Last week’s monthly public safety meeting was packed with residents abhorrent of the type of behavior spawned by rowdies who leave some of the neighborhood’s bars from time to time being very noisy and urinating on the sidewalks.
It appears that the city’s closure of Southie’s bars early in the day on the St. Patrick’s Holiday, caused an invasion of younger drinkers into the North End. This exacerbated the tendency for poor behavior and frankly, it upset a lot of residents, as was shown at last week’s meeting.
Obviously, this type of behavior has no place in the life and times of the North End.
A recently published article seemed to emphasize that Suffolk University students living in the area largely contributed to the St. Patrick’s Day mayhem, personified by noise and the street urinations.
Those of us who live in the North End, who frequent it at all hours of the day and night, understand this is not the case. Suffolk University students living here comprise a very small part of the population in this bustling neighborhood filled with them.
And what’s more, the university patrols its own student population here.
Without question, the largest groups frequenting restaurants and bars here are the 25-35 year old crowd, educated, upscale working crowd.
When some of these folks come out of places in this neighborhood and urinate on the sidewalk or in an alley or vomit instead of using the restrooms inside, they cross a line.
The Boston Police have said they will be immediately detailing two officers to patrol the North End at closing time every night.
There is no doubt this will aid in defusing a situation that is not pervasive but which showed its ugliness over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Above all, the North End is about a family type atmosphere, great restaurants and bars which provide entertainment for Boston’s younger, hipper types and for visitors from all over the world.
The younger, hipper types must understand that they cannot abuse this neighborhood’s welcome.
The owners of bars and restaurants in this neighborhood will continue to make this clear to their patrons.
However, if the city is shutting down one neighborhood’s bars, other neighborhoods must be prepared to police their own territories.
We support residents in the belief that no one should be urinating on a sidewalk here or making so much noise that the peace is disturbed.