# So... tell me about Boston. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 14, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379 "2006-03-14T23:18:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/21 "2006-03-15T20:43:23Z")
> [@MessyPaint](#): > > By the way? Is it accepted to call American Cambridge residents “Cantabrigians”? Not sure if the people are called that, but there’s an apartment building between Harvard & Central called The Cantabrigian. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/22 "2006-03-15T20:46:34Z")
> [@MessyPaint](#): > > By the way? Is it accepted to call American Cambridge residents “Cantabrigians”? I’ve heard it; it may not be accepted, but it is done. Not much to see around Kendall Square. Except my office. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/23 "2006-03-15T21:15:30Z")
Another transplant here. I, too, suggest that you avoid driving, if possible. Boston [public transit](http://www.mbta.com) is cheaper than most places - $0.90 for the bus and $1.25 for the subway - and it’ll get you most places you want to go. Also, Bostonians refer to the subway as “the T” and subway stops are marked by big round signs with a captial T on them. Public Transit is the only thing in Boston that isn’t expensive. If you go out for drinks, plan on spending $4 per beer. I like almost all of the Thai food I’ve had here. _shrug_ I especially recommend [Sugar and Spice](http://restaurants.boston.com/restaurants-view-6178684200-sugar_spice-cambridge-ma.htm) in Porter Square, Cambridge. The [North End](http://www.northendboston.com/) is the Italian area of Boston and famous for its restaurants and pastry shops. Definitely bring a coat, and definitely hit Boston Common. Harvard Square is nice to walk around, too, though everything there is even more overpriced than usual. The people can be rude, but I think the reputation is mostly overblown. ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/24 "2006-03-15T21:38:35Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > Call me defensive, but I think this is a little bit of a Cambridge thing, not a Boston thing. I certainly encountered a lot more attitude when I lived in Cambridge than when I lived anywhere else. Recommendation: don’t live in Cambridge, though it’s a useful place to live _near_. I wish I could say I agreed with you. However, those experiences happened in various places around the Boston metro. The majority of them in Boston proper. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/25 "2006-03-15T22:00:38Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > I lived in Cambridge for three years. The only thing I have to add to “extremely expensive” is that Bostonians (in general) are the rudest, angriest people I’ve met in my life. Add racist, and that was my experience of Boston. The even weirder thing was how proud people were of being so horrible. If you come from an area where people are basically decent in public (and appropriately ashamed when they aren’t or there’s some sort of societal disapproval of egregious behavior) it’s a shock at best. I could never get used to it. I don’t need that much nastiness in life. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/26 "2006-03-15T22:58:29Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > People! People! The Tibetan place is in TEELE Square. Sheesh! 😉 > > ::mutter mutter next thing you know we’ll be claiming Ball Square is Powderhouse mutter mutter:: I live right down the street from Teele Sq. The Tibetan restaurant there is OK. The one IN Davis Sq. is even better. Yes. Two of them in a few block radius. We’re spoiled. **anu-la1979** , we’ll have to rock over to Arlington center (also conveniently close. Heh.) and try Sweet Chilli. I see I need to expand my roaming range for Thai and Malaysian! ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/27 "2006-03-15T23:00:04Z")
Sorry for the restaurant hijack btw… um… all I can say is I like to eat! ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/28 "2006-03-15T23:03:21Z")
I have to admit… I’m certainly leaning towards staying where I am. Moving to Boston would be a huge change for me- I’m currently living in a small, very friendly town with lots of mountains. The main reason I’d be tempted to move (well, except for the chance to work on a really high-profile project) is because of house prices- if houses cost more in Boston than they do here, well… ain’t no way I’d be willing to move. Okay, maybe if they offer me enough money, I supposed. Yes, I am a whore. I’m supposed to fly out for the interview on Tuesday, with a return flight on Thursday. Not much time to get a feel for the town. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/29 "2006-03-15T23:23:40Z")
