An Allston without noise
By Brandon Lewis, Staff Writer
@Brandon_S_Lewis
Allston. BRANDON LEWIS/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Imagine Allston without rowdy college students and loud, lively parties on the weekends. You probably can’t because Allston is a neighborhood defined by its collegiate party scene. If students want to enjoy themselves on the weekend, Allston is the place to be.
However, regular residents don’t seem to agree. Many non-college residents of Allston-Brighton have been known to contact the the police to voice their annoyance with the excessive noise of the neighborhood. And now, attempts to control noise have been taken a step further. The Daily Free Press reported on a new ordinance Tuesday that has proposed more police patrols of the area along with hefty fines for party hosts and attendees whose noisiness disturbs neighbors.
One resident interviewed even suggested that noise-makers should receive a fine of $500 for a first-time offense and $1,000 for a second-time offense. Don’t you think fining students is a little extreme? Besides, it would be pretty difficult to implement. At a noisy, crowded party, who would be fined? Random guests or the hosts of the party or …?
Let’s face it, we are in Boston, where thousands of students roam the metropolitan area. The Allston-Brighton neighborhood is known for housing many college students, who host many college parties. Residents should anticipate higher noise when choosing to live here. Allston is not the ideal place to raise a family or to live peacefully. Sorry, but that’s a fact. Residents need to know what they’re getting themselves into when moving to Allston. It may be an affordable place to live, but if you don’t like noise, don’t move here. If you have outgrown the party scene, then Allston-Brighton should not be on your prospective neighborhood list.
The residents of Allston-Brighton have to accept the reality that they are living in a neighborhood that will always be plagued by noise and parties as long as Boston remains a college town. If they can’t accept this, then I’m afraid it’s time to find new homes.
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