 7

It’s Rhode Island’s fault.

like so many things

IIRC back from the 1990s to the 2010s station WBTS (over-the-air channel 7) owned the NBC contract. Comcast swept in during the era of mergers and airwave actions took over a big chunk of operations in the region, and bought out the NBC contract from under WBTS. Lawsuits ensued, a judge ruled that NBC didn't have an obligation to stay with channel 7, leaving that channel without a network affiliation, but with a chunk of the spectrum and a broadcasting license to fill. Hence their weird brandless news.

Somehow, NBC tried to move to the local 'channel 10' but that couldn't happen because the broadcasting area overlapped too significantly with Rhode Island's crappy channel 10. So NBC's Boston ops moved to Nashua, New Hampshire and broadcast with a powerful-enough signal to cover about half of the former area. Half of Boston doesn't have an NBC signal, and the other half gets one transmitted across state lines. Channel 7 news broadcasts, but without the NBC content.

Note: I might be 100 percent wrong about all of this.

iirc nbc tried to buy whdh (ch. 7) but the owner hated nbc and wouldn't sell so nbc just didn't renew the affiliation. there was a bunch of legal shit threatened but yeah ch. 7 basically bailed and doubled down on their strong local news brand.

btw i literally don't remember the last time i watched local news.

i wasn't aware of any of this! but yeah i haven't watched network television in probably 5-10 years

I am so glad that the prelimary mayoral election is over and that the horrifying Trumpy candidates in Somerville and Medford were resoundingly bounced

Somerville had a great night!

Update: The two DSA city council candidates who had primaries today (@ElectTessa @BeccaForWard7) easily made it to the general election, and the progressive mayoral candidate leads the field going into the general. A great night for the Somerville left. https://t.co/OI33i1Xoiv

— dork (@arachno_commie) September 15, 2021

I was worried about the demographic that would turn out given that it seems every square inch of Somerville is plastered with Tauro signs

Homeowners are always overrepresented in the yard sign primary.

It was almost all slumlords; there was direct correlation between the level of abject disrepair and the number of Tauro signs slapped on that shit

The guy on Medford Ave. with the Trump signs plastered all over his house seems to keep it in relatively good condition. Guess he's aware of how much of a gawker hotspot his place is.

I thought he was becoming self-aware at one point, one of the signs said something about Trump being a liar for a hot minute but the rest of it was still a trainwreck

Love the city for the marathon. Great vibes.

it is the best

Dance party outside Boston city hall right now. The DJ is blasting “Erotic City” by Prince and everyone is grooving.

Full-on "we could fuck until the dawn" version?

mayor michelle wu presents house music dance party lol

somehow don’t think marty walsh would’ve hosted this.

lmao no he wouldn’t have

recently saw someone claim that he once 'drove out to boston'

i am not from new england but i can see 'in', 'up', 'down', possibly even 'over'. but how does one drive 'out' to a hub, unless one is parked on the floor of boston harbor?

(the writer is based in new york, so i guess this could just be a bit of bizarre nyc chauvinism)

Never heard that before.

But yeah, sounds like someone in California driving out to the desert or something.

if you see nyc as the center of the world then everywhere else including boston is outward, makes sense from that angle

A NYer who summered in the Berkshires and once drove the Mass Pike.

FAP anyone?

House / Disco dance party happening outside Boston city hall again right now 🪩