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Right, and not one of them mentioned is intertwined like Cambridge, Somerville, or Brookline.
The suburbs you offer border Boston neighborhoods, which border other Boston neighborhoods, that border downtown Boston. Outside of the academic prowess, you can certainly acknowledge the reason folks around the country know Cambridge and not Quincy. Brookline and not Dedham.
When family from Chicago visits Boston, we often go to Fenway, the North End, and Harvard Square. And we do it all by bike. I'm going to Quincy, Milton, or Dedham by bike.
My problem is we are all intelligent enough not to argue strictly form the perspective of a Boston or new comer. Challenge yourself to argue in favor of Boston using the actually boundaries as many other do for their cities. Show your familiarity with Boston or at least discuss its shortcomings in a real way. Glazing over 60/70% of Boston and tossing in towns that simply are not Boston is somewhat disingenuous. Or at least if you toss in those towns I feel one should have to toss in other bordering towns-this is my opinion. You’re presenting Boston to be this amazingly connected and urbanized city when in reality it’s not so much that. Precisely because they places you ignore actually do exist.
This Boston rivals Chicago thing is just not real life. A small part of the area does. Boston Overall is somewhat underutilized and disconnected in its land use. You opt to focus on 300k people in certain cities and downtown Boston and ignore the other 4 million people in the metro who live in non rapid transit suburbia or in less glamorous cities. I don’t not know why that the dominate theme. Being in Boston doesn’t mean being “one stop” from downtown. That’s not how we talk about any other city.
That's why the Boston MSA is 1/2 the size, not 1/4 the size.
The Boston MSA has kind of wacky boundaries, however. It doesn’t account for suburbs shared with Worcester, Providence, Fitchburg, and Nashua.
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Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade
It’s embarrassing that ppl on CD can only make up for Bostons shortcoming by tossing in towns and cities that aren’t Boston and have very clear definite boundaries. You can’t just add in 300k ppl onto a 700k person city. It’s ridiculous. They have to work with Chicago. We have to work with BOSTON..
If Boston were practically any other major [western] city in the world, then Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville would be part of the city limits. Literally so many places from Chicago to Toronto to Melbourne to Mexico City to London to Berlin all consist of neighborhoods and districts that used to be independent municipalities.
Boston is an anomaly in this regard, and that has to be taken into account when comparing it to other cities.
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Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade
Being in Boston doesn’t mean being “one stop” from downtown. That’s not how we talk about any other city.
Because in any other city, one stop from downtown IS the city.
Last edited by Boston Shudra; 09-13-2019 at 05:12 PM..
My problem is we are all intelligent enough not to argue strictly form the perspective of a Boston or new comer. Challenge yourself to argue in favor of Boston using the actually boundaries as many other do for their cities. Show your familiarity with Boston or at least discuss its shortcomings in a real way. Glazing over 60/70% of Boston and tossing in towns that simply are not Boston is somewhat disingenuous. Or at least if you toss in those towns I feel one should have to toss in other bordering towns-this is my opinion. You’re presenting Boston to be this amazingly connected and urbanized city when in reality it’s not so much that. Precisely because they places you ignore actually do exist.
This Boston rivals Chicago thing is just not real life. A small part of the area does. Boston Overall is somewhat underutilized and disconnected in its land use. You opt to focus on 300k people in certain cities and downtown Boston and ignore the other 4 million people in the metro who live in non rapid transit suburbia or in less glamorous cities. I don’t not know why that the dominate theme. Being in Boston doesn’t mean being “one stop” from downtown. That’s not how we talk about any other city.
The thing is literally nobody does that, people say Northwestern is a Chicago school but it’s not in Chicago. People say NYC has the big 4 sports despite their football teams playing in a different state. Nor would anyone argue Washington DC doesn’t have an airport.
People call google a San Francisco company despite being about as far from SF as Shrewsbury is from Boston.
The Boston MSA has kind of wacky boundaries, however. It doesn’t account for suburbs shared with Worcester, Providence, Fitchburg, and Nashua.
