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I find Alrington to be pretty urban. Is Cambridge even more so?
Cambridge is much much more urban. Culturally and more importantly physically. It’s over 20k people per square mile. Mostly in pre war housing.
From what I’ve been told...Cambridge used to be pretty tough not long ago and I think it still has scuzzier people within its population. More socioeconomic diversity that comes with a mature city as opposed to a small dense Suburban county with multiple CBDs
Basically on Mass Ave. Some parts of Cambridge are downright sleepy.
Kendall is getting way more mixed use and developing like crazy..same with cambridge crossings in East Cambridge. Areas of urbanity are all of mass Ave (central, porter, Harvard), Kendall, Inman sq, and now cambridge crossing
I've lived in Cambridge and worked in Arlington while living in DC. Good comparison.
Transportation options - Arlington. Arlington has better rapid transit options with multiple metro lines. The Red and Green lines in Cambridge don't provide the same level of coverage. Bus is a draw. I'd rather be a cyclist in Cambridge (much better bike network). I'd also rather drive in Arlington than Cambridge. Crime/Safety - Cambridge. It's very safe. Arlington is fine too, but I felt safer in Cambridge. Job opportunities/companies Tough call - Tie? Both are pretty strong engines for their metros. COL Arlington fairly easily. Cambridge is extremely expensive. QOL Cambridge - because it leads in many of the categories below. Scenery/Parks Tie. Both have extraordinary vantages of their metro's principal cities from across the river as well as small parks and squares throughout. Food/Cuisine Cambridge is definitely the city I'd rather eat my way around. Education/ Universities Easily Cambridge. Things to see/do I'll give this to Arlington. I actually would argue that Arlington has the better landmarks to see (Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, Marine Corps. Memorial, etc.), but Cambridge gets the edge on things to do - I'd rather shop, dine, drink, and just wander around Cambridge than Arlington. But overall, Arlington. Nightlife Cambridge. It probably has the best nightlife in the Boston area. Local Culture Cambridge. It has more of a creative, academic, artsy feel that sets it apart. The colleges really help drive this. Diversity Cambridge has always felt more diverse to me, but i'm not sure what the data says. Connection to the core city Cambridge. Both are well connected by rail, but Cambridge is much better connected to downtown Boston than Arlington is to DC by other means. I can walk to Kendall Square from my office in downtown Boston in 20 minutes. History Tie. Cambridge has the edge in terms of age and the role it played in the foundation of America. Arlington is newer but is home to some of America's most important locations (Pentagon, Arlington Nat'l Cemetery, etc.).
Overall, I prefer Cambridge by a good margin. It's more active and vibrant on the street level, it's more cohesively urban (much of Arlington is downright suburban), and I really enjoy the varied local cultures centered around the city's many squares. I'd live in both, but definitely prefer Cambridge.
Basically on Mass Ave. Some parts of Cambridge are downright sleepy.
"Sleepy" in that there are lots of fairly quiet, small neighborhood streets in the more residential areas maybe. But having lived in Cambridge and spent plenty of time in Arlington during my tenure in DC, Cambridge is the far more active place, especially beyond the 9-5 crowd. In terms of being "urban," Cambridge is unequivocally more urban than Arlington. Even those quiet streets are dense, walkable, and urban in a way that you don't really see in Arlington outside of a few small pockets. Cambridge has a population density of over 18,000 ppsmi, Arlington has a density of less than 9,000.
I used to live in DC and went to Arlington maybe 2 or 3 times in that year. Never felt the need, I know many in DC feel the same and avoid Virginia in general. Now I live in Cambridge and it feels much more urban, lively and interconnected with Boston than anything I saw in the DMV.
I wonder how Arlington will change once Amazon fully settles in....
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