Is Boston a good livable city? for singles? (Harvard, Florida: best cities, neighborhoods)

[useasbackup]

I'm single, female, 28, thinking moving to Boston and live for at least 5 yrs. Is boston a good livable city? and good for cities?

some aspect I think important to me:

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)
2. Is Bostonians cold and unfriendly to different people/culture? (heard so before)
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?
4. are there a lot of free event like concert, farmers' market in the city?

thanks in advance. any input are welcome.

[ogre]

Some of the answers will depend on your perceptions.

Winter, for example. If you're moving from Florida, it might seem awfully cold here, but if you're already accustomed to places with some wintry weather, you shouldn't find Boston winters to be too rough. Boston basically has a four-seasons climate. However, winter can seem to drag on for a long time because there are gray, chilly days mixed in with temperate weather for most of the spring. Real winter weather, however, usually lasts only about 3-1/2 months. As for activities during the winter, I can't think of any reason you'd feel there's nothing to do during the winter, unless the activities you enjoy mostly involve being outside in warm weather.

Whether people are cold and unfriendly also may depend on what you're used to. If you're from an area where people are especially laid back and outgoing, your overall impression of people in Boston might be that they are rather reserved, kind of in a hurry, and maybe rather snobbish, by contrast with the place you're used to. That's just the way people in general might seem, however. You can certainly find plenty of friendly individuals. I also find that people are more relaxed in more intimate settings, like a restaurant where you become a regular customer and the staff gets to know you.

As for Harvard and MIT grads staying around after they graduate, I don't actually know any numbers, but I believe they do often stay in the area. Higher education, biotech, medicine, and electronics are major industries in the area, finance to some degree as well, so it stands to reason that graduates in those fields are especially likely to stay in the area.

Again, I don't actually know the numbers, but there seem to be plenty of professional young adults in the area. It's mostly people who spend a lot of time in neighborhoods near colleges, or seek entertainment in dance clubs and such places frequented by a younger crowd, who seem to get the feeling of being overwhelmed by the presence of college kids.

Let's see, free events. There will be the occasional concert in a park. There are also plenty of solo musicians playing for cash in parks and subway stations. There's not exactly anything like a farmer's market that I know of, not right in the city anyway, though I'm sure you could find these in some suburbs. There is an area in the North End of Boston that has open-air vegetable markets and the like. I'm not certain of this, but I believe some museums have free or very low-cost admission during slower hours. Not sure, but I think the Museum of Fine Arts may do this.

So, there's some basic information. I hope this helps. What are your reasons for considering Boston? Info about that might help people get a better feel for whether you and Boston would be a good fit, or give hints about how you might make it a good fit.

Any more questions, please ask. Best of luck finding the right place.

[WannaGoHome]

Hi there. You should do a search for single in Boston on this forum. there have been a lot of topics on it. Boston is fantastic though. I agree with the above poster but just wanted to add that there are a ton of open-air vegetable markets in Boston proper. Every day of the week spring through fall actually. There is the North End market, the Government Center Market, the market where the North End meets downtown (I think this one is monday and wednesday, but i've seen them there friday a well), and there is one at Copley Tuesday and Friday. Cheers!

[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.

[useasbackup]

thanks very much for the very informative posts.
I've been to Pittsburgh for two yrs. I like the city but single well educated people here seems all in their 50s .so I'm thinking about moving to a city where I've better odds.
I don't want to consider west coast coz I like the 4 seasons and I'm afraid of earthquake. no texas as well, conservative?. then big cities in the east coast: NY, Atlanta, DC, Boston. I don't quite like DC, too refined; no NY, too hectic. I'd like to be in a city where I can meet other singles also I can enjoy life being single: jogging in the park, visiting museums, concerts, markets, etc. and I guess if I live in cambridge, I might be able to go to lectures often.

I guess which city I choose depends on the following factors
1. job (weight 35%)
2. potential dates(weight 35% I do want to settle down eventually)
3.opportunities (10%)
4. city culture (10%. coolness.attitude to different people and culture)
5. events (fun stuff to do, cultural events 10%

I'm still gathering data, any info will help. thanks!

[brooklynbarker]

hey, did you find anything interesting in your search. I'm in the same boat you are, kind of...I currently live in Texas and need a change of environment, and I am looking to move to the East Coast...

[useasbackup]

heard Austin and Denver are new cool cities

Originally Posted by brooklynbarker

hey, did you find anything interesting in your search. I'm in the same boat you are, kind of...I currently live in Texas and need a change of environment, and I am looking to move to the East Coast...

[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...

[smarty]

Based on these 2 tables... you have fairly good chance of finding a male to settle in MA for your age group. However, if you cannot close the deal in 10 years... look for the lower age group to improve your chances or lower the competition. In the last 10-15 years, there are many more males born than female.

Massachusetts - Marital Status

Massachusetts - Age and Sex

To improve your chances... move to the gray areas on the US map
www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-9.pdf

[Suericio]

check out Best Cities For Singles - Forbes.com

also http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/2007/06/21/cities-jobs-young-forbeslife-cx_mw_0621realestate_slide_7.html?thisSpeed=15000 (broken link)