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Anyone out there who has lived in Atlanta and in Boston care to comment on the two cities? What do you think are the pros and cons of each? Both are possible cities for us for job transfers. We're both professionals, have school-aged children, and are looking for a city with character and neighborhoods that have a sense of community.
Last edited by CaseyB; 01-26-2010 at 12:22 PM..
Reason: cross-posted on both forums
I lived in both cities. They are both great cities. I think the biggest consideration on which you would like better comes down to where you come from and what you are looking for.
I am originally from the west coast. I found the transition to Boston life very difficult. There is a whole different energy in Boston which I found to be bordering on abrasive. The weather was very harsh also. I must say that I feel much more at home in Atlanta.
While Boston is very much a city, the Midtown and Buckhead sections of Atlanta has a city suburb type of feel.
Both cities have a great restaurant and bar scene. Both have theaters and museums. Home prices are much more affordable in Atlanta and my winter electricity/gas bills are much lower.
I guess in a nutshell, I really hated living in Boston even though I made good friends up there. I do enjoy living in Atlanta.
Anyone out there who has lived in Atlanta and in Boston care to comment on the two cities? What do you think are the pros and cons of each? Both are possible cities for us for job transfers. We're both professionals, have school-aged children, and are looking for a city with character and neighborhoods that have a sense of community.
Two quick questions: what industry are you in? Where would you rather live: inner-city, inner-suburbs, or the mid/outter-suburbs?
Our industry: government and science/research.
Hoping to live in inner suburbs.
Well science/research is good in Atlanta, but it's much better in Boston. One of the Atlanta forumers may be able to confirm this, but I believe Atlanta has a strong Federal Government presence in the city, so it may be better than Boston for a job in that field.
As far as inner-burbs go, Atlanta has some fantastic choices in Stone Mountain, Marietta, Alpharetta, and Buckhead (technically not a suburb, but the residential parts share many qualities of an inner-suburb). However, I'll let the Atlanta forumers talk about ATL because they're much more knowledgable about the area than I am.
Boston has some great inner-suburbs. Areas you may want to look at surrounding Boston: Cambridge, Watertown, Brookline, Newton, Waltham, Wellesley, Needham, Hingham, Milton, and perhaps Lexington or Concord. The Italicized towns/cities are quite urban. You will find many rowhomes and triple-deckers throughout, but you can also find single-family homes if that's what you're looking for. I'm not sure how important mass transit access is to you, but Brookline and Newton have access to the Green Line of the T and Cambridge has Red Line access. All other towns mentioned at least have the Commuter Rail, with some having good to very good bus service.
There are many research/science/biotech/medical in the city of Boston and Cambridge, but there are also major facilities in Waltham and much of the I-128 belt.
For neighborhoods, Boston offers some amazing, unique urban areas in the country. You won't find neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, Back Bay, or the North End anywhere else. There are other beautiful neighborhoods like Charlestown, the South End, Allston/Brighton, and Fenway. Different neighborhoods will often display different types of architecture due to the different time periods they were built, or who they were built for. For example, since the brownstones of the South End were built for workers, they're less ornamental (though in many cases no less beautiful) than those of Back Bay.
Downtown Boston is different from most thanks to the fact that it has a non-grid layout. Buildings old and new fill downtown and make it the beautiful place that it is. Areas like Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall and Post Office Square are gorgeous. Obviously the city has a great deal of history which you can see all over...especially in downtown.
I took this quote from Justin7 at the ArchBoston forums...I'm not sure where he got it but I figured I'd share it here:
"You cannot take in a whole Boston street with a single glance of the eye and then lose your interest because you have thus taken the edge off future discovery; on the contrary, every step reveals some portion of a building which you could not see before, some change in your vista, and some suggestion of pleasant variety yet to come, which not only keeps your interest alive but heightens it and persuades you to go on."
The suburbs of Boston are both beautiful and historical. Concord and Lexington are where the fight to create our country began. Old homes dating back to Revolutionary times are scattered throughout the city and metro area. I live on the South Shore in a small, coastal town. About 100 feet up the street from my house is a common where the town militia would train in case of Revolution. As corny as it is, it's pretty cool to have that sort of place so close to home.
If you're looking to go hiking for a weekend, head West or North to the mountains. If you want the beach, head to the South Shore, Cape Cod, or the Islands.
Atlanta is a nice area though too, and it's definitely worth researching both cities. Good luck with your choice!
I currently live in Atlanta and am hoping to leave for a position in either Boston or Pittsburgh. I know Pittsburgh well, Boston, not so much (mostly as a tourist). Even with limited exposure to Boston, however, I can tell you the difference between it and Atlanta are HUGE. I don't know where you are coming from, but you may already be familiar with the idea of Atlanta/Dallas/Houston/Tampa/Charlotte mega-sprawl. I came to Atlanta for a job and stayed here for my wife's job--now that we are divorcing, I am free to get out of this place as fast as I can. It has nice residential areas, but really no urban life to speak of. Good job opportunities abound here with lots of fed/research money flowing around, but those (and the mild weather and a good restaurant scene) are the positives. Public transportation is pathetic in part because there are no real urban centers to link--everyone just hops in their car and drives. Everyone here is only here until the next transfer comes along and the social fabric of the city reflects that. I know Pittsburgh will be MUCH better than Atlanta, and I suspect Boston would be too.
Though I live in Atlanta, I will say that I have known 3 people here who moved from the Boston area, and when the topic came up, all three said they much preferred Boston overall in terms of cultural/diverse aspects of city living. They did however, much prefer the climate and weather here, which is what kept them here for the time being since they all had established well paying jobs.
I've not been to Boston myself, so can't make the comparison.
Thanks to everyone who replied - I really appreciate your insights. Thank you especially to tmac9wr for all of the detailed information.
I've been to Boston a few times and it feels "right" for me -- I love older, cultural, historical cities. I've never been to Atlanta so I can't judge it. But I've been to what I've heard are similar, newer cities and I really don't like sprawling, suburban-style cities.
My only fear about Boston is the COST. We are coming from Washington DC so I've heard that the cost of living in Boston shouldn't shock us too much, but on the other hand, we've also fantasized about moving to a cheaper city (that's why Atlanta was in the mix!). After years of renting, we'd finally like to buy a small house. I bet that would be a breeze in Atlanta but that there would be a lot more trade-offs in Boston.
And, then there's our dark horse in the running: Pittsburgh. I'm from there originally and would LOVE to move back there but neither of us have any job leads there. I have a sure bet with Boston or Atlanta - I can make a new transfer within my organization and it's stable employment.
Tombstoner -good luck on getting to Pittsburgh. It's a great place to live.
Thanks, kate1048; yeah, I've lived in Pittburgh before, LOVED it, and am very eager to get back. My hesitancy with Boston is, as you have identified, the cost. There's a website that compares costs of living between any two pair of cities and translates what a salary in City A would have to be in City B to have the same purchasing power. A 100K salary in Boston translates into a 68K salary in Atlanta and a 48K salary in Pittsburgh.
Personally, the "feel" of Boston isn't as intimate as it is in Pittsburgh, though both of them are much more intimate than Atlanta which is very anonymous-feeling. Again, Atlanta has its positives and many people love living here (and lots of young families like that they can get McMansions in relatively safe, gated burbs for relatively little money). I have lots of great friends here and I do think the place in getting better. Maybe I'll come back in 2030!
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lots of great replies
