| Living in an Urban Neighborhood By Jim Correale (Published in the East Boston Sun Transcript on July 27, 2001.) Living in an urban neighborhood like East Boston means that your house or apartment is not very far from the dwellings of many other people. You simply have to adapt to the proximity of your neighbors or you will be unhappy much of the time. Even the most spread out areas of Orient Heights don't leave much room between houses, while at the other end of Eastie, where I have always lived, we are on top of each other and -- with three-deckers the predominant type of structure in this area -- that is no figurative expression. The urban experience, to a large degree, depends on individual temperament, as some people love the bustle and richness of life in the city, while others feel disdain for the noise and the crowds. The regard with which a person holds his or her neighbors can also a factor. It is disappointing, but too many people act as if they are unaware that they share this community with more than 38,000 others. The first example, and one obvious to all of us, is litter. These streets are filthy. I hate to think what they would look like if the city didn't have weekly street cleanings and summer workers sweeping up each day. I wish I had a nickel for every person I've seen throw lottery tickets, cigarette butts or fast food wrappers on the ground. What I'd really like is to give out citations for littering -- say $100. It's unfortunate that hitting people in the pocketbook would probably motivate them, while pride in their community does not. On rare occasions I have seen parents of young children reprimand their kids for throwing trash on the ground, making the youngsters pick up after themselves. When I witness this I have to hold myself back from walking over and congratulating the adults. Another thing that frustrates me is the way people will sometimes park without regard for others. We know how difficult finding a spot can be in Eastie, yet I have often witnessed people pulling into an area that should be two spaces and leaving their vehicle in the middle. On the subject of cars, who of us hasn't been disturbed lately by extremely loud music coming from an automobile? I like to crank up the volume when I am driving, but I try to be conscious of where I am. While I might roll down the windows and blare the radio on the highway, I make sure to lower it while navigating neighborhood streets. And I lower it even more when I am at a stoplight, especially at night. Everyone has the right to enjoy whatever music they like, but that doesn't trump other people's rights to some level of peace and quiet in their living rooms and bedrooms. Music isn't the only noise pollution that can be annoying in the city. Recently, at around 11:30 p.m., I listened to a mother screaming at her daughter for about 15 minutes. The duo was about half a block away from me, and I heard the whole profanity-strewn conversation. Their inconsiderate behavior no doubt disturbed the few hundred people who were within earshot. Of course, most of us don't want to live in a perfectly quiet and sterile environment like a gated development or a planned community, such as Disney's Celebration, Florida. However, people should remember that together we inhabit a very small piece of the world, and much of what we do affects those around us. |