Help! Most of our city is missing!
Oh, wait, it's just Stuff magazine. Does anybody actually read that? In any case, they did a photo feature on One Night in Boston. It's actually a cool idea: Send photographers out to chronicle a night in the life of the city. Too bad they apparently decided Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Roslindale, Hyde Park and West Roxbury were too dangerous for their photogs to venture into alone (maybe they were going to, but they had to have that helicopter seen below ready to rescue them, only it turned out the copter needed repairs that night so they aborted the mission). But who knew Boston had grown so much north of the Charles?
Stuff's revised map of Boston:
Via Third Decade:
... If Stuff can come up with a "pictorial journey through the bloodstream of Boston" that considers this to be "Boston," maybe I need to rethink my relationship to the city (or its media).
Comments
Two Cities
It's the two cities complex. Because Stuff readers would never live, go out, spend time, or otherwise think of going into Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Roslindale, Hyde Park and West Roxbury. Us Stuff readers like diversity to be defined by what car I'm driving.
Come on...
I know this is a pet peeve of your's, but this is kinda pushing it. Would you even read an article about a night out in West Roxbury, Adam? What would that riveting article include? Maybe a sensible affordably priced meal, watching some reality TV with the wife and kids and getting to bed at a reasonable hour? AWESOME ARTICLE.
But this is a *photo essay*
not a review of nightlife. There's plenty to photograph even in outlying neighborhoods at night.
Take a look at the photos
They weren't just chronicling club kids; it's more like one of those "Day in the Life" books online (OK, but geared to club kids). Look here - the first thing you see is a closeup of somebody's Boston terrier!
Westie would be quite doable for a decent photographer: Shoot some barflies at the Corrib or the sax player outside the Real Deal/iScream. Take in a pick-up basketball game at Healy Field. Watch the sun go down at Millennium Park (or wait for the six gazillion dogs and their owners to come bounding out of the woods when the grumpy Parks Department guy goes around flushing people out). Do one of those long-exposure traffic photos outside the Dunkin' Donuts on the VFW Parkway.
You've...
... kinda proved the point, dude. Sorry, maybe it's a generational thing. That being said, I wouldn't worry too much about what "Stuff" magazine thinks about the city. It's not like 2.3 kid having West Roxbury-ites are their target audience (not that I am either, their Mag is kinda gross).
Heh
I admit it: I'm not in their demographic, either. And like you said, this whole "best of Boston, or at least the parts of Boston we declare non-boring" thing is one of my pet peeves.
I agree; plus, it comes down
I agree; plus, it comes down to basic journalistic accuracy. If a paper is knowingly using a partial map of Boston, or a map that includes Greater Boston, it should say so. If it doesn't even know what Boston is, it shouldn't be doing the article. Incidentally, any hipster who thinks there aren't some serious parties going on in Roxbury or DOT is pretty ignorant and probably a terrified suburbanite and/or college kid.
This map gives me a great idea, however. Boston should finally annex Cambridge, in exchange for giving the map-missing neighborhoods over to that city as a New Cambridge, since it seems better at economic development, drawing rich institutions, planning bike lanes, etc. Just don't import the police force.
Cambridge annexed by Boston?
What's in it for Cambridge?
Perhaps better waterfront parks, but I think that's partly DCR's fault.
Also, Cambridge likes its police.
Not the point.
They don;t have to go everywhere and highlight every neighborhood, but if they're going to omit huge sections of the city, they should not have the map there at all. The butchering of the map underscores the attitude seeping out of your post.
Looks like you might benefit
Looks like you might benefit from such an article, then. There is quite a bit going on in the neighborhoods omitted. And taking it from Adam's perspective (I live in Rozzy, too), it is somewhat offensive to be told by some ignorant hipster that I don't live in Boston just because they've never been to a kegger on my street.
24-hour bowling in Dorchester
If I were doing a late-night photo essay, I'd want at least one shot inside or outside Boston Bowl.
That's my helicopter
I don't have a parking space, so I just tied it to a rope and left it running.
*snort*
:o)
A Steven Wright joke (but he
A Steven Wright joke (but he doesn't post here so I used it.)
Wow
Someone's in a sour mood this morning! Four grouchy posts in a row.
Sleep in tomorrow, Adam!
Please stop talking to my wife
When I told her about this post, she asked "So, are you going to do anything about it?"
"No, I'm just going to complain," I grumped.
Actually, I met recently with some folks about this very issue and what to do about it, so stay tuned.
Don't forget
To add city hall to your list of people to educate. Every time I call them to tell them my recycling wasn't picked up or to get a street light replaced or whatever, they ask "what town are you in?" or "what city are you in?" To which I reply, "uh, Boston, obviously." They then get really confused. One recycling department person said "yes, but which city in Boston?" *headdesk*
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Why does the map include
Eastie, when there's no actual story on it? Maybe they noticed they were leaving out half the city and decided to include it for show?
stuff = fail
Stuff, what a joke. Remember when it was Stuff at Night? It should be Stuff for Losers. Way to steal the name from the Maxim knockoff. I saw that issue, it's pathetic. Half the pics are from Somerville. I never knew Somerville was so cool. Oh wait, it isn't. Lots of wack pics. No pics of the Fenway, but a pic of crackhead in Kenmore. Maybe he scared your staff away, hopefully. Great work guys, your ad revenue will evaporate bc most of your advertisers are the worst places in Boston.
