Is Boston for me? Help! (Arlington: apartments, mover, condos)

[aeo2626]

I lived in Boston for several years and while I liked the actual city, I found the people there to be quite cold and unfriendly. And there are very few dog parks. I'd pick DC.

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by outdoorsmw

Any information is greatly appreciated! I'm thinking about relocating from Florida to either the DC area or Boston. I've realized how much I loath the Florida summers and the people seem to be caught up in possessions rather than depth.

My lifestyle is very active physically (like to run marathons or compete in triathlons) and I love running when it's cold! I appreciate seasons, but I want to be near water. I know both DC and Boston would be great places based on my preferences.

What I also want to know is are people friendly and open? How is the single's scene? I'm hoping to find a nice guy to settle down with sooner rather than later, so that's very important!!! What areas in Boston are best for me and my dog? I would like to live near a park. I know Back Bay and North Boston pretty well, but I don't think those areas are right for me. HELP!!!

I would pick Cambridge, J.P. or West Roxbury near the Charles River, ever Roslindale, right on the line I would give Boston a try, why not. You always are free to do D.C. the Charles River would be perfect for walking the dog boating and running. Leave the guy out til you do what you want.

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by missionhill

I was surprised at the provocative remark that Boston is "far nicer" aesthetically than Washington, D.C. The writer passed it off as something so obvious as to need no explanation. Isn't Washington considered beautiful with its monuments and formal spaces and baroque city plan and its lack of skyscrapers? Boston has its charms but let's give the Capital some credit. As to the perfect blend of urban and green, Boston has it in spades-- Cambridge, Brookline, and Jamaica Plain are some of the areas that combine urbanity with natural scenes. These areas have plenty of young professionals but it would be difficult to escape the presence of students anywhere in Boston.

I agree. Personally i think D.C. is really beautiful with the Potomic River and the monuments lit up at night. I like the fact the buildings aren't too tall so you can enjoy the views.

I visit D.C. quite a bit and yes some people can be snobby, but it isn't as bad as Boston. I've met more people in D.C. than Boston, and I've lived in MA my whole life. I went to a party in D.C. just recently and was amazed how many people went out of their way to introduce themselves to me. That has never happened to me at parties in/around Boston. I also think your more likely to met someone in D.C. because it is more transient. You'll met people from all over, while Boston you basically will run into New Englanders.

Boston is more college-crowd oriented and is losing some of the 24-35 year old age group. D.C. is more young professional oriented, but i will warn you it can get political because many people work for the government. D.C. has one of the best economies and with the government and private companies is more recession proof than most areas. Also the D.C. metro is alot better than Boston's T system and stays open to 3 am on weekends if your out at the bars. D.C. also has happy hours so if you like to go for drinks after work that is a bonus.

Some D.C. negatives are bad traffic, high rents, and heat (if you don't like the heat). D.C. has a ton of singles, actually i think i've read they have more single people from 24-35 than any other city. Although i believe that might have been regarding single women. Definitely live in the single areas in D.C. or Alexandria. The Rosslyn area also seems to have tons of single people when I'm there.

The D.C. area your close to the ocean, beautiful Virginia countryside, and other cities such as Baltimore. Most of the attractions in D.C. are free so you save $ there.

If you don't mind more heat, higher costs for rent, and the traffic, I give the edge to D.C.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Don't forget that the Boston marathon is one of the top marathons in the world. I personally prefer Boston over DC, because it has a lot of nature nearby and is more compact and less sprawled out. Boston is right on the ocean and offers great hiking opportunities. Good luck.

[baystater]

Originally Posted by ChunkyMonkey

Don't forget that the Boston marathon is one of the top marathons in the world. I personally prefer Boston over DC, because it has a lot of nature nearby and is more compact and less sprawled out. Boston is right on the ocean and offers great hiking opportunities. Good luck.

I respectfully disagree about how much nature there is outside D.C. vs Boston. When I was living down in D.C. area (Rockville,MD.) I found I had access to a lot of outdoor activities with in 15 mins to 30 mins. Kayaking, rockclimbing, Hiking, trailruns, Etc. One of my favorite places down there was Great Falls National park. Basically you could do just about anything outdoorsy you could think of.

Great Falls Park - Great Falls Park (U.S. National Park Service) (Actually the the website says that the parks in Virgina which is half true. But there's another half of the park in Potomac MD.)


But I do agree D.C. does not have the ocean near it. And to me the ocean is everything. That's way I couldn't really ever make D.C. Perment home. Give me that cold atlantic water.

[ChunkyMonkey]

I really wasn't comparing Boston to DC nature as I have no experience around the DC area.

I liked the varied opportunities around Boston. For example, you can kayak pristine rivers, wide water rapids, weave through marshlands or sea kayak around coves or the ocean all close to Boston. You can go hike in dunes, mountains, islands, (Boston Harbor National Park), forests, all relatively nearby. Even the beaches have great diversity, from powdery sand to rocky coasts.

[LeavingMA]

But I do agree D.C. does not have the ocean near it. And to me the ocean is everything. That's way I couldn't really ever make D.C. Perment home. Give me that cold atlantic water.

Boston doesn't really make good use of the ocean. You have to go outide the Boston area to find decent beaches and anything nice that is waterfront. And you really only get to use the beach for 2-3 months in New England because of the weather, unless you like 50 and 60 degree water.

[baystater]

Originally Posted by LeavingMA

Boston doesn't really make good use of the ocean. You have to go outide the Boston area to find decent beaches and anything nice that is waterfront. And you really only get to use the beach for 2-3 months in New England because of the weather, unless you like 50 and 60 degree water.

Yes I agree that Boston is not to place to swim. I was from the south shore and hopefully will soon return there. Loved most of the beaches there. I do agree you only get a couple of months where you can swim. But I love to walk the beach, even in winter when the wind is rather biting. I love smell of the salt water. I know this sounds insane but that salt air smells "clean" to and invigorates me. I miss it a lot right now. . But I'll be back soon hopefully.

[LeavingMA]

There really isn't even a lot of restaurants or anything in Boston by the water. Its not like Baltimore where you have the inner harbor and many cities make better use of being by the water.

I know what you mean though about being near the ocean. Just the noise is very relaxing and great to hear. The beaches in Maine and Rhode Island are some of my favorite in New England. The nice part is their is a different style beach for everyone in New England.

[ogre]

Sorry it's a little off the topic here, but I'm new here and want to start a thread. So far, I haven't seen how to do that. It's probably right in front of me, but until it bites me can anyone pass along this info? Thanks.