Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Both are excellent, urban cities with great public transit. In a global sense, Boston feels more provincial than DC, which does affect the population and business diversity, hence a more urban (and truly international) feel in DC in that regard.
But overall I like the way Bostons neighborhoods cluster and the sheer density of some of the areas. Plus, as someone said, the architecture feels more urban. So the nod goes to Boston, but its very close!
I don't think I've ever been to Dupont Circle, but I thoroughly enjoyed Adams Morgan and Georgetown when I was there this past summer.
If you go back I'm sure you'd like it. It's right next to Adams Morgan. I live on the other side of AdMo in Mount Pleasant which is one of my favorite places as well.
I agree with 14thandyou though. When I think of what makes DC urban, I don't think of the downtown area. It's the other neighborhoods that make me love this city.
I don't know too much about Boston. I think that it would be close though with both cities being two of the most urban cities in the country. Both have quite a bit of European traits.
If you go back I'm sure you'd like it. It's right next to Adams Morgan. I live on the other side of AdMo in Mount Pleasant which is one of my favorite places as well.
I agree with 14thandyou though. When I think of what makes DC urban, I don't think of the downtown area. It's the other neighborhoods that make me love this city.
I don't know too much about Boston. I think that it would be close though with both cities being two of the most urban cities in the country. Both have quite a bit of European traits.
Adams Morgan is definitely my favorite neighborhood in DC -- much less stuffy than Georgetown. Dupont, too, has a great vibe, though.
Overall, I'd choose Boston for urbanity (it's hard to compete with a quintessentially colonial city), but DC is definitely not far behind. It has some really vibrant, dense neighborhoods of its own.
Boston is generally an older area with mature neighborhoods, while the DC/Baltimore Metroplex is actually still growing. While DC does factually have 10's of square miles of (safe) urban neighborhoods with trendy row homes, corner stores and urban parks, our conurbation did spread out alot since the 60's.
People May say that most of the Metroplex lives in MD or VA, but if you were to put DC's physical borders around Boston, 85% of their popuation would live outside of it too. Its really not a fair statement, nor is it a relevent one considering Both Maryland and Virginia have dense walkable lively inner subburbs that are contiguous with those of the Distict and are easily accessable by the Subway which is also more expansive than Boston's. DC isnt like Atlanta or dallas or most American cities. It actually has a culture center at its core, instead of a dry office tower district that empties at 5:00. Infact the metro area as a whole is being forced by bad traffic conditions and consequently lenghening commute times, to build at a higher density at its core and expand Metro so people can work and play where they live. The inner subburbs of both MD and VA already have more than a few new urban districts with high density and walkable streets that are still expanding rapidly relative to most areas of the country. These districts, like Clarendon, Ballston, Rosslyn and Silver Spring were little more than warehouse or office parks 20 years ago and are now quite "hip".
People May say that most of the Metroplex lives in MD or VA, but if you were to put DC's physical borders around Boston, 85% of their popuation would live outside of it too.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean here...can you explain a little bit further?
Downtown DC lacks distinctiveness in my opinion. Not enough of it is an interesting place to walk, which makes it not a very successful example of urbanism.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
