CONDITIONS
CONTEXT
HISTORY
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
DESIGN ISSUES
SOCIAL ISSUES
PLANNING PROCESSES
TESTIMONIES

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CONDITIONS:
Parameters:
When residents describe the boundaries of Roslindale, they often speak of the four green corners -- Forest Hills Cemetery, the Arnold Arboretum, the George Wright Golf Course, and the Stony Brook Reservation. Definitive boundaries, however, are elusive. The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) includes the Woodbourne and Weld Hill neighborhoods within the parameters of Roslindale, but most residents seem to agree these communities are actually in Jamaica Plain. The Peters Hill section of the Arnold Arboretum is, by most measures, located in Roslindale, but according to some zoning codes also part of Jamaica Plain.

The Heart of the City project focuses on the areas of Roslindale that are within about a half-mile of the Arnold Arboretum, the Forest Hills Cemetery, and the Boston State Hospital site. These areas include the Longfellow, Peters Hill, South Street, Archdale, and southern Washington Street communities, as well as Roslindale Village and part of the American Legion Highway corridor.

Demographics:
In 2003, Roslindale was in the midst of a significant demographic shift. According to the U.S. census and the City of Boston, between 1990 and 2000, Roslindale's population increased by 5%, with large increases in the black and Hispanic populations and a decline in the white population. The total minority population has shifted from 3,057 (9% of total) in 1980 to 7,465 (23% of total) in 1990 to 15,301 (44% of total) in 2000. The African American and Hispanic populations in Roslindale have increased from 4% and 20% in 1980 to 16% and 20% respectively in 2000. Although this is a somewhat dramatic transition, the change has not been accompanied by economic and social instability, but rather increased stability and economic revitalization.  

              2000         1990        1980
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White      56%           77%          91%
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Black      16%             8%            4%
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Hisp.       20%           11%            4%
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Asian        4%             3%            1%
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Multi-rac.  3%              --               --

Roslindale's population density is lower than the Boston average. In 1990, 30% of its housing units were single- family compared to 16% citywide. At the same time, the population of the neighborhood is increasing more rapidly than any other neigborhood in the Heart of the City. Between 1990 and 2000 the population increased by 5%.

Housing in Roslindale:
Density:
Roslindale is a residential neighborhood that moves across a density gradient from sparsely populated areas with one- and two-family homes to the west to highly populated apartment complexes, condominiums, and a public housing development to the east. The Longfellow area in the western part of the neighborhood, near Centre Street, is characterized by one- and two-family homes, backyards, and high home-ownership rates. East of Walter Street, three-family units and apartments come into the mix of housing. Continuing this pattern, on the eastern side of Washington Street, particularly north of Healy Playground, the neighborhood is more densely populated, with a proliferation of triple-deckers and apartment buildings. Here, too, is the Archdale Village public housing development, as well as some of the few large tracts of vacant land in the neighborhood. There are smaller homes and more upscale condominiums in this area as well.

Affordable housing:
Only 14% of housing units in Roslindale qualify as affordable housing under 40B.

Housing prices:
In Roslindale, the single-family home is the most common housing type. The median price in 1998 for a single-family was $155,250. By 2000 that number had rise 38% to $215,000. Rent for a two-bedroom apartment rose 66% between 1995 and 2000 from $725 to $1,200 (Boston Indicators Project, 2003). The median sale price for a one-bedroom home rose 12% from 2000 to 2001 to $252,000. According to real estate agents, western sections of the neighborhood, particularly Longfellow, Peters Hill, and South Street, have been in increasing demand over the past several years.

Two-bedroom median advertised asking rent in Roslindale from 1995 to mid-2002. Data from the Boston Department of Neighborhood Development and The Boston Foundation. 

1995 -    $725
1998 -    $900
2000 -    $1,100
2001 -    $1,200
2002 -    $1,300

% increase from 1995 to mid-2002 -     79%

Median home prices in Roslindale between 1998 and mid-2002 From the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development and The Boston Foundation.

