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Would you say that Seattle or Boston are better than SF? Or better yet, how would you rank the three in these categories:
Sports
QOL
COL
Culture
Food
Transit
Diversity
Streetscape
Urbanity
Walkability
Sports Boston = San Francisco > Seattle
QOL Boston = San Francisco = Seattle
COL Seattle > Boston > San Francisco
Culture Boston = San Francisco = Seattle
Food San Francisco > Boston = Seattle
Transit Boston > San Francisco > Seattle
Diversity San Francisco > Boston = Seattle
Streetscape Boston = Seattle > San Francisco
Urbanity San Francisco > Boston > Seattle
I think of the 3 as sisters and without being biased. All 3 have similar economies, education levels, and incomes = QOL draw.
Right now is a good time to be a San Francisco sports fan, 2 WS titles, 49ers will keep making runs to the superbowl, Sharks are playing great, and the Warriors are finally useful again. Boston last 13 years has dominated the sports scene and has more passionate fans, a title in every pro sport. Seattle has always had supportive fans, it pains me to see the Sonics taken away from them, they supported the Sonics and they support the Seahawks and Sounders. IMO draw for sports culture, edge to Boston because they have more passionate fans.
All 3 are very expensive cities, Seattle slightly less expensive than Boston, and Boston much less expensive than San Francisco. Edge Seattle.
Transit is good in the SF Bay Area, you can use BART, MUNI, Caltrain, VTA, etc but its better in Boston, faster systems, and the transit covers most places, the Charlie card for the T and the bus rapid transit are more frequent IMO and user friendly in Boston. There are still some holes BART needs to fix but its still one of the best systems in the US and for the most part BART, MUNI, VTA, or Caltrain will get you to any destination of your choosing. Seattle is a compact city but it's lightrail system is designed like a rapid transit system, it's still limited coverage but being a dense and compact city comes as an advantage when the transit is lacking IMO.
Food IMO is San Francisco. My only disappointment with Boston's food was that the serving sizes are smaller and the food is almost always more expensive. In the SF Bay Area you can purchase food of great quality at any price range and typically food should not cost you and your wife more than $25-$30 bucks. Seattle also has good food IMO one of the best cities for fresh produce and quality of food, hole in the wall places in Seattle are the best, and food prices can fit any budget. That said, all 3 cities have great food everywhere you go.
Culture to all 3 cities are equally great, Boston likely has the better institutions for performing musical groups and broadway/theater, San Francisco would have the better arts and museums although both can go hand in hand IMO, San Francisco the more unique vibe and Boston more unique New England traditions, and Seattle punches above its weight, great aviation museums, arts, and local culture, like Boston's New England and San Francisco's NorCal, Seattle is the representative of the PNW and classes that culture very well IMO. This one is a push, no lack of culture from any of the 3.
San Francisco feels more urban and larger than Boston, more organized too IMO because of the grid. Boston feels more urban and large than Seattle, more choas and winding streets that can go anywhere, the grid areas of Boston near the common are comparable to Seattle and San Francisco. Seattle for its size feels larger than it is, it has one of the best downtowns and urban core in the US IMO.
Diversity, if you are black then all 3 of these cities may not fit you as well as Philly, DC, or Atlanta but they have their pockets too, the SF Bay Area especially has a rich culture and history for blacks in eastbay. SF Bay Area and Seattle are some of the best cities for Asians, of any background, SF Bay Area having the large edge, and Boston is also one of the top 10 cities in the US for Asians too over 400K in the metro only behind LA, SF Bay Area, NYC, DC, Chicago, Seattle, Houston, Honolulu and equal with Dallas I think. Boston has richer history for European immigrants and has more diverse representation of European cultures than Seattle or San Francisco but the SF Bay Area is no slouch. You will never feel a lack of European immigrants or heritage in the SF Bay Area. SF Bay Area is the best representative of the 3 for most of the Latino community, Boston is better for Brazilians though. IMO all 3 are diverse cities, and all 3 hate tremendous international airports that will take you to most corners of the world. You wont be missing diversity by living in any of the 3 but the edge goes to SF Bay Area, then Boston, and finally Seattle.
