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New England cities


PortlandME

What's your favorite New England city?  

180 members have voted

  1. 1. What's your favorite New England city?

    • Springfield,MA
      5
    • Manchester, NH (nice airport there)
      15
    • Fall River,MA
      3
    • Providence,RI
      112
    • Hartford,CT
      45


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It's kind of a shame that Fall River and Springfield haven't gotten any votes. Between Fall River's Portugese resturants and Springfield's raver culture (too bad the Asylum was closed) I think the two of them should be on the top half of the list but unfortunately for them I still had to vote for Providence. Providence is truly the place to live and always be in wonder. Right now I'm in Salmon, Idaho. I'm here for about a three and a half month period that ends in mid-December. There isn't an hour that goes by in my day that I don't compare this white-straight-male-republican-dominated place to the culture of Providence. I miss living on Smith Hill in the "futuristic district" (as my landlord called it), I miss having the whole neighborhood in the backyards of my house and three other houses and in the street that the cops let us block off. No offense to the other cities on this list (which also help make new england my favorite area of the country so far) but Providence is the most rewarding place to live in every way.

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Are you coming back to Providence when you are done in Idaho?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Most definitely. I can't wait to go back. The nearest city to this place is Missoula, Montana. It's about the size of Fall River (plus one big college). By the way Cotuit, I don't know if you hear this often but thanks for keeping up on the scene for all of us who don't have decent access to the area's news outlets. It means a lot to a dude stuck in the wilderness.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's kind of a shame that Fall River and Springfield haven't gotten any votes.  Between Fall River's Portugese resturants and Springfield's raver culture (too bad the Asylum was closed) I think the two of them should be on the top half of the list but unfortunately for them I still had to vote for Providence.

I've never been to Fall River, but I've often wondered what it is like there. One of these days I'm going to try to visit some of the New England cities that I've never been to. A lot of them I've been through, but never really stopped at to enjoy them. I voted Manchester by the way since it is the urban center of New Hampshire (where I live) and I like all those new minor league teams that have come to it. (And they're pretty good too!) I do like the airport too.

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Don't get me started on how bad this list sucks. Out of these cities, Providence.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it is missing quite a few cities isn't it?

I've never been to Fall River, but I've often wondered what it is like there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fall River is structurally wonderful. It has great old buildings, a great physical location on the Taunton River at the head of Mount Hope Bay. But it is a very economically poor city.

There is a proposal to remove Route 79 which is a waterfront expressway, this would reconnect downtown Fall River with the waterfront (much like the Big Dig did for Boston). Also both Fall River and New Bedford are fearcely fighting to get commuter rail service. I think Fall River will really turn around if it can get a commuter rail line.

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  • 1 month later...

Oh c'mon.  How could you go wrong with no sales tax or income tax. :)  Manchesters Skyline is very nice.  Infact we are getting an addition to it.  Well sorta.  A 7 story lux condo building is going up soon with a parking garage under it.  The orginal plan was two HIGH RISE BUILDINGS but for some odd reason they didnt want that and went for the shorter one. Oh What could have been.

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M.Brown, what you don't pay in sales tax and income tax, you make up in PROPERTY tax in NH.. Its prohibitive, the Prop taxes up there.. The motto should be: "Live free or die, unless you own real estate"... :thumbsup:

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Wow, how did I miss this thread?! First, as glassandsteel pointed out earlier, the fact that we could easily list at least 12 discrete and desirable cities in a poll of New England urban areas while still leaving out Boston makes this region the best in the nation in my opinion.

I grew up in the suburbs North of NYC and while I lived in and love "The Big Apple," it really sucks the life out of any urban area around it. What would a poll of the best of other cities in the NY Metro look like?

- Newark (showing signs of life, but still profoundly depressed),

- Jersey City (million dollar condos clinging to the waterfront amid profound squallor)

- White Plains (actually, a very pleasant, clean, and pretty city that is *finally* developing some attractions and culture of its own after being nothing more that a vanilla bedroom community)

- Poughkeepsie (goes to bed every night wishing it were a suburb, but isn't)

- Albany (a city I've never liked and that, in my opinion, has had profound and likely permanant flaws as an urban area ever since its founding)

- Stanford (what White Plains was like 25 years ago... dull, dull, dull)

- Bridgeport (one of nearly all of CT's cities that, save for New Haven and maybe Hartford, doesn't really have a reason to exist in its current form in the 21st century...)

- Waterbury (see Bridgeport...)

- New Haven (finally, finally turning around and becoming desirable... I should know, I went to college there!)

- Danbury (see Poughkeepsie)

- Hartford (yes, I include Hartford in the NYC metro since almost everyone I know who lives there considers themselves more NY/Western Ct than Boston/NE)

Compare that with the Burlington, Providence, Newport, Portsmouth, Manchester, Nashua, Fall River, Springfield, etc list, and especially consider the cost of living between the two lists, and where would you rather be?

