Is Boston a better place to live than NYC? (Cambridge: real estate, apartments)

[artwomyn]

I'm considering relocating to Boston. I was wondering how Boston, compares to NYC. As an African American female, I wonder if Boston is as ethnically diverse, as NYC. Is NYC safer than Boston, or vice-versa? How do rents in Boston, compare to NYC rents? And is Boston's public transit system, as good (or better), than NYC's? I'd sure appreciate some answers, from people who know about both Boston, and NYC.

[holden125]

I've split most of my life between these two places and I know them well.

Diversity: The city of Boston and close-in cities like Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea, Lynn, Malden, Quincy are pretty diverse. There are people from all over the world and the city of Boston's a little over 50% non-white. The other suburban towns in the Boston area are overwhelmingly white though some suburban towns have a higher percentage of Asian residents. The area as a whole is diverse but not as diverse as NYC.

Safety kind of depends on where in Boston is being compared to where in NYC. Some level of crime exists anywhere in Boston, but most of the worst violent crime takes place in a handful of small neighborhoods. Some people will say "Dorchester" or "Roxbury" are bad for crime, but those areas cover a lot of territory and there are perfectly good sections in both Dorchester and Roxbury. Other sections of Dorchester and Roxbury have much more of a crime problem, so it really depends precisely where you are. Some of the outlying cities, like Chelsea, Lynn, Brockton have more crime than many parts of Boston.

I find the Boston area pretty safe but a lot of NYC is pretty safe too.

Rents are almost always lower in Boston. The "Boston proper" neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, the Back Bay, the South End are pretty expensive, but still way cheaper than comparable places in NYC. The price difference between the outlying neighborhoods in Boston and some parts of the outer boros is not as huge, but I think in Boston you're more likely to get a bigger place, closer to downtown for the same rent or less.
A lot of other things are cheaper in Boston too (cost of a subway ride or monthly pass, car insurance and gas, groceries).

Boston's public transit system is pretty good. It's not as extensive as NYC's, and it doesn't run all night. Last train a little before 1, first train is 5 something AM. But it's more straightforward. NYC's subways used to drive me crazy because there was such a big distance to cover, so it could take a LOONG time to get home.

It's easier in NYC to find an apt close to the subway. If you do come to Boston, unless you're sure the nearest bus line is quick and reliable, you might want to make sure you're near a T station (the subway is called the "T"--some people will call the whole system the "T" so be careful about what they mean if they say an apartment's near the "T").

Personally I find Boston much more manageable than NYC. I got tired of everything being so expensive and crowded, and always sitting in traffic or dealing with subway delays. Here you can get from the city to a quiet suburban kind of place, or even to the country, much more quickly than in NYC. NYC's so huge that it's like the city goes on forever.

[miu]

Originally Posted by artwomyn

I'm considering relocating to Boston. I was wondering how Boston, compares to NYC. As an African American female, I wonder if Boston is as ethnically diverse, as NYC. Is NYC safer than Boston, or vice-versa? How do rents in Boston, compare to NYC rents? And is Boston's public transit system, as good (or better), than NYC's? I'd sure appreciate some answers, from people who know about both Boston, and NYC.

I find your thread very puzzling. Just back in September, you were complaining about the high rents in Northampton. And according to what you have also posted, you are an older woman (48), and a 99er who is having difficulties finding a job.

So based on your past posts, I'd recommend you only move to an area where you can find sure employment and get paid enough to afford the rents there. And Boston and NYC rents are just as high as those in Northampton, if not somewhat higher.

Also, in regards to housing, would you consider an apartment sharing situation with a complete stranger? Or would you want to only live by yourself?

And do you have any family, friends or acquaintances in Boston or NYC?

What are your job skills? What kind of work are you seeking?

Originally Posted by artwomyn

I'd like to discuss how housing costs, tend to exclude minorities, from living in Northampton. One bedroom apartments there, can run between $750-$2000 a month. The average price for a one bedroom pad there, is about $1000 per month. That's outragious, considering that Noho is a very small city.

Noho has long been a city, that has a progressive rep. Well not when it comes to housing! Real estate companies there, are very exclusionary. And many of them use illegal tactics, such as charging hefty up-front fees, before they even accept their client's applications. These real estate companies, also demand that their clients have good credit scores. So even if you can afford the sky-high rents in Noho, a bad credit score will destroy your chances of renting in Noho. And only the affluent (who are mainly whites), tend to have the best credit scores.

Northampton is also a haven for lesbians. But mainly white lesbians live there, because whites as a group, have higher incomes than minorities. As a lesbian of color, I was shocked at how few of us there are, living in Noho. With rents being so high in Northampton, now I know why it's basically for affluent (and thus, mostly white) lesbians only.

[artwomyn]

miu,

First of all, I'm 51, not 48. And I never said that I'm a 99er. So you are very confused. I complained about rents being high in Northampton, because it's a small town, and not a large city, like Boston.

This is a whole new post, where I'm comparing Boston, to NYC. So I didn't ask for the third degree, regarding my job skills, family, friends, etc. I would only relocate to Boston, if I was offered a job, that paid me enough to live there. Which might happen, because I've applied to companies there.

I have enough common sense, to not rent a place, that I couldn't afford. So your reply, didn't ad to my knowledge of both cities. In essence, I think that your comments are inappropriate, for this thread.

[miu]

I was born in Manhattan and lived there as a young child. In college, I went down often to visit. And I have a cousin who now lives there. NYC and Boston are both cities, but very different in feel. If you were happy in the Northampton area, you may find NYC too much urban city for you. I'd recommend just visiting both cities for at least a week to get a true feel for them. Use the public transportation in both cities, especially during rush hour.

And have you ever visited either city before? With NYC, it's much larger in area than Boston. And unless you find a job with the big bucks, you will most likely only be able to afford to live in the outer boroughs or NJ, not in Manhattan proper.

And I don't think that anyone here can give you any advice or opinions that could realistically help in your decision making. No one knows the inner you and know if their likes and dislikes are close enough to your tastes that their opinions would be helpful to you.

And in this thread you mention the importance of being in an ethnically diverse area, but from your other thread you mentioned your sexual preferences, so I'm surprised that in this new thread, you didn't ask about the lesbian communities in these cities.

Anyway, get your concrete job offers first, and then knowing how much your future income stream will be, then ask your questions about the cost of living in these cities, ethnic diversity etc...

[artwomyn]

Hey miu,

Here you go again, dredging up things that I said on a previous thread, and bringing them up here. On THIS thread, I wanted comparisons, between Boston, and NYC. I ALREADY KNOW, that both Boston and NYC, are decent place for lesbians. But since I'm a BLACK lesbian, ethnic diversity in a city, is also important to me.

Others who have posted on this thread, have given me valuable information, about NYC, and Boston. And, despite your assertions, they HAVE given me some important things to consider. I don't have to wait and get a job in those cities, to want to find out about the cost of living, etc. about them first.

I can tell you for certain, that your posts, haven't given me any useful information. And quite frankly, based on your previous statements here, I don't think that you ever will. Like I mentioned before, this is not an appropriate thread, for your antagonistic comments.