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BobbyBrownsBoston t1_jdnlmqi wrote

Reply to comment by altorelievo in Black leaders are developing Nubian Square. Can they revitalize the economic heart of Black Boston? by bostonglobe

Boston has hella black people though, in the city. Seattle and Portland do not. That has historically driven divestment and scared off investment. Until he pandemic Boston had a much higher violent crime rate and concentrations of generational poverty.

It also has a liquor license cap.

That’s why it’s been hard to turn these neighborhoods around. They were extreeeeemly blighted at their lowest and it’s taken a long time to revitalize these neighborhoods just to this point.

Take a look at this video of Roxbury around 1980- it was super rough. https://youtu.be/tjtYIWdK2aE

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altorelievo t1_jdnq6bw wrote

Yeah, hindsight my comment comes too idealistic. I didn't factor in demographics as a variable that could affect investment, sadly this also is part of my naivety.

I am aware of 1980's Roxbury, I lived just north of Boston Everett/Malden at the time. Those "empty lots" I mentioned all over Blue Hill and Washington, yeah I know these were not great places to be at that time. Progress, is stagnant empty grass lots but it's better than abandoned buildings with rampant drug use in each one. In short time, if done right these will revitalize the area and bring Boston into a new era.

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