San Diego vs Boston (best, moving, schools, beach)
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For a city of it's significance in the US, Boston is very "meh" despite having all the foundational components that make a great city.
People compare Boston to cities like San Francisco and Montreal. Those cities have a lot better character, charisma, and mojo when it comes to entreatment and culture than Boston.
Miami may not have as good of a downtown as those other cities but it's got a unique local culture with it's Latin/Caribbean influence. I also find Miami's food and art scene superior to Boston.
BTW I was in Boston during the summer.
The pictures I posted above represent Boston's typical daily vibrancy during summer days. This is as comparable as D.C. daytime vibrancy and arguably a level just below San Fran. I can provide numbers to support this. This is the first I've heard Boston/Cambridge doesn't have character. It overflows with character. If its colonial character and tight streets are not what you prefer that's fine but it has plenty of character. Maybe you're referring to consistent nighttime vibrancy otherwise your opinion is not based off reality.
The pictures I posted above represent Boston's typical daily vibrancy during summer days. This is as comparable as D.C. daytime vibrancy and arguably a level just below San Fran. I can provide numbers to support this. This is the first I've heard Boston/Cambridge doesn't have character. It overflows with character. If its colonial character and tight streets are not what you prefer that's fine but it has plenty of character. Maybe you're referring to consistent nighttime vibrancy otherwise your opinion is not based off reality.
DC feels more worldly than Boston and has better museums, better restaurants, better nightlife, and is more multicultural. Being the nation's capital it has a lot of more interesting stuff going on.
When I'm talking about character and vibrancy I'm not just referring to architecture and history, I'm referring to food, arts, entertainment venues, local culture, etc. Boston, in my opinion, falls short in many areas compared to the other cities of it's size and with similar significance.
By the way your preferences for one city over another is not something I have an issue with. It's your comment that Boston lacks vibrancy that is not factual. Relative to NYC and Hong Kong sure. Not relative to D.C. and Miami
Not sure the multicultural difference is that significant either.
D.C.
Black 49%
Hispanic 8%
Asian 3%
White 35%
Boston:
Black 24%
Asian 9%
Hispanic 22%
Non Hispanic white 46%
Going beyond the statistics, there's a lot more people from different areas of the world and other regions of the nation residing in DC since it's the nation's capital. This makes it a lot more interesting and dynamic when it comes to being multicultural in my opinion and experience.
DC isn't my top choice of living, but in inarguably has a lot more "happening" than Boston (for a lack of a better term), making it more attractive for a young working professional.
Going beyond the statistics, there's a lot more people from different areas of the world and other regions of the nation residing in DC since it's the nation's capital. This makes it a lot more interesting and dynamic when it comes to being multicultural in my opinion and experience.
DC isn't my top choice of living, but in inarguably has a lot more "happening" than Boston (for a lack of a better term), making it more attractive for a young working professional.
"Making it more attractive for a young working professional"
You say this like it applies to everyone. This is your opinion and that is fine. Not going to argue subjective preferences in a city. Boston is not less vibrant than D.C. They're very comparable in this regard. If you ever return to Boston check out Alston, Jamaica plain, Somerville union square, Cambridge central square for some more artsy vibe.
I never thought of Boston and SD being the same size. I'd say Boston for now and SD for later when I'm older. SD is a great city but it's too laidback for my personal taste although Boston is freaking cold....
I don't know what a military civilian is but I personally witnessed much scorn and outright hatred directed at me and my military friends while stationed in San Diego...once you got a ways beyond wherever they were playing of the National Anthem and having a flyover that is.
never saw that to the same degree in any other stateside military community that I was stationed at.
I think with the Military in San Diego it might be similar to college students in Boston,big groups of largely young, transient people with no connection to the community that get shipped in tend to generate friction with the locals.
Identical population size is pretty unfair considering Cambridge/Brookline/Somerville are probably more densely populated and urban than SD, and they are suburbs. Boston proper is tiny, but had it been a more recently developed city, it would probably be 50% bigger as it would include a lot of those immediate neighbrohoods/suburbs. Greater Boston- the inner ring- is substantially bigger. Metro to metro, I think Boston is ~1.5M bigger, and the delta feels much larger.
Livable neighborhoods-Boston
Nightlife - Both average
Transportation - Boston
Culture-Boston
Economy - Boston
Weather-San Diego
Downtown - Boston
Based on the criteria, Boston in a landslide. It's a bit closer when you consider some alternative factors (like the Mexican food in SD..). Two of my favorite cities in the US, with Chicago, NYC, Seattle, SF, DC right there with them.
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