Boston Ghettos/Bad Neighborhoods (Springfield, Quincy: crime, to live in, garden)

[lz1982]

Eh, my friend got mugged and punched in the face in Eastie, right in front of her building. And that was in Wood Island, which I don't usually hear spoken of as a bad area.

I wouldn't call Eastie a ghetto, though. Those things can happen in most city neighborhoods.

[Kashi1]

This is just what I've noticed:

Roxbury: I've been there my share of times, it just feels unsafe...It's the ghetto: Drugs, projects, gangs, not many businesses. Most of the people who live there are perfectly normal, but there's enough dangerous people you really don't wanna be hanging around here.

Dorchester: North Dorchester doesn't seem to be too bad...I've been there and it's a tad sketchy, but it is gentrifying some and though the area I was (near Mass Ave/Columbia Road) seems like it's probably okay overall, there are some really dangerous parts too. Codman Square, Four Corners, etc. Overall I wouldn't live there.

Mattapan: The only neighborhood in Boston I've never been in. I think that speaks for itself. I've heard parts of it are ok though.

The above mentioned places are the worst...Here's some other places I personally would avoid although they're not as bad as those above...You might find a safe place in these areas, but know there are problem areas too:

Jackson Square/Bromley Heath Projects (Jamaica Plain): Jackson is probably not the worst place, but it's sketchy and I've known people who got robbed out there. BH projects should be avoided at all costs...don't go near them. The rest of JP is fine though. In fact I highly recommend it.

Hyde Park: OK, technically I guess I've never been here either, but have friends that live there and say there is gang activity. The rent seems cheap though (for Boston area), but you prob. know why, plus it's too far from the city imo.

Parts of South End (near Mass Ave): I'm probably gonna catch some criticism for this one, but I don't think it's that safe. The closer to downtown you get, the more like Back Bay it becomes (swankier) but once you get near Mass Ave, esp. past Columbus or Tremont St. I think it gets dicey. I've been there in the daytime and still don't feel totally safe. It seems to have either gentrifiers or poor people, not much in between. Roxbury is pretty close as well, the further south you go, and the Villa Victoria projects are nearby. Regardless of whether you can walk through it or not, it's not worth paying that much to live there for what you get in my opinion.

Some parts of Mission Hill: Not the worst but I wouldn't really call it safe either...Lots of students, true, but some suspect characters running around. Also, the closer to Roxbury Crossing T-stop it is, the more dangerous, from my experience. You might find a nice place to live though, especially around Fenmore Rd., Parker Hill, most sidestreets from Huntington are ok...

the "Combat Zone" - near the Boylston/Chinatown/Tufts Med. Center t-stops...I've seen some suspect business going on around here...Wouldn't live here at all, but I know some who do and don't seem to have problems.

I've heard bad things about certain parts of South Boston and Roslindale, although I think they're okay, just maybe not the best. hope this helps.

[msantos1116]

Glocksbury (Roxbury), Deathchester (Dorchester) and Murderpan (Mattapan) are the worst areas. Like other people have said, parts of Deathchester are okay....the closer to the shore you get, the better you are. Stay away from the Stabbin' Hill (Savin Hill) area of Deathchester.

East Boston doesn't seem too bad to me. It's mostly Spanish and probably gets a bad rap for that. It's really not an unsafe neighborhood. It is a little dirty and is right next to the airport, but from what I have seen and experienced, it seems safe to me.

Here's a good map to sort of show you where the bad areas are:
2009 murders in Boston - Boston.com

[shiraziman]

I'm new to Boston and was told that Dorchester and Mattapan were bad. But I drove through parts of it and it didn't feel too bad at all ... but then I come from St. Louis where it was ranked #1 and #2 most dangerous cities in 2008 and 2009 ... so ...

[shiver]

I'm new to Boston and was told that Dorchester and Mattapan were bad. But I drove through parts of it and it didn't feel too bad at all ...

Both are fairly big areas (especially Dorchester) and there are definitely some nice family neighborhoods as well as some neighborhoods that are well in the midst of transitioning and gentrifying. But, Dot and Mattapan (and Roxbury) are also home to the roughest neighborhoods in Boston.

I tell people not to move to those areas if they're new to Boston. Am I over-generalizing and being unfair? Sure. But, I always tell people moving to Boston that unless you've checked out the area yourself and have a friend or are working with a realtor who knows the neighborhoods well, it's not the ideal place for newcomers since everyone has a different comfort zone.

