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Old 04-24-2008, 01:58 PM
 
3,075 posts, read 5,623,274 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChunkyMonkey View Post
Maybe you forgot the Esplanade which is quite well-used and well-loved and can rival any waterfront in the nation. Have you heard about the nationally televised Boston Pop's 4th of July celebration? The Charles is an amazing resource considering how many universities are along its banks not to mention events such as the dragon boat races and the head of the charles regatta, the world's largest 2 day rowing event. If that is not well used I don't know what is.
I've been to 4th of July in Boston and I've also been to 4th of July in D.C. I'll take D.C. over the monuments and Potomic River. Actually the best part of 4th of July in Boston was hanging out on the rooftop of an apartment building.

I do admit the Charles River gets some use for boating and runners nearby, but Boston Harbor is nothing great looking and there isn't a whole lot of restaurants and other commercial buildings located on the water like there is in other coastal cities.
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Old 04-24-2008, 02:38 PM
 
49 posts, read 253,567 times
Reputation: 60
lived in Boston and currently live outside of Houston....Houston blows Boston away in every aspect.
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Old 04-24-2008, 02:53 PM
 
127 posts, read 162,200 times
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Oh brother! Now the bash-fest begins!
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Old 04-25-2008, 01:44 PM
 
Location: Sverige och USA
702 posts, read 3,004,309 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chianti View Post
lived in Boston and currently live outside of Houston....Houston blows Boston away in every aspect.
Houston blows alright... (Sorry couldn't resist).

Been there many a times and it is really nothing special. It is great for those who like sprawl and general ugliness. However, there are some nice neighborhoods closer into town and the Menil Collection is great, but overall it is not in the same league as a city like Boston IMO.

@LeavingMass
I agree the harbor side needs to be activated more. Hopefully with the Harbor Walk and South Boston Waterfront developments it will start to get better. The new Spectacle Island is a good start to get more people to explore the Harbor Islands which are a great natural resource that few even know about.
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Old 04-25-2008, 01:45 PM
 
Location: Dorchester
2,605 posts, read 4,827,600 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chianti View Post
lived in Boston and currently live outside of Houston....Houston blows Boston away in every aspect.
Then you have our permission to post on the Houston board and leave us poor Bostonians to our ugly, miserable, culturally devoid, city.
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Old 04-28-2008, 09:19 AM
 
Location: Marietta, GA
7,887 posts, read 17,126,695 times
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I think it depends on who you are, how old you are, and what you want out of life at the stage of life you're in. The OP is just getting out of college. At that age, Boston is a great place to be. You can overlook the negatives and enjoy all the great nightlife and things to do.

As someone who grew up in NYC and lived in the Boston area for 15 years as an adult with children, I was really glad to move south and wouldn't move back north for any amount of money. When you get older you start to be concerned about things like schools, home prices, taxes, parks, and a whole bunch of stuff that single 20-somethings don't really need to think about.

Now, not to say you can't have a decent quality of life in areas outside the big cities in the northeast, but when you look at the quality of life in southern cities and suburbs compared to the big cities and suburbs in the northeast, it's a nice change. Oh...and then there's the warm weather and no snow.

As to the heat and humidity...it's no worse in the south than in Boston in the summer. The difference is that it lasts a bit longer, but every home and every building is centrally air conditioned, so you don't notice it as much. I was much more uncomfortable in my older home in New England when it was 85 and humid than I am in my new home in Atlanta when it's 95.
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Old 04-28-2008, 02:57 PM
 
Location: Dallas
4,630 posts, read 10,429,569 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neil0311 View Post
As to the heat and humidity...it's no worse in the south than in Boston in the summer. The difference is that it lasts a bit longer, but every home and every building is centrally air conditioned, so you don't notice it as much. I was much more uncomfortable in my older home in New England when it was 85 and humid than I am in my new home in Atlanta when it's 95.
I entirely disagree. Boston has very pleasant summers, rarely all that hot. In the whole 15 years I've been here, there have only been a few weeks during a few years which I would qualify as a true heat wave.

Conversely when I lived in Little Rock, for two months of the year we foregoed the 100 foot walk from our barracks to the chow hall because before we could complete the 100 foot walk we would be DRENCHED with sweat.

Southern summera are like northern winters - you just stay in.

That said, I agree I prefer southern summer over northern winters. Snow makes driving treacherous.
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Old 04-29-2008, 11:56 AM
 
Location: Dorchester
2,605 posts, read 4,827,600 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neil0311 View Post
I think it depends on who you are, how old you are, and what you want out of life at the stage of life you're in. The OP is just getting out of college. At that age, Boston is a great place to be. You can overlook the negatives and enjoy all the great nightlife and things to do.

