I wish young people today could see the Boston of my youth, because it was a lot different and kind of awesome.

for one thing it was cheap. My apartment in the north end was $600/month, total. four bedrooms, 1000 square feet. My friend had a penthouse in the south end for $550/month. The south end was not super safe but it was awesome.

You could actually rent a studio on Beacon Street. It would be a lot cheaper to live in Allston but it could happen. Regular people who worked retail jobs rented studios in back bay.

It's hard to think about clubs without feeling sad. People went to shows, every night. I worked at the strawberries in Kenmore Square and the major job benefit was a shared egress with the Rat -- we could finish a shift and go into the club through the back hallway.

Bunratty's -- later Local 186 -- the Channel, Avalon, Axis, the Rat, even stupid Mama Kin booked good bands. You could hit four shows in one night. I saw Black Francis at Nightstage, a club so intimate that people were trying but unable to back away from him.

yes I know nightstage was in Cambridge. Cambridge used to be awesome too.

There were stores everywhere. Independently owned stores with interesting stuff in them. Even on Newbury Street. There were weird little shops with cool stuff and they weren't chains and you could afford things in them.

And there was SIN. There were sketchy areas and a red light district and sin was taking place right out in the open at night and you could see it. Now where is our sin? It's hidden away and I don't trust hidden sin.

Kenmore Square is unrecognizable from those days. It was really gritty and urban and awesome. Mr Butch lived there first, before moving to Allston. We hung out at Captain Nemo's pizza and played pinball and made fun of people going dancing at Narcissus.

There was a vintage store and two record stores. Peter Prescott worked at one of the stores so we used to go lurk around and look at him and pretend we weren't looking at him. After last call at the Rat we'd go to Deli Haus. Everyone went there, and it was so much fun.

There was also that crazy restaurant that was all red and chrome - I can't remember what it was called. They had the absolute worst french fries I've ever had.

I know that it's each generation's job to mourn the past and curse change. I don't want to be that person. But the city really has become a city of the wealthy, a city of chains, a city of luxury housing -- and it wasn't before. And that's depressing.

There was an Allston Mall, with a used bookstore, an african art store, and a weird electronics place that claimed to have a 6hz machine for sale.

And oh my god you would not believe what Somerville looked like.

There always seemed to be big weird concerts and art events happening in empty warehouses and lofts too. Although maybe that's happening now and I don't get invited bc I'm old.

. @stevegis_ssg did you go to House of Borax? I'd forgotten about it until @kennycooks reminded me. I'm still not sure what that was about.