What are the nicest U.S. suburbs you've ever visited?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My post got cut off. I'm PP above. I truly believe there's nowhere as nice as New England: World-class universities, culture, history, and hospitals of Boston. Beautiful ocean and mountains for recreation, with the Cape, Nantucket, the Vineyard, Maine...on and on. Great colleges with small towns for day trips. Close to NYC for easy weekend jaunts. Liberal, progressive mindset (if that appeals to you, of course.) It's the best of almost every world. The winters do stink and the people can be reserved.

I agree with you. But...the debate isn’t ‘where is better to live: Northeast or Midwest?’

The debate is ‘what is the nicest suburb in America?’ I think there is wide consensus that the suburbs in the north shore of Chicago win that argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My post got cut off. I'm PP above. I truly believe there's nowhere as nice as New England: World-class universities, culture, history, and hospitals of Boston. Beautiful ocean and mountains for recreation, with the Cape, Nantucket, the Vineyard, Maine...on and on. Great colleges with small towns for day trips. Close to NYC for easy weekend jaunts. Liberal, progressive mindset (if that appeals to you, of course.) It's the best of almost every world. The winters do stink and the people can be reserved.

I agree with you. But...the debate isn’t ‘where is better to live: Northeast or Midwest?’

The debate is ‘what is the nicest suburb in America?’ I think there is wide consensus that the suburbs in the north shore of Chicago win that argument.

The suburbs are the nicest too: Lexington, Concord, Belmont, Newton. PLUS the attributes above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My post got cut off. I'm PP above. I truly believe there's nowhere as nice as New England: World-class universities, culture, history, and hospitals of Boston. Beautiful ocean and mountains for recreation, with the Cape, Nantucket, the Vineyard, Maine...on and on. Great colleges with small towns for day trips. Close to NYC for easy weekend jaunts. Liberal, progressive mindset (if that appeals to you, of course.) It's the best of almost every world. The winters do stink and the people can be reserved.

I agree with you. But...the debate isn’t ‘where is better to live: Northeast or Midwest?’

The debate is ‘what is the nicest suburb in America?’ I think there is wide consensus that the suburbs in the north shore of Chicago win that argument.

NP: I'm biased since I went to Northwestern, but, yeah, North Shore suburbs all the way. The people there are also friendlier than those in New England, IME, which only adds to the appeal.

Now I wish we could move to the North Shore.

[Anonymous]

Bellevue, Washington and the surrounding area

[Anonymous]

None. They are all soulless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My post got cut off. I'm PP above. I truly believe there's nowhere as nice as New England: World-class universities, culture, history, and hospitals of Boston. Beautiful ocean and mountains for recreation, with the Cape, Nantucket, the Vineyard, Maine...on and on. Great colleges with small towns for day trips. Close to NYC for easy weekend jaunts. Liberal, progressive mindset (if that appeals to you, of course.) It's the best of almost every world. The winters do stink and the people can be reserved.

This is how I feel about Maryland, but I realize many would disagree with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None. They are all soulless.

That's an ignorant and utterly unoriginal idea. I live in a beautiful suburb.of NYC that was founded in 1660....there is a tremendous amount of history here if you have the intellectual curiosity to seek it out.

[Anonymous]

Evanston, IL is maybe the best suburb in America. Fight me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US suburbs are all equally soulless and boring.
Flame away.

Agreed. I love big cities and small towns, but suburbs? Ugh.

The Boston suburbs are not soulless. There are too many charming ones to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US suburbs are all equally soulless and boring.
Flame away.

Agreed. I love big cities and small towns, but suburbs? Ugh.

The Boston suburbs are not soulless. There are too many charming ones to choose from.

And Evanston, IL is definitely not soulless. I think suburbs like Bethesda have caused some people to dismiss all suburbs but they really aren't all the same. Evanston and Brookline MA have a lot more character than many neighborhoods in DC (or NYC for that matter -- I have family on the UES and it is mainly banks, lame bars and empty storefronts now)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US suburbs are all equally soulless and boring.
Flame away.

Agreed. I love big cities and small towns, but suburbs? Ugh.

The Boston suburbs are not soulless. There are too many charming ones to choose from.

And Evanston, IL is definitely not soulless. I think suburbs like Bethesda have caused some people to dismiss all suburbs but they really aren't all the same. Evanston and Brookline MA have a lot more character than many neighborhoods in DC (or NYC for that matter -- I have family on the UES and it is mainly banks, lame bars and empty storefronts now)

Agreed! Evanston is very charming and has the verve of being its own small city (and having Northwestern right there doesn't hurt, either) while still being very connected and a part of metro Chicago. And the lake!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:US suburbs are all equally soulless and boring.
Flame away.

Curious about where you live. I agree with you in version geographic areas but for example the Virginia suburbs and certain Boston suburbs are worlds apart.

[Anonymous]

A number (if not all) all the suburbs listed here actually are historic towns in their own right (so started as their own towns before enhanced transport options made them a suburb of a city.

Maybe that is what makes the difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US suburbs are all equally soulless and boring.
Flame away.

Curious about where you live. I agree with you in version geographic areas but for example the Virginia suburbs and certain Boston suburbs are worlds apart.

x100000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A number (if not all) all the suburbs listed here actually are historic towns in their own right (so started as their own towns before enhanced transport options made them a suburb of a city.

Maybe that is what makes the difference?

agree, and it seems to generate a sense of community as well