Boston -vs- New York City...YIKES!

Where's home for you?

I've lived in both NY and Boston and I've found that there are friendly and rude people in both places.

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Oh come on. Look at it. You went to New York expecting to be "in danger." When it turned out you weren't, your expectations were relieved.

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Now, if we were talking about which city has the worst drivers overall, it's Boston hands down!

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The native Bostonians (and vicinity) when I grew up seemed cold on the outside but once you get to know them they are very warm on the inside, kind, well-educated, polite and generous. At least from the lower middle class on up.

Much different than the surface friendly but vacant Californians I came to know living there (who were generally from someplace else).

Bostonians have MUCH better manners than New Yorkers, the true test being to ride the trolleys/subways in each place, and they are willing to make new friends, unlike New Yorkers who are very closed off, snippy and cliquey.

Bostonians also have much more respect for individuals than I find generally present in New York.

I love New York for many reasons, particularly the wealth of cultural offerings, but the people here are often very selfish and coarse.

Downtown Boston was never safe at night.

is shart officially in the dictionary now?

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great. i'm doing my review of "mame" right now and wanted to make sure that shart was, in fact, a word.

oh, and does shartting have one "t" or two?

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I go to school in Boston, and while I can say I enjoy all the hustle and bustle of NYC better, Boston isn't really that a bad town. And my school is located in one of the crappy looking parts of the town. For one, as a person who has grown up never using a public transportation system, I find the Boston T much easier than NYC's subway system. However, I don't like that Boston's isn't 24 hours. Also, NYC is the city that never sleeps, but in Boston, practically everything closes by 2 am. Besides those things, for those who don't enjoy the congestion of NYC may enjoy that Boston is more spread out and not as cramped. Newbury Street is very beautiful to walk down in the evening and has a lot of nice, but pricey, restaurants and boutiques. Boston also has a few theaters, and we have good national tours that come/will come through: Spamalot, Wicked, Light in the Piazza, High Fidelity, Hairspray, Little Women, All Shook Up, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, for example. And for those of you who haven't seen the Boston Gardens, it is a very beautiful area to walk around. I believe it's easier to walk around Boston. Unlike in NYC, especially Midtown, sometimes you may come across a huge crowd of people that is difficult to walk around. And yes, Boston does have it's fair share of homeless people unfortunately. I was getting out of a night club with a guy one time. We decided to sit in the park for a bit after and were approached by at least 3 or 4 homeless people - one guy was trying to get rid of his beer! So, yes, Boston has its problems, but overall, I wouldn't call it an unfriendly, scary, or confusing town (if it's confusing, look at a map - I recommend this small pop-out map I got with the picture of BU on the front and the T-system layout on the back). But you can find most of those problems in any urban area like Boston, NYC, Philly, or LA.

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Curious - where in Boston did you visit? Most of the neighborhoods the tourists visit are quite safe. As a visitor, you'd probably have no reason to venture into some of the more unsavory locales.

I like New york to visit, but Boston will always be my favorite. Sure, we Bostonians have a bad rap for being cold and unfriendly, but honestly, I think you find both rude and friendly in both Boston and in NYC. They are not much different in that respect, at least not in my experience.

Of course, that's just my experience. And I admit, driving in Boston is awful (The T, or walking, are much better options in the city!).

Too bad you won't be back - it's a lovely place.

given a choice i'd live in boston.

"Expecting a pleasant day with athletes in red stockings and perhaps a spoonful of baked beans in Boston, he sharted after approaching a police officer who didn't immediately become the city's ambassador at the visitor's center."

that made my day.

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