Hey, there! Log in / Register
Maybe the Globe just thinks it's 1911
By adamg on Fri, 11/14/2008 - 9:33am
For the second day in a row, the Globe seems to have forgotten that Hyde Park has been part of the city of Boston since it was annexed in 1912. Yesterday, it was a reference to a large parcel of land that supposedly borders Boston, Hyde Park and Canton. Today, it's a reference in an Adrian Walker column to a parcel of land in Dorchester:
The site lies next to an MBTA commuter rail station that connects Uphams Corner to Hyde Park and the city.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
I'll give him a pass on that one
From Uphams Corner station, you can go two directions: to "the city" (i.e. downtown Boston) or to Readville (which is in Hyde Park). I'm sure Walker knows that Uphams Corner is part of Boston.
For those of us who don't live in "the city," though ..
It's slightly irritating, like the signs on the VFW Parkway in West Roxbury that indicate the number of miles to "Boston," when you're already in the city.
I remember
a while back there was a sign around Neponset circle that indicated Forest Hills was something like 2 miles away. I always remember thinking how far off that sign was in terms of milage. Anyone remember that sign? (I don't think it's still there)
Adam This is a sure sign
Adam
This is a sure sign that you're "not from here." For many long-time residents, Boston means downtown. The signs make perfect sense. When I was a young sprout and someone asked me where I was from, I answered Jamaica Plain, not Boston. We went in to Boston to shop on Washington street. The fact that I knew I lived in Boston was secondary. That kind of local identity was largely killed off a generation ago, but the sign on the parkway has been there for a while.
The problem I have with that sign
is that it sends you around all the parkways to get to Boston when its faster to take that left (or right) onto independence drive through Brookline.
Oh, darn, my secret is out!
I get the concept - growing up in Brooklyn, we had to decide which way to go on the subway: "New York" or "Coney Island." And I've met some older folks in Roslindale who meant Rozzie Square when they said they were going "downtown."
And, yeah, the sign on the parkway makes sense, since the sort of people who would need to know how far they are from "Boston" are probably thinking about downtown, not Centre Street.
So since I really like Boston English (no, really), I should be applauding Walker for proving his Boston chops that way. Just don't tell that to our Rozzie rat of a daughter, who hates that parkway sign :-).
In town
Some of us really long time Bostonians say we're going "In town" to mean going into downtown Boston. I thought it was NY surburbanites who referred to going into "The city" to mean going into NYC.
Readville
Readville is a neighborhood next to Hyde Park. My Driver's license lists me as living in Readville. However Readville residents have the option of being listed as Hyde Park or Readville in phone books and with the DMW
Readville or Hyde Park,
talk about a distinction without a difference..
Oh, but ...
When you head down Hyde Park Avenue and you go into the tunnel by the train station and emerge into Readville, it just feels like a different world.
Much of Readville was part
Much of Readville was part of Dedham when Hyde Park was part of Dorchester, Milton and Roxbury. Even without the history, the distinction is perfectly clear if you live there and know the neighborhood.
DMW?
What is DMW?