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I've been reading this tread with great interest. My husband & I lived in Boston in the early 90s while he was a student at BU law. We were newlyweds at the time. We had a great apartment in Brookline - one block from the T and a pretty easy walk to Fenway. I was working in Wellesley (reverse commute) so I took the car and he walked to classes at BU. Bostonians can be hard to get to know so it took a while before we made any real friends, but we did learn to love living there. We're originally from northern NJ and moved back after graduation. Husband took a job in NYC. Fast forward 12 years we have 2 kids and are looking to move out of the NYC area. (Talk about expensive!!!) Husband is considering job offers in both/either Boston or DC. I've heard the same pros/cons of both cities from numerous sources but right now we're leaning towards moving back to Boston. Yes, the winter can be really harsh but you get used to it. Spring/summers are really nice - lots to do!!
Hi,
If you're looking for a beautiful, diverse, everything to do, everywhere to go, all kinds of different people to meet kind of city than you will love Boston. I grew up in a town outside of Boston and can tell you there are more things to do and see in New England than you can imagine. You can leave Boston and head up Route 95 and be in Ogunquit/Wells, Maine (which is gorgeous right on the ocean) in less than an hour. If you're a fast driver like me, 50 minutes). You can be in Boston and head out toward route 2 and be in Historical Concord Ma in about 30 minutes. You can be in Boston and decide to take a ride and be in the gorgeous mountains of New Hampshire in about 1/2 an hour. There are plenty of jobs and good opportunities because many people are actually moving OUT of Boston. If you're a liberal (which I'm not) you're all set. You'll fit right in. Especially if you meet up with some of my family members.(just kidding) There are so many nice people in Boston and around the surrounding areas....you will like it.
Ive been living in the Boston area for awhile now and have to say that Boston is a really crappy place. The annoying red sox/patriots fans are hard to miss. People are cold and kind of stay to themselves. I plan on getting out of here soon. I just need couple years of experience at this current place so I have the flexibility when it comes to looking for a job. Infact Washington DC was one of my top choices. The mentality/views of people here is so homogenous that it kind of sickens me. If your a caucasian, die-hard redsox/patriots fan, youll do fine. Everyone else, stay away!
I do agree with you that Boston has alot of fanatical sports fans but there are SOOOOOOO many other kind of people living there. I am Irish/Italian who grew up in Boston and my closest friends are ***** from Hong Kong who now lives in Revere which is not far from Boston, my Spanish friend Richard who lives in Ayer, my friend Chutes from Africa lives in Everett, my friend Lilla is a Jewish woman from Russia who lives in Revere, my friends Edson and Enieda are a Portuguese couple from Brazil who live in Wellesley, another couple who are friends of mine are Mike and Connie from South Africa who live in Quincy, Bob W. from Pennsylvania, Leslie and Paul from North Carolina (I cheated.....they still live in N.C...I just talk to THEM on the phone), Rick and Amanda from Georgia who live in Gardner, Hermon from Argentina, Rose and Val from Italy who now live in Medford and so many more!! .... I'm not sure what town you live in but you need to venture out and meet some nice people. Boston is a melting pot and there are so many nice people out there. Of course there are alot of cold people and snobs too but just smile at them and reach out to the good hearted ones.
More great posts I see, and that helps out a lot! We probably look at living in the city rather than the suburbs, at least while I go to school since BU is much more central than say BC. Right now we're focusing our search on areas like Brookline and Cambridge, and I'm sure we'll find something that will suit us even though thing are much more expensive than here in the midwest :-)
I have to say that Brookline is nice, I've been there once or twice, driven through etc but it is expensive. If you can afford it well, God bless you, because it is very nice. Cambridge is AWESOME...there's so much to do, so many different areas and it has HARVARD SQUARE which is so much fun in the spring and summer. You will LOVE Cambridge.
That is good to hear! Brookline seems very nice, but like you said, not particular inexpensive and it's probably at the top of our budget, but it may be worth it since I would only be a few minutes from school. Cambridge is sligthly further away, but still not bad at all, just have to cross the river. We keep hearing good things about Cambridge, and it sounds like it would be a good fit for us indeed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elizabeth S
I have to say that Brookline is nice, I've been there once or twice, driven through etc but it is expensive. If you can afford it well, God bless you, because it is very nice. Cambridge is AWESOME...there's so much to do, so many different areas and it has HARVARD SQUARE which is so much fun in the spring and summer. You will LOVE Cambridge.
