Is Boston having the same problems with "crime" as many blue cities like SF, LA, NYC, Portland, Chicago, etc.

[EastDallasDude]

Biggest crime in Boston I experience constantly is going to the store, grabbing something that says $1.99, and having it come up 2.99 on the register. Or it says it costs $2 then I give em a five dollar bill and they give me back $2. And no receipt. And ask for a receipt and you get a real dirty look.

Walking the streets - skating through the park - I generally have no problems. Biggest problem in this town is trash and dangerous drivers. Always has been. There is some homeless and a lot of junkies in one small area.

[msRB311]

I think Boston is overall a safe place unless you get involved with the wrong people/hobbies.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I think Boston is overall a safe place unless you get involved with the wrong people/hobbies.

^I would agree with this.

After all, we have 250,000 (by some count) college students in the area. It's a testament that thousands of parents have no issue with their kids coming to Boston to study for 4 yrs.

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

Maybe it's just right wing media but they like to go on and on about how blue cities these days are hell holes due to things like defunding the police, soft on crime DAs, etc. While I'm inclined to think it's being exaggerated as part of right wing propaganda, I also hypothesize there may be an element of truth to it. After all, I did witness in SF someone stealing from a Safeway and fleeing on a bike while employees chased after the guy in vain several years ago. And even when I moved here from Dallas, I couldn't help but notice a much smaller prevalence of homeless which I'm always reminded of when I visit my family a few times a year in Portland, OR.

Anyways I don't mean to get political with this thread but I'm just curious of Boston is the exception right now amongst big high cost of living cities in the US these days. Note that I almost never hear right wingers moan about the crime in Boston and it's always SF, LA, NYC, etc. Or if so, are we merely in the eye of the storm and this will eventually catch on to Boston?

You're right about rightwing media. There's often a focus on compelling anecdotes instead of actual data. For example, Chicago's violent crime rate has been mostly flat going back to 2015 (https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...ime-data-2021/), and it's significantly lower than it was in the early 90s. But you'd never guess that if you listened to the media.

The biggest driver of homelessness is housing costs. The "blue cities" that people discuss when homelessness comes up are all very big, very expensive (and very desirable) cities. There simply aren't red cities that are as big as Seattle or San Francisco, and the high prices, which reflects desirability, of these places is the biggest cause of homelessness.

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I think Boston is overall a safe place unless you get involved with the wrong people/hobbies.

That probably explains why I'm having trouble seeing much crime (though I have no interest in proactively looking for it either.)

[PureBoston]

Originally Posted by Wittgenstein's Ghost

You're right about rightwing media. There's often a focus on compelling anecdotes instead of actual data. For example, Chicago's violent crime rate has been mostly flat going back to 2015 (https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...ime-data-2021/), and it's significantly lower than it was in the early 90s. But you'd never guess that if you listened to the media.

The biggest driver of homelessness is housing costs. The "blue cities" that people discuss when homelessness comes up are all very big, very expensive (and very desirable) cities. There simply aren't red cities that are as big as Seattle or San Francisco, and the high prices, which reflects desirability, of these places is the biggest cause of homelessness.

Most of these "very desirable blue cities" are shedding population.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by PureBoston

Most of these "very desirable blue cities" are shedding population.

Must be why houses are such a bargain here?

[msRB311]

They're losing middle class people...wealthy people from all over the world are a big part of why housing costs are so high here in Boston.

[PureBoston]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Must be why houses are such a bargain here?

Massachusetts, Calfornia and Oregon are shrinking in population while Florida and Texas are packing folks in. I'd define desirability best by where people want to be. You're entitled to your own
Interpretation.

[id77]

Originally Posted by PureBoston

Massachusetts, Calfornia and Oregon are shrinking in population while Florida and Texas are packing folks in. I'd define desirability best by where people want to be. You're entitled to your own
Interpretation.

The saying 'its better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven' feels apropos. The middle class can still be an actor in the American Dream in places like Texas. Not so much here or California.