Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Uppity Street....













Ok, I'm about a month late on this one, but Yvonne Abraham at the Boston Globe did a fantastic piece on August 26th on some yuppie Upton Street (a/k/a "Yupton Street") residents who are afraid of three of their precious brownstones becoming part of the program for homeless people in transition from the Pine Street Inn. See http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/08/26/whose_bad_behavior/

Here's where it gets interesting: The subject property is currently a rehab center home to about 80 recovering addicts. The addicts, some of whom transitioned there directly from prison, are moving to bigger facilities elsewhere.

The Pine Street Inn transition folk, however, are people who have proved that they can live independently. There are no sex offenders or drug dealers allowed. Residents can be evicted if they are found to be under the influence or if they cause trouble. There will be an on-site manager, as well. The Boston Police Department has had no complaints about three similar rooming houses already run by the Pine Street Inn in the South End.

Of course, with this being the pretentious South of End, neighbors want those brownstones turned into luxury condos (what else?). According to certain neighbors, the rehab center which currently occupies the brownstones came in about twenty years ago when the South End "was a pit." They say that is "no longer the character of the neighborhood. In fact, the neighbors quoted in the article claim that they will use zoning regulations to fight the project, stating that there is enough money and influence here that it isn't going to happen easily. They also stated that "unlike you and me," "its difficult to tell who these people are."

After I read Abraham's article and my blood stopped boiling, I wondered about the people who live on Yupton Street. Surely they must have noticed by now that they do not live on Union Park. Of course a sufficient amount of maple, granite and stainless steel has been poured into Yupton Street condos, but its still not that nice a street. It just ain't that pretty. Its kind of narrow and dark. It has beautiful Union Park on one side, but it also backs up to a block or two of assisted housing (and, horror of horrors, poor people). Yupton Street residents need to therefore get over themselves. If they were so fancy, they wouldn't be living there in the first place.

What is it about the new South Enders that makes them think they have the right to dictate what or who their neighbors will be? That's what suburbs are for. In Wellesley, you don't have to worry about a 7-11 moving next door. You don't have to worry about ex-cons living across the street. You don't have to worry about the homeless-in-transition going about their business. You don't have to worry about an elementary school building a soccer field over your (well, actually their) parking spaces. You can't homogenize a city. Diversity is what makes it special.

Then there's the whole issue of the homeless people in transition. These are people who have proven themselves in the face of extreme adversity. A Pine Street spokeswoman sums it up: Why would these people want to get booted out? Being homeless is no picnic and these are people who want to re-start their lives in a positive way. Of course they might not be the types of people who swoon over the new Pottery Barn catalog ("I'm painting my foyer cranberry!"). They might not prance down Waltham Street with a designer shopping bag holding an over-priced heirloom tomato. They probably don't own Uggs and probably won't be seen waiting in line at Stella in a plaid Burberry scarf. They also probably aren't the types of people who drunkenly scream out a window on Waltham Street at 3am. They probably aren't the types who run up and down a hallway screaming at 3am or blasting their stereos out the window at said time. They probably wouldn't sneer and make unevolved comments at a stack of gay newspapers in their lobby. I have witnessed all of these behaviors in the South End in the last two or three years, leaving my senses fighting for the title of most repulsed. As far as I'm concerned, there could be worse people to have on one's street.

35 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

While I'm sure they state that "no sex offenders are allowed", go ahead and try to look up registered sex offenders in Boston and you will find no less than 20 are registered to the Pine Street Inn address. I think concerns related to sex offenders regarding the transition location are warranted. I prefer yuppies to deviants.

September 19, 2007 at 6:56:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Normally, I think you're a smug, self righteous twit. But even smug, self righteous twits can be right sometimes I guess.

September 19, 2007 at 8:38:00 AM PDT  
Blogger thesouthender said...

The Pine St. Inn says there will be no sex offenders living on the subject premises. Therefore, you shouldn't be concerned.

Also, do we know what level of sex offendedness applies to those 20 people? Level One? Level Four? It makes a difference.

And come to think of it, I'm starting to prefer deviants to yuppies.

And just so you know, and from what I've seen, some yuppies are into some pretty freaky shizzit. In fact, hold onto your seats, some yuppies are sex-offenders (insert Venn diagram here).