Sounds like it is a good match for us! We like the fact that there is a lot going on and that you're close to the ocean as well as the mountains. I hear many people leaving Boston, and I assume that's mostly due to high cost-of-living, or am I mistaken?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elizabeth S
Hi,
If you're looking for a beautiful, diverse, everything to do, everywhere to go, all kinds of different people to meet kind of city than you will love Boston. I grew up in a town outside of Boston and can tell you there are more things to do and see in New England than you can imagine. You can leave Boston and head up Route 95 and be in Ogunquit/Wells, Maine (which is gorgeous right on the ocean) in less than an hour. If you're a fast driver like me, 50 minutes). You can be in Boston and head out toward route 2 and be in Historical Concord Ma in about 30 minutes. You can be in Boston and decide to take a ride and be in the gorgeous mountains of New Hampshire in about 1/2 an hour. There are plenty of jobs and good opportunities because many people are actually moving OUT of Boston. If you're a liberal (which I'm not) you're all set. You'll fit right in. Especially if you meet up with some of my family members.(just kidding) There are so many nice people in Boston and around the surrounding areas....you will like it.
These posts are mostly junk. I have lived in DC and in Boston and I currently live in Boston. The life of a scientist-in-training= Superficially there are similarities, but the overall cultures are very, very, very different. I mean, very, very, very, very different. Both cities are "international cities" in some way, but I find the international flavor in DC is much broader in range than in Boston, which is international but primarily Western. "London's American cousin." Boston has nowhere near the diversity of restaurants, events, and people that DC has. Dc is very close to VA, and sometimes feel like there is some conservatism mixed in with its liberal, Maryland flavor. Boston is chockfull of faux liberals. Bostonians are blind to this aspect of themselves. They are very conservative New Englanders but like to wear this false cloak of "liberalism". That explains the responses you are receiving to your posts. Noone who's multicultural or multiethnic could give you the sort of bizarre positive responses about Boston you are reading here. The cost of living in both cities is comparable. Boston feels crowded, and frankly, all the infrastructure, particularly the transport systems--roads, subways, etc--is on the verge of complete collapse. It a real pain when you have to take a train daily that is half an hour late, packed like sardines, and stops twenty times before getting to its destination. DC has problems with crime you won't find in Boston. It also has brutal traffic. But I think its a more nuanced
"False cloak of liberalism": I am curious about this -- while we have a Puritan heritage and so in some ways perhaps are less liberal than our reputation as a state would suggest, we are actually the only state in the nation, for example, to allow equal marriage rights. It is one of the few places in the country where a family does not feel isolated by the community if they do not attend Sunday church. Overall, this is an honestly liberal area. Is it completely liberal? No, of course not. Are liberal people here liberal in every respect? No, of course not. But overall, the political and social climate here is more progressive than in many other areas. New Englanders as a whole tend to be reserved and "proper," but this, in my mind, is a far cry from "faux liberalism" -- I don't find a laid-back, open, anything goes, in your face attitide liberal per se; neither is a reserved, keep-to-yourself person conservative. Those are more superficial personality traits.
Okay, anyway -- I have lived in this area most of my life (though not all -- born in the midwest, and have a lot of family still there). I also go to DC every year to visit. I love both cities.
If you are thinking in the city itself:
Cost of living: When I compared cost of living, I think you can get more for your money in Boston than in DC.
Crime: DC fairly consistently ranks among the highest crime rates in the country -- although unlike Boston, the crime is very localized, so you can go through a lot of the city and feel safe, whereas in Boston it is more spread out, and so you may run into it anywhere.
Schools: Better in Mass. Boston school district itself isn't great, but prep-school quality exam and charter schools help make that much better.
Diversity: generally, DC.
Job market: DC better overall, I think, but Boston is a great area for biotech. (Finance and healthcare are strong too.)
Culturally, I think DC wins though. All those museums... all those great restaurants... We have great stuff here, but :: sigh :: I miss DC.
Traffic: If you're in the city you have less to worry about. I'd hate to have to deal with Beltway traffic coming in to DC -- it looks like a parking lot. But the Metro in DC itself was cleaner, more open, and more on time than Boston's T generally is. But it's easier to drive into Boston than to drive into DC.
I say flip a coin. ;-) Maybe we can trade; when my kids are out of school I may move to DC. Then we can compare notes. lol
These posts are mostly junk...Noone who's multicultural or multiethnic could give you the sort of bizarre positive responses about Boston you are reading here.