1998 -   $167,000
1999 -   $182,250
2000 -   $217,000
2001 -   $239,000
mid-
2002 -   $280,000

% increase 1998 to mid-2002 -      68%

Commercial areas:
Roslindale Square (also known as Roslindale Village) is the commercial center of the neighborhood. The commercial buildings in Roslindale Village date from the Victorian era to the taxpayer block buildings of the 1900s to Art Deco of the 1920s through 1940s. In recent years Roslindale Village has been the focus of intense revitalization efforts and now stands as a thriving district of shops, restaurants, book stores, and bakeries, all of which center around a true village square park. The opening of a co-op grocery store in the winter of 1998 was a particularly important success that galvanized the community and increased its cohesion.

A second, less successful commercial area in Roslindale is located along American Legion Highway south of Walk Hill Street in an area many consider part of Mattapan. In contrast to the village center experience of Roslindale Village, the American Legion Shopping area is a strip-mall with a front parking lot and stores set back along the strip. 
 
Thirdly, where Walter and South Streets come together near Fallon Field and Longfellow House lies a small commercial area with several small stores.

An industrial strip runs between Washington Street and the Arnold Arboretum south of the Forest Hills MBTA Station. Four dead end roads just off Washington Street end at a commuter rail line and the Arboretum.

Transportation:
By foot or bike:
Roslindale has a very low percentage of walk trips compared to the citywide average. Only 38% of trips people take within the neighborhood are taken on foot or on bike. Only 6% of all trips taken from Roslindale are transit-based ("Access Boston 2000-2010," Boston Transportation Department).

Public transportation:
Roslindale residents can access the commuter rail at Roslindale Village that makes a stop at Forest Hills Station and continues north into downtown Boston. Approximately 500 people access the commuter rail each day from the Roslindale Village station ("Access Boston 2000 - 2010," Boston Transportation Department). Otherwise, residents are dependent on buses for public transportation. Washington Street south of Forest Hills Street is a major bus corridor. By far the busiest bus route in Roslindale is the #34, the Dedham Line from Forest Hills, which carries 6,300 people each day. The second busiest route runs from Forest Hills to the Charles River, at 3,250 people each day. Routes 14, 30, and 51 provide cross-town service ("Access Boston 2000 - 2010," Boston Transportation Department). 

 The following are the other buses that run in Roslindale in the Heart of the City:

14 - Roslindale Square - Heath Street Station Via Grove Hall & American Legion Hwy
30 - Mattapan Station to Roslindale Square and Forest Hill Station via Cummins Highway
35 - Dedham Mall/Stimson Street - Forest Hills Station via Belgrade Avenue and Centre Street
36 - Charles River Loop or V.A. Hospital - Forest Hills Station via Belgrade Avenue and Centre Street
37 - Baker and Vermont Streets to Forest Hills Station via Belgrade Avenue and Centre Street
50 - Cleary Square - Forest Hills Station Via Roslindale Square and Washington Street
51 - Cleveland Circle (Brookline) to Forest Hills Station via Weld Street, Walter Street, Roslindale Village, and Washington Street

Greenspaces:
Along with North Dorchester, Roslindale has the fewest sports and recreation facilities relative to its youth population of any neighborhood in Boston, according to a three-year intensive study carried out by Harvard and Northeastern Universities called "Play Across Boston." Also, according to the study, Roslindale and three other neighborhoods had the lowest playground quality in the city. Fewer than 54.6% of the playground items met a standard for playground quality. In West Roxbury, for example, about 75% of the items met the playground standards.

Healy Playground, Flaherty Pool, and Archdale Community Center:
These three community resources are located in close proximity in the most densely populated section of Roslindale along the Washington Street corridor south of Forest Hills Station. The sprawling Healy playground and pool offer local youth a range of possible activities, including field sports and basketball, and a tot-lot and recently renovated indoor swimming pool. The Archdale Community Center offers computer, educational, and recreational resources to residents of the Archdale Village public housing complex and others in the neighborhood.

Fallon Field:
Western Roslindale is closely associated with Fallon Field, a large open area that includes a tot-lot, playground, and playing fields. Fallon Field is located on South Street and connects to the Arnold Arboretum by South Street and Walter Street. The field is easy to access and is well integrated into the pedestrian patterns and life of the neighborhood. It is surrounded on three sides by roads that are well traveled enough to ensure that the park is used, but not so wide and fast that they intimidate and discourage potential users.

