Boston is without a doubt the worst place I have ever lived. (Worcester: real estate, renting)

[Nimashan]

Well I will have to disagree, yes there are a few strip clubs in Portland proper, but the most of the clubs are N of the city in a pretty shady area I will admit. Hopped beers yes, but so many brewer are doing very different things, not just hopped. The food scene is excellent, and with every city there is the gritty area. Heroin yes, but it's quit an epidemic everywhere, look at Vermont, who would have guessed...it's very sad and hopefully none of our cities fall to it. All cities have good and bad I guess it's just where we all find our own mojo and comfort.

Cheers!

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by timberline742

I've been to Portland many times. Good record and bookstores; great music scene. OK people; except the trying to outcool thing some take a bit far. I'm was a punk/hardcore kid, and still am into the scene, but I don't do dirty. One of my best friends lives there; but many I know really got into heroin there. I guess that is everywhere now though. Not into their beer scene there, they're REALLY into over-hopping everything. I'll take Wisconsin microbrews: more balance. The strip clubs really turned me off to it. They're everywhere. Not sure why that bugs me, but it does.

Doesn't Portland have a lot of creepy crystal cult ladies? I knew someone who went out there and became one of those.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Nimashan

Well I will have to disagree, yes there are a few strip clubs in Portland proper, but the most of the clubs are N of the city in a pretty shady area I will admit. Hopped beers yes, but so many brewer are doing very different things, not just hopped. The food scene is excellent, and with every city there is the gritty area. Heroin yes, but it's quit an epidemic everywhere, look at Vermont, who would have guessed...it's very sad and hopefully none of our cities fall to it. All cities have good and bad I guess it's just where we all find our own mojo and comfort.

Cheers!

I spent most of my work time running meetings at the Hotel Benson (board meetings)... so it was the Powell's Books area. Not sure where that fits in. Heroin is everywhere now, but it wasn't. It was big in Portland late 90s. And not "a few" strip clubs, there are over 50 there. That is nuts. Boston has what? 1? 2? It's seedy.

Never got foodies, so that doesn't appeal. I think I ate out twice in SF... waste of money. Each to their own.

I do love their record stores. Good thing about junkies is they're always selling stuff for money for the next fix.

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Doesn't Portland have a lot of creepy crystal cult ladies? I knew someone who went out there and became one of those.

Don't know that scene. Thank God. New Agers are creepy.

[Nimashan]

Didn't know any crystal cult ladies, actually never heard of them. I know the Benson, I must have missed something around there. I know Mary's strip club, it has been in Portland for many years, and that near there.

[timberline742]

It's weird, I thought I heard this, but I looked it up to re-confirm, but Portland OR has more strip clubs per capita than any city in the U.S. It's just odd for such a progressive city. Generally when I'm in liberal cities there are few, if any, strip clubs.

Anyway, shouldn't be a big deal, but they rub me the wrong way and I'm way into naked women.

I hope to go back next year to check out the record stores again and be there in the summer when it isn't raining. I hear it is beautiful in the summer.

[tribechamy]

Originally Posted by Nimashan

East Bosotn, unfortunately it not working out for us.

I missed most of this thread except for the last page and then couldn't figure out what you were talking about people in Boston not recycling, etc. so I scrolled back to this.

Yeah, if you're from Portland OR don't judge the Boston area by East Boston. I've lived in Greater Boston my whole life and I'd be miserable in East Boston.

You'd probably love Arlington, JP, northern Cambridge, and western (Davis, Teele, Union Sqs) Somerville. Way more progressive, arty, eco-friendly.

Also you didn't bring it up but to address a complaint I hear a lot from people from the PNW: Haymarket is NOT a farmer's market. We do have lots of farmer's markets in the Boston area, some better than others, but this isn't one of them.

[timberline742]

Ah, East Boston, no wonder. I missed that. I don't see a lack of recycling anywhere, etc... but East Boston is a bit different.

OP, Why in the world did you choose East Boston? It is cheaper for sure, for good reason.

[tamajane]

Originally Posted by timberline742

I spent most of my work time running meetings at the Hotel Benson (board meetings)... so it was the Powell's Books area. Not sure where that fits in. Heroin is everywhere now, but it wasn't. It was big in Portland late 90s. And not "a few" strip clubs, there are over 50 there. That is nuts. Boston has what? 1? 2? It's seedy.

.

Boston used to have tons of strip clubs in the Combat zone. I hear some crazy stories about that era.

Portland sounds interesting...Seedy parts at least means it hasn't been totally gentrified.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by tamajane

Boston used to have tons of strip clubs in the Combat zone. I hear some crazy stories about that era.

Portland sounds interesting...Seedy parts at least means it hasn't been totally gentrified.

They had some, and they've been long gone (except one) and all in one area... nothing like Portland.

I do like the grit, but when I was out with friends who live there, play in bands, etc and I was meeting people it seemed like a third of the girls I met wortked at one. Totally sad. I also got proposition twice, two different visits, just walking down the street, WTF?

Nice city though in its own right. I have fun vsiitng.

[Guineas]

Boston is expensive as hell though. Unlike other cities where there are cheaper neighborhoods for the lower middle class to live, even in high crime areas like Dorchester and Roxbury, a basic condo can still be out of reach for the lower middle class. The Boston suburbs aren't cheap either (you just get more sq ft and privacy). There's just not much new construction in the whole area. Also factor in heating costs on 100 year old uninsulated wood houses.

I think for a newcomer without a lot of equity, but living on a median income with a family to feed, Boston and most of the surrounding commutable towns can indeed be a crappy place to live for what they are used to. Locals with limited means typically depend on inheritance and other ways of generating income (rentals etc).

On the other hand, Boston and surrounding area is a great place to live if you're a two-doctor or two-lawyer family.