Ok, people, tell me about Boston (Page 2)

China Pearl is the best restaurant for Dim Sum in Boston but comparing to NYC or San Francisco, it still sucks.  But I have a different standard. 

I have lived in the Metro Boston area for the past 10 years and like it a lot. Rent can be high, but manageable - single income and ok to rent an apartment by myself.  Houses are old.  They look old.  May not be very appealing at first glance.  Buildings in the 80s are considered new.  You might find it rediculous to pay that amount of rent for an old apartment. 

If you don't like winter, don't come here.  But as I have said before, I love NE with for its change of seasons.  Winter is cold enough to ski and summer is warm enough to OWS.  Beaches and ski resorts are within 2 hrs drive.  The fall is beautful.

Roads are old and full of portholes, but drivers are generally nice to cyclists.  They are only rude to fellow drivers.  People are typical city folks that seems cold initially.  Population is pretty diverse, especially in the college areas, which is the entire Boston. 

Overall Boston is a city with culture (BSO, theatre) and athletics.  And we have great sport teams. 

New Englanders/East Coasters are like this in general though (all the way down to DC). But people are actually very nice once you get to know them. And compared to NYC'ers, Boston folk are laid back. There are snobs everywhere - plenty of snobs in the Southeast, too.

And FWIW, I was a Sox fan before they won in 2004

True - Chinese food sucks worse in DC though - so I miss China Pearl. And there is no good Italian food here either.

Man, this thread REALLY makes me miss Boston   I have considered moving back....

spokes - 2008-03-20 2:02 PM

wurkit_gurl - 2008-03-20 10:54 AM I should also add that if you're only going to be there for 2 years - MOVE THERE. Seriously. For only two years, there is plenty of awesomeness to outweight any of the less-awesome aspects. And then you can say you lived there

This is the debate I'm internally having about applying for a promotion to Providence right now. I can't turn it down if I get it... (it hasn't been advertised yet).

The whole area has a lot of awesome aspects, but what if I don't like it? I'll have to stay at least two years... and transferring out may not be all that easy.

I'm not wild about California, but at least I'm not freezing my butt off for 6 months of the year right now. 

Come on! If I can live in Pennsyltucky for 2 years, you can definitely live in N.H.! 2 years is a drop in the bucket.

Now what is depressing is that AFTER the 2 years of research (if we do decide to go to Boston), we have to come back to Central PA for THREE years for him to finish his 5 yr residency. Um....I don't think I will be going back. He can meet me in Fla. when he's done.

GatorGirl22 - 2008-03-20 2:19 PM

spokes - 2008-03-20 2:02 PM

wurkit_gurl - 2008-03-20 10:54 AM I should also add that if you're only going to be there for 2 years - MOVE THERE. Seriously. For only two years, there is plenty of awesomeness to outweight any of the less-awesome aspects. And then you can say you lived there

This is the debate I'm internally having about applying for a promotion to Providence right now. I can't turn it down if I get it... (it hasn't been advertised yet).

The whole area has a lot of awesome aspects, but what if I don't like it? I'll have to stay at least two years... and transferring out may not be all that easy.

I'm not wild about California, but at least I'm not freezing my butt off for 6 months of the year right now. 

Come on! If I can live in Pennsyltucky for 2 years, you can definitely live in N.H.! 2 years is a drop in the bucket.

Now what is depressing is that AFTER the 2 years of research (if we do decide to go to Boston), we have to come back to Central PA for THREE years for him to finish his 5 yr residency. Um....I don't think I will be going back. He can meet me in Fla. when he's done.

Actually, Providence is in Rhode Island BTW - if you move to Boston, NH is 2 hours away where liquor is really cheap and sold on the interstate. And they saw New Englanders are stodgy...

Oh, there is also no sales tax on clothes under $100 (per item, not total purchase) in Massachusetts.

HEY now. Watch yourself! Minneapolis f'ing ROCKS!

Did you see the What not to Wear episode that ran the other week about the 22 yo girl in Minneapolis? She was really punk-y looking and they cleaned her up and whoa, did she look beautiful at the end.

I love that stupid show...except for that ugly white stripe of hair Stacey has. What's up with that??

I second the Davis/Porter square suggestions for the following reasons:

1. Closer to the edge of town and better biking.
2. Red line is WAY faster than the Green Line.  You'll pull your hair out on the green line.
3. Fewer students than the Allston/Brighton area (I lived in the A/B area).  Students are stupid and annoying and crowded.
4. "Classier" feel to that side of the river.

Brookline would be cool too...but again it's probably pricier.  In general apartments ARE expensive...but you just have to look around for a good deal and spend TIME looking.  I was rushed getting my first apartment and paid and arm and a leg...but my second apartment was MUCH nicer and much cheaper because I had enough time to look.

I should also add - it's a major, albeit smaller, city. All major cities are expensive - Chicago, DC, etc. NYC is in a class of its own ridiculousness. But my point is that you can expect major city pricing in Boston. If you look though, yeah, you can find some awesome deals. And I don't even really know much about the 'burbs further out, like Arlington, Medford, Somerville, etc.

you could also live out on the North Shore (Lynn, Beverly, Essex) or Plymouth and take the subway or the commuter rail into Harvard.

And you have the New England BT Mafia...that should be reason enough to want to make the pilgrimage to the northeast!  We promise to only haze you a little bit. 

wait a minute...are we trying to scare them away or encourage them to come?  I can't tell! 

Harvard's teaching hospitals and research areas are the Longwood medical area - NOT cambridge.....so only near the people's republic of brookline....

Brighton, Allston, Jamaica Plain and Brookline are the most popular areas for those doing post-docs, research and residencies to live. And that puts you near much of what I was saying in earlier post. Not that you could not live any of the places people said, but they were all trying to put you on an easy commute to Harvard cambridge side and that is not where Barry would be.

Just keep reminding yourself: wherever you end up next year will be SO MUCH BETTER than where you are THIS year ...

You know what I think!!    Next time you come to FL we'll have to meet to talk about it - I cna talk for days about why I love Boston. 

Oh wait, I can talk for days about most anything.  Anyway...