Wherez the peoplez at?
April 13, 2010 7:09 AM Subscribe
Please help me think of as many possible subcultures in the greater Boston area.
I'd like as large a list of possible subcultures (operational definition: groups of people doing a certain thing) living in Boston as you care to share. Whatever you think are particularly interesting would be great, but mundane ones would be good took. Links would also be awesome.
Some examples:
The irish musicians who play at The Burren
Tango dancers at The Lily Pad
Scul - the radical bike riding thing
Community Boating
These are just things that I know of, but mah jong organizations, social clubs, dance groups, fraternal organizations, student groups and anything else you think is interesting would be awesome.
I'd like as large a list of possible subcultures (operational definition: groups of people doing a certain thing) living in Boston as you care to share. Whatever you think are particularly interesting would be great, but mundane ones would be good took. Links would also be awesome.
Some examples:
The irish musicians who play at The Burren
Tango dancers at The Lily Pad
Scul - the radical bike riding thing
Community Boating
These are just things that I know of, but mah jong organizations, social clubs, dance groups, fraternal organizations, student groups and anything else you think is interesting would be awesome.
(Cambridge-centric)
The musicians at the Cantab (and, I guess, the regulars at the Cantab, and the homeless people who gather outside).
The Havana Club dancers.
The Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement-- at 23, I'm way too young to actually participate in this, but it's kind of a magnet for super-intellectual old people.
posted by oinopaponton at 7:23 AM on April 13, 2010
The musicians at the Cantab (and, I guess, the regulars at the Cantab, and the homeless people who gather outside).
The Havana Club dancers.
The Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement-- at 23, I'm way too young to actually participate in this, but it's kind of a magnet for super-intellectual old people.
posted by oinopaponton at 7:23 AM on April 13, 2010
Boston is known for having one of the hottest swing dancing scenes in the US.
It's also home to the Culinary Historians of Boston.
Meetup.com is a great place to get a sense what more than one person is into.
posted by Miko at 7:39 AM on April 13, 2010
It's also home to the Culinary Historians of Boston.
Meetup.com is a great place to get a sense what more than one person is into.
posted by Miko at 7:39 AM on April 13, 2010
Each college and university in Boston defines a subculture.
There are industry subcultures: high-tech, biotech, and healthcare are some of the largest.
There are various immigrant subcultures: Haitian and Khmer come to mind, but there are many others.
There are religious subcultures: Catholic and Jewish may have the strongest identity and presence.
There is the philanthropic community, which does have some aspects of a subculture.
There's a small but definite Rastafarian/Reggae subculture.
On preview: I think we may need some guidance defining the difference between a subculture, a scene, and a community.
posted by alms at 7:50 AM on April 13, 2010
There are industry subcultures: high-tech, biotech, and healthcare are some of the largest.
There are various immigrant subcultures: Haitian and Khmer come to mind, but there are many others.
There are religious subcultures: Catholic and Jewish may have the strongest identity and presence.
There is the philanthropic community, which does have some aspects of a subculture.
There's a small but definite Rastafarian/Reggae subculture.
On preview: I think we may need some guidance defining the difference between a subculture, a scene, and a community.
posted by alms at 7:50 AM on April 13, 2010
Sounds like we could also define this as "colorful group hobbies that take place in a public setting." My suggestions aren't so much organized activities but simply people that I superficially group together as I move about my narrow slice of the city (Financial District/Central Square/Inman Square)-- sort of like Richard Scarry's Busy Busy Town:
People who bike to work in office attire and backpacks.
People who bike in racing attire.
Fixed-gear riding bicycle messengers.
ACLU and Children's International fundraisers wearing their blue vests in Downtown Crossing.
Bartenders and restaurant kitchen workers with full-sleeve tattoos.
Rockabilly guys and Bettie Page gals who drink PBR and Jameson and smoke cigarettes outside places like the Starlite Lounge.
Young financial workers with suits and ties and buzzcuts.
Passengers on Duck Boat and Town Trolley tours.
People with their laptops in the front windows of coffee shops.
posted by Dixon Ticonderoga at 8:47 AM on April 13, 2010
People who bike to work in office attire and backpacks.
People who bike in racing attire.
Fixed-gear riding bicycle messengers.
ACLU and Children's International fundraisers wearing their blue vests in Downtown Crossing.
Bartenders and restaurant kitchen workers with full-sleeve tattoos.
Rockabilly guys and Bettie Page gals who drink PBR and Jameson and smoke cigarettes outside places like the Starlite Lounge.
Young financial workers with suits and ties and buzzcuts.
Passengers on Duck Boat and Town Trolley tours.
