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Boston Pros
-easy to get around without a car (good public transit/walkable)
-great historic architecture and layout
-great place to be a fan of professional sports
Cons
-Expensive
-Locals adverse to change (NIMBY) which hinders development
-Tough winters
Seattle Pros
-Naturally stunning and excellent connectivity to the outdoors
-Temperate climate
-Laid back for a major city
Cons
-Somewhat isolated from the rest of the Lower 48 (not many major cities nearby)
-While the "cloudy/rainy" bit is overplayed, it's still overcast a lot of the time
-Surprisingly bland architecture aside from some landmark structures.
Boston:
Pros:
-good cuisine if you're into seafood, European, fine dining
-walkable with great public transportation
-beautiful, swimmable beaches nearby
-historic charm
Cons:
-arrogant residents
-more extreme weather (sultry summers, cold and snowy winters)
-more resistant to change
-expensive
Seattle:
Pros:
-great food if you're into pan-Asian cuisine, seafood, coffee
-charming walkable neighborhoods and decent transit near the city core
-gorgeous scenery
-milder weather
Cons:
-more car-oriented
-prevalence of hipster culture
-rainy, chilly, and overcast for too long
- not affordable in areas where public transit/walkability is used
If I had to choose between the two cities I would choose Seattle. Boston seems to rude and provincial, racist, and sports-oriented. Not to mention that the winters suck there. Seattle is more beautiful, relaxing, yet has a big-city feel to it anyways.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Boston and Seattle
Pros:
-Both are well educated
-Both have great food, especially seafood
-Both are walkable neighborhoody type cities
-Both have prosperous and diverse economies
Cons:
-Both cities can have a frosty people (albeit in different ways between Boston & Seattle).
-Both cities have too much crappy weather
-Both cities suck for driving and parking
-Both cities are astronomically expensive for middle class people (though this $15 per hour minimum wage in Seattle will be interesting to watch).
What's interesting here on C-D is that Boston and Seattle are a pair of cities that rarely devolve into flaming and p*ssing contests on the city vs city threads and is usually a fair exchange of words. I moved to Seattle back in 2000 from Boston as I found Seattle to be a very compatible city for me coming from Boston and it was a fairly easy transition.
Bostonians can be abrasive at times, but at least they're straightforward.
That whole "Seattle freeze" thing sounds kind of scary.
But I thimk the whole "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all" attitude is betger, so Seattle wins. Boston people will go up to you and be rhde which is not cool. If I didn't like someone, I would avoid them, whuch seems to be the attitude of Seattleites.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawaii4evr
But I thimk the whole "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all" attitude is betger, so Seattle wins. Boston people will go up to you and be rude which is not cool. If I didn't like someone, I would avoid them, whuch seems to be the attitude of Seattleites.
I don't think that is a fair characterization of Bostonians at all. That is a big blanket with no real substance to really back it up. Some people watch too many of the meathead/hooligan reality shows that have been filmed in Boston. Also there is a difference between rude and assertive. But everyone knows there are rude jackasses everywhere. The spirit of Boston is so much more than that and Boston has some of the most genuine and caring people anywhere. This is on par with characterizing all Seattleites as passive aggressive and shallow. Sure that element exists but it's quite exaggerated. I've met some cool characters and life long friends in Seattle. It's all in what you give, because that's what you'll get.
Location: Bmore, The cursed land of -> Hotlanta -> Charlotte
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Boston:
Pros:
BETTER sports teams, by far, Seattles MLB team is a joke, and no NBA team, meanwhile the Red Sox are champs, Patriots are well... the PAtriots, theyre technically a playoff team atm, Celtics are medicore now... and the Bruins are pretty good, they have it all.
Seahawks are National champs... but thats all Seattle has
Connected region, its on the East Coast, and in NEw England, its alot more out there around Boston, a very sort flight, and if youre adventurous like me, a not TOO bad drive to the rest of NEw England and even down to the NY area, oh, and its EST, football games at 10AM is a no no
Better social life, and with all the Colleges in the area, I think the young population is MUCH more lively than Seattle, no, by FAR, cause you know, they get sun to shine on their moods. Boston may or may not have more things to od/amenities there, that may play a role too, but im not sure on that, they surely have more sports teams to go see and have a good time, thats for sure.
