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This may sound strange living in Pittsburgh, a city I love, but given the choice I would have taken the former.
I grew up relatively close to NYC, visited it frequently, and loved it. I don't live that far away now in the grand scheme of things. But the last time I went to the city was back in 2015. Before that, it was 2011.
I live near DC and go to NYC about 3-4 times a year. I'm heading there again for the Thanksgiving holiday.
I know a lot of people in the tri-state area though, so I guess that helps.
LOL, ok. It was a simple question that you've made somewhat complicated.
What was your intent on mentioning Jersey City or Santa Monica other than proximity? Why not just live in the city if affordability is not a factor. I don't think his response was complicated, as I and most posters would infer that you were talking about affordability over proximity first.
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There are plenty of reasons why one might choose to live in a close-in suburb as opposed to the city proper despite a similar COL.
What was your intent on mentioning Jersey City or Santa Monica other than proximity? Why not just live in the city if affordability is not a factor. I don't think his response was complicated, as I and most posters would infer that you were talking about affordability over proximity first.
What are the reasons?
For one, a shorter commute to work if you work in the close-in suburb. Secondly, for those close-in suburbs that are in a different state, both living and working there simplifies your taxes. And thirdly, close-in suburbs aren't always just as expensive as the city itself. I live in Silver Spring, MD, just a few minutes from DC proper and pay less than 1K/month in rent for a 1BR in a decent neighborhood. I have a friend who lives in Newark and the same is true for him (his rent is actually cheaper than mine and his apartment is larger).
Basically I was asking about the middle ground between being in the heart of the smaller city versus being 45 min-1 hr outside of a big city. A close-in suburb of a big city still puts you in the heart of the region where you can have relatively easy access to all of the amenities found in the city proper.
For one, a shorter commute to work if you work in the close-in suburb. Secondly, for those close-in suburbs that are in a different state, both living and working there simplifies your taxes. And thirdly, close-in suburbs aren't always just as expensive as the city itself. I live in Silver Spring, MD, just a few minutes from DC proper and pay less than 1K/month in rent for a 1BR in a decent neighborhood. I have a friend who lives in Newark and the same is true for him (his rent is actually cheaper than mine and his apartment is larger).
Basically I was asking about the middle ground between being in the heart of the smaller city versus being 45 min-1 hr outside of a big city. A close-in suburb of a big city still puts you in the heart of the region where you can have relatively easy access to all of the amenities found in the city proper.
I dunno. I tend to feel like a lot of the benefit of living in an urban area is the proximity being so close that you can decide to do something with no plan at all. It's not like "let's pile the family in the car" or even "Let's take the commuter rail" but more "let's walk outside our front door and be somewhere in 10 minutes." The less urban/walkable place you live, the less you're going to use a city's amenities. If you work full time and have small children, months could easily go by without doing anything in the city if you aren't actually in city limits.
I dunno. I tend to feel like a lot of the benefit of living in an urban area is the proximity being so close that you can decide to do something with no plan at all. It's not like "let's pile the family in the car" or even "Let's take the commuter rail" but more "let's walk outside our front door and be somewhere in 10 minutes." The less urban/walkable place you live, the less you're going to use a city's amenities. If you work full time and have small children, months could easily go by without doing anything in the city if you aren't actually in city limits.
You can live in a neighborhood that's just as urban and close to stuff in a close-in suburb than some people are within the city limits; in some cases the neighborhood could even be more urban and within closer proximity. And let's not forget that sizable close-in suburbs of major cities tend to have lots to do themselves. I don't think anyone would say that someone who lives in Cambridge or Santa Monica or Alexandria or Decatur is really missing out on anything by living there. Many of those suburbs essentially function as in-town neighborhoods.
I don't think anyone would say that someone who lives in Cambridge or Santa Monica or Alexandria or Decatur is really missing out on anything by living there. Many of those suburbs essentially function as in-town neighborhoods.
I actually lived in Alexandria, and going into the district was more work than I would have liked. I do, however agree, that it's often preferable to live in an urban suburb than a suburban city neighborhood.
Cambridge is more like Miami Beach than it is like Alexandria...that is to say, when you think of Boston or Miami, the first things to come to many people's minds are actually in the satellite city. They also benefit from their proximity to downtown. DC recedes into MoCo, as it becomes less dense and urban, whereas Cambridge and Miami are adjacent to the center of their respective anchor cities.
I actually lived in Alexandria, and going into the district was more work than I would have liked. I do, however agree, that it's often preferable to live in an urban suburb than a suburban city neighborhood.
Cambridge is more like Miami Beach than it is like Alexandria...that is to say, when you think of Boston or Miami, the first things to come to many people's minds are actually in the satellite city. They also benefit from their proximity to downtown. DC recedes into MoCo, as it becomes less dense and urban, whereas Cambridge and Miami are adjacent to the center of their respective anchor cities.
Cambridge is certainly closer in than Alexandria; it's not separated from Boston by a river. But still, Alexandria functions very similarly and actually used to be a part of the District.
Cambridge is certainly closer in than Alexandria; it's not separated from Boston by a river. But still, Alexandria functions very similarly and actually used to be a part of the District.
It actually is separated by a river, but that river is an integral part of the city. I don't know how to explain it, but Boston to Cambridge is 100x more walkable than Georgetown to Rosslyn. There's no feeling of separation. It's probably because the riverfront parks on each side of the Charles function as one park, and there's very little difference in elevation between riverbank and street level.
It actually is separated by a river, but that river is an integral part of the city. I don't know how to explain it, but Boston to Cambridge is 100x more walkable than Georgetown to Rosslyn. There's no feeling of separation. It's probably because the riverfront parks on each side of the Charles function as one park, and there's very little difference in elevation between riverbank and street level.
You're right; it is indeed separated by the Charles River. It didn't really feel that way when I visited; it feels like Boston proper in almost every way. I didn't get a chance to hit up the riverfront parks, but I think another reason for the seamless feeling is the fact that Harvard's campus actually extends into Boston proper across a relatively narrow part of the Charles whereas the naval base is across the Potomac from Alexandria.
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