People with their laptops in the front windows of coffee shops.
posted by Dixon Ticonderoga at 8:47 AM on April 13, 2010
Oh! and:
Noisy crowds of sports fans all wearing matching-color jerseys on the subway (yellow for Bruins, green for Celtics, red and white for Sox).
posted by Dixon Ticonderoga at 8:51 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Noisy crowds of sports fans all wearing matching-color jerseys on the subway (yellow for Bruins, green for Celtics, red and white for Sox).
posted by Dixon Ticonderoga at 8:51 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: alms, I get that...I guess I was trying to leave the question deliberately vague, hoping to get some stuff that I wouldn't have thought to ask for.
(Which I did).
But please keep it coming.
Thanks!
posted by sully75 at 9:00 AM on April 13, 2010
(Which I did).
But please keep it coming.
Thanks!
posted by sully75 at 9:00 AM on April 13, 2010
Friends Stand United. I was just reading about these guys over the weekend. They're national now, but were founded in Boston. Basically a gang of hardcore bullies.
posted by cowboy_sally at 9:08 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by cowboy_sally at 9:08 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
MIT Mystery Hunters/puzzle hunters (wiki link)
posted by Diagonalize at 9:19 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Diagonalize at 9:19 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Various running groups: whether all of the people running on the Charles in the morning/evening/lunch time/weekend, or any of the running clubs in the area.
posted by teragram at 9:38 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by teragram at 9:38 AM on April 13, 2010
Carolingia, the Boston chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism, comes to mind. Though they do say that Carolingia status mentis est.
posted by dywypi at 9:48 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by dywypi at 9:48 AM on April 13, 2010
When I lived in Somerville 10 years ago there was an insanely good and completely informal pick-up soccer game culture at one of the parks in town, fueled mostly by Brazilian immigrants.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:51 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by Rock Steady at 9:51 AM on April 13, 2010
When I lived in Boston, I was part of a weird modern music subculture, consisting of composer and other new music types from the local universities and conservatories. It was the same crowd that went to all the different new music concerts, many of which were held at a gay bar downtown (that now I can't think of). But the mix between the gay crowd and the composer crowd (with a good deal of overlap) made for a very weird - but very cool and interesting - subculture.
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:06 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:06 AM on April 13, 2010
Filkers. It's a whole new world.
Wow. Just...wow. The world never ceases to amaze me.
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:07 AM on April 13, 2010
Wow. Just...wow. The world never ceases to amaze me.
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:07 AM on April 13, 2010
Boston Polyamory
BDSM Groups in Boston/Massachusetts (NSFW)
posted by alms at 11:34 AM on April 13, 2010
BDSM Groups in Boston/Massachusetts (NSFW)
posted by alms at 11:34 AM on April 13, 2010
not just swing, but square dancers and other folks dancers, often centered around the tech squares dancing group over at MIT.
posted by rmd1023 at 11:50 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by rmd1023 at 11:50 AM on April 13, 2010
Each college and university in Boston defines a subculture.
I don't know much about the others, but MIT has subcultures within its subculture. And subcultures within those subcultures. I will spare you all the boring details, and give one example.
colorful group hobbies that take place in a public setting
MIT Assassin's Guild: large games of Patrol (dart gun combat), lots of LARPing, other nerd-games (I'm saying that in a nice way) and boffers (duct tape and foam weapons). Members of such-like subcultures often referred to as Twinkies. Membership in any formal group not required to be a Twinkie; it's all about the activities, the types of personality, and often where you live.
posted by whatzit at 12:38 PM on April 13, 2010
I don't know much about the others, but MIT has subcultures within its subculture. And subcultures within those subcultures. I will spare you all the boring details, and give one example.
colorful group hobbies that take place in a public setting
MIT Assassin's Guild: large games of Patrol (dart gun combat), lots of LARPing, other nerd-games (I'm saying that in a nice way) and boffers (duct tape and foam weapons). Members of such-like subcultures often referred to as Twinkies. Membership in any formal group not required to be a Twinkie; it's all about the activities, the types of personality, and often where you live.
posted by whatzit at 12:38 PM on April 13, 2010
AMC Members, often seen at EMS or carrying backpacks and file boxes towards Joy St.
posted by bondcliff at 12:54 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by bondcliff at 12:54 PM on April 13, 2010
Boston Burners (Burning Man community. Includes many of my very best friends.)
posted by mykescipark at 4:02 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by mykescipark at 4:02 PM on April 13, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Fannypacked tourists.
Homeless people in Central Square (I know it seems odd to list "homeless people" as a subculture per se, but the folks in Central Square seem to be pretty installed and always talking to each other).
Colonial-themed tour guides around the Common.
Wealthy young couples walking up and down Newbury St.
posted by threeants at 7:20 AM on April 13, 2010