Sometimes in a small city it feels as though youve reached the limitations of what a city has to offer. There is a great movie called, "The Cruise", where the main character describes his relationship with his city as though it were another person. He says something like," the city and I had to take a break for a while, but things are ok now." The word CITY kind of sets every city up to have a personality. Ive often heard people say, which is better, New York or Boston. This is such a non comment I cant't begin to explain it. They are two vastly different cities with different populaces, places, offerings, cultures and character.
Im currently on a trip in Cambridge, England and I've decided I'm going to take some time to debunk some of the great things about Boston that people often complain about and also state some things I love to do in Boston to inspire you to find new life in the city. The first and largest problem people mention is getting around. Ive heard this too many times to count.
People talk about how the streets are too narrow, the lights are too slow, the drivers too dangerous, the pedestrians to gutsy, the trains too late, the buses too dirty, biking too dangerous, and people too rude. Boston is a major city in the United States, and for that reason when you move to Boston, you should get a grip with the fact that getting around wasnt the same when the city was built. Horse drawn carriages, and cobblestone roads were the norm. We also have the oldest Subway System in the United States, and a project that attempted to bridge Boston to East Boston that, well, didn't quite go as planned (but I'm not here to complain) Many other cities do have updated transporation systems, better bike lanes, and roads that actually make sense, but when you get down to it. Our system is Efficient! Hop on the train and you can get from Newton to Boston in 15 minutes maximum. You can bike anywhere in the city and get there within 10-15 minutes (especially now with new bike lanes). Buses are becoming more of a norm for travelers. There is even a service opening in Boston called, Bridj, which is attempting to offer an Uber like service for those looking for a technological, comfortable ride.
One of the best things about Boston for me, is part of living here is learning the secret one way streets and cut throughs. Hint: If you're biking down newbury, and want to make it somewhere quick, take the public alleys. It's things like this that make this city unique. If you're taking the same route to work every day and are getting bored, find something new. These steps will not only let you get to know Boston better, but if you find some cool road hack, you'll have it forever, and you might just feel that its rekindling your city love.
The second complaint I hear about living in Boston is how expensive it is. This to me is unbelievable. For any city, naturally the city center is going to have a 6 dollar large coffee, 120 dollar sub parrmeal and expensive living. There are plenty of neighborhood places that still exist that give great quality with a great price. If you're looking for some great places, check out the site Time Out. They often have cheap offerings for food. Also stay away from opentable. Try to pave your own path, there are still great non food chains in Boston! There'sl plenty of life in the North End, south end (changing) up and coming places in Allston, Somerville and Jamaica Plain. Spend the extra time using your feet to find some cool new eateries. The best way to find these hidden spots is to ask around. See someone who looks like a local? Just ask their favorite place to chow down.
Lastly I'll talk about the night life. I dont mean to sound sinical, but if you're coming to Boston for the clubs, you really shouldn't come or have come. There really isn't a big club scene here. If you're into big room and top 40 stuff you're not going to hit it big like NYC. But if you're open minded Boston has plenty to offer. There's the middle east (really in cambridge). The variety of shows here is crazy. They have indie bands, folk, techno djs, weird performances, acapella stuff. But their booking is great and thus many shows are great. There are actually a lot of places like this, I only mentioned the Middle East because I have had a lot of experiences there. There's also many hidden venues, I recently wrote about Deep Thoughts in JP who have a show every month with techno and house, offering vinyl, live sets, etc. These niche gatherings are a lot of fun. Again, the key is asking locals about this stuff. Know someone who likes a certain type of music? Ask them to direct you, or ask in guitar center, thats actually a great resource, ask anyone for where to go for local shows, theyll know. Or even hamg around berklee and ask some of the students. In addition boston has a growing craft drinking and brewing scene, a never ending list of live acts and during the summer, a few cool music festivals. There's also an array of great dive bars, upscale bars, hidden bars (yes, even hidden bars). I think the key to finding somewhere you love really has to do with atmosphere. Find what you're looking for. Dive bars can be found in allston/brighton, somerville,parts of dorchester. You can find new age, upscale on the newly renovated and revamped Seaport, Newbury St, Jamaica Plain, Fenway/Kenmore, Cambridge, and more. If you want hidden, check the internet, they're not so hidden anymore.
The more I travel the more I realize how Boston's small, and unique nature can become an endless adventure. When you think you've seen it all, look again. I've found even the quant things now have their own charm. Appreciate Boston for its little.
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