When did Boston become such an expensive/stressful city?

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by SalamanderSmile

We moved to Cincinnati which elicits gasps of horror on the Boston forum. Other than the ocean we want for very little. We have all of the same cultural amenities available to us but we can actually DO THEM which we couldn't in Boston. Cincinnati also has (due to the numerous fortune 500 companies here) philanthropic money falling from the skies, so the art/music scene is (and has been forever) very very vibrant for a city it's size. Which is important to us. Also the parks and public spaces are truly amazing.

Additionally we have (due to being on the western edge of EST) an extra hour of daylight over Boston which has made a huge difference in my husband's/son's quality of life. They have (at least)an extra hour of outside time for playing, mowing, raking, hanging out and that is 5 hours a week minimum. In the summer it doesn't get dark until 930. That is really significant to working parents. The weather is also milder in the winter which makes the outdoors more use-able year-round.

The schools around Cincinnati are comparable to those of greater Boston(although fewer) and CPS has a latin magnet that rivals Boston Latin in national rankings.

We live in an inner-ring 1920s new-urbanist village where the kids walk to school and the ice cream shop is open until 10.

Cincinnati is a little Austin-esque in that it is a blue city in the middle of a red state but I look at it as at least my vote will count here.

I have not spent a lot of time there, but I do like Cincinnati. It reminded me of St. Louis, which I like very much. Years ago, we had hoped to move to Chicago, but if not Chicago, then one of the other midwestern cities - St. Louis, Minneapolis, Cinci, or Cleveland. Unfortunately, we didn't find jobs in any of those cities.

The big problem I see with Cincinnati, as well as with some other cities is that with airline deregulation, it has been significantly harmed. Large airlines don't fly real planes with nonstop service to other large cities, and this has been a big disincentive to businesses locating there. K.C. and St. Louis suffer significantly from this problem, too.

[johngolf]

When I lived in Columbus OH, Cincinnati was my favorite city in OH. They had many fine clubs and restaurants for a city its size.