How. would you describe Boston versus DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

This is so spot on. Vast majority of people I went to high school with still live in Boston, never lived outside of the area after college, do in fact vacation on the Cape and rarely leave New England.

+1.

I grew up on the north shore and this was not my experience. I haven't lived there for 20 years, so maybe it's changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

Ok. I asked which worldly (opposite of narrow minded, limited exposure) and sophisticated (opposite of provincial) place you hail from that makes you the arbiter of cultural and cosmopolitan superiority? I never said it was a mecca of enlightenment. Just that it's not provincial - in my opinion. No need to pull out the nasties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

Ok. I asked which worldly (opposite of narrow minded, limited exposure) and sophisticated (opposite of provincial) place you hail from that makes you the arbiter of cultural and cosmopolitan superiority? I never said it was a mecca of enlightenment. Just that it's not provincial - in my opinion. No need to pull out the nasties.

And BTW, I'm from Boston and I've never once vacationed on the Cape. I've lived in several US and foreign cities. So I guess I don't fit your wildly overbroad assumptions about Bostonians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

This is so spot on. Vast majority of people I went to high school with still live in Boston, never lived outside of the area after college, do in fact vacation on the Cape and rarely leave New England.

Yes! We live here now. I’m not from here and am amazed at the educated people around me that find it sophisticated that they own a house on the cape and might get a trip in to Florida from time to time. Even those that have traveled west only find themselves on popular ski slopes. I can’t think of anyone who has admitted to traveling the inner landscape of our country or really even Chicago or Minneapolis. They think they know rural because they’ve been to North Conway. They don’t know rural people or what it would be like living in a desolate place.

Those that listed “adorable” towns above stuck to those with HHI and very little diversity, whether racial or socioeconomic.

Believe me, DC drove us crazy with kids. But we had friends and were able to find a like-minded community of people with whom we could relate. It’s much,
much harder up here (especially if you bring athletic kids with you- they can deal with academic kids in their school
but athletic and smart kids are seen as direct competition to their legacy in the town- it’s pretty awful, both as a new athletic kid and his/her parent).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

Ok. I asked which worldly (opposite of narrow minded, limited exposure) and sophisticated (opposite of provincial) place you hail from that makes you the arbiter of cultural and cosmopolitan superiority? I never said it was a mecca of enlightenment. Just that it's not provincial - in my opinion. No need to pull out the nasties.

And BTW, I'm from Boston and I've never once vacationed on the Cape. I've lived in several US and foreign cities. So I guess I don't fit your wildly overbroad assumptions about Bostonians.

The difference is that you left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

Ok. I asked which worldly (opposite of narrow minded, limited exposure) and sophisticated (opposite of provincial) place you hail from that makes you the arbiter of cultural and cosmopolitan superiority? I never said it was a mecca of enlightenment. Just that it's not provincial - in my opinion. No need to pull out the nasties.

And BTW, I'm from Boston and I've never once vacationed on the Cape. I've lived in several US and foreign cities. So I guess I don't fit your wildly overbroad assumptions about Bostonians.

The difference is that you left.

Who said I don't live there now??? The poster above said that Bostonians rarely live in other places. Just giving them some anecdotal data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

This is so spot on. Vast majority of people I went to high school with still live in Boston, never lived outside of the area after college, do in fact vacation on the Cape and rarely leave New England.

Yes! We live here now. I’m not from here and am amazed at the educated people around me that find it sophisticated that they own a house on the cape and might get a trip in to Florida from time to time. Even those that have traveled west only find themselves on popular ski slopes. I can’t think of anyone who has admitted to traveling the inner landscape of our country or really even Chicago or Minneapolis. They think they know rural because they’ve been to North Conway. They don’t know rural people or what it would be like living in a desolate place.

Those that listed “adorable” towns above stuck to those with HHI and very little diversity, whether racial or socioeconomic.

Believe me, DC drove us crazy with kids. But we had friends and were able to find a like-minded community of people with whom we could relate. It’s much,
much harder up here (especially if you bring athletic kids with you- they can deal with academic kids in their school
but athletic and smart kids are seen as direct competition to their legacy in the town- it’s pretty awful, both as a new athletic kid and his/her parent).

This is weird. Why would you live in a place that doesn't make you happy if you have the means to move? Assuming you do, as you lived in DC prior. Rural america is kind of depressing - is that supposed to be the bellweather of an educated and open minded person? Extensive travel in Oklahoma? Mississippi? Which cities on the American coasts are intimately familiar with rural America??? LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

This is so spot on. Vast majority of people I went to high school with still live in Boston, never lived outside of the area after college, do in fact vacation on the Cape and rarely leave New England.

