Shooting (movies, not people) continues in Southie

Filming continues in my nook of Southie, and I'm going to commend the film crew for giving forewarning this time. Perhaps they read this. Or, perhaps they simply determined that taking up BLOCKS of parking spots for 24 hours a day over the course of three full days (and half of Thursday, to be exact) in a neighborhood with a dense population is worth a polite note on the windshields of the cars parked in the vicinity. Minor props for the advance notification on Saturday night.

I finally made it to Gone Baby Gone this weekend, which I thought was a terrific film and story. I'll say it once again that I wish Hollywood wouldn't typecast Southie as the hotbed of gritty crime drama, but I do understand how it's easier to define people and places with labels. It could be a blessing in disguise. Sure the stray tourist might work his way into Southie to check out the L Street Tavern or Murphy's Law, but for the most part, filmmakers have scared the bejesus out of people with their characterizations of Boston's neighborhoods that aren't Beacon Hill, The South End, or The Back Bay.

For the record, to all of the Platinum Elite readers outside of Boston, you are not guaranteed to get jacked in a sketchy bar or popped in a dumpster if you venture outside of the Boston Tourist Comfort Zone. While your odds might increase, it's not all dirty cops and crime syndicates. I've yet to see nary a bullet casing or bag of dope anywhere in my surroundings (though I can account for two syringe sightings and a glimpse of these neighbors smoking something that wasn't sold in packs of twenty).

I'm forced to adjust my schedule a bit this week, as I have dinner plans both Monday and Wednesday night. I'm thinking of driving home tonight to park, let the dog out, and then take the (gasp) bus back into the Back Bay. I do find it odd that I seem to have much more enjoyable bus rides on the #s 9, 10, or 11 vs. riding the T (which, as I always state, is quite the adventure for me).