> [@MessyPaint](#): > > By the way? Is it accepted to call American Cambridge residents “Cantabrigians”? Sure… they love it. In addition to the apartment building mentioned earlier, there’s the Cantab lounge. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/30 "2006-03-15T23:49:55Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > I lived in Cambridge for three years. The only thing I have to add to “extremely expensive” is that Bostonians (in general) are the rudest, angriest people I’ve met in my life. I used to live in NYC, so I can tell you it’s not just a big city thing. > \ > I loved the subway though. I’ve lived here all my life, and I find this very odd. In my experience, people are mostly okay, \*except \* on the subway, which suddenly turns them either rude or challenged, and at rush hour, is pretty much a kill or be killed situation. Not that I’m judging. I’m that person barelling up the escalator to get to the incoming train, yelling “The left lane is for passing, people! Move to the right or you’re going down!” Boston has some wonderful qualities, and some ugly ones. It’s got great schools, great hospitals, great history and culture, great food, theater, and music. It’s also insanely expensive, unbelievably segregated, and freakin’ cold (BRING THAT COAT!!!). Both our roads and our politics are baffling to outsiders. We’re not the warmest people, but hey, we’ve got things to do. Today, buddy. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/31 "2006-03-16T01:22:12Z")
I always found the rudeness issue to be concentrated to the cities, or neighbourhoods where people could genuinely say they were “from” Boston. Like generations and generations of Boston breeding. Growing up in the 'burbs, everyone I knew seemed to be a transplant from somewhere, usually somewhere international at that. Lexington itself seems to be about eleventy percent Japanese, Indian and Jewish. I remember when we moved, all of our neighbours (2 Israeli families, 2 New York Jewish families, 1 group of hippies) came by the day we moved in and gave us FOOD. Cookies, meals etc. etc… Although, the people that moved out were low-grade mafiosos who had to leave when the husband got thrown in jail for tax evasion, so maybe they were all “let’s befriend the crazy Indian family before they turn out to be part of the mafia.” Anyway, we had moved there from Quebec and I still remember my dad turning to my mother and beaming out “SEE, this is AMERICA!” It was such a fobby America-is-the-land-of-milk-and-honey type moment. Still makes me smile to remember it. **Idlewild** , I just read that Pandan Leaf got shut down :(. I guess they re-opened up as a mediocre Thai-Singaporean joint that does much better business. Oh, and I think there’s yet another Tibetan restaurant in Central Square. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/32 "2006-03-16T01:35:16Z")
> [@Lightnin'](#): > > Moving to Boston would be a huge change for me- I’m currently living in a small, very friendly town with lots of mountains. The main reason I’d be tempted to move (well, except for the chance to work on a really high-profile project) is because of house prices- if houses cost more in Boston than they do here, well… ain’t no way I’d be willing to move. The three most expensive housing markets in the U.S. are San Fransisco, Boston, and New York City. San Francisco is almost always ranked #1 and Boston comes in at #2 if NYC as a whole is taken into account rather than just Manhattan. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/33 "2006-03-16T02:23:43Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > I’m that person barelling up the escalator to get to the incoming train, yelling “The left lane is for passing, people! Move to the right or you’re going down!” If you’re on the orange line, then I’m the person hot on your heels, using you as my own personal battering ram. Thanks 🙂 With all the talk about ethnic food, I’m surprised no one has yet mentioned [Chacarero](http://www.chacarero.com/). It’s a Chilean sandwich! With green beans! Best damn sandwich in the entire world. And a 30 second walk from my office. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/34 "2006-03-16T02:32:21Z")
The Corp office for the company I used to work for were located in Cambridge. Over 20 years, we were there quite often for meetings and such. Housing Prices - never really looked into and the information I would have picked up would be out of date. Driving - My advice is don’t. Cabs are reasonable and the subway is easy. Food - I miss a couple of places we used visit on a regular basis: Florence’s - A little family owned Italian place in the North End - just down the street from Paul Revere’s house. Jimmy’s Harborside - hmmm baked stuffed lobster Union Oyster House - chowder and mussels - can’t go wrong Shopping/people watching around Faneuill Hall/Quincy Market is always fun. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/35 "2006-03-16T02:59:20Z")
