Is Boston Anything Like Philly? I hope not . . . (Cambridge, Newton: section 8, transplants)

[G-fused]

Boston is a vast improvement over Philly. But it is still a Northeastern city. So I wouldn't call it an easy or sunshiny place.

[Drkness]

Originally Posted by sparklingforest

You will not like any city in the Northeast. Try Minneapolis. People are polite, well educated, and generally keep their opinions to themselves. As a native Philadelphian and Italian-American I found them emotionally constipated and passive aggressive. You will find them refreshing and down to earth.

I agree, I've lived in 20+ states and Minneapolis, Heck MN itself has been the best state i've lived in thus far.

[495neighbor]

I've lived around Boston a long time. Seldom have I come across slobby people like the ones you are describing. If you decide to come here, do stay off the streets around the Fenway following any World Series win. Ecstatic fans at post game celebratory drunken revelry have been known to riot, turn over cars and throw and smash beer bottles in excitement over their favorite team's victory.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by scratchie

Bite your tongue. They're "steak and cheese" and they're awesome.

Steak & cheese and cheese steak are two different things IMO.

[brienzi]

Originally Posted by G-fused

Boston is a vast improvement over Philly. But it is still a Northeastern city. So I wouldn't call it an easy or sunshiny place.

Boston is a great city although pricey.

I'd take it over Philly any day, as the leadership the past many years has been strong and made many positive changes in the area.

The strip clubs are gone.

The North End is a special place where people look out for each other.

The financial district is just what it is.

The positive changes made on the waterfront and the new Courthouse.

Boston is wonderful and diverse with great museums and places of culture.

Boston and suburbs are booming with new construction. There are plenty of job openings here never mind our World class hospitals and colleges. Boston all the way baby!

[SalamanderSmile]

Your description of Philly is EXACTLY how I always describe Boston. Every pop warner little league game is one comment away from becoming a brawl. And yes, people constantly whipped entire bags full of fast food garbage in my yard- in the SUBURBS a half mile from the nearest fast food. My favorite was the nip bottles, my bushes were always full of vodka and schnapps nips that people winged out their windows, once I found a car stereo ditched in my bushes. Since there were no sidewalks I have to assume that this too was thrown from a moving car.

[sparklingforest]

Philadelphia is less gentrified than Boston. The Boston metro is segregated by income and class. Salem is the dirtiest place I've lived. Go to places like Revere and Everett. It may feel exactly like Philadelphia.

[KingJohn1]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

I can tell you the people of Boston have never thrown batteries at Santa Claus. We don't have holding cells in our sports stadiums. Also, our cheese steaks are terrible. Otherwise, I don't really know a enough about Philly to be more helpful.

I'm sure someone who knows more will chime in soon. The people of this forum are a helpful bunch.

I don't know where you went but I've found real good steak and cheeses in MA, Lowell area does anyhow.

[pandas&presents]

Originally Posted by bellaboone

I live in Philadelphia and I absolutely DETEST it. I feel very trapped here - everyone walks around with a huge Rocky-sized chip on their shoulders ready to punch anyone out for the tiniest thing, and it's so unbelievably filthy here - no one cares anything about the environment they live in.

I want to move to a city that is very liberal, clean, and the people are basically friendly, the environment is respected, etc. I've lived on the West Coast in Seattle and Portland, and while there are a lot of great things about those places, I think they are generally difficult places to live for a variety of reasons. Boston has been suggested to me as a good, liberal alternative. (For some reason, Philly is always described as being a liberal city, but I don't find that at all, and I don't want to fall for it again.)

Can anyone tell me more about Boston - are people friendlier/generally nicer there? Pushy/nasty? Is it the kind of city where you'd see a car slow down and toss a bag of garbage onto the sidewalk? (Yes, actually witnessed this.) Are there certain sections of the city that are more liberal or more conservative?

Thanks.

I prefer Philadelphia to Boston tremendously. I guess it depends on what part of Philly you are trapped in. My experience is from the Far Northeast corner up near the Bucks County line and then also the area of Roxborough bordering the Wissahickon. They are both decent spots although family oriented and not yuppie like, say, Queen Village.
I would agree the things you do not like about Philly are all things that you would find in Boston. I don't find people here all that liberal. I come to Boston via New York though, so I guess it's all relative. People here absolutely act like Philadelphians when it comes to sports and like New Yorkers when it comes to driving. Bostonians are not extraordinarily friendly - typical big city IMO. A coworker got drunk once and started blathering about how the Irish in Boston take care of their own. I mean, I guess you can say this about any racial group but I don't know if it takes on new meaning with Boston's Irish or not. Social class in Boston is more defined than in Philly. There are places here where I would just not feel welcome, especially as a minority. Unless you are lucky enough to have ties to one of the big universities, culture is difficult to access here and is more reserved for the elite IMO. High culture events pass through town only occasionally. Ticket prices for dance and classical music concerts here are generally astronomical. Lectures by good speakers often require nutty admission fees or are not announced to the general public. It costs over $25 for admission to the MFA, and they do not have a free first Sunday every month like the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Barnes. There is a "suggested donation" Wednesday, but the suggested donation is $25.
When I told my boss at my last job that I wasn't crazy about the idea of moving to Boston, he compared it to Philly (LIES!) It's not at all like Portland or Seattle. Boston is about the water in good weather - boats, beaches (not that nice), and seafood. Also, sports and beer. Generally, the same kind of people as in Philly. Boston's a bit nicer in appearance if you do not like the blight in North or West Philly. Trade off is traffic here is HORRENDOUS.
HTH

[steeps]

Perhaps it's time to give a City that isn't largely Row Homes a try ? That means NOT the Northeast. In the Midwest there is As someone said Minneapolis and I will Add Chicago. Lived there and thought the city is great and cleaner vs Philly. Especially downtown, it's Spotless. The Midwest is cleaner overall.

But perhaps you chose Boston because you perceive it closest to Philly? But cleaner and less unsophistication types OP?