If Boston were practically any other major [western] city in the world, then Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville would be part of the city limits. Literally so many places from Chicago to Toronto to Melbourne to Mexico City to London to Berlin all consist of neighborhoods and districts that used to be independent municipalities.
Boston is an anomaly in this regard, and that has to be taken into account when comparing it to other cities.
It’s not just a random anomaly though. It’s pointed and purposeful. They’re much bigger and don’t operate as Boston neighborhoods. They’re not just geographic differences but by all means, metro-data away.
My problem is we are all intelligent enough not to argue strictly form the perspective of a Boston or new comer. Challenge yourself to argue in favor of Boston using the actually boundaries as many other do for their cities. Show your familiarity with Boston or at least discuss its shortcomings in a real way. Glazing over 60/70% of Boston and tossing in towns that simply are not Boston is somewhat disingenuous. Or at least if you toss in those towns I feel one should have to toss in other bordering towns-this is my opinion. You’re presenting Boston to be this amazingly connected and urbanized city when in reality it’s not so much that. Precisely because they places you ignore actually do exist.
This Boston rivals Chicago thing is just not real life. A small part of the area does. Boston Overall is somewhat underutilized and disconnected in its land use. You opt to focus on 300k people in certain cities and downtown Boston and ignore the other 4 million people in the metro who live in non rapid transit suburbia or in less glamorous cities. I don’t not know why that the dominate theme. Being in Boston doesn’t mean being “one stop” from downtown. That’s not how we talk about any other city.
What other city in North America is like Boston in that way? What other city has it's main downtown core sit 500 ft away from another area that's not within the cities border? Do we ignore that area because it was never annexed, and because other cities did just that?
You can, I won't. And most don't.
If you're take is that it's not connected and urbanized, your are specifically talking about where you live in the city. Boston is very, very connected and urban. And to have a logical debate about Boston, it's restaurants, it's neighborhoods, it's look and feel, and to NOT include places like Cambridge and Brookline, makes very little sense. Logic prevails, despite our forefathers borders.
What other city in North America is like Boston in that way? What other city has it's main downtown core sit 500 ft away from another area that's not within the cities border? Do we ignore that area because it was never annexed, and because other cities did just that?
You can, I won't. And most don't.
If you're take is that it's not connected and urbanized, your are specifically talking about where you live in the city. Boston is very, very connected and urban. And to have a logical debate about Boston, it's restaurants, it's neighborhoods, it's look and feel, and to NOT include places like Cambridge and Brookline, makes very little sense. Logic prevails, despite our forefathers borders.
Brookline in particular exists as it does specifically because it’s not Boston though. If it were a neighborhood of Boston it’s demograpgics would be wildly different.
Cambridge to a lesser extent although people with the means too often pick Cambridge over Boston for schools or Tax reasons. However Cambridge is vastly more diverse than Brookline and mirrors Boston much more.
Brookline in particular exists as it does specifically because it’s not Boston though. If it were a neighborhood of Boston it’s demograpgics would be wildly different.
Cambridge to a lesser extent although people with the means too often pick Cambridge over Boston for schools or Tax reasons. However Cambridge is vastly more diverse than Brookline and mirrors Boston much more.
You are absolutely correct. Because in 1873, they decide so.
That is the only reason it is not Boston, and everywhere around it is.
They’re both not a part of Boston so why are you arguing that they are? Accept Boston for what it is and stop trying to change the narrative to try and argue Boston is equal to Chicago in some fantastical way. It’s asinine.
Because when living in Brighton (Boston), if I wanted to visit friends in West Roxbury (Boston), I HAD to go through Brookline. If I wanted to visit Charlestown (Boston), I’d take Storrow Drive, because it’s fastest. However, the shortest distance between Brighton and Charlestown IS through Cambridge. Revere and Everett are also close enough to downtown Boston to count, while Milton and Quincy are both too far. Watertown and Medford are both closer to Boston City Hall than Quincy or Milton.