Compare our list especially to where I previously lived in the upper Mid-West, an area 3 times as large, taking out the two flanking metros of Minn-St Paul and Chicago (7 hours apart): Milwaukee, Madison (actually a very cool city), LaCrosse (known for having the highest density of bars... bad bars... in the U.S. per capita), Rochester, Winona, Mason City, Fargo, and Duluth (on the verge of being a cool city)... I get seasonal affective disorder just thinking about it.

Regarding our own NE cities, from the perspective of a newcomer, I'm surprised people would lump Boston and Providence together as a metro, as I know people who wouldn't lump Providence together with Cranston or Warwick, let alone Boston. For most people I know living in Boston, Providence might just as well be Baltimore or Philly. Same goes for Springfield and Hartford.

I have to admit I've never much liked Fall River (which probably is a light rail stop away from booming, as Cotuit mentioned) or Worcester, MA (a depressing place which is MA's version of Waterbury, CT in my opinion). I love Burlington, VT, which I always thought did very much play up it's Montreal proximity ("where French emotion meets Boston intelligence"). I've always thought of Burlington more as a large town than as a "city," though, kind of like Amhert, MA but slightly bigger. I also love Newport, RI. I've only been in Manchester once, and must have missed the better areas, as it didn't make much of an impression on me at all. Same goes for Springfield.

Since I've only been in NE six months, I have yet to see many of the other cities I list below. Where would you folks recommend I go in the following cities to get the best flavor? (and the best photos, since I like to do city photography)

Portsmouth:

Nashua:

Portland:

Manchester:

Concord:

Kittery:

Northampton:

Thanks!

Oh, BTW, how does NH make any revenue if they have no income or sales tax? Do they have huge property taxes? The differences between states tax-wise tend to be neutral once you work everything out. If NH really is that much lighter tax-wise, with its Boston proximity, you'd think it'd be bursting at the seams. I think taxes hurt RI a lot. I know many people who work in Providence and would prefer to live there, but live in Attleboro, Seekonk, the Cape, Stonington, etc. instead because they fear RI taxes.

- Garris

Providence, RI

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Since I've only been in NE six months, I have yet to see many of the other cities I list below.  Where would you folks recommend I go in the following cities to get the best flavor? (and the best photos, since I like to do city photography)

Portsmouth:

Nashua:

Portland:

Manchester:

Concord:

Kittery:

Northampton:

Thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you haven't been, you should run (don't walk) to Portsmouth, NOW! Drop what you are doing and go! Well, actually it's a bit more lively in the summer so I guess you can wait a few months. Portland, Maine is also amazing, I lived there for a short time a decade ago, and it has only gotten better since.

Oh, BTW, how does NH make any revenue if they have no income or sales tax?  Do they have huge property taxes?  The differences between states tax-wise tend to be neutral once you work everything out.  If NH really is that much lighter tax-wise, with its Boston proximity, you'd think it'd be bursting at the seams.  I think taxes hurt RI a lot.  I know many people who work in Providence and would prefer to live there, but live in Attleboro, Seekonk, the Cape, Stonington, etc. instead because they fear RI taxes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Property taxes as already mentioned. Tolls, almost every expressway in NH has a toll on it. State liquor stores, the state has a monopoly on liquor sales and strictly controls who gets a license and runs massive liquor stores of it's own, most set alongside it's major expressways, rest areas with liquor stores. They did terrific business on Sunday's until Mass dropped it's Blue Laws, I can remember many a Sunday beer runs to NH in my Boston days. They also have a considerably lower cigarette tax than anyone else in New England, so much so that people drive to NH to stock up from nearby areas of Mass. and Maine (the new Gov. wants to raise that tax though). They also have a part time legislature, so that reduces a lot of the costs of government.

People are flooding into Southern NH from Mass. much much moreso than they are heading to Rhode Island. People heading to Rhode Island are simply seeking cheaper living quarters, the people with money and investments that are taxable are moving to New Hampshire.

New Hampshire's current tax structure is not viable though. The Supreme Court there recently ruled that school funding as it currently is (by town via property taxes) cannot continue. The state needs to find a funding source quick.

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Garris don't waist your time going to Nashua man.  Its Boston sprawl.  But do waist your time going to all the others preferably MANCHVEGAS!!! :)

TheAnk I don't have to worry about paying any property tax...My parents can take care of that.  ;)

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Nashua has a lively, interesting down town. Good restaurants and bars. However, stay away from the Daniel Webster Highway. Endless Chilis, Applebees, and traffic.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Nashua has a lively, interesting down town.  Good restaurants and bars.  However, stay away from the Daniel Webster Highway.  Endless Chilis, Applebees, and traffic.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's very true. Downtown has alot of good places... like Headlines!! ;)

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HI All, nice discussion. I didn't even know about this site until tonight. I have always had a fascination with America's urban centers. I travel ALOT for work, and just got home from Hartford, Prov, and Cape Cod. Didn't even know how big Fall River and New Bedford were until I drove through. Those old cities are really gems, with their architecture.

