If Allston’s the Worst, You Can Keep The Best

A new book entitled "The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America" has named Allston, MA as one of the grossest and dirtiest places to live in the United States.

Disclaimer - haven't read this book yet and do not plan on purchasing it - if anything I'll take the 66 bus out of Harvard directly into the deepest bowels of America to steal a copy from the Urban Renewals bookstore on Brighton Avenue.

According to The Boston Globe, the author lived in Allston as a student in the 90's and from the quotes I read, also from The Boston Globe, he has a major chip on his shoulder...

Below in italics are some quotes taken from The Boston Globe of the author's descripton of Allston:

[Allston is] a community of "faux Irish pubs...."

What makes an Irish pub authentic anyhow? I mean, unless it's located in Gallway, aren't all American Irish pubs faux in one way or another? Most of the Irish pubs in Allston are owned, or founded at least, by true red-blooded Irishmen.

"....garbage, vomiting in the shrubbery, drunken brawling, late night/early morning car alarms"

That may be an accurate, yet arguable, description of some parts of Allston. I myself wouldn't want to move to the Commonwealth Avenue section of Allston because there is too much hustle and bustle for my taste. However, I am still left scratching my head wondering, even if the author's description is right on the money, how that could qualify Allston as being one of the worst cities to live in in the United States. And not only that, Allston is ranked No. 14!! It's in the top 25!!! I can name at least a dozen shitty areas in Massachusetts alone!

As a life long Brighton resident, I have griped for years about absentee landlords renting over-priced/over-crowded apartments to students. I am fortunate enough to only have one of these houses in close proximity to my house. The place looks as though it is about to fall down, there is always trash in the front yard and loud parties that go well into the wee hours of the morning - take that scenario and multiply it by 10,000 and you've got Allston. I don't blame the students - kids will be kids. I guess my point is - the author lived in Allston as a student, Allston is pretty much dominated by a student population who contribute greatly to the garbage and late night drunken behavior he complains about. It is what it is.

Allston has never dragged residents in under false pretenses of being the best cities to live in America, but it is certainly not one of the worst.

And then he gets really mean and strikes out in a seemingly passive agressive way......

"Allston is a Neverland for the thrift shop set," he writes. ". . . you have this whole aging (thirtyish) segment of the population pathetically suffering from the Peter Pan-like delusion that they'll never grow old or irrelevant, still hanging out at the college bars and sitting in each other's living rooms dissecting pop culture like it's 1992."

Ouch..... That kind of stung a bit since I myself am a delusional 30 year old - even if I avoid the college bar scene like a VD. All I can say is that this guy must of had some really bad experiences in Allston, but it serves him right if he's going from living room to living room of thirty-something college bar dwellers. Nothing good can come out of that.

In any case, I’m already over this - the guy has gotten enough attention and will most likely make a ton of money from the free press alone.