BOSTON GLOBE

[philipchevron]

A nice lady from the Boston Globe flew to Dublin to do a story on us today, so those of you in the Boston area may want to keep an eye out for the paper in March. I think we will be leading the Arts section in one of the Sunday editions.

[DzM]

Was she drunk?

[philipchevron]

Was she drunk?

As far as we could tell, she had not a drop taken, though you never know with these Southies.

[Eric V]

Was she drunk?

As far as we could tell, she had not a drop taken, though you never know with these Southies.

Southies?

[DzM]

Southies?

Like Northies, Easties and Westies (though not the dogs), but with a more Southern disposition.

[philipchevron]

It's a Boston thing.

[-nate-]

Southies?

I'm sure The Dropkick Murphys would be happy to explain it to you.

But if they can't be bothered you might check this explaining South Boston, and the Southies that inhabit it.

-Nate

[-nate-]

As an interesting side note, this link was found on the wikipedia site.

The subject is:

HURLEY v. IRISH-AMERICAN GAY GROUP OF BOSTON

[Eric V]

Southies?

I'm sure The Dropkick Murphys would be happy to explain it to you.

But if they can't be bothered you might check this explaining South Boston, and the Southies that inhabit it.

-Nate

I know of no way to converse with the members of the DKM that is in any way as easy and satisfying as this forum, but I am a big fan and if you know otherwise, let me know. That said, the overview of the neighborhood you posted makes it sound like the recent history of the neighborhood is CRAP. And they have more Nazis living there than is good. Am I reading this wrong? Anti-integration (anti-black) and anti-gay.

[Scallywag]

Boston Globe Paper. Good interview and possibly agreat article.

[glonn]

I know of no way to converse with the members of the DKM that is in any way as easy and satisfying as this forum, but I am a big fan and if you know otherwise, let me know. That said, the overview of the neighborhood you posted makes it sound like the recent history of the neighborhood is CRAP. And they have more Nazis living there than is good. Am I reading this wrong? Anti-integration (anti-black) and anti-gay.

Eric,
I lived in Boston (Jamaica Plain) for two years and got to know a sliver about Southie. The first thing that I would say is do not pigeon hole it with terms like "Nazis" "anti-black" and "anti-gay". No doubt those sentiments exist in South Boston as they do in many other communities. I think that on the whole South Boston is full of good, hard working people that have lived there a long time, built a great place to live and can possibly be faulted on being a little insular.

On the Hurley v. Irish American Gay Group, that was a truly sad then liberating chapter in Boston history. The South Boston St. Pat's Day parade that had been going on for eons was cancelled that year because the organizers did not wish to allow gay marchers. Since there was no parade in Boston, Cambridge had one instead that included everyone. I attended that parade and literally had tears in my eyes as I watched scores of gay veterens in uniform marching in that parade. It occured not long after Clinton's BS "don't ask, don't tell" policy so there was a mystiqe about gay troops that made their presence even more powerful. Boston definitely has its hard-core, doctrinaire Catholic side to it but there is also a more enlighted current that can surprise you.

[Mr. Joyce]

I have a good friend (non-Boston native) who has lived there for the last 6 years and I have come to know it fairly well through visiting him. It's changed a lot just in that time - specifically as the Wikipedia article states, due to gentrification. Every time I go, it seems that more and more of the walk-ups have been renovated, and sold off as condos. Young professionals are buying them up quickly - for Boston, I guess its a relatively affordable place to live, and its definitely a fun place to live if you like to go out.

There are still some places (bars, primarily of course) where my friend has 2nd thoughts about going, due to the "locals only" mentailty of the patrons. Although that seems to be less and less of a problem each time I go back - not sure if it is due to the locals being more accepting of the people invading their turf, or the owners of these establishments looking to tap into the $$$ that the newcomers have to spend.

I can't help but think of the parallels between S. Boston, and the neighborhood in which I live, Hell's Kitchen in New York. Both traditionally Irish, both with a rough reputation, and both suddenly very desirable places to live. I got here in the mid 90's, well into the gentrification process, and have seen one old-timer after another forced to pack up and move uptown or to Queens because they can't afford it any longer. By the time I got here, most of the "Irishness" was already gone (or at least what I imagined from movies and reading), except in the bars and the Irish Arts Center.

It's still a great place, though - funny thing is, I'm on the verge of not being able to afford it any longer and may have to leave!

[Eric V]

Eric,
I lived in Boston (Jamaica Plain) for two years and got to know a sliver about Southie. The first thing that I would say is do not pigeon hole it with terms like "Nazis" "anti-black" and "anti-gay".

Ok. You caught me shooting from the hip after a few of teh brown. Fair enough. It was just one article.

[glonn]

Eric,
I lived in Boston (Jamaica Plain) for two years and got to know a sliver about Southie. The first thing that I would say is do not pigeon hole it with terms like "Nazis" "anti-black" and "anti-gay".

Ok. You caught me shooting from the hip after a few of teh brown. Fair enough. It was just one article.

Bastard!

[Eric V]

Bastard!

Indeed!