[avitalporatova]

I've lived in some really nice, clean and uppity parts of Boston... now I live in Dorchester and can honestly say that for the first time in my life I actually love where I live. Truly love it. I know all of my neighbors - up and down the street - and even though they are all so different, neighbors actually hang out together.

On my one little street alone, we have starting at the top... lesbians, blue-collar Polish plumber and his brother who are in business together, 80 year old Irish widow, mid-30s yuppy couple with 2 toddlers, two old married gay guys, a history teacher at Boston College and his family, a 30-ish newly-wed black couple from Georgia (they are always cooking, always sharing), a married older gay couple with their 4 gay little yipping dogs, an Irish family with three kids from 3-10 years old...

In my other neighborhoods everyone was white and wealthy and members of some kind of elite (be it academia, government, finance, law, etc) and nobody every spoke to one another except for the occasional "hello". They were "head down, no-eye-contact" neighborhoods.

Now, I live amidst an entire world of people, and I can't walk my dog to the end of my street without talking to at least a few neighbors. The old lady from across the street calls me at work to tell me that I left a light on and to admonish me that electricity is expensive!

But if you consider Dorchester, be very, very careful. Dorchester is the size of the Back Bay, Fenway, BEacon Hill, South End, Downtown, North End and the South End COMBINED. So there are good parts, bad parts, and horrible parts.

It's problem is that all these completely unique neighborhoods go by just one name "Dorchester" so nobody has any idea that there are such nice parts because the bad parts on the news at night make the headlines and tarnish the entire Dorchester name.

My favorite picture (courtesy of the agent that moved me to Dorchester)
Melville Park, Dorchester:


The Filene's Mansion (now condos) Savin Hill:


The area is cheap, a quick walk to the beach/water and a quick walk to the Red Line. But again, be careful! There are some parts of Dorchester (West Dorchester) that are a disaster!