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Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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Okay, I'm not comparing these for fun. I'm actually doing it for personal reasons this time.
I cut Boston out of my trip later this summer, it's way to soon for me to go there only for two days- to see it all. I want to be fair to Boston and turn my dislike for it into something better. I like the city, I like a lot of the food, just didn't like my experience with the people. That's fine though, that's why I want to go back more- to rectify and improve on my experience, because it's one of my top 3 Grad school options. I have to be serious about it, and be in a place I feel comfortable.
(I don't mean to offend anyone by saying I dislike Boston- I was just trying to be honest and exemplify my position for the city- that I'm trying hard to change, but it's going to take a trip to do that)
However, I am planning a trip with some friends for Winter Time- one of my favorite times of the year. And the other option just happens to be Seattle.
I have been very intrigued by Seattle and would like to visit it, as it's in one of the only sub-regions of the country that I have yet to visit.
I can recount how beautiful it is, my parents always tell me as they have been twice in the past two years alone because they like the place.
Anyways, help me decide which one I should go too. I have been to Boston but never got to see much there besides the obvious things. I didn't even get to experience the downtown area all that well. And generally I dislike the idea of having to dislike such a great city- so it pushes me more into wanting to rectify that and give it a fair chance like any other place.
Anyways some of my fascinations include:
- Food (Yeah this is important to the max)
- Museums (this is a must)
- Natural Scenery (whatever the place has got)
- Bookstores (I love a city with a good collection of book stores)
- Great Coffee shops (I'm being serious- I start my day everyday with Coffee)
- Some good sites to see
- City architecture (I like to see skylines/buildings)
- Parks (This is very important to me)
- Good art galleries (Besides food and coffee shops this is the next most important thing for me)
- Any Jazz venues (If the city has any good ones)
- Good bars
- Anything else that makes the city stand out that you can think of.
I honestly don't have any care for a cities nightlife unless it's exceptionally great and something that "you just have to experience" so I'll let you guys clue me in on this one. But I'm not much of a nightlife kind of person... as much as I like art/theater/museums/nature.
I'm trying to see some of the more unique aspects of either city, but I can only take a week trip to one- please help me decide on which one to see. And are there other things I can see/do around the area aside from the city itself?
I'm no expert on Boston as I've only been there once (and thought it was great personally), but why not make the Seattle trip since you haven't been to that particular region of the country?
However, I am planning a trip with some friends for Winter Time- one of my favorite times of the year. And the other option just happens to be Seattle.
Boston is not exactly the best place to visit during the winter. It's Chicago-style cold. Seattle would probably be the better city to visit during the winter...Boston is still a fun winter city, but just like Chicago it's better to go when the weather will cooperate. Summer in Boston is awesome, and fall is amazing too. I guess it really just depends on which month of winter you're visiting.
I'm not going to compare Boston to Seattle because I haven't ever been to Seattle and I don't know enough about the city...so I'll just tell you about Boston...
- Food (Yeah this is important to the max) - Well if you like seafood, it's hard to say many bad things about Boston. Lobsters, steamers, mussels, chowder (no not Campbell's Chunky), scallops, lobster bisque/stew, flounder, cherry stones...ugh I love seafood! Not to mention you'll find some of the finest Italian food in the country nestled in the North End. - Museums (this is a must) - The MFA, ICA, Museum of Science, Gardner Museum are all awesome...Boston city proper somehow is only outdone by New York City by the total number of museums in the city. Don't ask me how. Boston has some amazing theater/orchestra venues throughout the city. - Natural Scenery (whatever the place has got) - You're not going to find the beautiful mountains of the West Coast...but Boston is a hilly city which has plenty of natural beauty. The harbor is great, and walking along the Charles River Reservation is beautiful. - Bookstores (I love a city with a good collection of book stores) - Great Coffee shops (I'm being serious- I start my day everyday with Coffee) - I have no clue where Boston stands in terms of bookstores, but I can't see it being much of a slouch considering it's the Mecca of higher education on the planet and it's also home to one of the best-educated populations in the country. In terms of coffee shops...I don't know about this either...there are tons of cafes on Newbury Street, Back Bay, North End, and Allston/Brighton which seem to be popular, but I don't know how they compare to other cities. - Some good sites to see - Boston has arguably the richest history of any city in the country. There's plenty to see in terms of history, and the chaotic downtown streetscape and beautiful architecture makes Boston's downtown a treat to walk through. - City architecture (I like to see skylines/buildings) - Outside of New York City and maybe Chicago, I can't think of a city that outdoes Boston. - Parks (This is very important to me) - In terms of beautiful urban parks, quote my previous response. - Good art galleries (Besides food and coffee shops this is the next most important thing for me) - Boston is a haven for artists and is home to one of the finest art schools in the country, MassArt. - Any Jazz venues (If the city has any good ones) - I wish I knew... - Good bars - Boston has amazing bars. Areas you may want to check out: Broadway in Southie, Quincy Market, Friend St/Canal St, Boylston, Newbury, Hanover St, Downtown Brighton, Landsdowne St, Downtown Brookline, Kendall Sqaure, Harvard Square (both of which are in Cambridge). - Anything else that makes the city stand out that you can think of. - Fenway Park is a must when you're visiting Boston...it's another reason you should visit the city in the summer/fall.
Good luck in your choice! If you want/need anymore info, let me know.
Given your criteria, I'd say Boston is for you. As for me, I enjoyed Seattle much more during the visit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OmShahi
Okay, I'm not comparing these for fun. I'm actually doing it for personal reasons this time.
