THAM KHAO
1.
What I like most about my neighborhood/community is that it is a true neighborhood/community.
I live in Brooklyn in Kensington. It’s a decidedly non-trendy neighborhood (which is its biggest selling point). It about 40/60 white collar/blue collar, with a number of public service workers (teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses, MTA employees — including a subway driver who, in my opinion, has the coolest job in the world), along with typical 9–5 office workers, tradesmen, etc.
I’ve lived here for 15 years, and my kids have grown up here. It’s very family-oriented, it’s relatively quiet, and you can still easily find street parking most of the time. You frequently see kids playing together outside — in New York City! — and there’s a subway line into Manhattan only a few blocks away. There’s an excellent public school within a short walk (PS 230), a Post Office branch, supermarkets, bodegas, stores, restaurants, etc.
And everyone knows each other, and everyone looks out for each other. I’ve let my boys play outside without my wife or I being out there with them since they were 9 and 10, and I feel comfortable that others are watching. There are several older/retired people on the block, and they keep their eyes on things (if a streetlight burns out, the sanitation trucks fail to arrive in a timely manner, or something’s amiss, they’re on the phone in an instant).
It’s a wonderful place to live. But please don’t tell anyone, lest it become yet another depressing trendy neighborhood…
2.
I live in Lower Allston.
I love that it's neighborhoody but still a quick walk to the bars in "regular" Allston. I love that it's close to the red line, but without the pricetag that comes with living in Cambridge. I love that there are families who have lived there for ages and college kids and professionals and that it's so diverse. I love that it's close to some very convenient bus routes. I love that my apartment is cute and unique and still under-market for a two bed. I love that I have a giant porch!
I wish that prices in the area weren't going up. With the Harvard expansion on the horizon, landlords are starting to realize they can jack up rents as the area becomes more desirable. I wish that there were more restaurants and bars in Barry's corner (though there will be soon!), and I wish that fucking N. Harvard bridge project would just be over and done with!
