New England is depressing

[Anonymous]

You needed to get out into new england. Woodstock vt, Portsmouth NH, Portland, ME.

I live in NH, went to school in Boston, and I find driving around MA to be pretty depressing.

[Anonymous]

Beacon Hill, Chatham, Edgartown, and Nantucket are all quaint and beautiful.

You’re just going to the wrong places.

[Anonymous]

Stowe, Vermont is cute

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You needed to get out into new england. Woodstock vt, Portsmouth NH, Portland, ME.

I live in NH, went to school in Boston, and I find driving around MA to be pretty depressing.

Me again, also the very obvious answer here, though not the US but still the same continent and time zone, is Quebec City.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yet the most depressing of the old mill towns are in the south. The opportunities, jobs, and growth are centered around a few cities. Even the new car factories in the south are focused around a few small areas. Most of the rural south is as poor and depressing as ever

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you been to America? This whole country is a s-hole. And yes, New England is the best of it. Which tells you something.

OP here. That is a problem. I haven’t seen much of America. Love DC and NYC but haven’t really been outside those two cities. Was hoping for New England to feel more like Europe based on what I read. It was so disappointing. Boston looked like a larger Baltimore and had no vibe. What people usually like about New England? Fall foliage was nice but those are just trees; I can get the same views around DMV.

It sounds like you didn't get out into the country much. Fall in Vermont and New Hampshire and Maine (But rural areas not cities) is amazing. So many small lakes in New England. And, yes, it has the same unappealing commercial strips as the rest of America, but if you spent any time at all in those areas (more than just passing through) you went to the wrong places.

[Anonymous]

It’s not called New “England” because it looks like England, Einstein. I can’t even address the stupidity of someone who went to Gloucester, MA and thought it would look European.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Beacon Hill, Chatham, Edgartown, and Nantucket are all quaint and beautiful.

You’re just going to the wrong places.

Those are all charming but (luckily) none of them look like Europe.

[Anonymous]

Was just on the cape and it was gorgeous. Not quite peak leaf season but perfect weather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yet the most depressing of the old mill towns are in the south. The opportunities, jobs, and growth are centered around a few cities. Even the new car factories in the south are focused around a few small areas. Most of the rural south is as poor and depressing as ever

I mean ever been to Manchester? Lots of run down industrial towns in Europe too.

[Anonymous]

So, leaf peeping is a Vermont thing. You go to a charming village, stay in a charming old-timey inn, eat apple doughnuts and drink hot cider, go antiquing or shopping, and enjoy the fall foliage. Bonus points if you hike a mountain or stay near a lake.

Boston isn’t all that. But Cape Cod is quaint.

There are some charming areas up and down the east coast if you’re looking for historic architecture. None of them feel European unless you venture to Old Quebec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yet the most depressing of the old mill towns are in the south. The opportunities, jobs, and growth are centered around a few cities. Even the new car factories in the south are focused around a few small areas. Most of the rural south is as poor and depressing as ever

I mean ever been to Manchester? Lots of run down industrial towns in Europe too.

FTR, Manchester, VT is lovely and The Equinox is a nice boutique hotel/inn.

[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.

There are charming areas in both!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Beacon Hill, Chatham, Edgartown, and Nantucket are all quaint and beautiful.

You’re just going to the wrong places.

+1

OP is absolutely going to the wrong places!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yet the most depressing of the old mill towns are in the south. The opportunities, jobs, and growth are centered around a few cities. Even the new car factories in the south are focused around a few small areas. Most of the rural south is as poor and depressing as ever

I mean ever been to Manchester? Lots of run down industrial towns in Europe too.

FTR, Manchester, VT is lovely and The Equinox is a nice boutique hotel/inn.

She means Manchester England. It’s actually gotten much nicer in recent years but definitely not the charm OP describes.