Which non-USA city is Boston most comparable to? (extended stay, houses)
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I imagine the two front-runners would be Montreal and Dublin.
Maybe Halifax, Belfast, and St. John’s too. I’d love to know more about how Boston compares to Melbourne, Auckland, Liverpool, or Cape Town as well as other non-anglosphere cities (Marseille? Buenos Aires? Hamburg?) for those who have travelled enough to make said comparisons!
Of the cities I listed, I’ve only been to Montreal and Melbourne! Montreal is closer in terms of old architecture and culture for sure! Melbourne is closer in terms of new development and sprawl! Neither has the Caribbean culture that Boston has, but I’d be surprised if a non-USA city can compete with Boston on that front (aside from the obvious like Port-au-Prince, Kingston, or Santo Domingo!).
Though MTL has a sizable Haitian population, doesn’t it? Yeah. The more I think about it, the more I think MTL deserves to ‘win’ this thread.
Melbourne and Boston have prominent on-street trolleys (like Toronto). Montreal is all subway, but with wheels.
Last edited by Boston Shudra; 10-20-2020 at 11:30 PM..
From my experience, Montreal and Boston are similar cities, though, they still do have quite a bit of difference still, particularly regarding layout/geography. Also, the French language and architecture in Montreal is remarkably different than Boston's New England style and unique accent. Still, I can't think of any other city other than Montreal that matches Boston so well.
Maybe Liverpool? Traditionally important trans-Atlanyic port. Strong Irish presence & heritage. Distinctive regional accent and identity. Slightly over shadowed by the larger New York city & Manchester respectively. Neo-classical architecture with an Anglo venacular.
I'm from Boston/Massachusetts. Interesting topic! I think of places like:
Halifax: Shared British heritage in the Northern Atlantic & similar historical timelines. Both are port cities, share similar architecture (brick and wood) and have a meaningful relational history.
Melbourne (also a sister city): While the climates are different, Melbourne is a newer, yet historical, city in the "New World". They have a shared British heritage as well.
Generally British & Irish cities: I have gone to London a few times... it felt like like a maximized Boston; Boston began as a British city and they share certain qualities like meandering streets & juxtaposition of old vs. new, but London is larger, more historical, and more modern. This is not a criticism of Boston at all, London is an incredible world city. Boston is a smaller city with wonderful qualities. I've also heard that Boston has some similarities to Dublin, including architecturally, and of course Boston has a rich Irish American history.
Also, I visited Amsterdam after an extended stay in Venice and was struck by how certain qualities of Amsterdam reminded me of Boston, especially the brick buildings and flora. I remember going to Munich and visiting the castle. The surrounding neighborhood, with its trees and trolleys, made me feel a bit like I was in Brookline.
Overall, I think Boston & the surrounding area is most comparable to North Atlantic Canada, then the British Isles, some spots in Oceania, and finally, broadly Northern Europe.
edit: I also want to note that wood paneled houses of New England and Northern Atlantic Canada also sometimes resemble wooden structures of Nordic countries like Norway. Interesting, that.
Dublin maybe? It's big in its local region and its region is removed enough to not have a constant reminder of not being necessarily the top, but not massive in the larger sense. It feels large for its region, but it doesn't take too long before it seems to be a bit small compared to other cities further out. Generally pretty low-rise but with some shiny modern buildings in parts with the modern buildings being an interesting contrast in style rather than in being extremely tall. Weather's not great, but seldom very extreme (though Dublin is much more moderate). Nightlife in terms of neighborhood bars and pubs exists, but isn't all that exciting beyond that and certainly not some place where people travel to party. Overall pretty well educated, but with some pretty rough parts, but not ridiculously rough. Very meat and potatoes with some good seafood thrown in given the coastal location and history as a port, but with a fairly sizable foreign population, so some interesting contrasts at times. Fairly walkable and with buses and trams / trolleys on the road. I think pound for pound, Dublin area is more so, but Boston's got more pounds overall as a more metropolitan area so it kind of works out to feeling pretty even when you're walking around the most walkable bits of a certain threshold.
Last edited by OyCrumbler; 12-22-2021 at 06:28 PM..
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