Is Boston the most intellectual city in the U.S.? (Cambridge: school, live in)

[chicagoliz]

I think that it just might be. NYC, DC and others have pockets that are intellectual.

Philadelphia is not particularly intellectual.

Bostonians do indeed value education, and it does seem like more of the people have higher levels of education. At a recent forum for candidates for local office, I believe every single one had an advanced degree. So many would say things like, "I have 5 kids and was very involved with the schools. Then I got a PhD at Harvard." This is MUCH different than the local candidates for offices in other places where I have lived.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

I think that it just might be. NYC, DC and others have pockets that are intellectual.

Philadelphia is not particularly intellectual.

Bostonians do indeed value education, and it does seem like more of the people have higher levels of education. At a recent forum for candidates for local office, I believe every single one had an advanced degree. So many would say things like, "I have 5 kids and was very involved with the schools. Then I got a PhD at Harvard." This is MUCH different than the local candidates for offices in other places where I have lived.

Bostonians are not intellectual. They are obsessed with accreditation and educational keeping up with the joneses. They encourage falling in line and doing what everyone thinks you should do. Intellectual? No. Creative? No. Status seeking? Yes.

Honestly, I respect people outside of the Cambridge/Boston education elite much more than those in it (I am in it, for the record). Thank God it's a minority of people.

[Shrewsburried]

MA's reputation as 'educated state' has as much to do the general population as it does with it's abundance of reputable higher ed institutions.

The 'working class' folk here are, generally speaking, a pretty capable articulate bunch compared to those you'll meet in southern and southwestern states.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

The 'working class' folk here are, generally speaking, a pretty capable articulate bunch compared to those you'll meet in southern and southwestern states.

This is the kind of statement that makes the rest of the country view the east coast, especially New Englanders, the way it does.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Bostonians are not intellectual. They are obsessed with accreditation and educational keeping up with the joneses. They encourage falling in line and doing what everyone thinks you should do. Intellectual? No. Creative? No. Status seeking? Yes.

Honestly, I respect people outside of the Cambridge/Boston education elite much more than those in it (I am in it, for the record). Thank God it's a minority of people.

This hasn't been my experience. There are certainly some status-obsessed people I've met, but for the most part the better-credentialed people tend to be less showy about it. If half the people you know have an advanced degree, it stops being a way to impress and so people care less about it. My experience is pretty limited, though.

If anything, I'd say the issue I have isn't that people aren't intellectual, it's that they value intellectualism excessively. The elitism isn't so much demand for credentials, but disdain for things perceived as middle or low culture. The kind of people who always find a way to work in that they don't own a TV (even if they just watch everything on their computer). In my life, it's a small but noticeable group. Maybe there will be more of this once my kids get into school.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

This is the kind of statement that makes the rest of the country view the east coast, especially New Englanders, the way it does.

I know it sounds both naive and pretentious, but during my travels I find myself continually underwhelmed by workers in FL, AZ, SC, GA while WA, MN, CT/MA/NH, MD, NJ workers are more or less on a similar plane.

Of course, the margins are relatively small as humans will have the same average intelligence regardless of location - it's a matter of education.

[such sweet thunder]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

I know it sounds both naive and pretentious, but during my travels I find myself continually underwhelmed by workers in FL, AZ, SC, GA while WA, MN, CT/MA/NH, MD, NJ workers are more or less on a similar plane.

Of course, the margins are relatively small as humans will have the same average intelligence regardless of location - it's a matter of education.

There's empirical support for the point you're making. Massachusetts public elementary schools score the best on national standardized tests. I suspect that's a true measure too. With Boston, Massachusetts has a fair amount of immigrants and ESL students (who you wouldn't expect to do well on standardized tests in English). The best scoring states should probably be Vermont or Delaware, yet here we are.

[Vanderbiltgrad]

Great more intellectual elites in your city, no thanks. I don't need their know it all attitudes.

[SouthSota14]

Originally Posted by turf3

What you are talking about is more "history" than "intellectual". True, Boston has lots of history.

I think there are a lot of well-educated people here. Who never, ever, ever, stop telling you how well-educated they are. If I never again hear "when I studied at MIT" or "one of my colleagues at Harvard", it will be OK with me.

Other than Harvard, MIT, and Brandeis, many of the "colleges" and "universities" are not really top grade institutions.

Its true, Boston has great top institutions like these and many good public school systems but you still don't have to look very very hard to find lower educated areas.. Pepperell and Billerica being 2 of those. Orange got the title for most rednecky town in MA, they're way above Billerica there even.. its more like Dukes of Hazzard.

[SouthSota14]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

I know it sounds both naive and pretentious, but during my travels I find myself continually underwhelmed by workers in FL, AZ, SC, GA while WA, MN, CT/MA/NH, MD, NJ workers are more or less on a similar plane.

Of course, the margins are relatively small as humans will have the same average intelligence regardless of location - it's a matter of education.

Oh god I live in St Petersburg currently and it blows as far as how slow people are. I cant get used to it so I come to the realization I have to get closer to my family up north. Down here by myself, cant make any friends.. Its just as hard or worse than MA to make friends because of the tourism, transiency and distant natives. You got a triple whammy despite the fact its not as elitist or have great schools.. whats their excuse I wonder? It feels like they act like people from Wellesley in many areas, just without the ultra richness. Don't forget money retirees came from lesser towns in the north... not always but an amount of the time. They couldn't make it in MA and then they go to FL, look their noses up at others.. Its actually not the Boston population doing that as much of the Midwest suburbanite types though who come to FL and some NY.