squidget

Another 3 years and another move for me - hopefully one of these days I can settle. Come December me and mine are packing up and moving to Boston. We got an apartment in Cambridge (since we both work off the T there). Any other Boston folks here? What do you like? What don't you like?

The Bus

Did you lose your leg?

crazyronin

Shipping UP tah Bahstihn, flatlandah.

now yuh not only git to be a flatlandah, yuh git t'be a masshole tah boot.

Deadman31

What do you like? New Hampshire
What dont you like? everything.

Bandoman

I lived in Boston for 9 years and I loved it, it's a great city. The only downside imo is that it's congested and difficult to drive/park, but otherwise it's a blast.

TGM

you like fat ugly women, political corruption, cold snowy winters, traffic, and uber-liberalism? then you'll love Boston.

Nick Danger

Good music, good restaurants, walkable city. I love visiting Boston.

If you want to drive, you'll need to read this:

andy434343

Boston is pretty awesome. I always have had a good time when I get there. Enjoy!

candyrocket786

Breakfast a Cafe Luna.

Love it. Worth the fuckin wait.

Hiro11

I grew up in Boston and moved to Chicago many years ago. I went back to Boston a few weeks ago and it reconfirmed my feelings about the place:

Pros:
It's a beautiful city
It's a compact, walkable city with lots to see
It has a genuine sense of history
Cosmopolitan, highly educated populace
Very safe city
Great schools
Close to the Cape
Close to NYC
Lots of culture
Close to VT
Suburban sprawl largely absent
T goes everywhere
Beautiful countryside close at hand
Great ice cream
Good beer
Heavy Irish influence is awesome

Cons:
Expensive housing and high cost of living, anywhere vauguely nice is absurdly pricey
Average salaries not much higher than much cheaper areas of the country, making living there even more difficult
Lots of snobby people who want to know what prep school you attended
The rudest average person of any city in the country
Rat race working culture on par with NYC
The most chaotic traffic in the country made worse by the worst road layout of any American city (the stereotypes are true)
Generally worn out and terrible public infrastructure (public facilities etc)
City overrun with tourists and full of tourist traps
Freeze/thaw winters of mud and dirty snow, cold and miserable springs
Food is generally unremarkable (seafood is generally overrated and expensive in particular)
It's a highly gentrified and "white bread" city, not very diverse
Monolithically, echo-chamber liberal in an annoying "scarf wearing, horn rimmed glasses wearing, latte drinking yuppie" kind of way
Naked, kleptocratic corruption on par with Chicago. This is saying something.

candyrocket786

Also....
Parking is a Bitch and Expensive (if you want to drive versus taking the T).

DVD Polizei

^^^Sounds like Portland, OR, only with a shitty mass transit system, worse roads, and more bicycles.

Ky-Fi

I would say Hiro11 covered the points pretty well for both pros and cons.

For pros, I'd add that it's a great area for sports fans---aside from the pro leagues, lots of college and a good degree of minor league stuff in the area.

The Bus

NotThatGuy

Just don't call their baseball the SAWKS...it is uncouth.

vasb

The Brattle is a fun theater to visit in Cambridge. It isn't the best video and audio quality, but they show a bunch of old movies and the audiences are typically very good. Dinner at a nearby restaurant and a movie make for a great evening.
http://brattlefilm.org/

I'm not a big fan of dessert, but Toscanini is the best ice cream I've ever had. Even better than gelato from Italy.
http://www.tosci.com/

If you like chess, it is fun to play with random people outside the Au Bon Pain on Mass Ave. There are some great players there amongst all the riff raff. I've lost and enjoyed many a game there.

It may have changed in the past few years, but Daedalus used to be a good casual bar to hang out in. Nice atmosphere and decent prices.
http://www.daedalusharvardsquare.com/

van der graaf

Douche bag capital of the universe. Have fun.

ernestrp

Boston Baked Beans are popular up there, as well are Boston Cream Pie, Cream puffs and New England Clam Chowder.

schizopak

I've been living as a student in Boston/Cambridge for the last year and a half and overall I like it. People are generally nice although they become deranged maniacs when they get behind the wheel of a car. It's definitely a walkable city with lots of history and the T does the job for the most part. Negatives are that the cost of living here is obscene, the food scene isn't all that good, and I hear winters are rough (last winter was a joke so I don't have real experience with it).

Good startup scene, great schools, and there's a lot of diversity at least around the various campuses. It's definitely a livable city and one that I have enjoyed thoroughly.

Dragon Fly

That really is what it's like to live in MA. You hate the state and everyone in it, but it's next to a lot of nice places. Been living about 20 minutes out of boston for the better part of 25 years.

The Bus

I'll give this to Boston: <b>Boloco</b> is awesome.

resinrats

Be sure to tell everyone how much you love the Yankees. Be sure to put a Yankee's logo on your car.



..actually, probably not the best idea.

Lastdaysofrain

Until Jan I host a show at the Comedy Studio in Cambridge every Friday night, good cheap night out:
http://thecomedystudio.com/schedule.html

(in Jan I move to Thursday for a new, weirder show)

Pretty much everything everyone else said is true, although I do enjoy the food. I was born and raised in Boston but have spent years living in other cities. I still like it. There's a weird sense of xenophobia (which is sometimes misconstrued as racism, I don't think it's that specific, it's more "you're not from here, who are you?" and it is unpleasant just the same).

Quake1028

I have no opinion, because I have only visited once, and that was for a work trip, and only for a few days. But, you are surrounded by Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots fans. Cannot be worth it.

candyrocket786

this