Visitors' impressions of Boston

[TheBostonian]

A friend visited here recently from DC and was impressed with the Boston skyline but disappointed with the subway, which makes sense because DC has no skyline but a great subway system. I'm curious to hear people's impressions of Boston, good and bad. If you have visited Boston, please share.

[HartfordTycoon]

I'm from Hartford, as you could guess and I love Boston, even though you guys hate us. I have a close friend from college up there and I was impressed by the T because we have no transit trains and the skyline because it is impressive. Boston is an impressive city for sure when you come from a smaller area like Hartford. Even after living in Atlanta for 5 yrs Boston is still impressive and feels more like a real city, even though ATL's skyline has alot of hight on you guys. Boston's transit system of course blows Atlanta's out of the water as well. I however would like a more diverse feel Downtown Boston, maybe because that's what I'm used to. But once again I really like Boston and could easily live there over New York or some other gigantic city.

[Recchia]

I'm from Hartford, as you could guess and I love Boston, even though you guys hate us. I have a close friend from college up there and I was impressed by the T because we have no transit trains and the skyline because it is impressive. Boston is an impressive city for sure when you come from a smaller area like Hartford. Even after living in Atlanta for 5 yrs Boston is still impressive and feels more like a real city, even though ATL's skyline has alot of hight on you guys. Boston's transit system of course blows Atlanta's out of the water as well. I however would like a more diverse feel Downtown Boston, maybe because that's what I'm used to. But once again I really like Boston and could easily live there over New York or some other gigantic city.

Well said, same goes for me, being from the Providence area. My only gripe with Boston is its early closing times. I hate leaving a bar at 2am and having to go home, nevermind not being able to get good pizza late at night. Other than that though, I'd say Boston has everything NYC has to offer

[HartfordTycoon]

Well said, same goes for me, being from the Providence area. My only gripe with Boston is its early closing times. I hate leaving a bar at 2am and having to go home, nevermind not being able to get good pizza late at night. Other than that though, I'd say Boston has everything NYC has to offer

Don't even get me started on the 2 am thing here in New England!!! It completely sucks. In Atlanta you're in early if you're in by 4 am. Many nights you're not home until the sun is coming up. If there was one thing I could change in Hartford it would be extending the club hours until at least 3 am. I think it would give us an edge here in New England and greatly improve our nightlife.

[Recchia]

Don't even get me started on the 2 am thing here in New England!!! It completely sucks. In Atlanta you're in early if you're in by 4 am. Many nights you're not home until the sun is coming up. If there was one thing I could change in Hartford it would be extending the club hours until at least 3 am. I think it would give us an edge here in New England and greatly improve our nightlife.

It's so ridiculous. In Providence its 2am, and the surrounding suburbs its usually 1am. So everyone rushes downtown for last call after 1, causing massive traffic jams, etc. So now the city wants everything to shut down at 1am, instead of the much more logical solution of letting them stay open til 3 or 4, thus staggering the mad rush downtown (and the mad rush to leave downtown afterward).

The one thing I love about Albany is that most of the bars are open til 3 or 4 ( and all the late night food is open til 5 in some cases.) Gotta love that aspect of New York!

[HartfordTycoon]

The real issue with the nightlife is that policy makers are not familiar with it. They do not stay out that late and don't see the need for others to do so either. It's completely ridiculous and they need to understand the economic impact that an above average nightlife can bring to a city.

[Recchia]

The real issue with the nightlife is that policy makers are not familiar with it. They do not stay out that late and don't see the need for others to do so either. It's completely ridiculous and they need to understand the economic impact that an above average nightlife can bring to a city.

Amen to that. It seems as though they view nightlife as more of a nuisance than anything else. Now of course, obnoxious high school and college nightlife can be a nuisance (plenty of that in Providence, I've been drinking at one bar downtown since I was 16...), but overall the economic impacts outweight the occasional brawl/drunk driving accident, etc. And speaking of drunk driving, anyone else agree that it is much less of a problem in denser cities that have public transportation/walkability? The ability to get hammered and take a bus/subway to a bar and either the same back or a cab is a great deterrent for drunk driving. Boston especially benefits from this with its night owl service and abundance of cabs, nevermind its walkability. Living in a suburb or sprawl city you'd always have to have a designated driver, whereas if you lived in the city you wouldn't have to drink and drive. Okay I'll stop now, I just really hate cars...

[HartfordTycoon]

Amen to that. It seems as though they view nightlife as more of a nuisance than anything else. Now of course, obnoxious high school and college nightlife can be a nuisance (plenty of that in Providence, I've been drinking at one bar downtown since I was 16...), but overall the economic impacts outweight the occasional brawl/drunk driving accident, etc. And speaking of drunk driving, anyone else agree that it is much less of a problem in denser cities that have public transportation/walkability? The ability to get hammered and take a bus/subway to a bar and either the same back or a cab is a great deterrent for drunk driving. Boston especially benefits from this with its night owl service and abundance of cabs, nevermind its walkability. Living in a suburb or sprawl city you'd always have to have a designated driver, whereas if you lived in the city you wouldn't have to drink and drive. Okay I'll stop now, I just really hate cars...