Stuff magazine's history
is a little more complicated that what you posted here. Robert Birnbaum started it as a serious literary and cultural magazine back in 1982. Unfortunately he made the mistake of selling it to Phoenix Media, which destroyed it and turned it into something insufferably stupid. From his interview:
The Maxim-knockoff called Stuff came later, and is unrelated to any of this.
even more...
Notice East Boston and Charlestown - also on their map, but not included in photo series.
Somerville?
Yes, East Boston and Charlestown not included in photos. But, apparently Somerville has been annexed to the city.
And apparently Somerville
And apparently Somerville consists only of Davis Square. Typical.
Clarification: I think you mean
that Davis Square has been annexed to Boston. Plus (significantly less firmly annexed) the Porter Square T-stop, the McGrath overpass and... my favorite... Mass. Ave. in front of Porter, i.e., Cambridge.
Toad nightclub is not in Somerville
despite what the photographer and editor seem to think on page 38.
The overpass shot is labelled "Route 38, Somerville", but McGrath Highway is Route 28. I can't really tell where the photo was taken -- anyone know for sure?
Stuff is written by a crop
Stuff is written by a crop of poseurs and hipster losers, what do you expect?
And u-hub is written by a
And u-hub is written by a bunch of whiney entitled liberals? Sheesh, how bout we stop pissing in everybody's cheerio's and do some reporting.
Maybe the rag should be renamed again....
(was) Stuff at Night --> (is) Stuff --> (should be) Stuff It!
Sin of Omission
Restricting Boston to Boston proper is silly - it is too small and not a complete city without the continuous urbanized complex around it.
That said, excising certain areas? Ridiculous. They'd do better to define their areas as any town, city, or neighborhood within an X mile radius, where X=5 or 10 km or something.
If they were truly adventurous, if not scientific, they would use a dartboard. That would bring in some harbor islands and, maybe, Hull and Winthrop, too.
Perhaps that could be a collaborative UHub project? Assign us to a public location nearest a randomly selected set of coordinates within a defined extent (maybe the area defined by Rubel's Boston Bike Map) and we could take pictures of what was going on there?
It's Hipster Doofus Boston -
It's Hipster Doofus Boston - what's the problem? Roslindale does not exactly say hipster, does it? This is a magazine for people who are basically tourists in Boston - like the Americans in Bermuda shorts and I'm With Stupid tee-shirts wandering around Rome or Paris. There's the real Boston, and then there's the Hipster Disney Boston that consists of vegetarian restaurants, tattoo parlors and gay bars.
Rest assured - none of these pictures were shot in Hyde Park or West Roxbury:
http://www.latfh.com/
Hey, I saw a couple of hipsters in Hyde Park
Couple months ago, at that coffee shop on the edge of known space on Fairmount. It was kind of amazing, but they seemed like decent people.
Don't worry - a rescue crew
Don't worry - a rescue crew in a Zip Car found them and brought them home. A bottle of PBR and 20 minutes of WMBR restored them to health.
Did you beat up hippies....
...if they accidentaly wandered into "your" turf,,,, back in the day?
Inquiring minds want to know?
(aimed at everyone here who seems to evaluate the character of people based on the way they dress, etc.).
the many bostons
There's Boston Proper (basically the old Shawmut peninsula).
The City of Boston, with all of the towns annexed in the 19th century and the Back Bay and South Bay landfills.
Greater Boston, defined as a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) or otherwise as Boston and its suburbs.
Then there's Phoenix Media Group (Stuff and the Phoenix) Boston, which is College Boston and Cambridge.
Boston Magazine Boston is Wellesley, Needham, Newton, Dedham, Dover, etc., and the Back Bay and South End.
.if they accidentaly
No, but I took a few beatin's for my long hair. What's your point? No one is getting beaten up here.
room for everyone
Relax, Boston is big enough for everyone, even those like yourself who seem to be offended by vegetarians, people with tattoos and people who frequent gay bars.
Black helicopters
Fighting a giant attack poodle.
:-)
Very :-)
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Glad to see I'm not the only one
bothered by the dismissive attitude towards WR, HP, Ros, etc.
I just took part in this lively exchange:
http://urbanboston.blogspot.com/2009/08/thank-you-paul.html
With respect to the Stuff piece specifically, I agree with the woman who said it would be pushing it to exclude Cambridge, Somerville, etc., but that excluding Westie and the rest is downright ridiculous. I like the dartboard idea.
Oh, for frick's sake
That guy's original post about how sucky it is that West Roxbury is part of Boston is pretty revolting. Also inaccurate, since there are plenty of Flaherty signs in West Roxbury (even if they keep getting defaced) and one of the amazing things about the neighborhood is how many new restaurants there now are.