+1.

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

This is so spot on. Vast majority of people I went to high school with still live in Boston, never lived outside of the area after college, do in fact vacation on the Cape and rarely leave New England.

Yes! We live here now. I’m not from here and am amazed at the educated people around me that find it sophisticated that they own a house on the cape and might get a trip in to Florida from time to time. Even those that have traveled west only find themselves on popular ski slopes. I can’t think of anyone who has admitted to traveling the inner landscape of our country or really even Chicago or Minneapolis. They think they know rural because they’ve been to North Conway. They don’t know rural people or what it would be like living in a desolate place.

Those that listed “adorable” towns above stuck to those with HHI and very little diversity, whether racial or socioeconomic.

Believe me, DC drove us crazy with kids. But we had friends and were able to find a like-minded community of people with whom we could relate. It’s much,
much harder up here (especially if you bring athletic kids with you- they can deal with academic kids in their school
but athletic and smart kids are seen as direct competition to their legacy in the town- it’s pretty awful, both as a new athletic kid and his/her parent).

This is weird. Why would you live in a place that doesn't make you happy if you have the means to move? Assuming you do, as you lived in DC prior. Rural america is kind of depressing - is that supposed to be the bellweather of an educated and open minded person? Extensive travel in Oklahoma? Mississippi? Which cities on the American coasts are intimately familiar with rural America??? LOL

I’m simply talking about familiarity with their country outside of popular tourist attractions. I don’t mean that one should strive to live in hard places but to know and have been in those place gives one some dimension and understanding outside of the Metrowest or whether little Johnny should play travel ball or spend time at the cape house this summer. Failure to understand the population outside of your little bubble is ignorant and will result in your bubble
being labeled insular or provincial.

We are here because my partner has family here and we both have good jobs. It doesn’t mean that it’s an idyllic place. I grew up out west and have lived, traveled extensively (nationally and internationally). This place fills the bill for now but I’m
sorry that we didn’t take into account the transient nature (and thus easier path to forming a community) that came with DC. We only looked at convenience and lack of family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

This is so spot on. Vast majority of people I went to high school with still live in Boston, never lived outside of the area after college, do in fact vacation on the Cape and rarely leave New England.

Yes! We live here now. I’m not from here and am amazed at the educated people around me that find it sophisticated that they own a house on the cape and might get a trip in to Florida from time to time. Even those that have traveled west only find themselves on popular ski slopes. I can’t think of anyone who has admitted to traveling the inner landscape of our country or really even Chicago or Minneapolis. They think they know rural because they’ve been to North Conway. They don’t know rural people or what it would be like living in a desolate place.

Those that listed “adorable” towns above stuck to those with HHI and very little diversity, whether racial or socioeconomic.

Believe me, DC drove us crazy with kids. But we had friends and were able to find a like-minded community of people with whom we could relate. It’s much,
much harder up here (especially if you bring athletic kids with you- they can deal with academic kids in their school
but athletic and smart kids are seen as direct competition to their legacy in the town- it’s pretty awful, both as a new athletic kid and his/her parent).

This is weird. Why would you live in a place that doesn't make you happy if you have the means to move? Assuming you do, as you lived in DC prior. Rural america is kind of depressing - is that supposed to be the bellweather of an educated and open minded person? Extensive travel in Oklahoma? Mississippi? Which cities on the American coasts are intimately familiar with rural America??? LOL

I’m simply talking about familiarity with their country outside of popular tourist attractions. I don’t mean that one should strive to live in hard places but to know and have been in those place gives one some dimension and understanding outside of the Metrowest or whether little Johnny should play travel ball or spend time at the cape house this summer. Failure to understand the population outside of your little bubble is ignorant and will result in your bubble
being labeled insular or provincial.

We are here because my partner has family here and we both have good jobs. It doesn’t mean that it’s an idyllic place. I grew up out west and have lived, traveled extensively (nationally and internationally). This place fills the bill for now but I’m
sorry that we didn’t take into account the transient nature (and thus easier path to forming a community) that came with DC. We only looked at convenience and lack of family.

Fair point, but I think this can be applied to most places in the US. This isn't specific to Boston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

This is so spot on. Vast majority of people I went to high school with still live in Boston, never lived outside of the area after college, do in fact vacation on the Cape and rarely leave New England.