September 19, 2007 at 10:42:00 AM PDT  
Blogger evilganome said...

Good lord! What next? Yeesh. I remember Upton Street from my years in the South End. You are right, those twits need to get over themselves.

September 21, 2007 at 3:17:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm much more concerned about the deviants at Villa Victoria. Fireworks, smashing bottles, kids screaming until midnight, makeshift tarp-covered "garages" and thumping rap music blaring with a Latino-thug attitude annoy me much more than a unemployable, lazy people.

October 4, 2007 at 10:56:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The offenders registered at Pine Street Inn aren't the same transition housing people that woudl go into upton street. Most of them are homeless who just use the PSI as a place to list as a home while living on the street.

besides, who's to say the yuppie in the luxury condo next door to you isn't a sex offender? They have money and live in condos and apartments without anyone having a say...

October 9, 2007 at 12:38:00 PM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've lived in the South End for 15 years, most of them near Peter's Park where alot of the Pine Street Inn folks hang out in the daytime (because, duh, they have NOWHERE ELSE TO GO - and I have never been bothered by a single one of them. What on earth has happened to the South End? What happened to live and let live? The South End has for many decades been home to low-income and middle-income housing projects, elderly housing, rooming houses, homeless shelters, soup kitchens and everything else that less fortunate people need. All I can say is I hope none of these new folks ever need a helping hand. Jeez. Take your cosmo and go back to the Back Bay or Weston or wherever you came from.

October 10, 2007 at 8:05:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Will said...

Hello South End Blogger,

My name is Will Ng and I write for the Chinatown Blog. I have a few questions, please contact me.

Best,

Will
Will@willng.com

October 12, 2007 at 10:29:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Love it!

November 1, 2007 at 3:42:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The South End is not over.

I just read the gigantic rant in this month's Boston Magazine. "The South End Is Over", admittedly ripped right from your blog. While some of the observations are true, most of it is exagerrated. What is happening is called "urban renewal".

I do, however, agree about "The Beehive". But that is not the norm in the South End, that is a pretentious place that needs to change its ways fast. I went there one time, and the food was terrible, and drinks overpriced, service was batty...NOTHING LIKE Bob The Chef's or Pho Republique, both wonderful places to eat. The velvet ropes at the Beehive, and the long wait, and the "New York City" attitude of letting the "connected" folks cut the line is ridiculous and not welcome in Boston. It needs to go.

But you can't have it both ways.

You can't expect the newspapers and magazines to write up how cool, hip, and artistic the South End is, and all the great restaurants and then get upset when all the tourists show up, the money pours in, yuppies move in, and developers start developing more condos. You also can't expect your property values to rise, and yet keep the wealthy suburbanites from moving in or spending money in our neighborhood. That's insane. Why would we not want people to spend money in our neighborhood, that is good for everyone. This is the foundation of our Capitalist society. Period. If you don't want that, there are plenty of other countries where the government ensures a certain level of poverty and equality amongst all its citizens. It's called COMMUNISM.

If it wasn't for the yuppies moving into the South End, Washington Street and other beautiful architectural gems in the South End like The Allen House, Minot Hall, The Smith and Porter Houses, the St. Cloud, and the Cyclorama would either be torn down or converted into project housing. It's not all bad. Crime has gone down, and most people feel safe walking down Washington Street and Harrison Ave now. Try doing that back in 1998.

The South End is just experiencing some growing pains. It will adapt and adjust. Besides, what could you possibly do to make it more "uber hip" again, as was mentioned in Boston Magazine? More Poverty? More Homelessness? More crime? More drugs? What is it you want to see? Less whales and alligators on shirts and pants and more ripped jeans and flannel? Get real. It is impossible to prevent this. The best we can do is to build more mixed use housing, including more places like Art Block for artists and other creative types.

