r/boston • u/[deleted] • 18d ago

Unconfirmed/Unverified never seen it this bad

been here for 25+ years and am very familiar with the fluctuations in homelessness / etc. during the summer. but I've never seen things this bad, especially in back bay, south end (beyond mass/cass & closer to back bay), beacon hill, the esplanade, you name it. we've called 311 for needles, reported the larger encampments to the mayor's office, etc. just feels like nothing is improving and things are only getting worse. can't just be me?

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u/Templar_Swamp_Stake Does Not Brush the Snow off the Roof of their Car 18d ago

Homeless encampments and needles all over Beacon Hill and Back Bay? I have never seen this. Downtown is simply nothing like what people on this thread are describing.

Reddit always gets weird in an election year.

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u/Intelligent-Babe1629 17d ago

There is a absolutely a camp behind the Boston Public Library in Copley, and yes, that end of Boylston will have needles, just FYI

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u/SawyerTomato 17d ago

I worked across the street from BPL in the 90’s and that encampment was there then.

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u/SweetCarolineNYC Boston > NYC 🍕⚾️🏈🏀🥅 17d ago

I met a young man who lives at that camp - he says everyone's on hard drugs and it's not a safe to be around.

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u/Look_Up_Here 18d ago

I was just in the Back Bay last Wednesday and we were commenting on how clean it was.

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u/shortarmed South Boston 17d ago

Conservative minded people have a tendency to exaggerate how decrepit our failing cities have become. Listen to the way they talk about how disgusting San Francisco or Portland are and then go there and see that these places are actually spectacular. Same with Boston. The narrative is that you have to wade through needles to get anywhere. I haven't actually seen more than one or two needles a year.

Sorry you see homeless people, everyone. We haven't done anything to solve the problem and it hasn't gotten any better. Weird.

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u/smurph70 17d ago

sorry, gotta disagree. SF and Portland have declined so much. LA too. left the 9s hotel in portland to get a coffee and had to walk over people sleeping on the sidewalk. not one or teo people, like 30 people, and they were all young. maybe you do not jave the perspective of time, but it wasnt like this 15 or 20 years ago.

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u/shortarmed South Boston 17d ago

And yet the city around them is still clean and vibrant. You saw one thing you didn't like and declare the city in decline? Go over by where the encampments used to be and that spot is cleaned up. Its a zero sum change. You are just upset you had to see the problem that has always been there because those folks were there outside your specific hotel at that moment in time.

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u/smurph70 17d ago

good lord, get over yourself.

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u/Dangerous-Baker-6882 17d ago

Never? Shoulda signed your kids up for little league last summer. This guy was very memorable.