Anonymous wrote:Went for a weekend to New England. Did Boston, Salem and fall foliage around Cape Ann. Had high hopes for this trip - that region is depressing! Was hoping for a nice vibe and all felt so tired and nasty. Is New England really the best the US has to offer?

I bet you enjoy spending time in Reston Town Center.

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.

Nowhere in the US will look like Europe. It's only been around for about 530 years. Most of our "original" real buildings are long gone and not preserved. Odd you would think New England would look the same as anywhere in Europe.

Maybe try another visit? I like Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The only place I got a weird vibe is Maine. I've been a few times and really don't like it. Very dreary and strange.

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.

Love the North End, Boston Aquarium, Nantucket, Newberry and Boylston Streets, Museum of Fine Art, Old Sturbridge Village, tons of great walking tours in Boston to learn the history like Freedom Trail, whale watching in Gloucester. Tons of movies were shot in and around Boston and seeing those sites can be fun too. I love MA!

Anonymous wrote:For more of a New England feel, try Burlington, VT and the Berkshires.

Not op but which town in the Berkshires are nice?

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.

I hear you OP. I spent a year there a couple of years ago and all I saw was dirty snow piled up for weeks on end and for the life of me I couldn't get what everyone is always so excited about but I am not hiking, skiiing outdoorsy, I prefer water sports and sandy beaches, and don't like cold weather. I did like the historical things, but you're right, you can see trees and leaves falling off them around here if that's your thing LOL

For me, New England is more about natural beauty and small towns than cities (even Providence which is my favorite New England city). New Hampshire lakes in the later summer, Berkshires in the fall, coastal towns with lobster or stuffies or fried clams alongside the beach. I wouldn't ever go to Boston expecting to be wowed by the charming architecture.

That said, I've never come back from a vacation as underwhelmed as you seem to be, so we might just be looking for different things.

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.

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.

You need to go to Quebec City in Canada if you're looking for that vibe.

Yes, and Montreal.

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.

You need to go to Quebec City in Canada if you're looking for that vibe.

Those European cities were built 200-500 years before new england. I dont understand this expectation. If you want a European city then go there. The US and new England has a lot of natural beauty and white clapboard houses set in old tree lined streets and small towns towns. There is land and space here except for the very city centers, it reflects the style and planning of communities. And no Boston is not like Baltimore but both were originally (and Baltimore still is) an industrial city.

You went to three places over two days and you’re writing off the whole region? (Maybe even the whole country?) Was it cloudy/rainy while you were there?

how do you hate Salem around Halloween?!

Anonymous wrote:

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.

If you think Boston looked like Baltimore, you were probably in the wrong part of town!

Or a really nice part of Baltimore - hard to imagine that she means downtown B'more.

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.

You should’ve started in Portland, ME and moved up the sea coast a bit. You went to the biggest city in the region, a depressed town whose rep is built on a 400 year old myth, and the cape, which is huge and you could be in Yucky Hyannis or nice Chatham. What did you expect?

She said Cape Ann, not Cape Cod. Cape Cod doesn't have much foliage at this time of year - it tends to have a much later foliage season given the more moderate temps.

OP not sure why you would think that Boston would look Germanic. Its roots are English (the revolution and all that), and the dominant immigrant populations were Irish and Italian. There are parts of downtown Boston that are really charming, as are some of the surrounding towns. And German cities vary from Frankfurt (not very charming) to Munich (a mix of old town and business district). Plenty of European cities lack charm.