Liberal Place: Boston, MA

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Boston is NOT a liberal city at all! I think that people confuse the leftist legislative attitude with the sentiment of the people and that is wrong. Boston is possibly the most racist city in the U.S. Not because of overt acts of violence or demagouges, but because of the residential segregation. I moved to Boston from Baltimore after graduating college and the first thing I noticed was that there was not a sigificant minority presence in the downtown areas. I then found out that the majority of the African-American communities were segmented and far away from the downtown areas. Then if you look at the suburbs of Boston like Revere, Saugus, Lynn, East Boston, South Boston, Lynnfield, Witnhrop, etc., you'll find ethnically monolithic neighborhoods that openly oppose the presence of Blacks and Latinos. If you're white or Asian, it seems that Boston is a paradise, but if you have dark skin, people will act as if though you're the plague. I guess its because most of the people who grew up in this area didn't grow up with non-whites and they absorb negative imagery from the media without any counteractive infuences. Honestly, Boston may appear to be tolerant, but it's only on the surface.

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I have to agree with the second comment above: I grew up in Boston, and I now live in L.A. because 3,000 miles is almost far enough to escape the stench of 300 years of impacted class and race hatred. "The Hub of The Universe" is the most closed-minded city on the continent. I am white and I married a woman of color, and when we walked down the street in Boston, we were stared at with hostility, disgust and fear. Such a thing is unthinkable in L.A., where integration is happening along the axis of interracial dating, marriage and parenting. L.A. has its own race problems, but compared with Boston it is a paradise of openness and tolerance. It's really a shame, because I love the literary culture and the depth of historical memory on the ground in Boston, as compared with L.A.'s temporary feel. And Boston is a physically beautiful city, while L.A.'s architecture and public space is really ugly. But rigid race and class hierarchy is too high a price to pay for an occasional view of Bulfinch's dome. In short, Boston is a great place to be from.

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I'd have to disagree on the above two points. I can't speak from their obviously terrible personal experiences, and I forever refuse to stick up for Southie, but I see a different Boston, nearly every day. Take the Orange Line out to JP, or the Red Line to Dorchester, to witness first hand how two heavily integrated communities in racially mixed neighborhoods get along. Or witness the terrifically important community activism of Rev. Eugene Rivers, or the Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative or what a band of activists did to fight a Southwest Corridor Highway, turning it from more gridlock into public transit or even the ubiquitous and multicultural City Year kids - and you see grassroots, progressive movements at their finest. Surely, there is intese fear and tribalism here, but there are large sections of this city which have moved beyond that, and in the process have weaved a fabric that wasn't present here 20 years ago. It's only when you consider the Back Bay downtown and not the South End, or think that Dudley Square and Jamaica Plain are somehow inaccessible, that this city seems monochromatic, singularly racist and closed minded.

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I agree with the comparison of Boston and LA. I recently moved back to Boston from San Francisco. I grew up in Boston. There are many good people here (all my relatives and old friends). But people here spend too much time in the office and thinking about history and tradition. The people here also frown a lot (happier people are in customer oriented jobs). People are making jokes and wisecracks about things instead of just expressing how they feel. Some people were surprised at the amount of time and activities I spent outdoors when I first came back(the weather was good). I was having too much fun they said. Instead of being jealous they should find more ways to have fun too. Enjoy their life. Racism and fear of individualism are a problem too. It's ok to be different. Boston's a great college town but, working here's awful.

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Boston is liberal in politics; they are quite proud of the "Boston Tea Party" and their history of fighting those who seek to control and tax them(Revolutionary War). But, while they are progressive in politics they are moving backwards in other areas. Boston is a place of separated areas. Between some caucasian and african-american neighborhoods, the streets simply stop and you must drive far to get to the next set of houses. People are not friendly to strangers. If you talk to someone in a store, most will wonder why you are talking to them. If you offer your seat to someone on the train they figure you must be from out of town. Many people are tough skinned with few smiles. This is the influence of Irish and Puritans. It is ok to be happy when you're in the bar drinking or if it's a party holiday like New Year's. Nobody looks forward to Christmas here. Other times to be happy are at a musical or symphony. The only people happy about everyday life are from out of town. If you are from Florida or California I wouldn't move here. There is a fear of individualism here. People believe they are supposed to be Proper Bostonians instead of just being themselves. Those Proper Bostonians are hated by New Hampshirites due to their "we are the hub of the universe(snobs)" attitude. Jewish and Italian are more friendly but, subdued and criticized for not being more "waspy". Also you will find physical fights(fighting Irish) breaking out for no reason. It is unfortunate that some of the old WASP(Irish/British)ways have not changed here. Wasps need to show more emotion instead of holding it in. People in general need to spend more time out of their offices especially on the weekends.