Streetscape is a hard one to rank. San Francisco's density is helped by constrained land to build on, that helps us achieve higher peak densities than Seattle or Boston and keep our formation more compact but it can be a PITA sometimes when youre riding a bike or walking because of the steep inclines on some of the hills. Boston is flatter and its easier to enjoy walking without having to always be out of breathe after walking up a hill or down a hill. Seattle is somewhere in between but the hills don't have deep inclines like San Francisco, it's streetscape is closer to Boston's and IMO this may be an advantage for those two for walking everyday. But that said, I still do like the hills and mountains in the middle of the city, its a nice weekend area to enjoy with your wife or when you have company over and it gives San Francisco a unique streetscape IMO.
What you see in these pictures is what you get from these 3 great cities IMO
Boston doesn't have the mountains that Seattle or San Francisco have but they have the best hills for an urban center in the northeast IMO around the city and they have the best beaches in the northeast (sans the Hamptons) IMO with Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard. Right across Boston in the harbor are lots of small quaint and beautiful islands too. We have a few islands in the San Francisco bay also and the Seattle area has its share of islands as well. All 3 are sister cities with similar politics, education, economy, amenities, etc IMO.
Location: Baghdad by the Bay (San Francisco, California)
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I'm on board with the above. All three are the best of the best, in my opinion. They appeal to the same sensibilities in different ways and are the perfect mix of great urban environments and incredible natural ones. Each has a unique style and a sense of place that defines it.
Sports- Boston is a great sports town. SF is its equal, but is less maniacal. Both outshine Seattle.
QOL - San Francisco by a good margin. Then Seattle and finally, Boston.
COL - Seattle, Boston, SF
Culture - SF and Boston could wrestle for this one, then Seattle, well beneath.
Food - San Francisco, far and away. SF is one of the finest eating cities in the world. Boston is next, then Seattle.
Transit - Boston, SF, Seattle
Diversity- SF for the region, but Boston for the city. Then, Seattle.
Streetscape - Boston narrowly edges out SF. The two are quite a bit in front of Seattle.
Urbanity - SF is an urban gem with many facets. Boston is a bit more New England quaint. Seattle is more contemporary than the other two.
Walkability - SF is number one. It may be the most walkable city in the country (once you build up your legs for hills). Boston next and not far behind. Then, Seattle.
I would pick Seattle or Boston over Denver too, with all things being equal. Denver gets a nod for cost of living, though, like Austin. That said, I have spent a lot of time in Denver and really like it.
I like Denver too but one con to the city is its isolation. I am not someone that brags about being close to other cities or areas IMO that just cheapens the quality of the city to mere location advantage but to get a change of scenery for a weekend or holiday is also nice.
The biggest cities near Denver are
Albuquerque 455 miles away
Salt Lake 518 miles away
Omaha 538 miles away
Kansas City 605 miles away
I consider Pueblo to Cheyenne the same "Denver area" corridor. Cities like Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Publo, Cheyenne are IMO same corridor cities like Salinas, Monterrey, Modesto, Stockton, etc are for the SF Bay Area IMO.
I love Austin, the entire Austin-San Antonio-Fredericksburg-Corpus Christi corridor is great for scenery, history, food, entertainment, nightlife, diversity, wine, beaches, theme parks, golf courses, etc. It's the best corridor in the south IMO.
How about some categories that actually matter for everyday life?
Women - Miami (1), Los Angeles (2), New York (3), Phoenix (4), Las Vegas (5)
Weather - Los Angeles (1), Miami (2), Las Vegas (3), Phoenix (4), New York (5)
Traffic - Las Vegas (1), Phoenix (2), Miami (3), Los Angeles (4), New York (5)
Food - New York (1), Miami (2), Los Angeles (3), Las Vegas (4), Phoenix (5)
Nightlife - Miami (1), Las Vegas (2), New York (3), Los Angeles (4), Phoenix (5)
Outdoor Recreation - Phoenix (1), Los Angeles (2), Las Vegas (3), Miami (4), New York (5) Sports - New York (1), Miami (2), Phoenix (3), Los Angeles (4), Las Vegas (5)
Cost of Living - Las Vegas (1), Phoenix (2), Miami (3), Los Angeles (4), New York (5)
I came to Seattle today for a quick trip. My first visit to the city. People who describe Seattle as a small city are asinine. Now having officially visited all top 15 metros im the US, I would tier cities like this:
* this system is based on feel to me and not population. Some will want to isolate NY by itself. Others will want to group tier two and three together. IMO, there is no right or wrong; just sharing my personal observation.
