Would you rather live in Boston or New York City?

Question

Would you rather live in Boston or New York City?

Why?

Answer 1

They are two very different cities and I love them both. However to live I would definitely choose Boston. Both cities offer the things that make cities great: a wealth and diversity of things to do, great food and nightlife, hustle and bustle etc. However New York city is a huge overwhelming concrete jungle that is filled with tall buildings and very little open space. Life in the city is a never ending rat race. Everywhere you go their are huge crowds and lots of noise. Everybody is extremely competitive and intense and high strung. After awhile living their would become a bit tiresome and old. Meanwhile Boston is smaller and more compact. This makes the city much more manageable, walkable and user friendly.There is also perhaps no city is the US that is more beautiful then Boston. From the narrow brick sidewalks and colonial row houses of Beacon Hill and the Public Garden decked out in a fresh layer of flakes to the gorgeous churches and tranquil cemeteries there is no city in the US more picturesque then Boston. There are also many more public green spots to get away from the craziness of the city in Boston then there is in New York. Also there are actual trees and lots of em in Boston. The city is also full of colleges which have filled the city with intellectual thinkers, books and beautiful buildings and given the city a youthful spirit, liberal slant and acdemic culture. It also has a great appreciation of history so many historic buildings have been preserved. The mix of old and new in the city is simply tremendous only in Boston you will find an old church against a gleaming skyscraper and a graveyard full of revolutionaries you read about in school next to a dunkin donuts. I also love the cities great sports fans (way better then New Yorks) The city also is also in a splendid location near the water of Cape Cod and the mountains of the Berkshires. NY simply does not have this natural splendor so close by. The best part about the city is the people (even if they stink at driving).

Answer 2

They are two very different cities with different standards for living.

I grew up in Boston and lived there until I was 25 years old, and moved to New Jersey where I am very close to New York City.

Boston is by far the greatest walking city. There is nothing better than taking a walk through the Boston Common or Fanuiel Hall on a brisk fall or spring day. The standard of living in Boston is a little (but not much) lower than NYC. Boston is also the college capital of the world, their is a lot of great nightlife etc... I also can not think of a more passionate sports city than Boston. No matter how good or bad the local teams are there is a buzz in the air especially when the Sox or Pats are playing. The shopping in Boston is the same as it is in NYC. Actually there is a few differences. The stores in NYC are a lot more decked out and you pay sales tax on everything.

NYC has something to offer every sub-culture. It also is completely crazy no matter what time of day or night. The subways are not as dangerous as some people may think and they do go at a better speed than the T; not to mention they run 24/7. What I don't like about NYC is that is it so big. If you are hanging out in Soho, it is not so easy to head uptown and maybe hangout near Columbia University or Lincoln Center. In Boston it is so easy to just head from one part of the city to the other. NYC is also very expensive. I have been out to clubs where one drink costs as much as a meal for four at some family restuarants.

There really is not anything bad about either city. It depends what you prefer intimacy versus chaos, partying all night versus last call before 1 AM.

Answer 3

I'll say this before I start..I've never been to Boston or New York City.

BUT I have been absolutely obsessed with Boston for the past 3 years, my parents simply haven't had the time to take me on vacation there yet. But I'd have to say I know more about it than some people that live there.

And from what I've found from looking at other cities..I always end up comparing every city to the beauty of Boston. And nothing compares. I'm 100% positive that it's the most beautiful city in the United States. Other cities buildings that I live by, like Pittsburgh..their buildings are all concrete and not even connected the way Boston's rowhouses are.

But this is about Boston and NYC, sooo of course being a HUGE Red Sox fan, I would pick Boston. And I would pick Boston over any city. Someone else already said it best about Boston's beauty, and if I were to fully desribe what I see in it, I would probably cry hahah.

In Boston there is no better place for sports, culture, museums, wonderful accents, food, walkability, and in no other city (with the immense amount of trees) would you ever get the feeling that you're in a small town walking by the park.

