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I am going to be living in Boston in a few months. The past 2 years I have been in New York and DC so I am interested how Boston compares to these 2. I don't want to make my own statements as to not influence the thread, and am just curious what you think the major differences are between these 3 cities. Also, I already know the COL differences so I'd rather not discuss that.
IMO there are more similarities between Boston and DC than with NYC. NYC really stands in a class by itself.
Boston's core has more of an urban feel than DC does, which I suppose would push it a little closer to NYC, but the disparity is so great it's barely worth comparing.
Yes, Boston and DC are very comparable. Both are great medium density cities that work well for walking/biking/transit, but not so well for driving. They are both lively but nothing on the level of New York. Some come from New York and find Boston to be too slow, too small, but others find it to be a refreshing break from the fast pace that still gives them much of what they like about New York in terms of activities, dining, etc.
i'm sorry but boston totally sucks. like the girls are fine and the nightlife is fine too. but its not a real city like NY and you'll realize what I mean when you get there. i went to college there and one of thing that always pissed me off about the place is that nothing is open late, can't even find a slice of pizza past 1:30. to top it all of its ****ING FREEZING.
Biggest noticeable difference is the lack of a "NYC diverse population" (NYC diverse population defined as if you walk down the street with 40 ppl on the side walk, 20 are Latin American, 10 black, 6 Arab and 4 white). There are definitely more Irish and white people in Boston
I hate Boston. It's segregated and there are no good clubs, just bars.
i'm sorry, but i actually did live in boston for 4 very very cold years. new york is substantially warmer..i think there is less of a wind chill effect in ny. anyways you make my point exactly..boston has a very "small town" personality. In my view a "real city" is diverse, cosmopolitan, with plenty of options for entertainment. i felt like boston had just a few interesting places that you end up visiting over and over again.
you'll enjoy it as long as you aren't moving from NYC.
if you're coming from NYC, then boston quickly becomes a terrible alternative.
No good clubs, no good restaurants, no museums, not much really.
Agree with 2007Analyst that "you'll enjoy it as long as you aren't moving from NYC" but would add "or any other decent city" to the end of his/her comment.
i live in boston and i think it's terrible. it is extremely cliquey and provincial. not diverse at all, boring bars that close early, and expensive with no bang for your buck. it's also very cold. go NYC, Chicago, or San Fran before you boston any day. just my 2 cents.
I went to school in Boston, and it was a nice town for that. As far as work and having enough expendable cash to do whatever you want, I could see Boston getting old quickly. But it depends on your temperament. If you like small cities then go for it, its probably the best small city in America.
Boston's better than most cities, but not as good as NY/LA/Chicago. I'd put it on par with Philly--Boston is cleaner and nicer, but Philly has better restaurants, clubs, and cultural offerings
Like any other move in life, it is all relative. If you are coming from New York and prefer big city life, then Boston will definitely not be as appealing.
I didn't even finish reading what you wrote...it was that moronic. Boston is *NOT* a real city. A population of 800,000 is pathetic. No offense to smaller places around the country, but at least they have the decency to recognize their size. I live there now and I can't stand the place. The nightlife DOES suck balls, as ppl have mentioned everything closes early (even the goddamn public transportation stops running at like midnight), and for the people there CANNOT stop talking about the red sox.
To the OP, it basically breaks down to this: If you grew up in middle america or some small town somewhere, you'll think Boston is great. You'll love it, and think it's vibrant and new and exciting. If you've EVER lived in an actual city for an extended period of time, think LA, NYC, you WILL hate it.
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Originally Posted by daaaaave
I am going to be living in Boston in a few months. The past 2 years I have been in New York and DC so I am interested how Boston compares to these 2. I don't want to make my own statements as to not influence the thread, and am just curious what you think the major differences are between these 3 cities. Also, I already know the COL differences so I'd rather not discuss that.
You're in store for a change of scenery and culture. Boston is dynamically a gorgeous place in it's own right.