The South End still boasts one of the largest concentrations of halfway houses, homeless shelters, and low income housing projects in Boston. And that is not going to change anytime soon. Million dollar condos rest side by side with low income housing. About 25% of our block is low income, on both sides of the street, and speckled with several other halfway houses. The Pine Street in is also down the street, and serves as a national model for homeless assistance and recovery. It is a remarkable success story and continues to help people get their lives back together. While there are plenty of derelicts at these homeless shelters, the majority are good people suffering from substance abuse, or otherwise down on their luck. It would do some of the South Enders (and Beacon Hillers and Back Bayers) some good to volunteer a few hours a month or more to get a better understanding of this place. In addition, a brand new State of the art Healthcare for the Homeless is also opening up in the South End, at the corner of Albany St and Mass ave. Just blocks from the new Level 4 BU Biolab and around the corner from the Suffolk County Prison. We also have Rosie's place, Hope House, and about two dozen or so halfway houses run by various organizations. Beacon Hill and Back Bay residents would not tolerate this I'm sure, but I do believe that most South Enders are proud of this fact (or should be). The new transplants that are written up in the Boston Magazine article are a minority, a visible minority for sure, but by no means are they the majority.

I think what is needed is more education about these programs, more outreach by these organziations to the various neighborhood associations. I think education may help solve this misconception.

I've lived in the South End for 8 years now, and it took me at least 6 years to figure this out. I used to also want all these halfway houses, homeless shelters, and low income projects to go away. After buying a condo and moving into one of the most diverse areas of the South End, (both in terms of income and ethnicity/orientation, etc) I realized that our neighborhood is better because of this diversity. It is real, raw, and true urban living. The reason why I love living in a city over a frilly white suburb (yawn). I know most of my neigbhors by name, and I'm especially close with a few that live in the low income housing next door. We water eachother's gardens and always stop to chat, almost every day. I'm learning a little Spanish and about the history of our neighborhood. I love it. The Rats, I could do without, but I would hate to see the diversity go away.

And one last thing; What's so bad about Pottery Barn? It's a nice store. Get over it. You don't have to shop there. Target is just down the street. (copying Pottery Barn anyway)

November 2, 2007 at 5:56:00 PM PDT  
Blogger thesouthender said...

If you know your neighbors by name and have embraced your lower-income ones in particular, then you are the exception to the main point of my blog. You are exactly the type of person that USED TO live in the South End. My experience with the new S. Enders has been quite the opposite.

Just some other points:

Do you really think these "art" type new condo buildings are going to attract that many artists to the S. End? I'm pretty sure its just a marketing scheme to attract people who think they'd like to have the cache of the word "art" or "artiste" in the name of their buidling.

And Pottery Barn? You're buying mass-produced, dictated taste for the masses and for people who probably have no taste or too little of their own. Real antiques almost always look better than faux ones (and the same goes for people, as well).

November 3, 2007 at 4:42:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Aud Rey said...

I am so disappointed. Several friends from college gave me a list of places that I'd love. Who knew that since they left the area (2001), this place would turn to this. This is classic suburbanite xenophobia. The city is not for everyone and if you fear "outsiders" so much, it's time to move to the 'burbs. A friend of mine suggested the Beehive but I get the impression that I am not melanin challenged enough for them.

November 3, 2007 at 6:16:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To thesouthender: My guess is that the uppity snobs you are referring to don't really shop at Pottery Barn. They hire their own exclusive designers that will find them $5,000 lamp shades and $20,000 sofas. Pottery Barn must seem like Walmart to that crowd, for the same mass produced reasons you mentioned. And the trend setters have taken note about the monotony of Stainless, Maple, Granite, which is now being replaced with Pewter, lacquered aluminum, and poured concrete...and the uppity suburban crowd is sure to follow suit, but that's a subject for another blog. My point is that people mimic each other. This is how things have been happening since the dawn of time. People with creativity and style will set trends and those with Money will mimic. This is all fueled by the Magazines, Media,and Advertisers trying to cash in on the latest trend. You can't avoid it. In addition, if it wasn't for the people with Money, artists like myself would be forced to paint portraits of tourists in Faneuil Hall. As an artist, I'm excited that wealthy people are moving in, and I hope they become clients. If they do, I can afford to stay. I am now challenged to bring my work to a higher level and shed the cliche starving artist (yawn) mantra and actually try to make a living as an artist by making the most unique and most engaging artwork I can produce. I've been fortunate to have some success with this already, with some of the new condo developments purchasing my artwork for their lobbies. I hope other South End artists are equally inspired and don't fall into this apocalyptic self-pitying syndrome.