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Originally Posted by NOLA101
Cambridge has some of the worst schools in the Boston area, so are objectively terrible, and not an option for most wealthy families.
This isn’t true.
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Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade
Boston longest Street, Blue Hill Ave, goes directly into Milton as does its major highway I-93. It’s continuous development straight into Milton form Boston.
Yes, but Blue Hill Ave is part of an annexed city already. Roxbury (now Roxbury, JP, Roslindale, and West Roxbury), Dorchester (now Dorchester, South Boston, Mattapan, and Hyde Park), and Brookline are the southern equivalents of Watertown (now Watertown, Weston, Waltham, Lincoln, and Belmont), Cambridge (now Cambridge, Brighton, Newton, Lexington, and Arlington), Charlestown (now Charlestown, Everett, Malden, Medford, and Somerville), and Chelsea (now Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop).
The northern towns split into smaller towns that remained independent, while the southern towns (minus Brookline) merged under the Boston umbrella. Boston somehow got Brighton from Cambridge and the remnants of Charlestown (after it split) at some point. East Boston was created along the way specifically with the goal of joining Boston, so it’s kind of an oddity.
Last edited by Boston Shudra; 09-13-2019 at 05:03 PM..
They’re both not a part of Boston so why are you arguing that they are? Accept Boston for what it is and stop trying to change the narrative to try and argue Boston is equal to Chicago in some fantastical way. It’s asinine.
Why do you include Somerville but not Everett? Why Brookline but not revere? Why Cambridge but not Quincy? you’re just making it up and cherry picking wealthier western and northwestern burbs because it’s what convenient. Hell why not Milton? Or Dedham? Make it make sense other than “population density” because some neighborhoods of Boston aren’t all that dense.
Include them all that’s fine..they are all ridiculously close to downtown. Kendall square Cambridge is two subway stops from the heart of downtown Boston..find me a place in Chicago that is not Chicago and is 2 subway stops from the center of Michigan ave or millennium park...Boston’s boundaries are very unique when compared to other major cities...I mean nyc gets Staten Island and Boston doesn’t get Cambridge or revere or whatever directly connected urban suburb?? On paper it doesn’t but in day to day life it does
My two hometowns. My two favorite cities not named NYC.
quality of life: Boston
nightlife: Chicago
restaurants: Chicago
events: Chicago
transit: Chicago
shopping/entertainment: Chicago
overall vibe of city and people: Boston
What may surprise many is just how close most of these categories are (have to include Cambridge/Somerville/Brookline). I think events, shopping, and entertainment are pretty close. There's a ton going on in both cities.. Plenty of live music venues, plenty of utilized open space, plenty of food halls and markets, breweries, open water.
Chicago is a far more dynamic city on the whole. Way more substantial downtown core that no other city can really rival. Some of the countries most interesting neighborhoods west of 94. A larger focus, even as a %, in arts/music. A more diverse populous. Just a more bad*ss city on a macro level. But on a micro level, I liked living in Cambridge more than I liked living in Lincoln Park.. Far more interesting, more eclectic, a little more day-to-day buzz, better food. I certainly like Boston's surroundings far more than Chicago's, that is for sure.
I like the day-to-day feel in Boston more. A bit less hectic, more widely accessible, a nicer city to walk around, a really diverse set of areas to spend your time.. Love the farm-to-table, coffee and beer scene, which to be fair, takes up a lot of my free time these days. What I like about Boston certainly expands to the suburbs, too. And the suburbs, and coastal towns make it a far more charming and unique place to be.
As I always do, vote goes to Chicago (city) and Boston (area).
As a guy that went to college in Boston, lived in Brookline, and now lives in the western suburbs of Chicago, I don't think I would agree with you on the quality of life or the people, unless you have family in the Boston area, which I do. It now takes $$$ to live in an old house that might be on a main road in the Boston area, and although many people are nice, Boston has its share of M*******s. I agree with many posters that Boston is overrated. its recent success in attracting business has caused it to literally choke on traffic,k and my frustration in driving there is sky high.
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