The city has clean air quality, convenient transportation, great location, and since you've already lived in the Northeast, you're already used to the snow.
You won't have to change your lifestyle by much, but you will experience a new city feel. Boston has so many historic places for you to see, and quite a lot to do. It's a very cosmopolitan city, and very open minded. Clean, beautiful, and historic are the best words I can think of to describe Boston.
I think you will be fine. It's not like you're moving from Omaha, Nebraska to Boston, so you have little adjustments to make.
i'm sorry but boston totally sucks. like the girls are fine and the nightlife is fine too. but its not a real city like NY and you'll realize what I mean when you get there. i went to college there and one of thing that always pissed me off about the place is that nothing is open late, can't even find a slice of pizza past 1:30. to top it all of its ****ING FREEZING.
Biggest noticeable difference is the lack of a "NYC diverse population" (NYC diverse population defined as if you walk down the street with 40 ppl on the side walk, 20 are Latin American, 10 black, 6 Arab and 4 white). There are definitely more Irish and white people in Boston
I hate Boston. It's segregated and there are no good clubs, just bars.
i'm sorry, but i actually did live in boston for 4 very very cold years. new york is substantially warmer..i think there is less of a wind chill effect in ny. anyways you make my point exactly..boston has a very "small town" personality. In my view a "real city" is diverse, cosmopolitan, with plenty of options for entertainment. i felt like boston had just a few interesting places that you end up visiting over and over again.
you'll enjoy it as long as you aren't moving from NYC.
if you're coming from NYC, then boston quickly becomes a terrible alternative.
No good clubs, no good restaurants, no museums, not much really.
Agree with 2007Analyst that "you'll enjoy it as long as you aren't moving from NYC" but would add "or any other decent city" to the end of his/her comment.
i live in boston and i think it's terrible. it is extremely cliquey and provincial. not diverse at all, boring bars that close early, and expensive with no bang for your buck. it's also very cold. go NYC, Chicago, or San Fran before you boston any day. just my 2 cents.
I went to school in Boston, and it was a nice town for that. As far as work and having enough expendable cash to do whatever you want, I could see Boston getting old quickly. But it depends on your temperament. If you like small cities then go for it, its probably the best small city in America.
Boston's better than most cities, but not as good as NY/LA/Chicago. I'd put it on par with Philly--Boston is cleaner and nicer, but Philly has better restaurants, clubs, and cultural offerings
Like any other move in life, it is all relative. If you are coming from New York and prefer big city life, then Boston will definitely not be as appealing.
I didn't even finish reading what you wrote...it was that moronic. Boston is *NOT* a real city. A population of 800,000 is pathetic. No offense to smaller places around the country, but at least they have the decency to recognize their size. I live there now and I can't stand the place. The nightlife DOES suck balls, as ppl have mentioned everything closes early (even the goddamn public transportation stops running at like midnight), and for the people there CANNOT stop talking about the red sox.
To the OP, it basically breaks down to this: If you grew up in middle america or some small town somewhere, you'll think Boston is great. You'll love it, and think it's vibrant and new and exciting. If you've EVER lived in an actual city for an extended period of time, think LA, NYC, you WILL hate it.
I realize this is just one man's opinion, but seriously? One, honestly comparing NYC and Boston is like comparing apples and oranges.
Boston has always been described as a large city with a small town feel. It first and foremost is a New England city. People are slightly reserved upon first meeting, so it'll take time to get used to that-you might think it a little odd. It's a very charming city. It's very dense, as dense as Center City Philly, or San Fran, and certainly denser than DC.
The cultural activities are probably more comparable to NY or DC. The Museum of Fine Arts is second only to the Met in terms of a collection. But every major college has it's own museum-maybe an additional 10 larger musuems.