As far as Art Block is concerned, there is a financial requirement for living in the affordable live/work spaces, so if people cheat the system to get in by hiding their assets or lying about their income level, well, that is awful, but not all those units are for low income artists anyway, the rest are for the yuppies, and if it weren't for the yuppies buying those higher priced units, then the low income artists wouldn't even have the option. And, I'm sure there will be some posers living there, but my hope is that most of them will become art collectors and support the art community in the area by buying local art. The bottom line is that if they buy local art directly from the artists, the artists can stay, if they just look at it and only buy art from the high end art dealers and galleries, then the future of the South End Artist is definitely in question. I think we can find a balance. I don't disagree with your point entirely, I just think it isn't too late to change things in the South End or at least get things going in the right direction. I suppose, that is why you started this blog....and for that, I thank you.

November 3, 2007 at 7:43:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Cynthia said...

I was homeless two and a half years, and lived in Pine Street "permanent housing" at 300 Shawmut for three and a half years until April.
Pine Street Inn and its network of housing is the most corrupt and despicable organization I have ever known in my life. Pine Street Inn is a concentration camp. Those who get out do it despite PSI and not because of them.
I know some of the people from the Union Park NA. While I do not particularly endorse them, I would act exactly as they do.
You are suffering from the fallacy that "poor/weak" is morally superior. It isn't, no more than rich/strong is morally superior.
More later, if I'm in the mood.

November 4, 2007 at 10:35:00 AM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

WOW. This is the most negative site I've ever seen. If one doesn't like the way a neighborhood is evolving, you can move or you can act to restore what you loved about it. Whining on a website will do absolutely nothing. It's passionate expression, but a solid waste of time.

November 7, 2007 at 6:52:00 AM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, according to the rumors, I don't think we'll have to talk about the Pine Street Inn much longer since it is actually going to be moved to Dorchester to a better "suited" location found by the Mayor. And, still according to the rumors, there will be more "luxury condos" built in its place!
It seems that the luxury condos desease is spreading... along with the "let's-put-yet-another bank-in-this-empty-space" illness that is affecting Washington St.
I used to love the South End but lately I have to say I've been feeling uneasy living here as it seems the neighborhood is loosing its soul and direction...
On a brighter note I'm happy that the City allowed the mural in Peter's Park to be redone... and especially on the theme of an homage to Katrina's victims... not sure how it fits with the extravagant nearby dogpark though.
Lastly, about the latter, has anyone noticed there has been more dogs outside the dog park on the grass area than in it since it has been completed? Or maybe I've just happened to pass by each time at the wrong moment :)

November 7, 2007 at 8:49:00 AM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"WOW. This is the most negative site I've ever seen. If one doesn't like the way a neighborhood is evolving, you can move or you can act to restore what you loved about it. Whining on a website will do absolutely nothing. It's passionate expression, but a solid waste of time."

I suppose the same could be said for your bitching about this website. You can move (use your browser back button) if you don't like it.

November 8, 2007 at 7:01:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's a recent editorial in the South End News that fits well with this post.

November 8, 2007 at 7:04:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"you can move or you can act to restore what you loved about it."

I can't change other people, unfortunately. I mean, when you have three people walking in your direction spanning the whole width of the sidewalk, and they wont share it with you, what do you do? Is an "excuse me" going to change their behavior in the future? It's rude and it happens to me quite frequently in the South End. In fact today I experienced this -- the woman walking towards me pulled down her huge Dior sunglasses as if to challenge me. I ALWAYS step aside or behind whoever I'm with to share the sidewalk when approaching another person or party. Rude, self-centered, boorish behavior is becoming common in the SE. But I guess it's now my responsibility to restore civility in the neighborhood.

November 10, 2007 at 1:09:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Pine Street Inn and its network of housing is the most corrupt and despicable organization I have ever known in my life. Pine Street Inn is a concentration camp."

The organization helped you out of a rough spot in your life for 3-1/2 years. To be fair, you should share your experiences so that we can judge the organization for ourselves.

November 10, 2007 at 1:26:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Re. your blog- aren't YOU the intolerant little Nazi? Nothing more tiresome than "edgy" alternative types desperate to lord their self-perceived hipness over those who arrived 30 minutes later to the party... I guess that's all a part of your 'tude, huh fella?