Weld/ Walter Tract ("Joyce Kilmer Park"):
This land, which is owned by the Trustees of Harvard College and managed by the Arnold Arboretum, is technically closed to the public. It can, however, be accessed by anyone who cares to search for a crumbling section of the stone wall that circumnavigates the property or the informal entrance on Walter Street near the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center. The property is lightly planted with trees and is a storage area for fill. Some community members consider the walled-off land a blighting influence on the neighborhood, particularly in light of the crumbling stone wall.

Schools:
Roslindale schools include the Sumner, Haley, and Philbrick Elementary Schools, as well as part of the Patrick Lyndon Pilot School (which may also be considered part of West Roxbury). Roslindale's High School has been closed for decades and in recent years was converted into housing.
 
Longfellow House:
The Longfellow House, an historic building that was renovated in recent years by Rogerson Communities, provides elderly housing and serves as a community gathering place. The award-winning gardens on South Street also provide a common space for residents and visitors to sit and enjoy the neighborhood. 

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CONTEXT:
Peters Hill in the Arnold Arboretum:
According to zip code, BRA planning districts, and 2002 precincts, Roslindale's boundaries include the Peters Hill section of the Arnold Arboretum. Gated entrances to Peters Hill are located at the isolated residential corner of Mendum and Fairview Streets, at a forlorn intersection at South Street and Bussey Street (only accessible by car), and at Bussey Street near the intersection with Walter Street. Many residents, however, access Peters Hill by a set of small stairs on Walter Street at the historic burying ground. Access to the Arboretum east of the commuter rail is nonexistent except for an almost imperceptible gap in a stone wall on South Street that is accessible from Archdale Road. The main section of the Arnold Arboretum is accessible from Walter Street and Bussey Street.

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HISTORY:
Early history:
Roslindale was originally part of the Town of Roxbury. This particular section of Roxbury originated in 1712, when a small group of settlers living west of Jamaica Pond broke away from the original Roxbury church parish to establish a parish closer to their homes. The settlers built a new church on Walter Street on land that is now part of the Arnold Arboretum. In 1722, the parishioners established a burial ground next to the church. The graves have been preserved to this day within the Arboretum.

Roslindale was primarily rural farmland for the next 150 years. The Dedham Post Road (now Centre Street) was the main thoroughfare through the area in the 1700s. The Dedham Post Road completely bypassed Roslindale Village, and the community and commercial area remained small.

In 1868, when Boston annexed the Town of Roxbury, the Town of West Roxbury inherited the area known as Roslindale. Then in 1873, Roslindale was annexed to the City of Boston as a distinct neighborhood. However, the neighborhood continued to be closely linked to West Roxbury and struggled to establish an independent political identity.

Periods of growth:
For the next three decades, with the introduction of public transportation to the area, Roslindale experienced unprecedented growth. Washington Street was built in 1804 and provided a thoroughfare from downtown Boston into Roslindale. Two railroads came to Roslindale in the 1870s, giving city dwellers easy access to the countryside. Even the great 1887 Bussey Bridge disaster -- the first major railroad disaster in America, which killed 23 and injured 115 -- ultimately spurred development. Hundreds of people were attracted to the scene of the accident. Many liked the rural landscape they saw and stayed on to live. By 1900, Roslindale was the new center of German settlers in the Boston area.

Roslindale experienced a second residential boom in the 1920s and 1930s. By 1939, approximately 90% of lots in Roslindale had been developed. By 1950, Roslindale Village had become what the BRA called "the commercial powerhouse of southwest Boston." The village served all of southwest Boston, including Forest Hills, Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, and Dedham. Real estate agents nicknamed Roslindale "a garden suburb" and "the superb suburb" to attract still more development and investment. New arrivals at this time were primarily Boston-born Irish and Italian Catholics, as well as some Eastern Mediterranean and Arabic people. By 1960, Roslindale residents made more money per capita than the other neighborhood in the Heart of the City (1965/1975 Plan for the City of Boston and the regional core).

Disinvestment and decline:
Then, in 1968, a suburban shopping center opened in nearby Dedham that sapped the vitality of Roslindale Village. By this time, white migration from the city to the suburbs was well underway. A total of two-dozen businesses were burned in arson fires in the 1970s, including Corey's Market and the Parke-Snow building department store. Both had served as neighborhood anchors. The American Legion Highway shopping center, which was then referred to as "Roslindale Shopping Center," also went into decline. According to the 1977 Neighborhood Improvement Program report, the shopping center was "allowed to deteriorate substantially as a result of ineffective management, inadequate maintenance, and demolition resulting from fires" ("Neighborhood Improvement Program Report," City of Boston, 1977, p4).

