Is Boston a good livable city? for singles?

[eevee]

Originally Posted by Chianti

1. Weather sucks from mid-October to May. We're talking freezing-ass cold..

umm, not really. I've always found Sept-early/mid October to be the nicest time of the year. late October varies; there have been some years when Halloween was very nice and warm and some years when it was kind of windy and cool. can't remember October in general ever being "freezing-ass cold". ditto April and May, not often as nice as Sept and Oct due to all the rain, but also not "freezing-ass cold". of course, it depends on what your definition of "freezing-ass cold" is, but unless you're from the Southwest or Southeast, most people don't consider 50-70 degrees to be "freezing-ass cold". you must be overly sensitive to the cold (probably wouldn't be comfortably in 75% of the US)

Originally Posted by Chianti

2. People are EXTREMELY unfriendly/cold here......that said, once they get to know you, they are as friendly as people anywhere else....however, the process of "getting to know you" might take years, literally.....seems like a lot of people in Boston have a fear of talking to strangers. People here seem stuck in their social circles/niches and it is extremely difficult to break-in.

never found Bostonians to be unfriendly, just reserved. there's a difference. I've never seen a local give a tourist the cold shoulder, rarely seen overt acts of any unfriendliness at all (well, except for some road rage and acts of drunkeness). we don't come gushing over w/ hugs and kisses when you cross the state line, and won't engage in conversations about our life w/ people we've just met on the T, but we're not unfriendly. I'm sorry if it has taken YOU years to makes friends, but I've known lots of transplant who've gotten to know a lot of Bostonians and make friends a few short months after being here. it's especially easier to talk to people at school, work, or join groups. I guess it depends on how proactive you are in being social, b/c, as I've said, Bostonians tend to be a bit reserved. but if you don't take some steps and can't make friends in Boston w/in a year, you may need to evaluate yourself instead of blaming it on others perceived unfriendliness (I'm crazy shy and have borderline social anxiety, yet have had little trouble making friends outside the ones I grew up w/. ditto for my former roommate who transferred to Tufts from out of state, joined some neighborhood groups, and ended up making plenty of friends)

[Suericio]

Originally Posted by Chianti

1. Weather sucks from mid-October to May. We're talking freezing-ass cold.

2. People are EXTREMELY unfriendly/cold here......that said, once they get to know you, they are as friendly as people anywhere else....however, the process of "getting to know you" might take years, literally.....seems like a lot of people in Boston have a fear of talking to strangers. People here seem stuck in their social circles/niches and it is extremely difficult to break-in.

----looks like u sound very bitter about boston. u know i live in florida and i found the majority of ppl here to be very rude comparing it to nyc or boston. i could see y u would say they are unfriendly or cold. but to ppl who ARENT reserved or anything, they can be nice and friendly. but i wouldnt say that about everyone. looks like the majority of ppl moving to boston or from boston doesnt have a problem. so maybe its u! seriously look at the majority of the posters here on the boston forums and i would say there is about a 90% if not maybe more that doesnt have any problems w/ boston lifestyle or ppl

[HurrMark]

1. weather, is long cold winter unbearable? r there a lot of activities going on in winter?( I heard nothing going on from Nov to May) -- Depends on where you're from. You said you lived in Pittsburgh...probably not any worse than there, although it can be a lot windier, which can make it feel rather brutal even if the air temperature isn't that bad. It can really take a long time for this town to warm up. I remember about 12 years ago or so, I was watching the Weather Channel, and they said Boston hasn't hit 70 degrees yet. This was already mid-May. I said to myself...man, I'm glad I don't live there. Of course, things sometimes turn out differently.


2. Is Bostonians cold and unfriendly to different people/culture? (heard so before) -- Again, depends on where you're from. If you're from New York or lived there, not much different. But if you lived in the Midwest or a more "laid back" area, it may seem this way. In this town, it seems like everyone (especially those in their 20s) is always on the move, so people may on the surface may have a "dog-eat-dog" mantra and type A...also, there can be some superficiality as well.


3. does the MIT, Harvard grads usually leave Boston after graduate? are there a lot of eligible well educated single men in their 30s in the city?(feels the unmarried city residents are college students in their 20s) which companies are the major employers of the city? -- There are a bunch of MIT and Harvard people here...I would think New York has more of them due to the sheer size and the fact that many of the financial companies that would hire such minds are based out of there. But not everyone has an Ivy League degree. However, you will notice that especially among young people, it seems like everyone has a master's degree. And yes, there are many, many single people in their 30s. It's not unusual to have 34, 35 year olds who are single, have been single for a long, long time, and have no interest in dating.


4. are there a lot of free event like concert, farmers' market in the city?

Yes...Hatch Shell on the Esplanade has a lot of free concerts...there's often something going on in the Common during the summer (like Shakespeare). Street fairs abound in this town, and farmer's markets can be found in many neighborhoods.

[shihtzumom]

Originally Posted by On-da-Beach

I'm stunned by the response. My wife and I spent a week vacationing in Boston a couple of years ago. We loved it! I've said more than once that it is one of my favorite cities and I could live there if it were financially viable. The average age of a Bostonian is 27 or 28 so it is a young town. Unfriendly?? While walking through town and stopping in an occasional pub we were frequently greeted by staff and/or customers warmly, sometimes loudly, and made to feel as welcome as any place I've ever been. Perhaps it's simply a case of being approachable.
Freedom Trail is a historical, heady experience in itself.
At the end of the day, we love Boston and probably always will...

I feel the same way. As a visitor I have always LOVED my trips to Boston. It is one of my favorite places and if I could afford to live there, I would to. And I have found locals to be very friendly.

[psu2005]

I lived in Pittsburgh area a few years ago... Boston is no comparison. It's fresher, cleaner, more opportunities and options. and the weather? More snow, yes. But temperature wise, probably similar. I suggest a weekend visit to see what kind of "vibe" you get..

[ogre]

I looked up Pittsburgh's average snowfall. It was 43 in. This surprised me, since some Midwestern cities (Columbus, Indy) at a similar latitude, and not really all that far from Pittsburgh if you think in terms of the whole country, have annual average snowfall totals more like in the low to mid 20's in inches. If the 43 in. was accurate, then Pittsburgh's snowfall is about the same as Boston's average total, with Boston's western suburbs averaging maybe six to eight more inches each winter. Average winter temperatures in the two cities are very similar. I believe that each stage of fall might start slightly earlier in Boston than Pittsburgh--maybe a week to a week and a half earlier. This might be just enough for you to notice the difference if you're really observant about the seasons, but if that 43-inch snowfall average for Pittsburgh is correct, I think you'd find that the main difference you'd likely notice between Pittsburgh's and Boston's climates would be that in Pittsuburgh's springtime, you're more likely to have fairly consistently pleasant weather from about late April onward. In Boston the spring is likely to have more wet, chilly days mixed in all through the season, well into May, some years even a little in early June.