As far as New York's surrounding cities, the poster above left out, what they are worth, Yonkers (200k pop, 5th biggest in NY), New Rochelle and Mt. Vernon (70k). The problem NY has is that the surrounding cities do lose their character, even tho say, New Rochelle used to have some, with grand old theaters, famous film industry from the 20s/30s, thats all gone as NY swallows everything. NE cities tend to retain their individual character. Another city that was kinda overlooked is Danbury. Interesting place, it is its own media market, own airport, and equidistant to Hartford and NYC. Like Springfield from the Simpsons, and kinda lost in time.

E.

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I think the metro New York cities will start regaining some character over time. White Plains for instance is becoming the new Hoboken because Hoboken is now every bit as unaffordable as Manhattan. I think we'll see more creative people priced out of the city looking to places like White Plains and New Rochelle, and even Danbury and Bridgeport as options. We have people fleeing New York as far afield as Providence, so the cities close to NYC should also benefit from an influx of people.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think the metro New York cities will start regaining some character over time. White Plains for instance is becoming the new Hoboken because Hoboken is now every bit as unaffordable as Manhattan. I think we'll see more creative people priced out of the city looking to places like White Plains and New Rochelle, and even Danbury and Bridgeport as options. We have people fleeing New York as far afield as Providence, so the cities close to NYC should also benefit from an influx of people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know how I missed this post, but I thought I'd chime in regarding the NY metro area cities. I grew up in the area North of NYC (Putnam County, just North of Westchester) and I think these cities you mention are long-term projects, much more so than our New England Cities.

While White Plains, which has always been pleasant and clean, is starting to get some character/nightlife/residental development, it has still got a ways to go. New Rochelle and, to a lesser extent Yonkers and Peekskill, have also had some nacient rebirth.

In my experience, however, these areas will always be limited by what I call the "Westchester mentality." In the NY Metro, there is a stark choice between living in "the city" or "the surburbs." With the exception of some edge cities like Brooklyn, Hoboken, Jersey City, etc., there really isn't the kind of hybrid quasi-urban living in the NY Metro that cities such as Boston (i.e. Cambridge, Brookline, etc.), Providence (the East Side, West End, Federal Hill, etc), Minneapolis/St. Paul, Philly, etc. offer.

For that reason, people not living in NYC proper tend to have a militant suburban mindset. You often hear people who live in the NY metro, even in cities like White Plains and Stamford, often say, "If we wanted city here, I'd live in The City." That's why the NY area suburbs and cities tend to have so little character. Even as far away as New Haven, around which there really is nothing but bedroom communities for an hour in every direction, you'll ask people if they go into New Haven for its restaurants and theater, and people just say, "Why? If I want good food or theater, I'll just drive into The City."

This mindset of NYC being the only place anything of character, entertainment, or edge being desired or needed will always hold back the NY area sub-cities. For this reason too, NIMBY-ism in the New York Metro suburbs and cities tends to be greater than anywhere else I've ever lived. In their modern incarnations, cities such as Danbury and Peekskill are population centers that were started as cities long ago, but desperately wish to be suburbs today. If only they didn't have their pesky density, downtowns, and issues to deal with!

For some reason, you almost never hear this in Providence, Manchester, Fall River, etc. When was the last time you heard someone who lives in Providence or Warwick say, "For good food? Screw Federal Hill, I'm going to Boston," or, "Good theater? Hah. Who do those Trinity Rep or Black Rep folks think they are? It's Boston for me," or "What's this Waterfire thing? Let's do a nighttime Duck Boat on Boston Harbor." You get the point.

New England's cities want to be cities and, not just that, they want to be first rate cities. That mindset difference will always separate New England's and the NY metro's cities. Development for Hoboken just makes it a more expensive bedroom community. Development for Providence or Manchester make them better cities.

- Garris

[soapbox mode off]

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  • 2 weeks later...

I voted for Hartford because:

-I lived in the area for most of my life (hometown bias)

-I see great potential for the next 5-10 years (ie. what Providence did in the 90's)

-It may not be a desirable place yet, but its still an economic giant

-Providence was already kicking every other cities butt in the poll anyway :D

Right now its no contest. I believe Providence is in the best shape in New England, and the projects just keep on coming. I truly think that in a couple years Hartford will be a close second, and has the potential to be a great city on par w/ Prov down the road.

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I think Hartford already is a close second, and Providence better watch her back. The "Power Block" proposal in Providence, and the drive for more hotel rooms is in part a response to what Hartford has going on with it's new convention centre and Hartford 21.

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