> [@dinahmoe](#): > > If you’re on the orange line, then I’m the person hot on your heels, using you as my own personal battering ram. Thanks 🙂 I am! And you’re welcome. For some reason my morning commute is always impeded by people who apparently just find the T station scenic, judging by their indifference to the arrival of the actual train. I could fill an entire thread with my daily annoyances with the MBTA and it’s ridership. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/36 "2006-03-16T03:24:34Z")
Shagnasty is fairly accurate in his assessment. The only thing I would add that I didn’t particularly care for the people in Boston when I lived there. One of the downsides of having all those colleges is that most of the people I met had attended them. In other words, they had their close knit group of friends they had known since college or even high school and didn’t really have much interest in meeting new people. And most of them acted like they came over on the Mayflower with a six pack and a Sox cap. It’s also a very young town. That’s nice when you are 24 like I was when I moved up there but by the time I was 28 I felt like the oldest person out. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/37 "2006-03-16T10:04:22Z")
Well, according to the [Mage: The Awakening](http://www.white-wolf.com/mage/index.php) game, it’s currently overrun with mages, rats, and cockroaches. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/38 "2006-03-16T14:13:46Z")
> [@Idlewild](#): > > I live right down the street from Teele Sq. The Tibetan restaurant there is OK. The one IN Davis Sq. is even better. Yes. Two of them in a few block radius. We’re spoiled. Ooooo! Where is it and what’s it called? I wasn’t aware of it. There’s also one around the corner from the aforementioned Green St Grille in Central. Or at least there was the last time I was awake on the CT1. > [@Idlewild](#): > > **anu-la1979** , we’ll have to rock over to Arlington center (also conveniently close. Heh.) and try Sweet Chilli. I see I need to expand my roaming range for Thai and Malaysian! I do like Sweet Chili best of the handful of Thai restaurants in Arlington. Their Crazy Noodle is crazy spicy. I also dig certain dishes at the Vietnamese place across the street - the Vietnamese caramel with salmon, the Ha Ha Rolls, and a couple of other things. Service is friendly though sometimes less than efficient. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/39 "2006-03-16T14:16:38Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Ooooo! Where is it and what’s it called? I wasn’t aware of it. There’s also one around the corner from the aforementioned Green St Grille in Central. Or at least there was the last time I was awake on the CT1. Oops, looks like **anu-la1979** already covred that one. I should also chime in with another apology about the restaurant hijack. I, too, love to eat. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379/40 "2006-03-16T15:24:48Z")
My opinions are in some cases the same as other posts and sometimes not. Subway: frankly, I think our subway is below average and expensive for the services offered. The design sucks - it’s a hub-and-spoke system where you have to go all the way to the center to get anywhere else (no “spider web” connecting two stations on different lines); no direct connections between major transportation centers like North Station and South Station (which totally baffles me); the largest station in the system (South Station) has only one subway line running from it; AC often not working in summer; sometimes heat not working in winter; have to walk a looong way sometimes to get to a station entrance. I guess New York and Paris spoiled me. Driving: if you spend a couple of hours driving around downtown so that you get used to things, it’s fine. I don’t know what people complain so much about - it’s much easier driving here than in most other large cities I’ve been in. On the down side, there are MANY aggressive rude drivers here and many tailgaters - although they are far more noticeable on the highway than in town. Housing prices: single-family houses anywhere within 30 miles of Boston are going to be very expensive. You can get a nice condo for well under $300K in a suburb; a small condo for under $300K in the city proper (emphasis on “small”). You can get a very nice condo a Boston not-central-but-still-close neighborhood (such as Dorchester or Hyde Park) for a good deal under $300K. A very basic 2-BR ranch in a middle-class town 30 miles away, 1.5 hour commute (driving or train), is probably going to cost at least $300K, if you’re lucky. Pretty good selection of restaurants. Very good Chinatown. Very good Vietnamese. That Chilean sandwich place is excellent. Great medical facilities, great libraries, more cultural & arts venues than you could see in a lifetime of Saturday nights. Cabs are cheap compared to other major cities. Major airport close by. Amtrak starting departure point so you can always get a seat. But if your move is based on the hope of finding cheaper housing prices, you’re wasting your time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-boston/348379.md?page=3)