"I'm just sad that actual city people don't vote, because I'd love to be rid of Menino."
Oh, bite me, elitist downtown preppy scum. Move to Manhattan if you can't stand the idea of inhabiting the same city as people who don't live in expensive condos like you and your chablis-sipping esthetes. Oh, wait, then you'd have to complain about all those people in Brooklyn daring to vote in your elections. I feel for ya, pal.
I have to say, I sense that
I have to say, I sense that he's not elitist downtown preppy scum ... rather, that's what it seems he *wants* to be. (Shudders)
Simmer...
down, Adam. While that guy may be a jerk, the frustration that a lot of downtown dwellers (who aren't all rich condo dwellers, FYI) feel towards the city government and it's real or imagined bias towards the more suburban neighborhoods of the city of Boston, is real. Likewise, as you and others in this thread have pointed out, there's a frustration that a lot of non-downtown but still within the city limits dwellers feel as well. There's a real divide, for better or for worse, that's based on two VERY different lifestyles within the same city.
Yep, that's why I didn't post on his site
I started to, but figured I'd just come across as a whiny jerk (so I posted here, instead, so I'd only come across as a whiny jerk on one site instead of two). My apologies to anybody who lives north of the Fenway offended by what I wrote: I wasn't trying to slam everybody, just this one particular person who's decided who "real" Bostonians are.
If I lived in the Back Bay, I'm sure I'd have plenty to complain about, starting with the fact the neighborhood doesn't have a public school - even worse, that a bunch of residents offered to BUY a building for a school and the city still turned them down.
At the same time, and here my Brooklyn upbringing comes in as well, since this was an issue there, too, I've grown tired of people who think they're somehow more special, somehow realer, than the rest of us just because they can overpay for a cup of coffee.
And, yes, it's a shame, because for the most part, we really face the same issues: The collapse of Downtown Crossing is as much an issue for us here in the boonies as it is for somebody on Marlborough Street - it's ultimately going to mean less taxes for the city services we both rely on.
Real Bostonians don't ride
Real Bostonians don't ride horses so fuck him and the horse he rode in on. I moved here after college how about you?
re:
I'm pretty surprised Brighton's not included. I realize Brighton isn't looked upon too fondly by the local cognoscenti, but there's plenty of restaurants and bars to lure tourists around there.
Included where?
The giant green blob left of the Brookline Gap is Brighton/Allston...so I'm not sure what you're claiming.
Brookline - Mind the Gap!
Heh. Brookline Gap. If you don't mind, I might use that the next time someone asks me where I live. Maybe I'll make a few t-shirts that say "Brookline - Mind the Gap"! Although, the uncomfortable allusion to a crappy store hurts a bit.
But my other question is: is Brookline really a gap? I mean, it's really more of a transition zone between the urban core and bona-fide suburbs. It's not city, it's not strip mall suburb, it's, well, Brookline. Notwithstanding my affection for the "gap" descriptor, it implies that it is a gap between the goodness of the city on one side and __________ [what's on the other side?]
Talk about your different zones
Compare Coolidge Corner with Putterham. How can they both be in the same town? :-).
Brighton resident
Use it for anything you like. :)
It's a gap between me (in Brighton) and the rest of my city. I have to drive through it if I go to Fenway....or go all the way to the river and down Comm Ave, just barely skirting the northern border. Nearly every road goes through Brookline and doesn't stop while it's there. I have to stop using a cell phone if I wander a few blocks from my house in a car.
Don't get me wrong, there's lots to love about Brookline, but it's a Gap between Brighton and Boston that has to be peregrinated often.
This is what I'm "claiming":
This is what I'm "claiming": in the photo blog, Brighton is not represented.
Allston is not Brighton.
Not sure about the green blob map or whatever.
Allston might not be Brighton, but...
ALL of Allston and ALL of Brighton are shown on the map. Even the part on the BC campus that used to be covered by the Chestnut Hill Reservoir.
And double word score to Kaz for "peregrinated".
Brookline not included
Seems to me Brighton is included, but not Brookline.
Shame, because Brookline has a few nice pubs and restaurants, it's a very pleasant place.
Maybe once they loosen up
Maybe once they loosen up the parking laws (i.e. tear down the walls and allow the unwashed plebs into the sacred grounds) Brookline will get more love.
Take the T
If only places that are extremely well-served by public transportation had MORE parking laws. Brookline is doing the right thing in this regard.
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
T in Brookline
It moves at a leisurely strolling pace. :)
So does the coastline
inching closer and closer to Brookline!
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Know what else is missing? Downtown Boston!
They have sections for Beacon Hill, North End, Faneuil Hall (that's a 'neighborhood'?), and Chinatown -- but not for Downtown.
Maybe their Downtown photog...
...fell into the Filene's Hole and never was heard from again.
what part of Downtown is missing?
Take a look at the map again. Downtown is there. Unless you also include the harbor as Downtown.