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by RC1981

There's nothing wrong with East Boston. For some reason it's got this stigma (probably because it's one of the older and less renovated parts of town) that it's all dangerous and cut-throat, but it's just an old stereotype that bears very little truth here in 2010. It's mostly carried on by people who come to Boston from places like Kansas and fall in love with Boylston St. then they accidentally catch a view of Eastie on their way to the airport and think it's some kind of ghetto.

It's old...it's ugly...it's not very ritzy, polished, or touristy, but that doesn't make it a slum. It's a good working class urban area (probably the last one left in the country) with good working class people. No harm will come to you in East Boston, I guarantee it.

I do agree with your view of east Boston also my favorite place to visit was Logan Airport and watch airport
traffic when young! I never felt unsafe there at Logan!

[cambridgedweller]

Interesting ideas above. This was fun to read! I'd avoid Roxbury, Mattapan, Dorchester, and maybe East Boston. Cambridge, Watertown, Brookline are all fine. Southie was once a place gangsters hung out and now it has some of the nicest areas. South End has great restaurants. Forgot Charlestown. Really good in some places, a little sketchy in the others.

[cambridgedweller]

Originally Posted by Kashi1

This is just what I've noticed:

Roxbury: I've been there my share of times, it just feels unsafe...It's the ghetto: Drugs, projects, gangs, not many businesses. Most of the people who live there are perfectly normal, but there's enough dangerous people you really don't wanna be hanging around here.

Dorchester: North Dorchester doesn't seem to be too bad...I've been there and it's a tad sketchy, but it is gentrifying some and though the area I was (near Mass Ave/Columbia Road) seems like it's probably okay overall, there are some really dangerous parts too. Codman Square, Four Corners, etc. Overall I wouldn't live there.

Mattapan: The only neighborhood in Boston I've never been in. I think that speaks for itself. I've heard parts of it are ok though.

The above mentioned places are the worst...Here's some other places I personally would avoid although they're not as bad as those above...You might find a safe place in these areas, but know there are problem areas too:

Jackson Square/Bromley Heath Projects (Jamaica Plain): Jackson is probably not the worst place, but it's sketchy and I've known people who got robbed out there. BH projects should be avoided at all costs...don't go near them. The rest of JP is fine though. In fact I highly recommend it.

Hyde Park: OK, technically I guess I've never been here either, but have friends that live there and say there is gang activity. The rent seems cheap though (for Boston area), but you prob. know why, plus it's too far from the city imo.

Parts of South End (near Mass Ave): I'm probably gonna catch some criticism for this one, but I don't think it's that safe. The closer to downtown you get, the more like Back Bay it becomes (swankier) but once you get near Mass Ave, esp. past Columbus or Tremont St. I think it gets dicey. I've been there in the daytime and still don't feel totally safe. It seems to have either gentrifiers or poor people, not much in between. Roxbury is pretty close as well, the further south you go, and the Villa Victoria projects are nearby. Regardless of whether you can walk through it or not, it's not worth paying that much to live there for what you get in my opinion.

Some parts of Mission Hill: Not the worst but I wouldn't really call it safe either...Lots of students, true, but some suspect characters running around. Also, the closer to Roxbury Crossing T-stop it is, the more dangerous, from my experience. You might find a nice place to live though, especially around Fenmore Rd., Parker Hill, most sidestreets from Huntington are ok...

the "Combat Zone" - near the Boylston/Chinatown/Tufts Med. Center t-stops...I've seen some suspect business going on around here...Wouldn't live here at all, but I know some who do and don't seem to have problems.

I've heard bad things about certain parts of South Boston and Roslindale, although I think they're okay, just maybe not the best. hope this helps.

South Boston in the same sentence with Rolindale? Southie's nice; Roslindale is far away and not so nice..

[awesomeness123]

i live in cambridge and parts of boston are safe and some arent
safe:most of jamaica plain exept bromley heath my friend lives there
allston and brighton some parts
brookline
roslindale is ok same with hyde park
dangerous:
dorchester
roxbury
mattapan
southie parts
east boston parts
south end
back bay parts
chinatown

cambridge there are spots that are safe and unsafe
unsafe:
north
east
port
coast
same with revere,lynn.chelsea,everett,medford,somerville

[awesomeness123]

parts of cambridge
im from north near jefferson park
used to live in east near roosevelt towers and in port(newtowne court)
coast is dangerous too