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Boston beats Vancouver in most regards outside of scenery and outdoor activities, but Boston isn't a sloucher in that department either.
The climate in both areas is less than ideal, Vancouver being overcast 70% of the year and Boston having some brutal winters, but Vancouver is a bit milder on the body if your mind can handle the darkness.
Vancouver's scenery is the best of any major city in North American, in my opinion, with a slight edge over San Franscisco. But boston just gives more opportunity all around.
The fact that Boston’s self-worth is obsessively tied to its sports championships should tell you all you need to know about how depressing and desperate the place is.
Cambridge is a better city than Berkeley, and I bet it drives you insane.
EDIT: Convince me otherwise without using the word weather. Good luck.
Boston teams were irrelevant up until the last 15 years. It happens in cycles. Bruins were since the early 70s until 2011. Red Sox for 86 years. Patriots for decades. Even the Celtics since the 80s. New York teams have won 8 times since 90. Boston didn’t start until 2001. They have 10. Not that much more. Enjoy it.
Growing up in Chicago, the very first team outside of the Cubs that would come to mind was the Red Sox. The very first team outside of the Bulls was the Celtics. I remember my dad coming home with Celtics tshirts for us when he saw a game at the old Boston Garden in the early 90's. A stadium, mind you, that lives on in infamy for all of the right/wrong reasons. And for hockey, any original six team to me was equally as recognizable. Not only were Boston teams relevant, they were top of mind across the board with the exception of the Patriots pre 1996. Even then, the Bears '86 win over the Patriots was kind of a big deal.
Kind of a weird angle to leverage to downplay Boston's prominence.
Vancouver definitely has the best city for outdoor enthusiasts by a long shot. Vancouver is only matched in that regard by San Francisco. Vancouver does have a lower crime rate but not by a huge amount as Boston is much safer than most US cities and Vancouver is more dangerous than most Canadian ones. In every other category...……..shopping, restaurants, arts, culture, history, architecture, nightlife, festivals, urban vitality, transit, education, theatre, charm, ………...it all Boston and charm, history, architecture, and the arts by a VERY long shot. Even relatively pricey Boston is dirt cheap compared to Vancouver except rentals which are probably on-par.
Where Vancouver has the upper hand is being in Canada. I don't mean that as a slant but being a Canadian city means that it has far superior health, education, and social services than Boston even though it enjoys some of the best in the US.
I'm not sure I agree that Boston has better transit. It may have better coverage but in terms of an effective system overall I would go with Vancouver. It's similar to the Chicago vs Toronto public transportation debate, in my opinion. I personally prefer Toronto's transit. I think Canada just does public transit more efficiently and effectively.
Also, for nightlife both are quite weak and have their relative strengths and disadvantages. Not sure I could definitively say one is better than the other. Restaurants are close as well.
Charm, history, architecture, shopping, education, urban vitality, theater, culture, the arts - Boston wins easily. I would give parks to Vancouver because of Stanley Park, and I'm not sure what category this falls under, but Granville Island is an amazing tourist destination and I can't think of any one thing in Boston that matches it.
but Granville Island is an amazing tourist destination and I can't think of any one thing in Boston that matches it.
Looking at pictures and googling, I feel like the closest thing in Boston may be the area around Quincy Market (high concentration of restaurants, tourists, entertainment, and a nearby farmers market)? Granted, judging by the photos on google images, the farmers market on Granville looks much nicer than the farmers market that pops up outside of Haymarket in Boston during the warmer months.
Vancouver definitely has the best city for outdoor enthusiasts by a long shot. Vancouver is only matched in that regard by San Francisco. Vancouver does have a lower crime rate but not by a huge amount as Boston is much safer than most US cities and Vancouver is more dangerous than most Canadian ones. In every other category...……..shopping, restaurants, arts, culture, history, architecture, nightlife, festivals, urban vitality, transit, education, theatre, charm, ………...it all Boston and charm, history, architecture, and the arts by a VERY long shot. Even relatively pricey Boston is dirt cheap compared to Vancouver except rentals which are probably on-par.
Where Vancouver has the upper hand is being in Canada. I don't mean that as a slant but being a Canadian city means that it has far superior health, education, and social services than Boston even though it enjoys some of the best in the US.
Maybe less expensive healthcare in Vancouver but not sure that translates into better medicine...for most cutting edge people come to Boston
Looking at pictures and googling, I feel like the closest thing in Boston may be the area around Quincy Market (high concentration of restaurants, tourists, entertainment, and a nearby farmers market)? Granted, judging by the photos on google images, the farmers market on Granville looks much nicer than the farmers market that pops up outside of Haymarket in Boston during the warmer months.
It's not just the Farmer's Market, though - which is incredible. There are several other attractions on Granville Island that go well beyond Quincy Market including world-class arts and crafts shops (stuff you can't find anywhere else on the West Coast), distilleries (including liquor and sake) and breweries with tasting rooms, an expansive Kids Market, stages with live music, a water park, restaurants, hotels - and it's all woven together in an extremely cohesive and family-friendly urban environment. Even the 5-minute aquabus ride to get there from downtown is fun. As a single attraction, which I think it's fair to call it, it's just a really top notch destination.
It's not just the Farmer's Market, though - which is incredible. There are several other attractions on Granville Island that go well beyond Quincy Market including world-class arts and crafts shops (stuff you can't find anywhere else on the West Coast), distilleries (including liquor and sake) and breweries with tasting rooms, an expansive Kids Market, stages with live music, a water park, restaurants, hotels - and it's all woven together in an extremely cohesive and family-friendly urban environment. Even the 5-minute aquabus ride to get there from downtown is fun. As a single attraction, which I think it's fair to call it, it's just a really top notch destination.
Fair enough. Sounds like maybe something the West End (Quincy Market/ Haymarket) area could try to emulate. (Maybe minus the water park).
Quote:
Originally Posted by HAON
That's funny cause that's how I see Boston.
Then you’ve clearly never been.
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