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Citizen complaints of the day: It's too dark in Southie, too light in the South End

Last night, an alert citizen checked in from W. 3 Street in South Boston:

The block on W 3rd St. between A St. and B St. is very dark at night. There is no street lighting making it a safety concern.

The very next report came from E. Brookline Street in the South End:

Excessively bright floodlights installed today in the alley behind BMC's 85 E. Newton St Pavilion are shining into the residences on E. Brookline Street. No one on E. Brookline St was notified that we were going to be floodlit.

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Comments

As I recall, from drives through there at night on my way home from softball in Southie, that place IS fairly dark, but isn't that area non-residential? I seem to remember it being mostly old warehouses and such. Correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, point being that not much foot traffic would be expected, I suppose.

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

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Walk it every day.

It's commercial, with what appears to be an abandoned warehouse, and another in use as a business. There's a small park, and I believe art lofts / luxury apartment just opened up near B street.

It's somewhat dark, but there also isn't anything around there. One could easily walk up B street to Broadway also... as the only reason you'd be going down 3rd it to cut to A street, which is pretty abandoned at night (I'd be more worried about walking down A street)

There are a few homeless that hand around the overpass here, and I'm pretty sure they use the abandoned warehouse.

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Why would anyone want to live there? Oh right, it's Southie or as the realtors call it: "Seaport". Funny how the realtors selling condos down there are all driving Land Rovers and Mercedes.

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This isn't anywhere near the seaport.

1st street is the line between the commercial section of Southie, and the huge residential neighborhoods. There's a little overflow up to 3rd street on this block, but that's about it. Everything else is new condo's, or old triples that are renovated. Hell, there's a school right on A/1st street.

The "Seaport" district is about a mile away, on the other side of the commercial area. You'd know that if you knew Southie, or even lived in Boston.

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You are correct on the Seaport location, what I said is that is what the realtors call this area. Read the papers, they advertise the Macallen building on Dorchester Ave and West 4th Street bridge, the Seaport. The Seaport keeps getting bigger, to buffalo buyers into property sales.

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Though when those floodlights keep someone from getting mugged or raped, wellll.....

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If those people would close their shades at night they wouldn't have that problem. It would also solve other problems because in most cases one should assume people don't want to see you dancing around your apartment nude to 80's music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY

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From darksky.org's FAQ:

"Q: Do you advocate shutting off the lights that keep our neighborhoods safe and secure?

A: We advocate putting light where it is needed, during the time period it will be used, and at the levels that enhance visibility. There are recommended levels of lighting for the purposes of safety, so people don't trip on stairs, for example. But bad lighting can diminish security and may even attract criminals, giving them places to hide in the deep shadows created by bright, glary light."

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People do. Specifically, law-abiding citizens or police officers in the area.

Installing lights is a feel-good measure but it only provides an illusion of safety so long as the real issue remains unaddressed -- the paucity of foot traffic at those hours.

That is a much harder problem to solve, however.

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I ask because I've lived in some of the worst shit holes in this city and I can tell you from experience; lights deter crime when there aren't any law abiding citizens or cops around. Example: is it easier to boost a car in a well lit area or a dark one?

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The "general belief" or "common knowledge" answer is that lights deter crime - yet I have seen people who deny that, and say that lighting in general doesn't necessarily deter crime it just makes people feel safer.

Anybody got some info to share here?

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Get robbed in broad daylight, and people assault people during the day just fine.

I'd say it more an issue that if someones planning on committing a crime in a park; they'll use the dimly lit one over the brighter one. It's moving crime.

If there's no choice, it's still going to happen.

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and back up to that alley, with my bedroom at the rear. I noticed how bright it was last night too. I assume that these were installed by BMC, which I think maintains the alley. I'll concede that it wasn't so bad with the blinds closed, but bright nonetheless and my porch was lit a bit too much. Prior, this alley was adequately lit and I agree with who reported this, what's there now is just way too bright. I lived on Northampton St when the Piano Factory apartment installed uncovered orange sodium vapor floodlights on the side of the building and that shone directly into my (and everyone in my building's) windows and through my curtains. Complaints to the Piano Factory's management went unanswered. Had I planned to stay there, I would have bought heavy duty floodlights and returned the favor through my window across the street. It may be time for the City to adopt a light pollution ordinance, if it doesn't already have one.

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I completely agree with that idea! There really is such a thing as overlit.

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White Whine!!!

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Were the new lights LEDs? The LEDs I've seen installed are much brighter than the previous lights. They generate much more glare. From the perspective of walking around the neighborhood they provide a decent amount of light on the ground. I also read they they may cause let light to shine above and so decreases the light pollution of the sky.

The one thing I don't like about them is that they are glaringly bright. Looking up the street toward the next light makes that area more difficult to see. While it illuminates the immediate area I think this defeats the purpose of seeing what's ahead.

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