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Also, I'm not certain SF should be first in local character, but it definitely shouldn't be last. SF oozes character, soul and culture, even with all the gentrification. And no way Philly beats SF in restaurants. I think SF is the clear winner when it comes to restaurants, with the other 3 being fairly close.
Philly's restaurant scene has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade or so.
And on my one visit to San Francisco, it seemed to me that all the really good restaurants were outside the downtown.
I somehow missed that this was focused on downtowns exclusively - I thought we were talking citywide. It's still tricky though because how we define downtown could very much change the answer. In SF does it include places like SOMA and Chinatown? For Boston, Back Bay? For Seattle, Capitol Hill? Philly seems to have the most neatly defined downtown, but even then it's not totally clear.
Capitol Hill is OK? Come on man. Capitol Hill is arguably the most vibrant neighborhood on the West Coast.
I wouldn't go that far. SF and LA both have some neighborhoods that match or eclipse Capitol Hill in vibrancy. But Capitol Hill is definitely up there as far as West Coast neighborhoods go.
I wouldn't go that far. SF and LA both have some neighborhoods that match or eclipse Capitol Hill in vibrancy. But Capitol Hill is definitely up there as far as West Coast neighborhoods go.
You beat me to it, I changed it from "the most" to "one of the most" lol
That being said, I think Cap Hill can go toe to toe with any one neighborhood in LA or SF
I've never seen anything quite like this video of Seattle in Boston(Maybe Boylston or Landstowne?) - it goes on like this seemingly forever these days in the Pike/Pine section of Capitol Hill. There's probably 50-60 bars/pubs/clubs in a pretty small radius there:
Seaport/Fort Point would be the closest in the way of activity at night in one consolidated area. I mean, Fanueil area has a ton of bars, but I'm not even going to go there.
Of course, Fenway in season is always hoppin, but I'm not going to include that.
Seaport/Fort Point is wildly saturated with everything, most likely why Amazon is looking for that 1M Sq.Ft undeveloped space. It's the last lot to go before it's completely built up. Seaport/Fort Point Bars and Restaraunts that come to mind: Drink, City Tap, Row 34, Envoy Rooftop, LTK, Legal Harborside, Committee, Whiskey Priest, Sky Lounge, Trillium, Empire, Gather, Tony Cs, Rosa, Tamo, Temazcal, Salvatores, The Smoke Shop, 75 on Liberty, Capiz Bar Lounge, Larry Js, Aura, Menton
Seaport/Fort Point would be the closest in the way of activity at night in one consolidated area. I mean, Fanueil area has a ton of bars, but I'm not even going to go there.
Of course, Fenway in season is always hoppin, but I'm not going to include that.
Seaport/Fort Point is wildly saturated with everything, most likely why Amazon is looking for that 1M Sq.Ft undeveloped space. It's the last lot to go before it's completely built up. Seaport/Fort Point Bars and Restaraunts that come to mind: Drink, City Tap, Row 34, Envoy Rooftop, LTK, Legal Harborside, Committee, Whiskey Priest, Sky Lounge, Trillium, Empire, Gather, Tony Cs, Rosa, Tamo, Temazcal, Salvatores, The Smoke Shop, 75 on Liberty, Capiz Bar Lounge, Larry Js, Aura, Menton
I'm actually not too familiar with that neighborhood - I'll have to check it out next time I'm in Boston!
I'm actually not too familiar with that neighborhood - I'll have to check it out next time I'm in Boston!
Fort Point was a warehouse district that's been reclaimed by residents.
Its transformation is perhaps the most dramatic transformation of any Boston district, rivaled only by South Boston just to its southeast.
Philadelphia equivalents: Callowhill ("Loft District" / "Spring Arts") and Fishtown (which was Philly's answer to Southie right down to its ethnic and class composition. Here's something I wrote about the latter's transformation:
The difference is that Fishtown got the restaurants and shops as well as the demographic makeover. Callowhill doesn't jump the way Fort Point does. Our bar-crawl district is Old City, which got revived back in the 1980s.
Seaport/Fort Point would be the closest in the way of activity at night in one consolidated area. I mean, Fanueil area has a ton of bars, but I'm not even going to go there.
Yeah, that area is rapidly growing and has lots of nightlife establishments. But, I wouldn't really say it has the street level vibrancy just yet. Certainly nothing to rival the Capital Hill video. Theater District, Faniel, Bulfinch, and Boylston in Fenway probably come closer, IMO.
Transportation - Boston, Philadelphia, SF, Seattle
Vibrant Downtown areas - Philadelphia/SF, Boston, Seattle
Living - You can live in any of these
Jobs - Depends a lot on the job; for the work I do, probably SF, but maybe Philadelphia with enough gigs in NYC
Restaurants/Bars - Philadelphia/SF, Seattle, Boston (though actually don't have much dining experience in Boston, so this one is a who knows)
Things to Do - Philadelphia for "city" things, SF and Seattle for a blend of city stuff and nature
Nightlife/Culture - Philadelphia, SF, Seattle, Boston
Would live in any of these given the right circumstances, but definitely prefer Philadelphia overall, then SF, Seattle and Boston. Downtown Philadelphia and San Francisco also feel notably more bustling to me than downtown Boston does, which also feels more so than downtown Seattle does though it's been three years since I've last spent time in Seattle.
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