Moving to Boston, advice please?

Question

Hi,
My best friend and I are moving to Boston and she would really like to live in South Boston. I am concern about living in this neighborhood bc I'm gay and I've heard that it's a very close-minded neighborhood. Any advice? I would really appreciate it. Thanks :)

Answer 1

I'm curious why your friend would really like to live in South Boston...does she have any reason? I would describe Southie a bit differently than others. I feel it currently is a blend of the old time neighbood residents, who are pretty closed minded about much of everything that isn't who they are lolol. (Primarily blue collar Irish Catholic, family lived there for generations). Then there are the new yuppy types who needed to find semi-affordable housing near Boston and moved in. The old time Southie folks hate them all, not just someone who is gay. They hate the higher priced restaurants that are popping up from them, hate they have to fight for parking with outsiders, hate the rising prices they are helping edge up, etc.

I think there might be worse places to live, based on what you stated, but IMHO unless your friend has some solid reason for why she wants to live there, I think you might have some better choices.

My best advice if you do move there would be to pay attention when you look for a place to live and move in to a building that is not Southie natives. I think it would make for a far more pleasant environment. Unless you are big into flaunting it, I don't think you would run into specific issues/problems. But if you want to say walk comfortably down the street hand in hand (which I don't consider flaunting), there are many other communities where you would stand less of a chance of anyone saying anything. I think the broader question is if Southie is the best environment for what the 2 of you are looking for. And since you didn't say what that is, I can't toss in my 2 cents on it lol.

But hope this description helps some. And BTW, if you do move there, and it snows NEVER move a chair and use someone's shoveled parking spot. They kill over that, straight, gay or alien lolol

Answer 2

I would consider the South End, rather than South Boston. It's more diverse - ethnically, culturally, economically, etc. Or also look into Allston/Brighton, Cambridge, or the Davis Square area in Somerville. These areas are more progressive, and are otherwise good areas to live in (restaurants, bars/clubs/nightlife, shopping, access to public transportation and downtown Boston, etc...)

South Boston seems to be changing slowly, but is more old-school working-class Irish and therefore is very heavily Catholic.

Answer 3

Southie is changing much more rapidly than Mike R acknowledges with influxes of professionals, yuppies and - yes - gays (in fact, one of Boston's greatest restaurants, unabashedly gay owned and run, The 224 Boston Street, is on Southie's periphery). And in fact two generations ago, when Southie was still solidly Irish Catholic, gays were pretty much left alone; it was blacks who were unaccepted and rebuked.

Other than not enjoying overt drag queens showing off in the streets (they don't like straights doing it either) everywhere in metro Boston - most of New England, for that matter, is pretty much gay friendly and gay accepting these days.

Answer 4

Oh boy! all that New england area is pretty conservative, I used to live in Massachussets and also in Rhode Island, I would go to Boston to visit some friends evry weekend and is also very, very expensive! I am glad I moved! Good Luck!

Answer 5

I lived in Boston in the 1980's in the fenway, one block from Queensberry street , which was the big gay area back then. It was cool & inexpensive back then, buit I hear it got pricey now. I also almost moved to newburry street , which I think is another ulta cool place to live.

Answer 6

If don't mind the price you might want to try Cambridge, its pretty open-minded.

Answer 7

very bad idea.move to allston.it's cheaper and much friendlier plus closer to the sunset bar and grill!