Yes! We live here now. I’m not from here and am amazed at the educated people around me that find it sophisticated that they own a house on the cape and might get a trip in to Florida from time to time. Even those that have traveled west only find themselves on popular ski slopes. I can’t think of anyone who has admitted to traveling the inner landscape of our country or really even Chicago or Minneapolis. They think they know rural because they’ve been to North Conway. They don’t know rural people or what it would be like living in a desolate place.

Those that listed “adorable” towns above stuck to those with HHI and very little diversity, whether racial or socioeconomic.

Believe me, DC drove us crazy with kids. But we had friends and were able to find a like-minded community of people with whom we could relate. It’s much,
much harder up here (especially if you bring athletic kids with you- they can deal with academic kids in their school
but athletic and smart kids are seen as direct competition to their legacy in the town- it’s pretty awful, both as a new athletic kid and his/her parent).

This is weird. Why would you live in a place that doesn't make you happy if you have the means to move? Assuming you do, as you lived in DC prior. Rural america is kind of depressing - is that supposed to be the bellweather of an educated and open minded person? Extensive travel in Oklahoma? Mississippi? Which cities on the American coasts are intimately familiar with rural America??? LOL

I’m simply talking about familiarity with their country outside of popular tourist attractions. I don’t mean that one should strive to live in hard places but to know and have been in those place gives one some dimension and understanding outside of the Metrowest or whether little Johnny should play travel ball or spend time at the cape house this summer. Failure to understand the population outside of your little bubble is ignorant and will result in your bubble
being labeled insular or provincial.

We are here because my partner has family here and we both have good jobs. It doesn’t mean that it’s an idyllic place. I grew up out west and have lived, traveled extensively (nationally and internationally). This place fills the bill for now but I’m
sorry that we didn’t take into account the transient nature (and thus easier path to forming a community) that came with DC. We only looked at convenience and lack of family.

Fair point, but I think this can be applied to most places in the US. This isn't specific to Boston.

It may not be specific to Boston, but for an east coast city, Boston is very insular. The initial OP asked us to compare DC and Boston. Boston is much more insular and provincial. That makes it harder for newcomers to break in and it’s a little disappointing to those of us who hoped for something more.

As an aside, Austin, LA, Seattle are not at all like Boston. However, Chicago and Philly are quite similar in that way. I think it boils down to expectations. Those looking to escape DC may want Boston to be more like NYC and it’s really not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

This is so spot on. Vast majority of people I went to high school with still live in Boston, never lived outside of the area after college, do in fact vacation on the Cape and rarely leave New England.

Yes! We live here now. I’m not from here and am amazed at the educated people around me that find it sophisticated that they own a house on the cape and might get a trip in to Florida from time to time. Even those that have traveled west only find themselves on popular ski slopes. I can’t think of anyone who has admitted to traveling the inner landscape of our country or really even Chicago or Minneapolis. They think they know rural because they’ve been to North Conway. They don’t know rural people or what it would be like living in a desolate place.

Those that listed “adorable” towns above stuck to those with HHI and very little diversity, whether racial or socioeconomic.

Believe me, DC drove us crazy with kids. But we had friends and were able to find a like-minded community of people with whom we could relate. It’s much,
much harder up here (especially if you bring athletic kids with you- they can deal with academic kids in their school
but athletic and smart kids are seen as direct competition to their legacy in the town- it’s pretty awful, both as a new athletic kid and his/her parent).

This is weird. Why would you live in a place that doesn't make you happy if you have the means to move? Assuming you do, as you lived in DC prior. Rural america is kind of depressing - is that supposed to be the bellweather of an educated and open minded person? Extensive travel in Oklahoma? Mississippi? Which cities on the American coasts are intimately familiar with rural America??? LOL

I’m simply talking about familiarity with their country outside of popular tourist attractions. I don’t mean that one should strive to live in hard places but to know and have been in those place gives one some dimension and understanding outside of the Metrowest or whether little Johnny should play travel ball or spend time at the cape house this summer. Failure to understand the population outside of your little bubble is ignorant and will result in your bubble
being labeled insular or provincial.

We are here because my partner has family here and we both have good jobs. It doesn’t mean that it’s an idyllic place. I grew up out west and have lived, traveled extensively (nationally and internationally). This place fills the bill for now but I’m
sorry that we didn’t take into account the transient nature (and thus easier path to forming a community) that came with DC. We only looked at convenience and lack of family.

Fair point, but I think this can be applied to most places in the US. This isn't specific to Boston.

It may not be specific to Boston, but for an east coast city, Boston is very insular. The initial OP asked us to compare DC and Boston. Boston is much more insular and provincial. That makes it harder for newcomers to break in and it’s a little disappointing to those of us who hoped for something more.