I agree totally. We may be beating this issue to death but if I lived in PVD I would be very concerned about them trying to change the closing time to 1am. That is not competive, even in New England. Write council members, the mayor, somebody to make sure this does not happen.

[TheBostonian]

Boston's Night Owl service was, sadly, eliminated recently. Bars with parking lots make no sense to me. People are obviously getting wasted and driving home drunk.

[HartfordTycoon]

Boston's Night Owl service was, sadly, eliminated recently. Bars with parking lots make no sense to me. People are obviously getting wasted and driving home drunk.

Obviously.

[Recchia]

Boston's Night Owl service was, sadly, eliminated recently. Bars with parking lots make no sense to me. People are obviously getting wasted and driving home drunk.

Yeah seriously. And its no wonder that most of the DD accidents take place in the suburbs...

That's a shame about the Night owl service. How late do regular buses run? I know the subways are pretty much done after 1am. Thats my one gripe with Boston.

[TheBostonian]

I believe buses stop before 1am as well.

[*Sweetkisses*]

Ive only been to Boston once, but I think its a beautiful city and has great architecture. something many cities in the U.S lack.

[jim09091]

How late do regular buses run?

More the most part service runs until about 1 - 1:30 AM

[greystone98]

I had the opportunity to travel to Boston this summer for a conference and I absolutely fell in love with your 'town' as I was told its citizens prefer it to be called. It's a place I'd always longed to visit and it exceeded my expectations.

I met a friend who lives there and we walked much of the Freedom Trail on the first day, stopping along the way to take photos and visit many of the sights. I took pictures of the North Church, Mother Goose's gravesite, even the red bricks of the trail itself. I ate at Legal Sea Foods, rode the T, took a trolley tour, visited Revere's home, the Old State Capital, and the Mary Baker Eddy Library. I brought home souvenirs from Cheers and Boston cookbooks.

I also managed to attend various workshops while there although it was difficult to concentrate with the lure of Boston just outside the Mariott Copley.

I wish I'd gotten to visit Harvard while there, but it gives me an excuse to return.

[ctman987]

Im from the Hartford area and go up to Boston all the time. The city is fairly easy to drive around which is one big plus and is full of many things to do from shopping to sightseeing. This past summer I was in the city I was staying by BC and Newbury College and was able to take the T into downtown and out and was very impressed. It was easy to use, clean and it was 100 degrees outside and nice and cool in the T.

Boston has great shopping. You can go to Fanuel Hall, Newburry Street or Washington Street with the Filenes Basement, Marshalls, Barnes and Noble etc.

History and musuems galore also.

Lastly even outside of Boston is great. The north shore is gorgeous go through Salem, Beverly, Gloucster, etc.

[Frankie811]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/...sh_renaissance/

[Temeteron]

Been to Boston several times....beautifu city with lots of culture and things to do......but the people seem very rude....I guess the culture is different there as is most of northeastern cities including Philly and NYC. Coming from Columbia, SC/Charlotte, NC people tend to be more friendly and more hospitable. But I guess you can't find everything nice in one place

[Recchia]

Been to Boston several times....beautifu city with lots of culture and things to do......but the people seem very rude....I guess the culture is different there as is most of northeastern cities including Philly and NYC. Coming from Columbia, SC/Charlotte, NC people tend to be more friendly and more hospitable. But I guess you can't find everything nice in one place

You're right, people come across very rude in the whole Northeast. And we swear and use bad grammar. Even people in Western NY have told me this.

[Cotuit]

You're right, people come across very rude in the whole Northeast. And we swear and use bad grammar. Even people in Western NY have told me this.

F*ck you! We ain't that bad. It's wicked cold here, we're freezing our nuts off, we don't got no time to be nice to people.

[TheBostonian]

People who have lived in both Boston and another city seem to tell me that Bostonians are less friendly.

[Recchia]

F*ck you! We ain't that bad. It's wicked cold here, we're freezing our nuts off, we don't got no time to be nice to people.

wow is this my dad speaking?

[Cotuit]

wow is this my dad speaking?

Someone told me you could get a ticket for swearing in public in Virginia Beach and I said, "Are they f*cking retahded or something down there?"

I mean, how do they communicate without swear words?

[paperback]

Friends whom I've met at college from other parts of the US are still baffled by the tapestry of obscenity that hangs in the air over Greater Boston. And they can't get over the word "wicked" either.

[MikeR]

A friend visited here recently from DC and was impressed with the Boston skyline but disappointed with the subway, which makes sense because DC has no skyline but a great subway system. I'm curious to hear people's impressions of Boston, good and bad. If you have visited Boston, please share.

You should inform your friend that Boston's subway is the oldest in the nation. I've ridden it numerous times when I worked in Boston. The city stops are old (Park St., Downtown Crossing, et. al.) DC's subway is one of the newer in the country - I think it began in the 1980's if my memory is correct. I think Boston's subway system is fine - people just don't know how old the system really is...