What I hate about Boston

It's also my impression that Boston is still an artistic leader (lots of writers live here, for instance).
 
armpitsOFmight said:
bile
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I was wondering when you'd show. Being proud of your home town is one thing, being completely ignorant and blind to reality is another. You can hate on us for wanting to see more of the world but I promise you we don't have as much hate for Boston as you seem to have towards places that are not Boston.

Things I hate about Boston: Massholes who have no perspective of the world outside of 495.
 
It's true: Boston is politically progressive and aesthetically conservative. It's important not to conflate the two. As far as I can tell, this has almost always been the case. If artistic movements have flourished here, they've almost always been literary rather than visual in nature. Maybe it has something to do with Puritanism; who knows.

This kind of-contradiction winds up confusing a lot of visitors here, who expect the city to look as progressive as it acts.
 
Boston's also pretty well-regarded as a place for music and regional theatre.
 
Isn't every region by definition good at "regional theatre"? What is the benchmark for that?

And there's a difference between being "good" and being "progressive". Boston in general is great at preserving/reviving traditions, like early music, but not so great at developing new movements in art and culture.
 
armpitsOFmight said:
You know what I hate about Boston? Pricks like Kent who constantly whine that we aren't progressive enough. I'm also sick and tired of these pricks using the term "progressive" and only comparing it to architecture and urban planning. You morons always forget that Boston is a leader in social politics: Boston lead the drive for gay marriage in the entire commonwealth, and Boston lead the state legislature to enact a bill the requires everyone to get health insurance. These are huge issues and even the great cities of NYC and SF don't have the political might to change these policies in their states. Kent, I want you to move out of Boston by the beginning of next month because you're taking up too much space. Why don't you go and move to the southern states and live with the bible thumping conservatives that are erecting "progressive" buildings? The only real downside for living there is that the local communities love to strip away your civil liberties if you aren't a WASP. But hey, its sounds like you are a straight WASP so you shouldn't have a problem!
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I also hate the ignorant fucks that show up once and a while in this forum. It's clear that I'm not talking about just buildings. I'm talking about the mindsets of people. The people that go, "Oh I dislike the improvement of this area because it causes noise," or "Oh why are they spending our taxpayer money on the T when I don't take public transit," or "why are we paying for police improvement when we need more on education," etc, etc. Get a clue APoM.

I also dislike the people who would look down at the other cities and insult them, but never once look at the good side. It's like watching bullies making fun of weaker kids to make themselves feel better.
 
Lots of regions have theatres, but a small number are nationally known for it -- Minneapolis for example.
 
"Oh I dislike the improvement of this area because it causes noise," or "Oh why are they spending our taxpayer money on the T when I don't take public transit," or "why are we paying for police improvement when we need more on education," etc, etc.
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Good luck finding somewhere where people don't whine like this. Maybe Dubai?
 
It seems like I riled some of you guys up but that's ok. I'll play the devil's advocate. I love Boston but I'm willing to state the bad stuff about it.
 
czsz said:
Good luck finding somewhere where people don't whine like this. Maybe Dubai?
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No, in fact, you can find this in places like Chicago. While yes there are people that do whine like this there, they do not hold total control over the direction in which the city is going. read their newspaper on developments and whatnot. Most of them praise progress or at least their newspaper do not just print only the people who whine about how it affects them and how the city thus can not continue with a project.
 
Spoiling for a fight
By Brian McGrory
Boston Globe
May 5, 2010

It?s been said before, but it bears repeating: Nothing, precisely nothing, is ever easy in this town.

A call came into City Hall a couple of months ago from the nation?s largest and oldest civic planning organization, inviting Boston officials to nominate the Back Bay for a prestigious designation as one of America?s great neighborhoods.

Anyone around here knows that Back Bay is one of the great square miles in the world, a profoundly beautiful mix of 19th-century town houses and world-class modern architecture, a place where sharp contrasts create unusual harmony.

The designation would put a spotlight on it, one made all the sweeter by the fact that the American Planning Association, or APA, which bestows the award, is hosting 5,000 planners at its national conference at the Hynes Auditorium next year.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority rightfully bit. Officials filled out the lengthy application and called around to civic leaders to send letters of support.

The BRA reached out to the Back Bay Association, the business group that represents the area, and the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, the group of residents. Oil and water have more in common than these two groups. They make Charlie Baker and Tim Cahill look like best friends. But this designation would be a rallying cry for everyone to unite in the name of one glorious goal.

?I really thought it was an opportunity for us all to step back and work together to get our neighborhood the recognition it deserves,?? said Meg Mainzer-Cohen, the able head of the Back Bay Association.

And thus the controversy begins. But before I go on, some necessary caveats. Individually, leaders of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, or NABB, are nice people. They?re smart people. They?re well-intentioned people, deserving of credit for preserving some essential parts of the Back Bay. They?re also my neighbors, and I admire them all.

But something happens when they get together. They lose their minds. They oppose for the sake of opposition. They fight seemingly any restaurant that wants to serve ? brace yourself, please ? alcohol or locate on the sunny side of Newbury Street. They disdain buildings taller than an NBA player. They fought the construction of handicap accessible elevators to the Green Line.

But a bid to designate Back Bay as one of America?s great neighborhoods ? certainly NABB could support that, no? They could acknowledge that businesses are a critical part of Back Bay.

No. NABB officials sent a letter to the APA last week eviscerating the idea. They complained the application included such areas as the Prudential Center, the Copley Mall, Stuart Street ? all vital to the neighborhood. ?These areas are not exemplary of good planning and, in fact, include many examples where development interests alone ? and not comprehensive planning ? have driven the City?s decision-making,?? they wrote.

I asked Ann Gleason, NABB chairwoman, what it means for a neighborhood to fight a designation that would recognize it as one of America?s best.

?It is awkward,?? said Gleason, a respected architect and member of the community. ?It was difficult. We had a healthy discussion about it.??

She added, ?It became apparent, when things were brought to my attention, that a lot of people were uneasy endorsing a development agenda that they thought was inappropriate for the neighborhood and that the BRA was seeking national recognition for what they were doing.??

With NABB, an award can?t just be an award; it has to be fraught with ominous meaning.

John Palmieri, the BRA director, penned a response to Gleason saying he was ?disappointed?? by NABB?s ?unfortunate?? actions. The application continues.

The APA?s Richard Lukas said the group won?t shy away from controversy, but will consider objections with ?merit.?? I?m sure he thinks we?re completely nuts.

But that?s life in the Back Bay, where NABB?s new slogan might be: ?Not as good a neighborhood as you think.??
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http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/05/05/spoiling_for_a_fight/
 
Oh for fuck's sake!

Briv, just close the "What I Like about Boston" Thread. We won't need it anymore.
 
The Prudential Center was poorly planned when it first opened, but does NABB realize it has been greatly improved?
 
Ron Newman said:
The Prudential Center was poorly planned when it first opened, but does NABB realize it has been greatly improved?
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It is hard for them to see these things when they have their heads shoved so far up their own asses!
 
Ron Newman said:
The Prudential Center was poorly planned when it first opened, but does NABB realize it has been greatly improved?
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The train yards did a much better job of keeping the South End riffraff at bay.
 
You could easily write an essay that Copley Place, the Pru and the Hancock are the perfect complement and capstone contrast to old Back Bay. Can you think of another new project that completes a distinguished old one so beneficially? Scale, material and predominant land use all vary between new and old, yet they harmonize like tango dancers.
 
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