Real set of Pro and Cons about Boston / Cambridge (real estate, apartments)

[michellebolton]

Just wanted to create a REAL discussion about Boston. Instead of the defenders constantly shooting down anyone's criticism of Boston. Please just post your own pro and con list. I've travelled the country and have lived many places. Here's Mine:

Pros:
- Interesting architecture in Boston and throughout Cambridge. Some people may see this as rundown esp. Cambridge which some buildings look like they're condemned.
- Very walkable and bikable city. I really miss biking in the spring to fall.
- Very safe place! I never felt scared walking around anywhere in Cambridge / Boston.
- Very polite people: You'll hear good morning a lot, but that's where it ends.
- Lots of well-paying industry / jobs. I had my highest paying job in Boston.
- Lots of restaurants & interesting shops everywhere. Not many chains (which is great).

Cons:
- Ridiculously overpriced rundown old apartments with ancient appliances.
- The roadway system is the worst I've ever seen. So many confusing intersections.
- Very slow car driving time even outside of rush hour. Partially from people crossing streets away from intersections. Figure about 10 min / mile off the highway.
- Many very clique, elitist people that almost seem rascist. Please note the qualification on this statement.
- Over priced restaurant food that lacks spice.
- Small city.
- Over emphasis on sports and under emphasis on getting out and actually doing outdoorsy things (IMO).

Now let's be civil here and please post your own set of pros and cons. Let's avoid attacking my list of cons with little non-generalized examples.

[sobo16]

I agree with michellebolton's pros. I will also add:

- Many vibrant neighborhoods and many activities for everyone, including families. It is nice to see families from outside the city enjoying Boston Common, the historical sites, shopping, etc.
- Lots of professional, mature people. Even in the bars I've been to, I have rarely seen people get loud or out of hand. It is quite different from the last city I lived in.
- While it is very expensive here, you get what you pay for. City services such as police and trash pickup seem to work very well, and there is even a smartphone app to report things such as potholes, graffiti, or burnt out streetlights.
- There is a sense of pride living here. In general, people take care of their properties here and are proud of their neighborhoods and their city.
- The wry, sarcastic sense of humor that New Englanders tend to possess. I can see how people from other parts of the country might not get it, but I love it. It's smart and funny.


For cons:

- The drivers here seem to make up their own rules. I have seen some drivers pull some crazy stunts, and completely ignore lane markings and even the double yellow line.
- It is very expensive to dine out or even get a couple of drinks. Massachusetts does not allow happy hour, and few restaurants have any dining specials. I suspect the reason is that they don't need to; they fill up just fine without discounts because Boston has the population to support it.

For me, the pros outweigh the cons.

[Cliff Clavin]

The above posts seem fair.

I'll add one con: Lack of late night entertainment.

[lrfox]

In the pro category I'd add better public transit that any city in the US except NYC, DC and Chicago.

In the cons I'd add that public transit shuts down too early.

[miu]

In the pro category, Boston is fairly compact and not a huge urban sprawl such as NYC with its boroughs or mega-big like Los Angeles. And because of that, even though out T service isn't a 24 hour service, taking an occasional taxi around the city isn't that awfully expensive.

And as a city with a compact footprint, there isn't anywhere for Boston to spread outwards to... so although I consider it a pro, Boston is pretty much maxxed out in terms of potential growth. We need to curb our residential population and office building real estate. We can't handle more people using the T service and more people coming into city by car during peak travel times. Yes, our T service needs to improve and be expanded, but it will be a very expensive project. And the people using the T are just going to have to pay more for the service.

Another pro for me is all the colleges and universities in the area. I really enjoy the presence of all the intellectuals and the many great museums in the area. And those schools provide a lot of good jobs for the locals, even when the general US economy is in the dumps.

The cons, well there are no real ones for me... which is why I am content living here. The only con I can think of is that Boston is too appealing to others... which is why rush hour is such a PITA to deal with and real estate so expensive. If you want empty roads and cheap real estate, you need to move to a US city or town where no one else wants to be and where there is no work.

As to no happy hours, it's just a sign of the nanny state situation which is prevalent all over the US. We legislate to protect the idiots who make continually make stupid situations. And it's a pro for me that Boston is not a party city. I have no interest in going out on the weekends and getting drunk with my friends. And as a driver, I also don't want tipsy drivers on the roads.

And if our restaurants and businesses seem expensive to you, it's because of how expensive it is to run a business in MA. Their employees need to be paid well enough in order to afford living here and the cities and towns levy many fees and taxes on the businesses because they need the money for their coffers. The downside to having great public schools and decent support services for the needy is that it all costs a lot a money, and that money comes from fees and taxes on the rest of us.

It's a pro for me that Boston is not laid out in a boring grid pattern. If I need to drive in the city, I have lived here long enough that without a GPS unit in my car, I can get anywhere by several different routes. I've visited NYC many times, and while their grid pattern is logical, it's not aesthetically appealing to me. But that's a matter of personal taste.
But that's because I'm a mature adult and I'm not interested in getting bombed on the weekends with my friends.

[sobo16]

Originally Posted by miu

As to no happy hours, it's just a sign of the nanny state situation which is prevalent all over the US. We legislate to protect the idiots who make continually make stupid situations. And it's a pro for me that Boston is not a party city. I have no interest in going out on the weekends and getting drunk with my friends. And as a driver, I also don't want tipsy drivers on the roads.

And if our restaurants and businesses seem expensive to you, it's because of how expensive it is to run a business in MA. Their employees need to be paid well enough in order to afford living here and the cities and towns levy many fees and taxes on the businesses because they need the money for their coffers. The downside to having great public schools and decent support services for the needy is that it all costs a lot a money, and that money comes from fees and taxes on the rest of us.

But that's because I'm a mature adult and I'm not interested in getting bombed on the weekends with my friends.

Your comments related to drinking have a judgmental tone. People can drink without getting drunk or "bombed". I am also a mature adult, yet I like to enjoy a couple of beers out every now and then and I do not get drunk. I walk back to my apartment, so I am not on the roads at all. Where I last lived, I could do that and have a $10-12 tab before tip. In Boston, it's 2-3 times that amount. I can see how the incentive is there for some people to drink more if alcohol if it is cheaper, but don't assume that everyone who drinks does so to get drunk.

[miu]

Originally Posted by sobo16

Your comments related to drinking have a judgmental tone. People can drink without getting drunk or "bombed". I am also a mature adult, yet I like to enjoy a couple of beers out every now and then and I do not get drunk. I walk back to my apartment, so I am not on the roads at all. Where I last lived, I could do that and have a $10-12 tab before tip. In Boston, it's 2-3 times that amount. I can see how the incentive is there for some people to drink more if alcohol if it is cheaper, but don't assume that everyone who drinks does so to get drunk.

I dunno, the only reason people go to a "happy hour" is to get drunk... just like at a food buffet, no one goes there for only one plate of food.

[Cantabridgienne]

That is completely untrue. Are you really unfamiliar with the concept of adults drinking socially?

[seeriously]

Originally Posted by michellebolton

- Over priced restaurant food that lacks spice.

Might you be from the midwest? I ask because my big complaint about Chicago food was that they spice everything up, Cajun, blacken, they do whatever they can to mask up the fact that their seafood is a couple of days old then they bury it beneath a blanket of cheese. There's nothing like fresh-from-the-sea, unadulterated New England prepared seafood.

[HenryAlan]

I used to go to happy hour for free food.