New England is depressing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think OP missed some significant parts of Boston:

"There's history on every corner of Boston—especially Acorn Street. It's one of the most photographed places in the city, as it gives visitors a taste of old England. The brick buildings, cobblestones, and lanterns all are reminiscent of the most charming parts of Britain."

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/acorn-street-boston-royalty-free-image-1645118841.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:*

Might want to go back and try again!

Just like Georgetown!

[Anonymous]

Why would you expect parts of the US to look like Europe? It is your expectations that ruined it for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would you expect parts of the US to look like Europe? It is your expectations that ruined it for you.

"Europe" is such a vague term too. London and Edinburgh, for instance, look nothing alike. Dublin is a mix too. The classic Parisian architecture was due to a single major project by Napoleon III. Berlin you absolutely can see the East/West divide.

Boston the "old city" is colonial which is going to be different from Europe.

I suspect OP would be disappointed if they actually went to Europe.

[Anonymous]

Hahaha of course Georgetown and Beacon Hill look similar. They substantially date from the same period, in which colonial architecture was developing localized styles (we call one of the dominant styles "Federalist!"). I think your expectations are not well grounded in architectural history.

Looking at Baltimore and the North End as sad examples of former immigrant neighborhoods is so foreign to me. That's what makes them interesting! Tons of the descendants of those immigrants still live in the suburbs of both.

Whatever you do, don't visit Philly or Pittsburgh. Or any of the old mill towns all over New England, including Providence, where i lived for a long time. You will hate them even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you expect parts of the US to look like Europe? It is your expectations that ruined it for you.

"Europe" is such a vague term too. London and Edinburgh, for instance, look nothing alike. Dublin is a mix too. The classic Parisian architecture was due to a single major project by Napoleon III. Berlin you absolutely can see the East/West divide.

Boston the "old city" is colonial which is going to be different from Europe.

I suspect OP would be disappointed if they actually went to Europe.

I was just thinking about the "terrace houses" in English cities.

[Anonymous]

This is just a troll thread to get people going, right?

It has to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hahaha of course Georgetown and Beacon Hill look similar. They substantially date from the same period, in which colonial architecture was developing localized styles (we call one of the dominant styles "Federalist!"). I think your expectations are not well grounded in architectural history.

Looking at Baltimore and the North End as sad examples of former immigrant neighborhoods is so foreign to me. That's what makes them interesting! Tons of the descendants of those immigrants still live in the suburbs of both.

Whatever you do, don't visit Philly or Pittsburgh. Or any of the old mill towns all over New England, including Providence, where i lived for a long time. You will hate them even more.

Old mill town a convenient distance to major cities can be charming and beautiful. Old mill towns near nothing are some of the most depressing places in America. I love old New England towns with a historic downtown near a commons, but the dying towns are really sad. Personally, I think the most picturesque tend to be those with colleges that are rich enough to prop up the local economy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was depressing about it?

PP here.. i just re-read your post.

You know that NE is really really really old, right? It's going to be "tired". They are not going to have new fangled buildings in their downtowns.

Also, it's the fall. It's cold up there. There aren't going to be too many festivals outside.

What were you expecting, exactly?

Like any region there are parts of NE that are tired and rundown. Where exactly did you go to that you felt it was depressing?

OP here. I don’t mind old architecture. I love it! I was expecting for Boston and other towns to look more like European cities in Germany/Austria/Switzerland. It was depressing.

I've lived overseas in various countries for many years, and, have found nowhere more depressing than Germany. The dreary rain, the dreary gray skies, the dreary people beat down by the dreary rain and dreary gray skies. In contrast, I love New England. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Surely you know that the whole country does not have the same weather? Dreary people,really? Do you speak German or have any German friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. All good comments. I had unreasonable expectations and I didn’t find the Boston area as charming as many said it would be. In Boston I went to Beacon Hill (looks just like Georgetown) and North End (depressing Baltimore like vibe of an old and once thriving European neighborhood). Gloucester and Rockport in MA looked depressing. Just sad. Weather was great so I guess New England is just not my style.

On a different note - any places in the US that look like Europe? Any part of Europe - it doesn’t matter what part of Europe at this point.

Why don't you just go to Europe? It's stupid to look for something in one continent to try to reflect another. Also, for the love of Pete, Europe is a continent--do you expect Greece and Sweden to be similar?

I'm an expat from northern Europe. I don't run around home looking for something to look like the US. Just enjoy what's unique about where you are.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you were looking at a fall trip to New England, going to Boston and looking for foliage on the North Shore would not be what I'd recommend. That's a bit like visiting the DC area to look at historical buildings and monuments and spending all your time in Centreville, VA. You should have checked out central or western Mass, VT, NH, or ME.

[Anonymous]

^^^ I forgot to add that rural and small/town New England is gorgeous in the fall. Just stay clear of run-down mill towns.

[Anonymous]

New Orleans would be good.

[Anonymous]

New England is not depressing, but Boston is. I went to college in Boston. It’s definitely become a different city, but I think that has been the case for so many small and big cities in the US.

Get outside of Boston and it is still nice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New Orleans would be good.

Yes. I have some pics where it's hard to tell if it's Paris or NO. Just in those pics, though. Both cities have their own charm.

Quebec City is fantastic!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hahaha of course Georgetown and Beacon Hill look similar. They substantially date from the same period, in which colonial architecture was developing localized styles (we call one of the dominant styles "Federalist!"). I think your expectations are not well grounded in architectural history.

Looking at Baltimore and the North End as sad examples of former immigrant neighborhoods is so foreign to me. That's what makes them interesting! Tons of the descendants of those immigrants still live in the suburbs of both.

Whatever you do, don't visit Philly or Pittsburgh. Or any of the old mill towns all over New England, including Providence, where i lived for a long time. You will hate them even more.

Old mill town a convenient distance to major cities can be charming and beautiful. Old mill towns near nothing are some of the most depressing places in America. I love old New England towns with a historic downtown near a commons, but the dying towns are really sad. Personally, I think the most picturesque tend to be those with colleges that are rich enough to prop up the local economy

New England has been in decline for the last 50 years. The jobs, growth, and opportunities are in the south.