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how about a list of attractions:
copley:
b.p.l.
copley place
prudential shops
newbury comics
...
rittenhouse:
park
kimmel center
...
I'm a big fan of Copley and Back Bay, but I'd give this to Rittenhouse. If you want to talk neighborhoods as a whole, I'd go Back Bay over Rittenhouse, but in terms of the Squares themselves, it has to be Rittenhouse.
For starters, I don't know how you attribute Newbury Comics or even the Prudential Shops to Copley Square. Newbury Comics is over 1/2 mile away on a street that doesn't pass by Copley Square. While Newbury Street is only a block away from Copley, I'd consider it to be a separate entity. I would also argue that the Shops at Prudential and Copley Place are separate enough from the Square (they're separate but connected indoor malls that don't have entrances or exits at Copley Square).
The BPL, Fairmont Copley, Hancock Tower, Trinity Church, Old South Church, etc. all contribute to the aesthetic of Copley, but Rittenhouse itself is a much more beautiful and pleasant urban park to spend time in. It's also larger than Copley. It's Philadelphia's signature central urban square space. I wouldn't say Copley is the same thing to Boston.
I mean if we were to really split hairs, Curtis is regard as a better and more prestige school. I mentioned it because it's an interesting feature directly on the square.
Looking at the map of Copley more and thinking about what surrounds it, Logan Square in Philadelphia is the better match. The central libraries for both cities sit on the squares. Trinity Church and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul can be compared.
I also prefer the restaurant/bar scene in Rittenhouse over the Backbay.
Last edited by thedirtypirate; 11-18-2019 at 09:06 AM..
I was spending 3 nights per week in a high rise condo tower a block east of Rittenhouse a couple of years ago. I’m a Massholian. As a place to live, I’d pick Rittenhouse since it’s way more affordable. If someone is buying the condo for me, I’d rather be a couple blocks north of Copley in Back Bay.
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I mean if we were to really split hairs, Curtis is regard as a better and more prestige school. I mentioned it because it's an interesting feature directly on the square.
...
[i'm not a musician] i lived in boston and philly. never heard of curtis. at least some of my layperson (ew) friends know of berklee.
i'm kinda shocked i past by it 100 times and never knew. why is it so secret (no sign) ?
Last edited by stanley-88888888; 11-18-2019 at 10:51 AM..
[i'm not a musician] i lived in boston and philly. never heard of curtis. at least some of my layperson (ew) friends know of berklee.
i'm kinda shocked i past by it 100 times and never knew. why is it so secret (no sign) ?
Because it has fewer than 200 students. It's extremely prestigious (on par with Julliard in terms of reputation and acceptance rates) and highly specialized, but it's not an apples to apples comparison to Berklee which has over 5,000 students, more programs, and a much larger physical presence in the city (as well as a campus in Valencia, Spain). A closer Boston comparison is the New England Conservatory, but even then, the New England Conservatory is about 4 times as large.
Rittenhouse clearly has the better park (lots more tree cover, benches, and grass), but Copley has more restaurants and retail along Boylston than any of the streets that abut Rittenhouse and (imo) it has more impressive architecture on all sides of it: the two churches, the library, the Fairmont, and the Hancock. (The one exception being this building on Rittenhouse, which is gorgeous)
From the standpoint of tall-buildings-on-all-sides, Rittenhouse reminds me a bit more of Post Office Square than Copley.
Here's a picture I took a few years back of "ye olde Gamestop", which is across from Copley.
And here's a photo of the Hancock taken in Copley.
Last edited by Boston Shudra; 11-18-2019 at 02:07 PM..
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