So are you saying that anyone who is multicultural or multiethnic would give positive responses about Boston? Talk about junk post.
I'm from South East Asia and married a Swede and lived in the South and moved up to the Boston area. I can say I am multicultural and multiethnic. Boston has been good to us. We love the diversity and the cultural offerings of this city and the vibrancy of its world-class universities and I agree with most of posts.
Yes, I think Boston is quite diverse. Sure, Boston does not have the African-American population of DC, but you'll find that there are a lot of Europeans and Brazilians here who meld into the population but is undoubtedly still part of its diversity. So, maybe you can't see the diversity just walking on the street, but without a doubt, it is here.
Like all cities there are problems but I felt that your post was not only insulting and absolutely untrue.
Stockholmaren: The best thing for you to do is really visit the cities and decide what is best for you. Many people have different experiences,expectations and personalities. Some choose to blame the cities they live in for everything. Others find positives. I think you can be happy in almost anywhere you live. If you are from Stockholm, I think you will find a some similarity in Boston. We don't have the archipelago, but we have the Harbor Islands. We are close to the ocean with lots of great beaches and not as large as DC. Boston is great if you like outdoors and hiking. DC has a lot more museums and quite a bit larger in terms of population. Lycka Till.
Great post ChunkyMonkey!
It's good to hear you echo the positive posts with your multicultural and multiethnic background. Yes, I'm from Stockholm and my wife is from Trinidad & Tobago (made for an interesting match-up in the World Cup of soccer!) so we have a similar background.
We've visited Boston a couple of times over the last year, and it does remind me somewhat of Stockholm, moreso than other American cities that I've visited or lived in. Not many places have the archipelago of Stockholm, but Boston Harbor isn't bad either, and I really like the idea of being that close to the Ocean but also not far from the mountains - something that doesn't exist close to Stockholm as I'm sure you're aware of. We Swedes usually like outdoor events and activities, so I hope to be able to do much more of that in New England than here in Ohio.
I've been in touch with a couple of Swedish/Scandinavian organization up there, but if your Swede knows of any more feel free to pass them on. Tack så mycket!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChunkyMonkey
So are you saying that anyone who is multicultural or multiethnic would give positive responses about Boston? Talk about junk post.
I'm from South East Asia and married a Swede and lived in the South and moved up to the Boston area. I can say I am multicultural and multiethnic. Boston has been good to us. We love the diversity and the cultural offerings of this city and the vibrancy of its world-class universities and I agree with most of posts.
Yes, I think Boston is quite diverse. Sure, Boston does not have the African-American population of DC, but you'll find that there are a lot of Europeans and Brazilians here who meld into the population but is undoubtedly still part of its diversity. So, maybe you can't see the diversity just walking on the street, but without a doubt, it is here.
Like all cities there are problems but I felt that your post was not only insulting and absolutely untrue.
Stockholmaren: The best thing for you to do is really visit the cities and decide what is best for you. Many people have different experiences,expectations and personalities. Some choose to blame the cities they live in for everything. Others find positives. I think you can be happy in almost anywhere you live. If you are from Stockholm, I think you will find a some similarity in Boston. We don't have the archipelago, but we have the Harbor Islands. We are close to the ocean with lots of great beaches and not as large as DC. Boston is great if you like outdoors and hiking. DC has a lot more museums and quite a bit larger in terms of population. Lycka Till.
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Boston is Beautiful
Boston has more than Sports Fans
= Superficially there are similarities, but the overall cultures are very, very, very different. I mean, very, very, very, very different. Both cities are "international cities" in some way, but I find the international flavor in DC is much broader in range than in Boston, which is international but primarily Western. "London's American cousin." Boston has nowhere near the diversity of restaurants, events, and people that DC has. Dc is very close to VA, and sometimes feel like there is some conservatism mixed in with its liberal, Maryland flavor. Boston is chockfull of faux liberals. Bostonians are blind to this aspect of themselves. They are very conservative New Englanders but like to wear this false cloak of "liberalism". That explains the responses you are receiving to your posts. Noone who's multicultural or multiethnic could give you the sort of bizarre positive responses about Boston you are reading here. The cost of living in both cities is comparable. Boston feels crowded, and frankly, all the infrastructure, particularly the transport systems--roads, subways, etc--is on the verge of complete collapse. It a real pain when you have to take a train daily that is half an hour late, packed like sardines, and stops twenty times before getting to its destination. DC has problems with crime you won't find in Boston. It also has brutal traffic. But I think its a more nuanced