The neighborhood was deeply impacted by the 1974 ruling in a federal court that ordered school busing and the end of de-facto racial segregation in Boston schools. A wave of parents left Roslindale and moved their families to the suburbs, further contributing to the decline of the area. Finally, the razing homes and businesses along the Southwest Corridor in preparation for a highway that was never built had serious negative impacts on Roslindale, as well as Jamaica Plain.

Revival:
Roslindale's revival began in the early 1980s at a time when Greek immigrants were beginning to move into the neighborhood. The Roslindale planning district received $30.4 million in investment between 1975 and 1989, 96% of which was in the residential sector (Roslindale Neighborhood Profile 1988). Between 1986 and 1989, more than $4 million in public and private funds was invested in the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and redesign of businesses along Roslindale's streets, particularly on Washington, South, Corinth, and Poplar Streets. Forty-three commercial buildings were rehabbed, the facades of 73 others were renovated. Twenty new businesses opened and 132 jobs were created. Most of these changes and improvements were associated with a National Trust for Historic Preservation program. The National Trust did not offer money, but rather technical assistance, consulting, training, and advice. Funding for the rehabilitation work came from the City and the business community itself.

Roslindale Village became the testing ground for what would become Mayor Tom Menino's Boston Main Streets program. The program has had a major impact on traditional business centers in the Heart of the City, including Egleston Square, Grove Hall, and Centre Street/ South Street.

Total population of Roslindale over time:

1950 -      37,036
1960 -      38,852
1970 -      39,558
1980 -      32,626
1990 -      32,959
2000 -      34,618

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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:
Driving to work:
In 1990, more Roslindale residents drove alone to work than residents in other Heart of the City neighborhoods (about 50%). Car ownership was also highest in Roslindale (approximately 80% in 1990). Because of their heavy car dependence, Roslindale residents emit more air pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than other Heart of the City residents. They also contribute disproportionately to traffic congestion (The Wisdom of Our Choices: Boston Indicators of Progress, Change, and Sustainability, The Boston Foundation, 2000).

Flooding:
In Roslindale between the Arnold Arboretum and the Forest Hills Cemetery, sewers discharge into a system that becomes flooded with stormwater runoff during major storm events. The sewage lines are old and regularly exceed their daily capacity of 120 million gallons. As more of the land is developed and more soil is covered up by concrete, flooding issues become increasingly severe. Approximately 200 Roslindale residences and businesses experienced significant damage due to flooding in October of 1996 when ten inches of rain fell on some areas and the sewer system backed up. Up to eight feet of raw sewage flooded some basements in a ten-street Roslindale neighborhood (flooded streets included Carlford, Bradeen, and Whipple).

Many residents said they found feces, toilet paper, and other untreated sewage floating in their backyards and basements. Oil tanks ruptured, adding to the toxic waste, and burners went out, sending noxious carbon monoxide into their homes (Jack Sullivan, "Roslindale raising stink over sewage,"The Boston Herald., Aug. 15, 1999). According to The Boston Globe, the flooding cost millions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses (Alisa Valdez, "Residents hit Roslindale flooding study,"The Boston Globe., March 6, 1997).

The land along American Legion Highway and northwest of Mt. Hope Cemetery is also subject to flooding from the Canterbury Brook. Flooding problems were exacerbated when Boston Water and Sewer put down a grate to prevent the full flow of water from traveling through the pipe.

Finally, flooding of Bussey Brook in the South Street neighborhood in Roslindale has also been problematic. Houses along South Street were built up high and yards were left low and are still prone to flooding. Archdale Road/ South Street is a pressure point where Bussey Brook and the high level sewer converge. In the late 1990s, 400 feet of underground pipe were laid through the neck of the Bussey Brook property in order to channel surface drainage. Since that time, the flooding problems in this area have been greatly alleviated through the work of various city agencies.

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DESIGN ISSUES:
Signage:
Members of the Longfellow Area Neighborhood Association have pointed out that no signage currently suggests connectivity between Roslindale Village and the Arnold Arboretum, which is accessible on foot from this commercial hub and transit station. Likewise, no plantings suggest connectivity between Fallon Field and the Arnold Arboretum along Washington Street.

