Opera fodder

We've complained before that the name "Dorchester" isn't the most descriptive for all the hullabaloo that goes on south of Southie. It does have it's historical precedent and, for antiquarians, geographers and old timers, the label does have its share of cache. "We've always called it Dorchester. Why should we stop now?" No reason, really. I'm not for marketing something that isn't broken just to seem relevant to hipsters or to boost real estate values. I'm sure the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico sometimes regrets its naming decision. Maybe not.

Dorchester is named after a town in England. That's nice, but mostly irrelevant almost 400 years after the initial settlement. Boston is named after a town in England too, but nobody confuses the two if you leave out the appendage "Mass.' when mentioning where you live. This holds true no matter where you find yourself on the globe, except perhaps in England. Boston, Mass. has its own identity. Boston, England should think about changing its name to avoid possible confusion. The same is not true of the two Dorchesters.

Before I moved to Boston, I received a letter with the return address Dorchester, MA 02125. I wrote back that I felt lied to. I had thought my pen pal lived in Boston yet here was evidence to the contrary. She assured me that Dorchester is, indeed, a part of Boston and I have since confirmed that fact. I've since learned it is the biggest and best part of this bean town.

You can say Brooklyn or the Bronx and people know you are still talking about New York. You can't say the same about Dorchester or West Roxbury or Hyde Park when discussing Boston. You have to pause in your story and qualify, "It's part of Boston, by the way."

If Dorchester got more publicity, that would help. If writers wrote about the Dot (which is a good name and one that builds off what's already established) more people would become aware of the vibrant neighborhood that provides the guts and muscle of the larger metropolis. The Boston label tends to exclude everything outside historical Boston proper. Why? Because people write about the Beacon Hill, the Back Bay, the Common, the North End. These are all worthy subjects, but so is the Dot. Operas involving hair dressers play out every day in Dorchester. Why cant we buy tickets to see a showing of "The Dottie Barber?"

Dorchester lays claim to providing the muscle and know-how to keep the city running. Why does it stop short in providing its flavor to the city's cultural life. In order of appearance, Dorchester arrived first on the scene by a few months. If it is preeminent on a timeline, it should be preeminent in the grander scheme of things. When people think of Boston they shouldn't just think of the Tea Party. They should think of the Dot.