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Which one would you rather live in and why? (I'm 28yo and married, if that matters). My spouse and I have job offers in each place and we are having the toughest time deciding between the two.
Where are you from? If you haven't lived abroad, then UK, definitely! Do you have kids? If not, go live abroad- now! You can always come back here if you don't like it.
From MN, don't have kids, but might start having them in one of the Cambridges in a year or two.
I studied abroad in London in college for 4 months and loved it. Other than that I've lived in MN my whole life. And so has my spouse. My spouse didn't get to study abroad.
Hi! I think this is an interesting thread, and a hard choice. I find it interesting because I lived in MN with my husband before he took a job overseas, and now he works in Cambridge Anyway, it depends on many things in my experience. First, you would have it far easier going to the UK than we did in Switzerland because you won't have a language barrier. We chose to go overseas and we had 2 young children. I think this is a great time for such an opportunity because even if you do have kids, you still have several years if you want to be back in the U.S. before they start school. I would however look into the healthcare you would have if you plan on having children overseas (I don't know as much about the UK system, and Swiss was mandatory health coverage but of a better quality than MA I think--still I didn't have all of the choices I would have had if I stayed here).
You should also think about how long you would want to/plan to stay. Is it short term or a total life commitment. Obviously things can change regardless, but we had planned on going for 2 years only for a post-doc, and were there for 10 years! We loved it, and the travel potential, but when we wanted to move home to be closer to family, it was a challenge as the economy had already started it's plunge. That just meant it took longer to get back than we had hoped.
Honestly, if I were you, I'd go for the UK because as great as Boston/Cambridge is, the UK allows you to see France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Russia, you name it and you can get there (and a lot cheaper than going from here!) You can always try to come back to Cambridge MA when you decide you've had enough of the ex-pat lifestyle!
I'm from MA and have lived in London and near Cambridge (google Wivenhoe!) as well as NYC. I'm married to a Brit so our situation was a bit different to yours on many levels. I didn't have my son until we moved back to the US and NYC, but that was totally unrelated to being in the UK at the time.
1. Boston vs. London - That's not exactly a similar comparison, imo. I found London more similar to NYC or even Los Angeles. The City of London, itself, may be somewhat similar to Boston in some ways, but London usually means the greater London area and more like Los Angeles in terms of size.
London and NYC are both financial capitals of the world, but they're also entertainment capitals of the world too. As a result, you'd find a diverse population in both cities, more so in NYC though. London and NYC have superb transportation networks with London being considerably more extensive but expensive as well.
2. Cambridge MA vs. Cambridge UK. I think in some ways these areas are comparable. The university dominates in both. So you'll find a lot of academics, high-tech, liberal types. There's a similar ethos to them. Both were puritan hotbeds. So there's a rebellion streak.
One issue with Cambridge UK is that once you move beyond the circle of the university world/environs, you may find people more reserved; less receptive and open to 'outsiders'.
But the good news is that if you get homesick in Cambridge UK, there are many Americans who live in this area and London is not terribly far away so you won't feel isolated. There are a lot more American products sold in supermarkets than years ago so that helps too.
3. There are so many positive things that can come out of living abroad. It really expands your mind and way of thinking in so many ways. You see the world from another perspective. You'll come to appreciate things in the UK or US more. There are many things I really miss about the UK (pubs) and many things I don't (washing machines).
4. If you are able to live on a decent salary and work in Cambridge UK or nearby, then you've got it made. You'd be saving time on a commute and spending a lot less money on transportation too than if you have to commute into London everyday (which is colossal).
The trick to living in the UK is getting the job in the location outside of London with the decent salary to live comfortably. This is somewhat similar in NYC and Boston, but more so of a factor in the UK where 4 out of 5 jobs seem to be in London.
5. Weather - UK doesn't get as hot or frigid as MA. It seems like the UK is permanently set to 40-60F. There's considerably less fluctuation in the temperature in the UK, hardly any snow, and definitely more overcast skies but the big bonus in the UK is the accessibility to Europe, the countryside, and the greenness of the country rather than concrete paved everywhere, it seems, in the US.