Access to Arnold Arboretum:
Roslindale residents east of the commuter rail along the Washington Street corridor have unnecessarily limited access to the Arnold Arboretum immediately to the west.

Conflict between industrial and residential land uses:
Along the eastern edge of the Washington Street corridor, the mix of residential and industrial uses sometimes causes complaints among residents of Archdale Village and Florence Apartments.

Blighted vacant lots at Archdale:
A number of trashy vacant lots in the vicinity of Archdale Village public housing development have been a blighting influence on the neighborhood for decades.

Storefronts:
Members of the Lower Metropolitan Neighborhood Association are trying to convince store owners to remove their storefront grates, arguing that the neighborhood is safe and that the grates communicate feelings of fear, which hampers business. City Officials feel removing them is a good investment for better business. However, many store owners are skeptical and do not feel the neighborhood is safe enough. In 2005, the city contributed funding for the grate removal, but all store owners must agree so that the removal can be done all at one time. (Kennan Knudson, "Grates Are Not So Great No Need, Group Say, But Some Aren't Sold," The Boston Globe, April 10, 2005).

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SOCIAL ISSUES:
Lack of political representation:
In 2002, no Roslindale resident held an elected office at any level of government. As Carter Wilke, a Roslindale resident and former advisor to Mayor Menino, pointed out in a Longfellow Area Neighborhood Association newsletter, Roslindale is divided between two state senators who do not live in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is also split among four different state representatives. Wilke writes, "Political boundaries have been drawn in a way that fragments the community, dilutes its voice, and discourages different areas of the neighborhood from working together on common causes at a time when the community is growing more diverse."

Crime:
Although crime is problematic in some areas of Roslindale, in 2000, the police district that includes Roslindale had the city's lowest crime rate.

Childcare:
According to Ari Lipman, community organizer for the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, one social issue the disparate sections of Roslindale agree on is the lack of daycare/ childcare services available in the neighborhood.

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PLANNING PROCESSES:
Outdoor patio at the center of Roslindale Village:
Since 1997, developer Stavros Frantzis of Jamaica Plain has pursued the idea of creating an outdoor patio space in the center of Roslindale Village where concerts and casual interactions between neighbors could take place. Although the plans have stalled for several years, as of 2002, a sign in the area proclaims that the courtyard is soon to become a reality.

Redevelopment of brownfield owned by MBTA:
A group of Roslindale residents is exploring possibilities for the redevelopment of an MBTA Substation that is located on Washington Street near the center of Roslindale Village. The building is a "brownfield" or contaminated site that may be expensive to clean but that could also be eligible for special government funding for such sites.

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TESTIMONIES:
"It became bad in the '60s and '70s. Business people lost courage, nobody improved their property, a lot of them sold and left the square, went uphill toward West Roxbury, Dedham, those areas. It was too bad" (Lenny Vadalha, Roslindale Square attorney for more than 40 years).

"When I picture Roslindale I think about green trees along the streets and quiet homes in a row, close to nice parks" (Carly Benson, Roslindale resident).

"Roslindale feels like a small town that has everything. People always say that. There's no one social group or demographic that dominates and makes you feel like an outsider" (Carter Wilkie, Roslindale resident and member of Longfellow Neighborhood Association).

"…Roslindale has no pride of place. In a sense, Roslindale does not exist, for even people who have lived more than 50 years in Roslindale cannot describe its boundary" (Peter Andersen, "Roslindale Remembered, The Boston Globe).

"I wouldn't consider it a part of Boston. I would call it a kind of suburb of Boston. It's dominated by West Roxbury and Hyde Park. Roslindale doesn't have too much to say on politics and things like that" (Mrs. Lillian Hays in 1975, Roslindale resident for 19 years, P4 of Boston 200 Neighborhood History Series on Roslindale).

"Whenever we have a choice, we've decided to spend our money in Roslindale to support the businesses that have decided to come here" (Jane Ochs Zick, Roslindale resident, 2002).

"According to the 2000 Census, Roslindale is home to 34,618 people. But not one of them holds an elected office at any level of government. In fact, Roslindale is the largest community in Boston without a single officeholder from the neighborhood, leaving 34,618 people without a strong voice of their own" (Carter Wilke, Longfellow Area Neighborhood Association newsletter).

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