Anyone from Boston?

JenUK24 said:

...we would one day move to US but only to Boston.

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"Only to Boston?" Really? Why that narrows your options down considerably.

I've been there a number of times and have friends who live in the area. It's a nice place to visit for about a week or so, and then I'm glad to be home. (That's not meant to knock Boston in any way; it's just not my type of tea party.)

Maybe you can expand your search of suitable cities in the US that you might like to explore. As you know, there's a whole country outside of Boston.

Good luck.

I grew up in the Boston area, lived in Boston proper for 4 years and now live slightly north of Boston.

It's a big, expensive, coastal city. Recently there's been a lot of park development downtown which is lovely (what used to be an elevated highway is now a string of gardens and fountains). There are historical sites, museums, restaurants galore, and of course the city as a whole is rather sports-crazy. Each major neighborhood has its own sort of personality and culture. It's very much a college town, but certain areas are more collegiate than others. It can also be pretty touristy, depending on the area and time of year. It is hot and humid in the summer, lovely in the autumn and frigid and snowy for the other half of the year.

That all sounds kind of vague but describing any big city is kind of difficult.

Visit before even thinking of moving. Has your husband visited? Like Silver King said above, it is not everyone's cup of tea. I love it, personally, but to each their own, of course.

Lots of traffic. That's Boston.

My husband is from Boston, so we have been there a lot. I hate it. I grew up near Philadelphia and NYC. I prefer those cities to Boston. I find the majority of people who live in Boston are very "me" centered... in fact in NH we call them Massholes. they also have some of the rudest drivers in the world. It is the only I know that soo many people drove in the Break down lane, they couldn't control it... so now it is legal to drive in the break down lane from 7-9 a.m.

I went to school in Boston, and I lived there for several years. I left before a lot of the recent development; there's a lot to love about Boston, but judging by the thread so far, not everybody feels that way.

(The following are impressions and recollections from fifteen years ago, and longer. They may be out of date; then again, Boston's an old city.)

It does have the big-city frustrations, and at times, I did feel like you had to be born there to be really a part of it. But it's cosmopolitan too, and it's historical to an extent that very few American cities are.

There are fifty-odd colleges and universities in the area, which will tell you something about the intellectual scene, the arts culture, and the proliferation of bookshops. Also, the museums are wonderful.

It's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. The shopping is excellent, and the traffic is horrendous. However, the subway system is serviceable.

It's a big city, so a lot of your experience will depend on where you end up making your home (city vs. suburbs, and which suburb). As is the case with most places, some neighbourhoods are decidedly exclusive, while others are more plain or even earthy. Boston's class divisions, as I recall, are probably as clear-cut as just about anywhere in the US; being on the right side of the tracks has major advantages. In Boston, it's often not how much money you have, but how old that money is.

I've heard it said that Boston is the most like England of any American city. I don't know whether that's true - that might just mean that it's old.

In my experience, Bostonians are by and large fiercely loyal to their city.

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Celtics!!!!

That is all...

Jcomp said:

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Celtics!!!!

That is all...

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No, no. Yeaahhhhhhhhhhhh, Celtics!!!

JenUK24 said:

This may sound like a weird question, but whats Boston like?

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Okay, I'll only tell you if you promise not to tell. Promise? Okay.

I love the city of Boston. It's like any big cities with the big city personality. But there's so much history, fabulous restaurants, great museums, downtown is pretty clean (compared to NY.) I almost moved there about 7 years ago, but the cost of living was a bit too high for our income level. Definitely visit if you haven't. It's a great city, but it's still a city. I would move there in a heart beat if the opportunity presented itself.

My only hang up is the whole... yeah. You know. Baseball.

poetinahat said:

I went to school in Boston, and I lived there for several years. I left before a lot of the recent development; there's a lot to love about Boston, but judging by the thread so far, not everybody feels that way.


(The following are impressions and recollections from fifteen years ago, and longer. They may be out of date; then again, Boston's an old city.)

It does have the big-city frustrations, and at times, I did feel like you had to be born there to be really a part of it. But it's cosmopolitan too, and it's historical to an extent that very few American cities are.

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I will confess to loving the historical side of Boston. We toured Old Ironsides Last year and it was wonderful. However just for the record.. Philly is also historical.. except in recent months.. Philly is loaded with crime.. Boston has a relatively low crime rate.

There are fifty-odd colleges and universities in the area, which will tell you something about the intellectual scene, the arts culture, and the proliferation of bookshops. Also, the museums are wonderful.

It's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. The shopping is excellent, and the traffic is horrendous. However, the subway system is serviceable.

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And for the record, most of New England is freezing in the winter. The subway system is okay, I haven't used it much.

There are also small areas outside of Boston, like Brighton, Cambridge, Arlington, Belmont, Charlestown, etc. I do like Brighton, it does remind you a lot of England.. it has small speciality shops.

Boston is also a very hugh sports town. The Bruins, The Celtics, The Red Sox and The Patriots.

It's a big city, so a lot of your experience will depend on where you end up making your home (city vs. suburbs, and which suburb). As is the case with most places, some neighbourhoods are decidedly exclusive, while others are more plain or even earthy. Boston's class divisions, as I recall, are probably as clear-cut as just about anywhere in the US; being on the right side of the tracks has major advantages. In Boston, it's often not how much money you have, but how old that money is.

I've heard it said that Boston is the most like England of any American city. I don't know whether that's true - that might just mean that it's old.

In my experience, Bostonians are by and large fiercely loyal to their city.

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You made me feel guilty about my post... Your's is much more accurate..

rhymegirl said:

Lots of traffic. That's Boston.

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That's the entire NE.

And booooooooooo Red Sox.

(I'm a Yankee's fan....)