** I struggled with New Orleans substituting for Baltimore but I wanted to keep my tier to 20 cities.
With notable exclusion of where I live right now, removed to deter biases. Top 5: New York, Chicago, Boston, Miami, San Francisco.
Architecture - Chicago (1), New York (2), Miami (3), Boston (4), San Francisco (5)
Cuisine - New York (1), Chicago (2), San Francisco (3), Boston (4), Miami (5) [Based off where I've had the most memorable eating experience, nothing more]
Culture - Boston (1), New York (2), Chicago (3), Miami (4), San Francisco (5) [Culture based off people that inhabit these places, my preference being introverted]
Diversity - New York (1), Boston (2), Miami (3), San Francisco (4), Chicago (5) [Not an indication of which is most diverse but the environments where I'd be more comfortable with most people like me]
History - Don't care
Proximity - Don't care, a great city speaks for itself not by it's location. If I lived in a great city, I wouldn't be going anywhere outside of that city. Bar none.
Public Transportation - New York (1), Chicago (2), Boston (3), San Francisco (4), Miami (5)
Scenery - San Francisco (1), Boston (2), New York (3), Miami (4), Chicago (5)
Women - Boston (1), Miami (2), New York (3), Chicago (4), San Francisco (5) [Where I've been most stunned to least with hot girls]
Weather - Miami (1), San Francisco (2), New York (3), Chicago (4), Boston (5) [Preference is hot and humid above 70 degrees to 105 degrees Fahrenheit]
Traffic - Don't care. Wouldn't take my car to 80% of these places had I an opportunity to live in any of them.
Nightlife - New York (1), Chicago (2), Boston (3), Miami (4), San Francisco (5) [Preference for places with a stellar electronic scene and bars as a secondary]
Outdoor Recreation - Miami (1), Boston (2), San Francisco (3), New York (4), Chicago (5) [Preference for water related activities and some hills or terrain for maybe once every 3 years camping but mostly water related]
Sports - None, the Lakers don't play in any of them so automatically none. I don't care for all their teams combined. Give me the Lakers.
Cost of Living - Miami (1), Chicago (2), Boston (3), San Francisco (4), New York (5) [This one is odd, for example I could live anywhere in Bostonia and multiple areas around Miami, however I would only live in Manhattan or Jersey City/Hoboken in New York Metropolitan, and only the best neighborhoods of Chicago and San Francisco, so price range will vary]
Overall:
New York: 26
Miami: 27
Boston: 30
Chicago: 33
San Francisco: 41
Wow, I was expecting this to be a foolish game but wanted to try out of curiosity. This was accurate because this is the exact order I'd live in them present day with one minor detail adjustment. I already know for a fact that I'm getting a place in Miami as a second home very soon and would love the New York & Miami combination but that's not in the cards for me right now (New York).
That said, the only place I'd trade up for after leaving Washington DC is New York, otherwise I'll be going overseas and Seoul, London, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Osaka, Vancouver, Zurich, or Tokyo have my name on it.
Last edited by Trafalgar Law; 02-13-2013 at 11:57 AM..
Really?!? Please elaborate, I'm very curious about this.
I like Korean, Japanese, Persian, Israeli, Polish, German, and French girls, hot college or post college girls in general. Not to sound narrow minded but I've never been into Latinas all that much, sure beautiful but I don't see anything going long term.
I'm also aware of Miami's large European population and large Israeli and French populations (which is why it's second for me) but overall there is a lack of Korean and Japanese there and that is no bueno for me. Also, I know what you're thinking if that was the case then why isn't San Francisco first because I like a proportionate amount of French, Korean, Japanese, Israeli, Polish, Persian, and German girls. Not like, born in America with French ancestry but actually from France. New York should have been first but I've personally seen Boston girls hotter for some reason.
Also, not to make this conversation odd but I sort of think it's admirable when a chick says "I have a degree in (insert journalism, finance, law, politics, so on). Ohh yeah and the accent is stellar "pahk ya cah at hahvad yahd" as well as the introverted personality.
I am 22.
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