The new book "The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America" named Allston, MA 14th worst; the author spent time while in college, so perhaps he saw the puky side of life here, but this is not the whole story. I would like to counter that Allston is in fact the 14th Best Place to Live in America, maybe 13th.

I have the advantage of living in Lower Allston, the most underrated neighborhood in Boston, maybe even more so now that Harvard is going to knock down a huge part of it, But for now, it is as quiet as the forest deep, yet everywhere that matters, from the Waterfront to Cambridge to JP, is but a half-hour's bicycle ride, downtown is a half-hour bike commute along the esplanade bike path, as fast as the green line but relaxing instead of irritating.

I don't mind the preponderance of the young in Allston, they dress funny and say and spraypaint the darndest things. I used to live on Linden St. and got to enjoy their paleolithic merry-making late into the wee hours, but in Lower Allston we sleep like babies in a bubble.

I am proud to be in a neighborhood where the suburban cult of the perfect lawn is truly unwelcome; the lawns of Allston are keeping it real with a rich biodiversity of invasives.

For one's out-of-state visitors, it is a major advantage to live right off a turnpike exit instead of having Aunt Mabie negotiating the swirling oneway deadend fog of Boston's street layout.

Also, we have a Super 88 Market

What's not to like?