As someone who grew up in NYC and lived in the Boston area for 15 years as an adult with children, I was really glad to move south and wouldn't move back north for any amount of money. When you get older you start to be concerned about things like schools, home prices, taxes, parks, and a whole bunch of stuff that single 20-somethings don't really need to think about.

Now, not to say you can't have a decent quality of life in areas outside the big cities in the northeast, but when you look at the quality of life in southern cities and suburbs compared to the big cities and suburbs in the northeast, it's a nice change. Oh...and then there's the warm weather and no snow.

As to the heat and humidity...it's no worse in the south than in Boston in the summer. The difference is that it lasts a bit longer, but every home and every building is centrally air conditioned, so you don't notice it as much. I was much more uncomfortable in my older home in New England when it was 85 and humid than I am in my new home in Atlanta when it's 95.
What quality of life issues in the NE, more specifically the Boston area, are there that pale in comparison to the Atlanta area?
You listed schools as a barometer. Am I missing something? We have some of the finest public schools in the nation.
Crime? According to City Data, Boston area towns comprise almost 30% of the list of safest communities in the nation with all of the Northeast represented well. One Georgia community made the list.
Conversely, Atlanta was number 13 on the list of most dangerous cities in the nation with the rest of the Southeast represented well on that list.

So the heat in Georgia lasts just a bit longer? LOL.
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Old 05-03-2008, 10:43 AM
 
42 posts, read 42,364 times
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I have a friend who's moving back to Orlando, Florida! I think she misses Disney a lot. Ha!
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Old 05-03-2008, 09:48 PM
 
Location: Marietta, GA
7,887 posts, read 17,126,695 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TomDot View Post
What quality of life issues in the NE, more specifically the Boston area, are there that pale in comparison to the Atlanta area?
You listed schools as a barometer. Am I missing something? We have some of the finest public schools in the nation.
Crime? According to City Data, Boston area towns comprise almost 30% of the list of safest communities in the nation with all of the Northeast represented well. One Georgia community made the list.
Conversely, Atlanta was number 13 on the list of most dangerous cities in the nation with the rest of the Southeast represented well on that list.

So the heat in Georgia lasts just a bit longer? LOL.
I lived in Leominster, MA for 15 years. The schools were awful compared to Cobb County, GA where I now live. No cormparison at all. We now have better buildings, better equipment and technology, and better paid teachers. Check the Internet and look at the statistics, which is what we did in advance of our move. Our schools in Cobb County and on the north side of Atlanta beat our old schools in Leominster and most MA schools in test scores and graduation rates. It's a myth that MA has best schools, unless you live in Weston or Wellesley and pay the kind of taxes they do. Sure there may be some poor counties that have bad schools in the south, but they aren't in the metro Atlanta area that comprises several counties and more than 5 million people. School systems here are county wide, and there is a much broader tax base to support them, unlike MA where every little town has its own schools and there is massive redundancy of administration and expense, and wide variance of quality depending on the affluence of the town.

As to safety, again you're comparing the City of Atlanta, and I don't live in the City of Atlanta. I live in an affluent suburb northwest of the city that is as safe as Weston or Wellesley, or any part of MA. Most parts of metro Atlanta are very safe, and the metro area has almost as many people as the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

As to heat, sure GA is hotter for longer, and way more humid. I never said it wasn't. However, if you compare that MA gets heat and humidity in the summer as well (especially away from the coast), my point is that I'm more comfortable now and have central A/C, as does every house and public building. In MA, many houses like mine, and many public buildings have no A/C or inadequate A/C, and you really feel the heat and the uncomfortable nights.

In Atlanta we get a "New England summer" for 3-4 months (twice as long as New England), as we are getting right now. This whole week it was sunny and 70's (nearly 80) durning the day, mid-50s at night, with low humidity. We get that kind of weather in October, November, and April and May. Then we get 50's, 60's, and 70s in December, January, February, and March. Sure the heat sets in by June and lasts until September, but there is little to no winter. It gets down around freezing at night for a month or so...big deal. I'd much rather have that instead of the miserable cold and snowy winters, with the chilly and damp fall and spring in New England. April snow isn't unheard of in central MA, and the leaves don't come out until May. Sure summer is nice, but it leaves as quickly as it arrives.

I enjoyed my time in New England, but the leftist politics, the terrible weather 8+ months a year, and the high cost of living are not what I wanted. I'm not trying to tell anyone to leave, just explaining why I did.

Last edited by neil0311; 05-03-2008 at 09:59 PM..
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