Cons:
Dat snow in the winter, Im in ATL so I miss it, but I remember shoveling that crap every morning living in Ohio.... though if you have a snow blower its not too bad
Drivers are terrible, the whole "Masswhole" thing doesnt come from nowhere, I heard some horror stories of new england drivers, they say the two lane long drives to Pats stadium makes them especially grumpy during football season
Cost of living is high in Seattle too, but even HIGHER in Boston, and I hear alot of the apartments have old appliances, and even if you move further out from oston, it wont change much, it does in the Seattle metro...
Seattle
Pros:
Its naturaul beauty is better by far, even on grey days, I wouldnt mind kicking back and heading out to enjoy a nice jog and look at all the emerald colored trees etc, and Seattle just has a more "modern" feel to it, the exact opposite of Boston
Suburbs of seattle seem like they each do their own thing, I personally am not much of a suburb guy, but people looking for those cheesy soccer mom feeling suburbs that is "safe" to raise families with a "neighborhood" feel, definitely would like Seattles metro
Weather is more standard, dont have to FREEZE in the winter, then ROAST in the summer, its just a flate rate all year long
Tech, Im studying to ecome a engineer and this just appeals to me, Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, all that stuff is there in Seattle, and it seriously seems to infleunce the city, really adds to that new school vibe Seattle has going, and it all the people who works at those places makes Seattle seem kinda "brainy"
Cons:
Gray skies, not much to be said, I personally probably wouldnt let it get to me too much if I had a lot going on in my life, but if not, it can really get depressing, Id NEED friends to be out there after a year or two... but I have a hermit side to me (future engineer, cliche right?) so I can easily just sit back and chill in laid back Seattle and not get depressed as long as I can enjoy myself and have SOME friends
Seattle Freeze, the infamous anti-social people, its pretty much confirmed, people say mostly, its the transplants youd make friends with up there. And its not like you can just "work and socialize more", seattle freeze implies they simply arent interested, and turn down hangout invites etc, you cant tie them up and throw them in your car and make them want to hang out with you... its there and can be discouraging,
Spoiler
I blame the gray skies
.
Diversity and the women. Chicks there... are like a hit or miss, and if its a hit its usually some kinda restricions or condiitons to go with it, Ill just leave it at that efore I offend someone, but Ive had friends tell me all about that, and with Seattle being such a "hip" city, you better have some STATS before diving into the dating scene, gotta compete with Rick who designs aircrafts at Boeing, and Roy whos a Senior software Engineer at Amazon(NOT saying Boston isnt as "smart" or doesnt have guys like this, but its WAY more concentrated in Seattle). Usually, again, they say the transplant chicks are your best bet. Most people who say Seattle is "diverse" is usually just refering to Asian people (no offense), its pretty much just Asian and White, mainly white..
Overall, Id e fine going to either tbh, Id lean Boston though, I miss having four seasons when I lived in Ohio
No snow during the holidays, and gray skies instead, with family ALLLLL the way on the eastern side of the country MIGHT get to you. But at the same time, Seattles "vibe" really appeals to me, especially as a studying Aerospsace Engineer. So I could be happy sitting back and enjoying the more money id be able to spend in Seatte.
But most likely Boston, better social life, seasons/weather and sports, more pricey though...
But I thimk the whole "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all" attitude is betger, so Seattle wins. Boston people will go up to you and be rhde which is not cool. If I didn't like someone, I would avoid them, whuch seems to be the attitude of Seattleites.
You've either never been to Boston or are the unluckiest person on earth. I've lived here and never had anyone come up to me out of the blue and be rude. If people in Boston don't like you, they're going to avoid you too. The "rude" aspect of living in Boston is derived from the fact that people in Boston often don't just strike up conversations with strangers in grocery stores or on the streets. Another big "rude" thing that Bostonians are reputed to do is not smile or wave or say hi to people passing on the street or in the hall. Combined with the fast pace and aggressive driving, those are the things that people often consider "rude" about Boston. I have never in my life heard of Bostonians just going up to people and "being rude." We don't just walk up to people and say, "hey man, your hair is bad, and your hips look feminine." We may not wave to you on the street, or show up at your apartment door with apple pie when you move in, but we certainly won't just be rude to you for no reason.
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