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I voted for Boston, but it was only after some careful consideration. I used to be an ardent opponent of "Sprawlanta," but in recent months I've taken a closer look into all of the positive things that are happening in that city that is making me reconsider my former hostilities towards it. Atlanta, while only being home to roughly 10% of the overall metropolitan population, also has a very extensive canopy of trees. Granted they do little to help mitigate the city's air quality issues, but even then MARTA expansions are planned if I'm not mistaken. The city has three distinctive "downtown" cores (Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead), and if they're ever linked then Atlanta will finally have an impressive skyline that will rival those of Dallas, Seattle, Miami, and other second-tier cities in our nation.
While I'm happy to see more and more infill occurring in Atlanta proper, if you head onto the Atlanta sub-forum it's still apparent that sprawl is an issue as the vast majority of inquiries are about the suburbs. If people still don't want to inquire about city living in Atlanta, then that suggests to me that there are still many, many "issues" that need to be addressed (I'm sure Five Points is one of them). From what I've researched Atlanta is a hostile city towards pedestrians and bicyclists whereas from my own personal experience drivers in Metro Boston will actually STOP to permit pedestrians to safely cross the street. I'll never forget when my family stayed at a motel in Beverly, MA, approached a crosswalk, and had both lanes of traffic magically stop for us. You don't see that in Atlanta. Why? Their police force is apparently too lazy to enforce their state's pedestrian safety laws (or they're too busy fighting crime).
Boston is a hub for higher education. Pardon my ignorance, but what Ivy-League institutions does Atlanta lay claim to? I am impressed though that Atlanta has such a large African-American middle-class that is quite well-educated. I know from experience in my own region that most African-Americans here are impoverished, and the fact that they account for just a few percentage points of our metro population and probably 1/4 of our crime doesn't help matters much. Atlanta also hosted the 1996 Olympics, has an outstanding aquarium, has ties to Coca-Cola, CNN, and The Weather Channel, and has some respectable international notoriety.
Sorry Atlanta, but Boston still has the "edge" to me. I'd much rather saunter the Freedom Trail on a Saturday afternoon than I'd rather meander around Downtown Atlanta on a weekend.
C'mon... that's almost as extreme as comparing Seattle to Miami.
OK, I have a comparison; the Braves to date were more successful on field while in Boston than Atlanta.
Depends. They've won the World Series once in each of the three cities where they've been located. Now, if you count NL championships before the AL existed, I'm not sure about that. I'd guess the Braves probably won a few pennants way back when, but I really don't know. Not sure how the overall records, regular season, not just championships, compare in the three cities.
I dunno. If it's someone trying to decide on a move, then any comparison makes sense. It's just a question of which city among the choices listed would best suit the OP's needs. If it's just a comparison being made out of intellectual interest, I'd be inclined to agree that maybe cities that are similar but have some differences in the details would make for an especially interesting comparison. Like maybe comparing Boston and San Fran or Seattle, or comparing Atlanta to Dallas or--I dunno--Phoenix? Comparing two cities as different as Boston and Atlanta is kind of like basically just asking whether people prefer dense old-style cities or sprawling new Sun Belt ciites. Still, hey, I guess this kind of comparison at least offers an opportunity to really think about why you prefer one type of city, as well as the chance to learn some detail about the cities being discussed.
My preference? Well, I'm from the Boston area, so . . . Okay, actually, in a comparison between Philly, NYC, or Chicago and Atlanta, I'd go with Philly, NYC, or Chicago. Maybe it's an offshoot of having grown up near Boston, but I prefer the old-style cities. I like the classic architecture. I like the convenience of having the city amenities concentrated in a dense central area, mostly all within walking distance or a short subway ride. I also like the vibrant, urban kind of feeling you get from having so much stuff packed in close together, and so many people on the downtown streets, day and night. Too many newer cities are mostly office skyscrapers downtown, and kind of dead at night downtown, after all the office workers go home.
From what I've researched Atlanta is a hostile city towards pedestrians and bicyclists whereas from my own personal experience drivers in Metro Boston will actually STOP to permit pedestrians to safely cross the street. I'll never forget when my family stayed at a motel in Beverly, MA, approached a crosswalk, and had both lanes of traffic magically stop for us. You don't see that in Atlanta. [quote]
A friendly word of warning from a resident of the Boston area: Don't risk your life by assuming drivers will stop for you when you're crossing the street. That happens more in the suburbs. In the city, especially right in the central area in and around downtown, there's a little bit of a game of chicken that goes on between drivers, pedestrians, and a mix of the two.
ScranBarre:
Boston is a hub for higher education. Pardon my ignorance, but what Ivy-League institutions does Atlanta lay claim to?[quote]
Okay, yes, Boston is packed with colleges. It is one of the world's great seats of higher education. Don't sell Atlanta short, though. It has no schools literally in the Ivy League, but is home to at least a couple of prestigious institutions that come to mind immediately, in Emory and Georgia Tech. Not too shabby, those.
Since I lived in Massachusetts for 15 years and just moved to the Atlanta area, it's like comparing apples and oranges. You will have some people who love or hate either for different reasons, and there is no way to make an accurate comparison. They are two very different areas with different strengths and weaknesses.
I personally loved Boston for the history, sports, and when I took part in it it, the nightlife in Boston. Atlanta can't hold a candle to Boston for any of these things.
Having said that, Atlanta is a breath of fresh air (for me at least) politically, and an escape from the political correctness run amuck in MA. I love being able to afford a nice new home and the lack of the small town thinking that seems to be very prevalent in New England...even in Boston. I love the warmer and snow free winters here in Atlanta, and I love the welcoming business climate. Some people complain about "sprawl" but I love it. I grew up in the city but now I love suburbia.
Boston for me. By a bajillion, quintillion, schamillion, blalaleeleelockalockamillion miles.
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Atlanta also hosted the 1996 Olympics, has an outstanding aquarium, has ties to Coca-Cola, CNN, and The Weather Channel, and has some respectable international notoriety. 
