hello? you live in Dorchester…the least affluent, most diverse, albeit crime prone section of town. Everything you have said is either your skewed opinion or mockery. Boston has had one of the most respected, influential and dedicated mayors in the country for the last 20 years. Mayors conventions all over the US applaud Mayor Menino. (he has just retired and has a successor). Race relations here are no worse than any other major city…in fact actual statistics show minorities in Boston are now the majority and many hold responsible high paying jobs. This is the city that started the abolition movement and has a long history of tolerance and equality. The busing issue in the 1970's falsely painted Boston as a racist city and is unfair to think it is a truism. You want racism? Go south and tell me how wonderful things are in Memphis, Birmingham, much of Florida, So California, AZ, NM, TX. Boston's school system rates about average to above average nationally. Higher education speaks for itself, there is no other city in the US that comes close. Drivers here are not particularly courteous, but name a city where they are good! This is a city so old the streets are a myriad of winding confusing avenues that make little sense to someone used to a grid pattern. Take the T or walk. If you live in an urban area, why would you not protect your property by locking things up that are accessible to anyone…that is just a no brainer. This city is in its renaissance. Decline was 1940's to mid 1980's…since then Boston has been transformed into a gorgeous European flavored American city with world class museums, restaurants, architecture, FRIENDLY people, bad drivers, funny accent (although that is disappearing). There are really no BAD areas of Boston, even Dorchester is up and coming. I don't know where you hail from, but it is obvious by the tone of your post you just wanted to rant and grandstand. Your comments are grossly inaccurate, and hopefully you have moved out because if you haven't you should, Why live somewhere you hate?! Why not park your car, take a nice walk on a June afternoon and explore the Back bay, Beacon Hill, South End, take a trolley tour, a sail on the Charles River, take the ferry to Provincetown on the Cape, have lunch or dinner on the waterfront, do the Freedom Trail, take a Harbor Islands trip, visit the Boston Public Library, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, New England Aquarium, Symphony Hall, Science Museum, head over to Cambridge and explore MIT and Harvard and the many museums on that side of the river. Drive out to Concord, drive down to Plymouth, up to New Hampshire, Maine or Vermont, drive down to Providence, or so many other things to do. People from other areas misread Northeasterners. We are fast, busy, many times impatient, but we are also friendly, glad to help with directions and offer suggestions to a traveler or newcomer, proud of our community and long history of identity, and never without an opinion. Don't be so judgmental…there are FAR worse places to be, and few better places to be. Peace to all!!
Jim | Pembroke, MA | Report Abuse