November 12, 2007 at 3:52:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dude, he's not "lording his intolerance". It's on HIS blog. You CAME HERE for this. It's not like he's walking around the South End imposing this on people.

November 12, 2007 at 4:26:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Re. your blog- aren't YOU the intolerant little Nazi? Nothing more tiresome than "edgy" alternative types desperate to lord their self-perceived hipness over those who arrived 30 minutes later to the party... I guess that's all a part of your 'tude, huh fella?

Is this guy for real?

November 14, 2007 at 12:31:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"WOW. This is the most negative site I've ever seen. If one doesn't like the way a neighborhood is evolving, you can move or you can act to restore what you loved about it. Whining on a website will do absolutely nothing. It's passionate expression, but a solid waste of time."

I suppose the same could be said for your bitching about this website. You can move (use your browser back button) if you don't like it.

Is this guy for real? As the blogger has enabled the comments feature here, obviously he is inviting comments, including those that "bitch" about this website.

November 14, 2007 at 2:21:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anyone wishing to force out a long-time, well-respected, social rehabilitation program from ANY neighborhood on the reasoning of "it doesn't fit here anymore" simply is devoid of a soul.

I do hope karma is real.

November 18, 2007 at 9:37:00 AM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Anyone wishing to force out a long-time, well-respected, social rehabilitation program from ANY neighborhood on the reasoning of "it doesn't fit here anymore" simply is devoid of a soul."

Welcome to the new South End

November 24, 2007 at 1:08:00 PM PST  
Blogger Cynthia said...

Re Pine Street-
Anonymous (very prolific author) informs me that PSI helped me out for 3 and a half years. Shelters and the semi-shelter that their permanent housing is are there, like so much of spending on the poor, for social control and not to help. Take a look at per-bed spending at PSI. For that money, they could put up individuals in their own studios. But then they wouldn't be segregated and controlled, with curfews, information gathering (PSI has an extensive database on all "guests", including those in permanent housing) and surveillance (what they call "counselors" and caseworkers are actually warden-type figures). PSI's Long Island Shelter is actually geographically segregated.
I have much more to say, but this blog is oddly (or is it odd?) silent about my post. I believe our host has a Manichean view of good and evil whereby the rich are bad and the poor are good, business (includng those of Barbara Lynch, who grew up in Southie's projects) is bad and non-profits are good. Not so.

December 2, 2007 at 9:50:00 AM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous (very prolific author) informs me that PSI helped me out for 3 and a half years. Shelters and the semi-shelter that their permanent housing is are there, like so much of spending on the poor, for social control and not to help

I'm confused... You were forced to live there? And this was a method of social control? Were you allowed to leave?

December 3, 2007 at 1:08:00 PM PST  
Blogger Cynthia said...

No, Anonymous, you're nor confused. You're just stupid, wrong-headed and wilfully misinformed.
Did they force me to live there? In the sense that I had no choice, and they knew it, yes, indeed. If you are female and live out on the street, it is a matter of time before you are raped/beaten/killed/frozen. Even if you are not female, you may be at risk (a lesser risk) for this unpleasantness. I wonder that the readers of this blog can be so profoundly ignorant, or indifferent, or guilty, judging from the lack of response from my post. Pine Street and other "social service" agencies can perpetuate their abuses precisely because of these factors.

December 3, 2007 at 1:22:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

February 17, 2008 at 3:07:00 AM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

March 23, 2008 at 3:21:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

I moved here from fort greene, brooklyn six months ago and in my opinion, its as well-integrated and diverse a neighborhood as one could hope for. since moving to Cambridge though, I've been really shocked by the lack of diversity, and frustrated by the lack of affordable dining options out there. I feel this is even more true of the Boston side of the river - or at least in desirable, centrally located and tree lined neighborhoods. a friend and i have been moaning about these two observations since we arrived. walk through back bay and its like everyone just walked out of the people farm.

now i'm looking to move into the city of boston. i thought that the south end would be a good fit. but now im not so sure. i think that the southender has some very valid points about the suburb-ification of the area. and i don't tend to indulge in $40 dinners very frequently either. now i'm questioning whether I'll actually be happy there. but if not the south end, then where? are back bay or beacon hill any better? please, anybody - you're input would be appreciated because i just dont know...

September 29, 2008 at 9:12:00 PM PDT  
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