I cut Boston out of my trip later this summer, it's way to soon for me to go there only for two days- to see it all. I want to be fair to Boston and turn my dislike for it into something better. I like the city, I like a lot of the food, just didn't like my experience with the people. That's fine though, that's why I want to go back more- to rectify and improve on my experience, because it's one of my top 3 Grad school options. I have to be serious about it, and be in a place I feel comfortable.
(I don't mean to offend anyone by saying I dislike Boston- I was just trying to be honest and exemplify my position for the city- that I'm trying hard to change, but it's going to take a trip to do that)
However, I am planning a trip with some friends for Winter Time- one of my favorite times of the year. And the other option just happens to be Seattle.
I have been very intrigued by Seattle and would like to visit it, as it's in one of the only sub-regions of the country that I have yet to visit.
I can recount how beautiful it is, my parents always tell me as they have been twice in the past two years alone because they like the place.
Anyways, help me decide which one I should go too. I have been to Boston but never got to see much there besides the obvious things. I didn't even get to experience the downtown area all that well. And generally I dislike the idea of having to dislike such a great city- so it pushes me more into wanting to rectify that and give it a fair chance like any other place.
Anyways some of my fascinations include:
- Food (Yeah this is important to the max)
- Museums (this is a must)
- Natural Scenery (whatever the place has got)
- Bookstores (I love a city with a good collection of book stores)
- Great Coffee shops (I'm being serious- I start my day everyday with Coffee)
- Some good sites to see
- City architecture (I like to see skylines/buildings)
- Parks (This is very important to me)
- Good art galleries (Besides food and coffee shops this is the next most important thing for me)
- Any Jazz venues (If the city has any good ones)
- Good bars
- Anything else that makes the city stand out that you can think of.
I honestly don't have any care for a cities nightlife unless it's exceptionally great and something that "you just have to experience" so I'll let you guys clue me in on this one. But I'm not much of a nightlife kind of person... as much as I like art/theater/museums/nature.
I'm trying to see some of the more unique aspects of either city, but I can only take a week trip to one- please help me decide on which one to see. And are there other things I can see/do around the area aside from the city itself?
Okay, I'm not comparing these for fun. I'm actually doing it for personal reasons this time.
Anyways some of my fascinations include:
- Food (Yeah this is important to the max)
- Museums (this is a must)
- Natural Scenery (whatever the place has got)
- Bookstores (I love a city with a good collection of book stores)
- Great Coffee shops (I'm being serious- I start my day everyday with Coffee)
- Some good sites to see
- City architecture (I like to see skylines/buildings)
- Parks (This is very important to me)
- Good art galleries (Besides food and coffee shops this is the next most important thing for me)
- Any Jazz venues (If the city has any good ones)
- Good bars
- Anything else that makes the city stand out that you can think of.
I'm trying to see some of the more unique aspects of either city, but I can only take a week trip to one- please help me decide on which one to see. And are there other things I can see/do around the area aside from the city itself?
First off:
- Food ... Boston --- just the North End (Little Italy) and Chinatown alone
- Museums ... Boston
- Natural Scenery ... Seattle
- Bookstores .... Boston
- Great Coffee shops... I don't care
- Some good sites to see... SEE BELOW
- City architecture... Boston
- Parks ....Not sure
- Good art galleries ... ???
- Any Jazz venues ... ???
- Good bars .... Boston!
SOME GOOD SITES TO SEE:
This is where Boston wins IMHO. Lets start with the suburbs of Boston; Cambridge, Salem, Lexington & Concord, Cape Ann-North Shore, Quincy (John Adams Peacefield) etc.
In Boston proper: Beacon Hill, North End, Boston Common, The Emerald Necklace, Back Bay, USS Constitution, Old North Church, The harbor and Long Warf, Fenway Park, Bunker Hill, the Public Garden , the Boston Islands etc.
Also, for anyone even mildly interested in history, Boston is a great place to visit. For example, the Granary Burying Ground (Boston's 3rd oldest) is accessible to the public and contains the graves of Revolutionary War heroes; Sam Adams, John Hancock, James Otis, Crispus Attucks and Paul Revere.
As a jazz lover I was quite surprised with the amount of jazz in Seattle. Seattle rocks. The jazz festivals alone in the pnw are some of the best in North America. Seattle's Earshot Jazz, Ballard Jazz Walk, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Mount Hood Jazz Festival, Port Townsend Jazz Festival. Now we have the Bellevue Jazz Festival. Plus there are jazz clubs around Seattle including Jazz Alley, Tula's and a few more. I've seen quite a few artist perform around here including Roberta Gambarini, Branford Marselis, Karin Allison, Tony Bennett, Mccoy Tyner, Gal Costa, Herbie Hancock, Ernestine Anderson and so many more.
I always think of Seattle as a city with a big skyline...but whenever I see it from that last angle it looks so small!
That's because that is a huge hill in the foreground that only allows you to see the tops of the very tallest buildings downtown. Most of the smaller infill buildings are too short to be seen behind the hill as they are at sea level.
To the OP-as far as both cities go, I love them both. You can't go wrong in either place. Boston has all the history and culture you could ask for. Seattle is also a cultural powerhouse. Two things I can tell you for sure. You will find better coffeehouses and coffee in Seattle and better Italian food in Boston.
Seattle's skyline isn't particularly big or tall. It is nice and stand on a high ground and looks more impressive than it really is from certain angles, but in terms of size and height of the skyline, it is not as huge as people might think it is. It is on par with Boston, Philly, etc, and not as big or tall as Houston, LA etc and also smaller than Miami, SF, etc that are not particularly tall.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tmac9wr
I always think of Seattle as a city with a big skyline...but whenever I see it from that last angle it looks so small!
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