As an aside, Austin, LA, Seattle are not at all like Boston. However, Chicago and Philly are quite similar in that way. I think it boils down to expectations. Those looking to escape DC may want Boston to be more like NYC and it’s really not.

At second thought, not everyone moving from DC to Boston is looking for cosmopolitan. But it’s equally sad that that those who are hoping for the idyllic New England town may be surprised how hard it is to break in to that community if you didn’t grow up around it.

[Anonymous]

Lived in both.

Boston (and nearby areas): The most provincial big metro in America. This is both good and bad. All the locals are tight knit and there is a real sense of community. The downside? Very very very hard to break in to the community unless you marry in or are born into it. Everything from the food to the interests of people are exceeding local. Horrific weather. Expensive considering local incomes.

DC (+ NoVa + Maryland): Not particularly 'tight' knit, much less sense of community. But, much more interesting (to a non-insider), better food, more interesting people. Easy to make friends and fit in, even if you didn't grow up here. Not great weather (hate summers). Surprisingly cheap considering local incomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really depends on where you live. I'm a minority and when we found out we were moving to Boston for DH's job several years back everyone told me Boston is less diverse and (can be) less welcoming for non-whites, but where we are in Cambridge right now, we love our neighborhood and the kids love their schools (public), both of which are quite diverse.
There are great people and not-so-great people in both cities

Thank you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

GKDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all really interesting; I have lived in both cities. I loved DC in my 20s. I found it so easy to meet people! Easy to navigate, people were transient so everyone was eager to connect (even if it felt a bit fueled by profession). Not sure if this memory is was fueled by my youth and rose-colored glasses, but it seemed like there were happy hours all the time, easy access to power (in the sense that you might randomly end up at a senator's barbecue somehow!), great for visiting family with all the monuments and attractions. Fun restaurants, too, and so much diversity.

However, as we had kids, it felt less livable. I felt the DC suburbs had nothing on Boston's suburbs in terms of schools, charm, livability, town squares, housing stock. The towns farther out in VA felt so drab and cookie-cutter, as did Maryland's (though a bit less so, but places like Chevy Chase were not affordable). I also began to miss day trips: In Boston, you are a stone's throw from adorable towns, skiing, ocean, great smaller cities like Providence or Portland, et cetera. I also appreciated the largely progressive politics and the sense of hometown pride (yes, it can be insular). In DC, people kept moving every couple years, nobody was from there, there wasn't a ton of hometown nostalgia. Also liked the neighborhood-i-ness of Boston and the weirdness/edge/grit/magnitude that puts it on par with a large city like NY.

However, I deeply miss the DC food scene and the sheer ease of meeting new people. It is SO MUCH HARDER in the Northeast.

That is my take.

This is my experience (born and bred Bostonian, moved to DC out of college in the early 90s and never left, much to my chagrin). Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.

I also grew up in the Boston area and moved to DC when I was in my 30s, and agree with both of these posts.

I'm hoping to move back to New England in retirement because it still feels like home, and because between now and dead, I really don't want to live in DC.

I alos grew up in the Boston area and totally agree with this Insular is a better description than provincial, but provincial isn't wrong.
i have no desire to stay in DC but also no plans to ever move back to the Boston area.

NP. Eh, I grew up in the Boston area (lived in DC 20+ years), but I wouldn't describe it as provincial. Insular, fine. MA has some of the best public education systems in the country. People are much more progressive than most places, and of course you have some pockets of ignorance, but overall I'd say it's much less provincial than the rest of the country.

Totally disagree. Boston is one of the most provincial cities in America. This is very obvious to anyone NOT from there.

Sigh. Ok. Have you been to the rest of the country? Where, pray tell, are you from that is so worldly and sophisticated?

More transient cities like Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Houston etc.

From your question about worldly and sophisticated, it shows you don’t even understand what we mean by Boston being provincial.

Ooooh sick burn. What exactly does provincial mean to you, wise one?

It means having a narrow point of view and limited exposure to any place outside of Boston. Most people in Boston are from there, vacation on the cape and have done limited travel outside of the Boston metro. They have had limited exposure to other cities and people and truly have an inflated view of Boston. There is also less racial diversity. I could go on… it’s a provincial place.

Ok. I asked which worldly (opposite of narrow minded, limited exposure) and sophisticated (opposite of provincial) place you hail from that makes you the arbiter of cultural and cosmopolitan superiority? I never said it was a mecca of enlightenment. Just that it's not provincial - in my opinion. No need to pull out the nasties.

I grew up in Paris and now live in NYC. Boston just wasn't exciting.