Boston, Massachusetts

What’s It like to live in Boston?

I found it difficult to meet people in Boston, especially coming from the south where people are a bit more outgoing.

Sure we met nice people and all, but we found it was much easier to get people together, plan trips, etc before we moved to Boston. As a friend who visited us once said 'people just look so busy here'. Busy doing what? Not sure.

Everybody seems a bit bottled-up, head down, go to work and then go home, stay close to your old-friends/family, etc….and not to mention the traffic/ aggressive car culture here..its just not a pleasant experience driving (except on the emerald necklace or storrow drive with minimal traffic..its a lot of fun)

Maybe once you get to know people they will warm up..we put our share of effort in and yes made some friends but we still found it challenging to expand our social circle to our preference and to find people who were down to go out with a big group, host a party, camp or maybe rent a big air bnb in the mountains for the weekend..it was just so much work to get people to do anything.

We're both outgoing folks who love to meet-up with friends, etc (even if just for a 30 minute coffee on a weekend), so this was tough..

What’s It like to live in Boston?

It's a fun city, but it can take a while to reap the rewards of it because it can be so difficult to establish yourself socially. it's super insular and a lot of the ppl that stay long term either are from new england or work in tech.

it's a super livable city. it makes sense to take the train, drive, walk, or bike all at the same time depending on the time of day or where you're going. for convenience sake, you need to have a car. it's really pedestrian friendly.

ppl here are smart and really value education, so don't be surprised if ppl ask you where you went to school or what you study/do for work early on in conversation.

the surrounding parts and how easy it is to leave boston is the best part of living there. maine, new hampshire, vermont are all easy day trips and you can go to the beach, ski, camp, hike, in the same day. highly recommend taking trips here.

it's expensive. make sure to negotiate your salary as much as you can.

somerville, cambridge, and brighton are great places to raise a family. also malden and south medford. they're super walkable, safe, and super bike friendly. brookline probably has the best school district though.

boston is pretty segregated. many communities of color live south of the city in roxbury, dorchester, jp, or north in malden. the general culture is pretty white and permeates into a lot of things like nightlife, restaurants, and activities strongly catering to white audiences. even though your friends don't have to reflect this, it can make it a little more difficult to feel like you 100% belong if you're a person of color.

sports are huge.

it's a great city. i didn't appreciate it as much at the time, but it's a great place to live and provides such a livable and fun lifestyle for all ages. highly recommend.

What is it like to live in Boston?

Living in Boston is everything great that you could imagine living in a city would be. Boston is relatively small, its often called the walking city. We've got world class museums universities, theater, healthcare and dining all minutes away.

It's safe…particularly when compared to other cities in its class. That's not to say we don't have crime, we do. But, serious crime is minimal.

It's old; The roads? Old! The structures? Old! Many apartments, single families homes and institutions reside in original brick and or clapboard domiciles. Back Bay (neighborhood) is known for its brick buildings, full of charm from days long gone by. Even our baseball park is old. Fenway Park (1912) is the oldest and one of the smallest ballparks currently in use in the Major Leagues. It can be challenging living in old buildings, they are drafty with narrow doors and low ceilings.

The food; Although Boston has some very impressive and sophisticated restaurants, we are known for fried seafood and clam chowder. Bostonians flock to Summer shack, Barking crab, Belle Isle Seafood and Legal looking for a fresh catch. The good news is, we have fine dining such as Deuxave, Mistral, No.9 Park and Sonsie to offer as well.

The cost; it's freaking expensive. A small studio in the city will cost $1750/month cold on commonwealth Ave. An updated 1 bedroom on Garrison St. lists for $4156/month. Food is expensive. Heat is expensive. Car insurance…expensive. There are few bargains to be found here.

What is it like to live in Boston?

It's been over a month that I moved to Boston and I think I am eligible to answer this recommended question.

People are CRAZY about sports. Back in India I’ve seen cricket fanatics in stadiums. Just imagine a whole city full of such people who support Red Sox and Celtics. That’s Boston.
Boston is beautiful, hands down. A mix of modern buildings standing on a puzzle of streets will keep any traveler busy for a full day. But it’s worth it.
I can’t comment about other cities of the US; but Boston is awfully quiet as compared to any city in my home country.
There’s not ‘much’ traffic rush (atleast around the South End). Although I have to say that pedestrians keep crossing roads irrespective of traffic signal.
That being said, even the drivers are generous to let every pedestrian cross the road even if the light is green.
Although I haven’t faced ‘racism’ as such, but yes I did experience an awkward-ish situation in a restaurant in my first week.
The weather’s a joke here. It can rain anytime. I mean it.
Boston is a town full of students - mainly the locals, Chinese, Indians, and Arabs. Also world class institutes like Harvard, MIT, BU, BC, Northeastern are based in Boston/Cambridge. Throw a stone in Boston, and there are high chances that you’ll hit a college student.
So, yeah. In the first month, these were the things that I could jot down in points. I personally am very grateful to get a chance to study in Boston. It is altogether a beautiful and soothing experience, so far. You should at least visit the city; if not move here. Totally worth it.

What to Know Before Moving to Boston
It has been one year since moving to Boston, and I want to address the most frequently asked questions and concerns I get about living in Boston and what you should know before moving to Boston.