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Roxbury or the South End, somebody's still dead
By adamg on Thu, 12/29/2005 - 11:09am
The Herald says a fatal shooting happened at 77 Lenox St. in the South End. The Globe says it happened at 77 Lenox St. in Roxbury. Carpundit says the Herald may just be trying to sell papers by stirring up fear in the South End:
... For those of you from out of town, Roxbury is the part of town you don't want to live in; South End is the rapidly-gentrifying buffer between Back Bay (where you do want to live) and Roxbury. South End is known for, among other things, its gay community, its art community, its restaurants, and its fast-appreciating housing prices in exactly the way Roxbury isn't. ...
For what it's worth, Boston Police called it the South End.
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Comments
Where's Roxbury, part deux
The determining factor is, was this location part of the city of Boston, or the city of Roxbury, before Roxbury annexed to Boston in 1868? It's quite close to the old boundary but I believe it was in Boston.
Now that I'm home, I've looked in a book
The excellent MIT Press book Mapping Boston reproduces many old maps of the city. On several pre-annexation maps, it's clear that Lenox Street was within the city of Boston. The boundary between Boston and Roxbury was just beyond Kendall Street, and passed either through or just south of today's Ramsay Park/Jim Rice Field.
See pages 203 (1852 map), 205 (1855 map), 207 (1862 map), and 230 (1852 map).
Beyond the geographic issue, I'm troubled by what sounds to me like a latent attitude that the shooting happened in a place that doesn't matter.
Roxbury natters
Roxbury matters.
I was pointing out that South End murders sell more papers than -far more common- Roxbury murders, which is why the Herald ran the story that way.
I know lots of good people live in Roxbury and lots of good money goes to pay for services there. I still don't want to live there.
Roxbury v. South End
According to both Mapquest and Yahoo! Maps, 77 Lenox St. is considered part of Boston, for what that's worth. But as someone who lives a mile from the shooting, closer to downtown, I can vouch for the confusion. The parking signs outside my window say South End, as does everything else in the neighborhood. Comcast, meanwhile, claims I live in Roxbury.
"That" part of town
I don't know which is worse: that we Bostonians quibble over an arbitrary, imaginary line when a bigger issue (homicide) is at hand or that someone would go out of his way to display such ostentatious ignorance about a community and its residents.
quibbling?
You're the only person quibbling over South End vs Roxbury. The rest of us were merely seeking clarification. Please speak only for yourself, and not for "we Bostonians".
Re: quibbling
That's my point, Anonymous. Clarification is sought over something which doesn't matter while the more important issue gets glossed over.
Roxbury is the town...
Just a thought in regards to statement that "Roxbury is a part of town you don't want to live in." I live in the South End but I travel through Roxbury nearly all the time and I don't have any fear. I don't know if you meant it as a put down but your comment about Roxbury read like one. I'm sure you are aware that crime, drugs, murder, and all the other negative things exist in ALL the neighborhoods. Roxbury has its problems but it isn't exactly Dodge City, there's a lot of section in Roxbury that are quiet, clean, and safe. Hope you take my thoughts in the right way.
Hiram Scott
Hiram, no offense taken. I
Hiram, no offense taken.
I don't fear Roxbury. For one thing, I'm always pretty-well armed. ;)
I stand by the comment. For people from out of town, it's a useful shorthand: South End=hip, sylish, gentrifying, gay community. Roxbury= well, you don't want to live there.
There may be some fine spots in Roxbury. But its crime rate is staggeringly high compared to South End, or Beacon Hill, or Back Bay, the more desirable parts of town.
CP