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I haven't yet been to Boston, but the weather there is enough for me to rule it out in this contest. And since I lived for 3 years in the DC Area and am now in Philly, I can say without a doubt that DC is better. I like certain things about Philly (better downtown, for sure, with the skyscrapers), but the crime rate, filth, bad neighborhoods and the like turn me off. DC's residents seem to be more educated as well.
For my comparison I am going to include the suburbs into my answers
The criteria:
- Best Location- Philly because it is between DC & NYC
- Best Scenery- Boston for natural scenery, DC for man made scenery
- Best schools (K-12)- DC suburbs have best schools in the country
- Best Universities (Yes I mean higher ed)- Boston
- Most diverse (by ethnicity/race)- DC sheerly because the large number of diplomats & transplants
- Best food- Boston
- Best shopping- Tie between Philly & DC
- Best economy (by sheer size of GDP)- According to government statistics DC has the biggest economy of the 3
- Best economy (by employment opportunities)- DC is frequently ranked one of the best cities for job seekers
- Best attractions- DC, museums are free, not to mention museums
- Best parks- DC. Rock Creek & the National Mall are amazing parks, & then add in all the small traffic circles & neighborhood squares
- Best history- Tie between all 3
- Most safe place- Boston
- Costs (I mean EVERYTHING, highs, lows, whatever)- I would assume Philly is the cheapest & DC is the most expensive
- Best waterfront- Boston, maybe DC can catch up in a few years due to the riverfront projects
- Best culture- Boston for local culture, DC for international culture
- Name key industries in this Metro- DC has the government, Boston has education, & Philly has finance
- Does it influence its region, or does it get influenced itself from the region? I would say all 3 influence the region
Vote Count:
Philly-4 DC-10 Boston-7
Parks and location go to Philly? Have you seen some of the parks in Boston before, especially those near CBD, the river, and the bay? They are merely the top echelon of parks.
Location to Philly also, why is that? Dont give me the typical response of it being nearer to NYC and D.C. I picked D.C. because in drive time its nearer to Miami, Chicago, SF, and in the center where NYC isnt very far away which constitute for major cities that I would vacation in. Even then drive times are irrelevant because thats what airports are for and D.C. has better airports than both Boston and Philly. BWI, Reagan, and National > PHL and Logan.
Shopping isnt merely an opinion where Boston is one of the best shopping cities around, some of the most expensive retailers find themselves in Boston and last I checked Philly has nothing on the level of Newbury. Food isnt an opinion either, try some of Boston's regional cuisine with particular hint in seafood and you can see why Boston leads D.C. and Philly on food.
But in reality, who's really gonna drive from DC to Miami, Chicago, and especially SF?
I'm tired of people talking about filth in the city....obviously its there. What major city doesn't have it. Doesn't mean the majority of the city is dirty , and crime rate as if half of the people on this board is STANDING IN THE CITY JUST WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN TO THEM. Crime is everywhere and you cant be scared every corner you turn........next its going to be "Too many people standing at the top of the subway steps making funny noises...we dont have that on the metro" Over it lol.
For my comparison I am going to include the suburbs into my answers
The criteria:
- Best Location- Philly because it is between DC & NYC
- Best Scenery- Boston for natural scenery, DC for man made scenery
- Best schools (K-12)- DC suburbs have best schools in the country
- Best Universities (Yes I mean higher ed)- Boston
- Most diverse (by ethnicity/race)- DC sheerly because the large number of diplomats & transplants
- Best food- Boston
- Best shopping- Tie between Philly & DC
- Best economy (by sheer size of GDP)- According to government statistics DC has the biggest economy of the 3
- Best economy (by employment opportunities)- DC is frequently ranked one of the best cities for job seekers
- Best attractions- DC, museums are free, not to mention museums
- Best parks- DC. Rock Creek & the National Mall are amazing parks, & then add in all the small traffic circles & neighborhood squares
- Best history- Tie between all 3
- Most safe place- Boston
- Costs (I mean EVERYTHING, highs, lows, whatever)- I would assume Philly is the cheapest & DC is the most expensive
- Best waterfront- Boston, maybe DC can catch up in a few years due to the riverfront projects
- Best culture- Boston for local culture, DC for international culture
- Name key industries in this Metro- DC has the government, Boston has education, & Philly has finance
- Does it influence its region, or does it get influenced itself from the region? I would say all 3 influence the region
Vote Count:
Philly-4 DC-10 Boston-7
I find Philadelphia to be more scenic and green as far as the metro goes. More hilly, much better climate.
Boston definitely doesn't beat Philly on food and there's no way Philly is a better shopping city than Boston. Metro Id say is close. There's no Newbury St in Philly but no King of Prussia in Boston either. Philly is first for history easily. Preserved more areas and has better history monuments and attractions. Boston tore down and replaced a ton of theirs. Philly didn't. No way DC beats Philly or Boston on attractions. Philly has better schools in metro.
I'm tired of people talking about filth in the city....obviously its there. What major city doesn't have it. Doesn't mean the majority of the city is dirty , and crime rate as if half of the people on this board is STANDING IN THE CITY JUST WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN TO THEM. Crime is everywhere and you cant be scared every corner you turn........next its going to be "Too many people standing at the top of the subway steps making funny noises...we dont have that on the metro" Over it lol.
Nobody ever talks about the homeless or filth in San Francisco. Ever notice that?
I haven't yet been to Boston, but the weather there is enough for me to rule it out in this contest. And since I lived for 3 years in the DC Area and am now in Philly, I can say without a doubt that DC is better. I like certain things about Philly (better downtown, for sure, with the skyscrapers), but the crime rate, filth, bad neighborhoods and the like turn me off. DC's residents seem to be more educated as well.
Boston is a more sterile version of Philadelphia.
Boston is uptight and neat and Philadelphia is loose and edgy.
I find Philadelphia to be more scenic and green as far as the metro goes. More hilly, much better climate.
Boston definitely doesn't beat Philly on food and there's no way Philly is a better shopping city than Boston. Metro Id say is close. There's no Newbury St in Philly but no King of Prussia in Boston either. Philly is first for history easily. Preserved more areas and has better history monuments and attractions. Boston tore down and replaced a ton of theirs. Philly didn't. No way DC beats Philly or Boston on attractions. Philly has better schools in metro.
Yes Boston can be Philly within the food category.
Yes DC does beat both Philly and Boston with attractions, DC gets more tourist than both of these cities. The national mall and the museums?
Boston is anything but sterile..... It's very historic and scenic. Just because Boston is not gritty or edgy does not mean it's sterile.
Yes it does.
Perfect example is Quincy Market vs. Reading Terminal Market.
Newbury St. vs. South St.
Philly is more mom and pop shop oriented. Boston is more chainy and franchise oriented.
There's more local flavor to Philly than Boston. More independent stores and boutiques in Philadelphia.
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