Boston is a city that sleeps-which is probably why the previous poster is so cranky-never got any sleep recently. You'll find most people go down to the South End, out to Allston/Brighton or Cambridge for the nighttime activity. There are several hundred thousand college students, so yes, if you need a nighttime scene you'll find yours.
i'm sorry but boston totally sucks. like the girls are fine and the nightlife is fine too. but its not a real city like NY and you'll realize what I mean when you get there. i went to college there and one of thing that always pissed me off about the place is that nothing is open late, can't even find a slice of pizza past 1:30. to top it all of its ****ING FREEZING.
Biggest noticeable difference is the lack of a "NYC diverse population" (NYC diverse population defined as if you walk down the street with 40 ppl on the side walk, 20 are Latin American, 10 black, 6 Arab and 4 white). There are definitely more Irish and white people in Boston
I hate Boston. It's segregated and there are no good clubs, just bars.
i'm sorry, but i actually did live in boston for 4 very very cold years. new york is substantially warmer..i think there is less of a wind chill effect in ny. anyways you make my point exactly..boston has a very "small town" personality. In my view a "real city" is diverse, cosmopolitan, with plenty of options for entertainment. i felt like boston had just a few interesting places that you end up visiting over and over again.
you'll enjoy it as long as you aren't moving from NYC.
if you're coming from NYC, then boston quickly becomes a terrible alternative.
No good clubs, no good restaurants, no museums, not much really.
Agree with 2007Analyst that "you'll enjoy it as long as you aren't moving from NYC" but would add "or any other decent city" to the end of his/her comment.
i live in boston and i think it's terrible. it is extremely cliquey and provincial. not diverse at all, boring bars that close early, and expensive with no bang for your buck. it's also very cold. go NYC, Chicago, or San Fran before you boston any day. just my 2 cents.
I went to school in Boston, and it was a nice town for that. As far as work and having enough expendable cash to do whatever you want, I could see Boston getting old quickly. But it depends on your temperament. If you like small cities then go for it, its probably the best small city in America.
Boston's better than most cities, but not as good as NY/LA/Chicago. I'd put it on par with Philly--Boston is cleaner and nicer, but Philly has better restaurants, clubs, and cultural offerings
Like any other move in life, it is all relative. If you are coming from New York and prefer big city life, then Boston will definitely not be as appealing.
I didn't even finish reading what you wrote...it was that moronic. Boston is *NOT* a real city. A population of 800,000 is pathetic. No offense to smaller places around the country, but at least they have the decency to recognize their size. I live there now and I can't stand the place. The nightlife DOES suck balls, as ppl have mentioned everything closes early (even the goddamn public transportation stops running at like midnight), and for the people there CANNOT stop talking about the red sox.
To the OP, it basically breaks down to this: If you grew up in middle america or some small town somewhere, you'll think Boston is great. You'll love it, and think it's vibrant and new and exciting. If you've EVER lived in an actual city for an extended period of time, think LA, NYC, you WILL hate it.
These passages are among the most ridiculous and off the mark that I've seen. Boston may be small compared to NYC, but it nonetheless has its unique character, charm and vibrancy. Not to mention, great history stretching back to 1630. It's an absolutely cool city and well worth visiting.
those aren't from me, just a thread on another board (trading board) from somebody going from nyc to boston. I certainly don't think Boston is a terrible city. I already posted that in response to another but I got my post deleted. I think Boston compares to DC very well, not in culture or city grid patterns, just overall stuff to do. Boston is a top 5 u.s. city. I've only experienced winter in NYC so I can't really say how Boston is on that, I would expect to be smaller and less diverse than NYC, but everything else is too.
I grew up just outside of NYC and and visit it often. I lived in Boston for a few years before moving to Western Mass but now travel to/from Boston 1-2xs per week for work. I am actually thinking of buying an apartment in Boston as a second home as I enjoy this small, friendly, clean, quaint city that has so much charm. NYC is a tense, noisy, over priced slab of pavement that is always trying to be too many things to too many people. People tend to be agressive and pushy in NY. After nearly 30 years in NY and then 20 years in New England I will take reserved New Englanders over pushy New Yorkers anyday! and yes the Yankees do suck! Go Sox!
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