We requested, you suggested: “Our passion and stubborn love for our city makes us great”

BY DIG READERS

Last month, we asked Dig readers—you—to share notes about a slice or corner of this region that you actually appreciate. It could be general, like how you love the bar and grub options, or it could be more specific, like your feelings about a particular restaurant where they serve delicious grilled hot dogs for a buck and three-dollar beers (sorry, we’re keeping that one a secret).

We were happy to receive several dozen responses—many of which echoed each other, one of which was a poem, and some of which hit on subjects that we don’t think or write about enough around here (last week, we printed the negative answers in a feature titled “What’s Wrong With Boston?”). This wasn’t just some silly exercise; we will be using these raves, along with other input, to help guide our news and arts coverage moving forward.

For now, here are some standout responses, edited for clarity and space. As far as we can tell, only one of the snippets that we included is sarcastic; we’re pretty sure you will be able to tell which one.

It’s cliche, but fish. Fish, fish, fish, fish, fish. So many kinds of fish, from the Sacred Cod at the State House, to basically any restaurant, to … have you tried that ice cream in a fish cone in the Seaport yet? [Ed. note: It’s called Taiyaki NYC.] Pure heaven.

-Laura W.

There’s a reason why

tourists come from all the world:

history is here.

-Andy Gaus

The music scene is coming together now more than ever. You no longer feel like it is as segmented by genre or neighborhood like it has been in the past decade I’ve lived here.

-Anonymous

New grocery stores downtown.

-John Maden

Boston still has some of my favorite cultural offerings; from the Gardner to the ICA to the Science Museum, it’s still where I bring out of town guests.

-Anna Feder

Bostonians love their city and care about it, our passion and stubborn love for our city makes us great.

-Anonymous

Our diversity is our strength, but disparities and neighborhood boundaries divide us.

-Anonymous

The transportation. As long as you don’t really need to get anywhere.

-Pattie Kell

You can get to know your legislators, from city to state, including the Governor.

-Bil Lewis

Access to healthcare, education, and the arts.

-Anonymous

Peace to all the underground art and party spaces. You crazy if you think I’m gonna tell all of your readers where they are.

-Francie Lowen

Hey, it’s on a coast.

-Anonymous

The Celtics.

-Dana Jay Bein

The Patriots, duh.

-Ralph Jacoby

It’s livable, human scaled city that, despite challenges,  has always managed to embrace education, culture, balanced with a down to earth sensibility.

-Ian Judge

The struggling artists who are still trying to redeem us all.

-Jared Nathanson

Boston remains a very walkable city with very few areas of endless strip malls and chain stores within its city limits.

-Marc Hurwitz

Has anybody else noticed that you can go to a comedy show every night of the week without leaving Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville?

-Laura G.

The Public Garden is magic. Pure, natural, magic.

-Bree Rashni

I hate to think of the city I live in as a great place to get sick, but with all the hospitals and healthcare pros, it really is.

-Hank Titus

Everything

-Dr. John

We have a decent healthcare system.

-Anonymous

There are a plethora of organizations fighting for the rights of marginalized communities (refugees, Muslims, LGBTQ+, etc.).

-Claire Sadar

I didn’t know what to write for this, and then I found out that Haley House is opening back up again, and it made my day.

-Dee Jones

I hate to be the one who has to bring up alcohol, but as long as we still have at least a few dive bars to drink at [Ed. note: We recommend Biddy Early’s in Downtown Crossing] I’ll be just fine. 

-Ben T.

What’s right with Boston you ask? Let me see, hmm. At this point I would have to say Medford, Malden, and Revere.

-Anonymous

Public art and graffiti. There’s not as much as we need just yet, but there has been progress, and these murals really do support the local art scene most of the time.

-Vert Little

Strong community of artists and others.

-Michael Mambrino

There is a vibrant community of young artists trying their best to make this city as cool as possible.

-Sam

The strong underground communities people found outside our bigger institutions

-Anonymous

I’m not sure how they do it, but I’m always impressed by how many record stores there still are. Way more than I am ever able to sift through in a single day.

-Rad Nine

There is an abundance of cultures and cultural experiences.

-Cagen Luse

I’ve only been an arts advocate for 10 years but it seems that our grassroots movements are stronger than ever now and not just social justice and political movements but in the arts too—multiple complementary movements

–Samuel Potrykus

What’s right with Boston: Schools staffed by teachers who know their craft and are totally dedicated to their students. Not all teachers are like that, of course, but many. 

-Andy Gaus

Boston is an accessible city with a lot of variety for not a very large city. Pretty much anything you’d want is in some part of Boston (besides cheap rent).

-Anonymous