6. You can always move back to the US if things don't work out.
I'm from MA and have lived in London and near Cambridge (google Wivenhoe!) as well as NYC. I'm married to a Brit so our situation was a bit different to yours on many levels. I didn't have my son until we moved back to the US and NYC, but that was totally unrelated to being in the UK at the time.
1. Boston vs. London - That's not exactly a similar comparison, imo. I found London more similar to NYC or even Los Angeles. The City of London, itself, may be somewhat similar to Boston in some ways, but London usually means the greater London area and more like Los Angeles in terms of size.
London and NYC are both financial capitals of the world, but they're also entertainment capitals of the world too. As a result, you'd find a diverse population in both cities, more so in NYC though. London and NYC have superb transportation networks with London being considerably more extensive but expensive as well.
2. Cambridge MA vs. Cambridge UK. I think in some ways these areas are comparable. The university dominates in both. So you'll find a lot of academics, high-tech, liberal types. There's a similar ethos to them. Both were puritan hotbeds. So there's a rebellion streak.
One issue with Cambridge UK is that once you move beyond the circle of the university world/environs, you may find people more reserved; less receptive and open to 'outsiders'.
But the good news is that if you get homesick in Cambridge UK, there are many Americans who live in this area and London is not terribly far away so you won't feel isolated. There are a lot more American products sold in supermarkets than years ago so that helps too.
3. There are so many positive things that can come out of living abroad. It really expands your mind and way of thinking in so many ways. You see the world from another perspective. You'll come to appreciate things in the UK or US more. There are many things I really miss about the UK (pubs) and many things I don't (washing machines).
4. If you are able to live on a decent salary and work in Cambridge UK or nearby, then you've got it made. You'd be saving time on a commute and spending a lot less money on transportation too than if you have to commute into London everyday (which is colossal).
The trick to living in the UK is getting the job in the location outside of London with the decent salary to live comfortably. This is somewhat similar in NYC and Boston, but more so of a factor in the UK where 4 out of 5 jobs seem to be in London.
5. Weather - UK doesn't get as hot or frigid as MA. It seems like the UK is permanently set to 40-60F. There's considerably less fluctuation in the temperature in the UK, hardly any snow, and definitely more overcast skies but the big bonus in the UK is the accessibility to Europe, the countryside, and the greenness of the country rather than concrete paved everywhere, it seems, in the US.
6. You can always move back to the US if things don't work out.
Yes, I agree to what you have to offer...
I personally think that Cambridge UK is a much more beautiful city than MA, and it is in clos proximity of London - which IMO is the best city in the world.
I have lived in both NYC and London too, and while NYC was great, London just feels so much better, the nightlife, the beauty of the city etc.
Also as you said, proximity to europe is amazing...London - Paris via eurostar train is 2 hours!
Cambridge MA is a fairly attractive city IMO, especially around Harvard and places like the Mt. Auburn Cemetery, but it's true that it's not quite as beautiful or as charming as the old Cambridge.
Honestly, the biggest difference is that Cambridge MA is considerably more urban. It is an integral part of the central Boston metro, whereas Cambridge UK is surrounded by countryside outside of its relatively compact urban core. The good thing about Cambridge MA is that it's immediately accessible to all the amenities of Boston. On the other hand, Cambridge UK is about an hour's train ride from London, which is obviously a larger city than Boston.
If you're fine with the wet, grey, dark winters in the UK (or find them preferable to the sunnier but colder and snowier winters in Boston), I say go for it. Boston is definitely my favorite city in the US, but you may always have the chance to visit when you're in your home country. The chance to live in Europe only comes so often.
As other posters have said, how often do you get an opportunity to live abroad, especially in a country whose language is also yours? The UK is wonderful. You'll have a fantastic opportunity to travel a lot of interesting places (London, Stratford, Bath, Ireland, Scotland). And an added bonus is that you'll also be able to visit the rest of Europe very easily.
Maybe try asking the question as a Boston vs. London. You may get more replies. Similar threads could already exist.
Why? Cambridge isn't Boston, being next to it doesn't make it....it!
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You can always come back here if you don't like it.
