I agree with you. Boston has an old reputation for sketchy areas. It surely was justified at one point, too (as well as outlying areas; Somerville was a bit eye

I agree with you. Boston has an old reputation for sketchy areas. It surely was justified at one point, too (as well as outlying areas; Somerville was a bit eyebrow-raising when I was young, I remember that). But for most of the city, especially the places folks on HN are likely to ever be, it's quite safe. My parents sent me breathless statistics about Dorchester being a hive of scum and villainy and for being among "the least safe" areas of Boston, I never even saw a broken window, let alone heard gunshots or read reports of violence.