And their parks are beautiful as well, and there are two good ones side-by-side. And as far as I know, there aren't any serial killers lurking around Boston Common or the Boston Public Garden like there are in Central Park.

And Boston takes pride in itself in a different way than New Yorkers do. Bostonians know that they live in a beautiful beautiful city and know what they are all about..because they have probably walked the whole city. Whereas New York is so huge, I'm not sure people know the essence of their city, of have seen all of it to make a reasonable conclusion. Everytime I see an "I *heart* NY" shirt I just cringe. It's so generic, and Boston isn't.

Boston is Beautiful.

Answer 4

I was born in Boston, went to college in the city and lived there for several years. Thirty years later I'm itching to move back. It is a wonderful place to live, work and play.

After college, I had the opportunity to work at the New York Times and turned it down. I wish I had experienced living and working there. I think it is an equally wonderful city.

When I'm going to spend a day in Boston, I say I'm going "in town." When I'm off to New York, I say I'm going to "The City." Friends and colleagues know what I mean.

I really believe I could live happily in either location. Both cities have miserable driving condtions, but I'd rather drive in Boston and cab it around in NYC. Of course, the question is moot since I can't drive for medical reasons. I need a driver or my feet wherever I go. LOL

Answer 5

Definately agree with Paul A
In my opinion the 3 nicest cities in the US are Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Everything from the architecture, to the shopping, to the cleanliness and parks is beautiful. I am sorry to say that after going to New York I would be disappointed in visiting Chicago. How wrong I was. In my oppinion, Chicago itself is 3x better than New York. I already loved Boston so that puts it ahead of NYC. New York is soo busy busy and over-rated. 50% of the shops there are souvenir shops with identical merchandise. Boston is a shopping mosaic, along with Chicago and San Fran. I love the New England architecture and history much more in Boston. I just find it a much more colorful and pleasant city. I hate to get on the subject of personalities now and suggest stereotypes, but New Yorkers seem to be in a world all about themselves. In many of their minds NYC is the center of the universe, unlike New Englanders who for the most part understand that there is an entire country and whole world outside their confines. Ughhh I'm gonna get a foot shoved down my throat for saying that won't I ?? NYers will just say, "It's because we are such a big city that we are like a nation within itself, so multi-cultural. Nobody is like us" (sigh)

For those of you who like big big cities without the brewhaha of NYC, go to Chicago and you will not be disappointed.
~This coming from a Canadian. Not a Chicagoan

Answer 6

No question. BOSTON. I have spent many weeks in NYC and could not wait to leave. Boston has everything. The best food in the country,because the ethnicity is so diverse. There are all the great sports groups,the greatest fans,Fenway Park,Boston Symphany, The Hatch shell and the concerts,The Boston Pops.The many beaches and lakes skiing,swimming,ice skating,amusement parks, the Topsfield Fair I could go on and on.The cranberry bogs,the Boston Marathon too.

Answer 7

I love both cities, but I think I prefer to live day to day in Boston, and visit NYC when I feel like living large. Boston is just much more manageable (both in navigating the city and for my finances)

Answer 8

New York, New York!!
I do love Boston, I must say, it is a great city.... but there is no place in the entire world like NYC !

Answer 9

PauL A said it best. NYC is a great city but Boston is more livable. First of all, how much space money can get. In Boston, a $2000 apartment will be a gorgeous spacious 3-bedroom apartment in the city. In NYC, it will get you a tiny box in Manhattan. Believe me. A friend of mine pays twice as much as I do, and his apartment reminds me of my college dorm.

I go to NY often.. there's nothing like going to NYC to shop and party till you drop and coming back to Boston leaving the craziness behind you.

Answer 10

Boston. Hands Down.

Boston packs a lot of interest in a small space - cultural, historical, medical, educational, and financial institutions abound. NYC has all those things too but Boston is not as huge and overwhelming as NYC. What else can I say?