Living and Thieving and Leaving Allston

The Globe has a piece today entitled "Allston: From lamentable to lovable" that chronicles the writer's path from undesired entrance into the neighborhood as a BU undergrad to her hesitant departure as a "card-carrying member of the "real world"" with a new residence in the South End.

The narrow view of Allston she offers (frat parties, the late Mr. Butch, "crusting sidewalk vomit," great takeout options) wouldn't be too objectionable if it wasn't pierced by "...the uncomfortably frequent gunshots and occasional homicides, the strings of robberies, and having to turn three locks every night before going to sleep."

She maintains vaguely that "the crime rate is high." While we should all agree that zero violence is the only acceptable level of violence, zero is also the number of statistics presented in the piece. The South End, on the other hand, is "debatably safer," though the BPD's numbers don't clarify the argument much (PDF here: Allston/Brighton is D-14, Back Bay/South End/Fenway is D-4.)

Despite the hazards, she mentions Allston's "sadistic allure." Maybe some Allstonians are there because it hurts so good, but we'd guess most are around for the cheap-for-Boston rents, accessibility to the B-line and 57 and 66 buses, and the vibrant, diverse community.

Yes, Allston is bigger than the "Gardner-Ashford-Pratt" party nexus, and its charm is more than "pockets of treasure amid the trash." There are families, young professionals and immigrants alongside the college kids and "tiny Asian ladies with funny hats" that she writes about. Just as she'll find plenty of "overzealous rats," "shattered glass, and unchecked potholes" everywhere--even in the luxurious South End.

This picture of Allston was tagged "Bostonist" by flickr user AntiDiluvian. Visit his page for the full-size image and many more great shots.