chocchipcookie

Does anyone live there? I'm writing about Boston and I really need some background.

Jerseygirl

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Bob

Writing about what?

And about the city itself or surrounding area?

Plenty of people live in the burbs...less so living in the city itself, unless they're loaded/mental

chocchipcookie

Very basic background for a novel.

Where would you live if you were a young, wealthy couple with children. I'm looking for an affluent, maybe slightly pretentious neighbourhood. The kind of place where the houses are big, brick monsters with three car garages and people drive Lexus SUV's.

Also, what are the areas that people are leaving. Mixed areas, not really rough though.

I need some direction, really.

Thanks!

Bluegrass Lass

Isn't Beacon Hill where all the pretentious *****s live in Boston?

Bob

that would be most of downtown

But for that kind of housing, you'd not be living in Boston but the burbs, brownstones are nice and all, but it'd be on street parking...

Living posh, in a flat, cambridge st, beacon st, storrow dr...places over looking the charles river.

Kendall Square is nice, MIT area...

Going a bit out and not technically Boston, Somerville and Cambridge (especially the central square and around Harvard area). Brookline also, but mostly flats, housing not really affordable.

Areas that are a bit iffy and mixed, Jamaica Plains on the button, JP has fantastic rich side, a shitend ghetto with a awesome Portugese area and a huge gay community...very cool place actually and quite transcient.

Lawrence is another area, not really rough, but it is a shit hole, but it's outside of Boston.

Dorchester, Rochester, Roxbury....all shit and roughish at night but okay during the day, kind of.

Hiro11

Boston isn't really that type a city. At least, it's less that type a city than most any other American city. It's a relatively old city and if anywhere has an "old money / blueblood" type aristocracy in the US, it's probably Boston. Endless fields of hulking, characterless McMansions are comparatively rare outside of Boston, at least compared to, for example, Dallas.

Having said that, I'd suggest Wellesley, Newton or Weston. Newton is slightly more new money than the other two.

chocchipcookie

That is so helpful! Thank you!!!

cindyabs

Boston Brahmins

Bob

If we're going that far out in the burbs...Wellesley would be the best pick for the houses, Wellesley Hills especially....and the girls college is pretty posh and nice too, if you've seen Mona Lisa Smile, the Julia Roberts flick, that's based out of the girls college and the area, so worth a watch to give you an idea, even if it was set in the 50's, you get the snobbery idea all the same

Newton, less so, more apartmenty at the moment as the houses have gotten split up, Newtonville next door is worth a punt.

Can't say I know Weston, but it is one of the 3 W's of expensive living, Wayland would be the third, and if you go up the hill from the centre area, there are some large places out there too.

While we're this far out....Framingham, especially the southern park would be a bit of a shitter and shady, not exactly a bad area but rather pants compared to northern Framingham for example.

chocchipcookie

Thanks for the great info!!! I've been looking at these places. I didn't know they made houses that big.

starky

> Dorchester, Rochester, Roxbury....all shit and roughish at night but okay during the day, kind of.

Some one was shot there (Dorchester) last night :-)

Bob

haha

someone was shot in the park the next town over from me a few weeks back too and we're well out in the burbs

starky

I suppose, there could be a shooting anywhere in today's world. :-(

cindyabs

It certainly does and has had a rough rep for years...........


I remember years ago the term Combat Zone being applied to certain areas.........