Advice on Moving-Boston vs. San Francisco
Aug 25th, 2005, 10:21 AM
#21
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One idea to consider...
Our nephew lives in New Hampshire and commutes to Boston daily. Cost of living is way below that of Boston, which makes the commute worthwhile...about an hour each way.
As much as I like travelling to the Bay Area, I'd pick Boston over San Francisco as a place to live. I like the four seasons, the varied coast line within a short drive, mountains a couple of hours away (nothing like the Sierras but respectable skiing, the close proximity to so many different rural and urban areas.
Our nephew lives in New Hampshire and commutes to Boston daily. Cost of living is way below that of Boston, which makes the commute worthwhile...about an hour each way.
As much as I like travelling to the Bay Area, I'd pick Boston over San Francisco as a place to live. I like the four seasons, the varied coast line within a short drive, mountains a couple of hours away (nothing like the Sierras but respectable skiing, the close proximity to so many different rural and urban areas.
Aug 25th, 2005, 10:27 AM
#22
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One thing I meant to add in my post is that the proximity to family that I've re-gained by moving back to the Bay Area is really a plus. After having lived so many years away from family, it's nice to be able to go to family events that come up, but that you would never have flown back for if you were back east or farther away. This fact on top of the other things I mentioned are what made the move back to the Bay Area such a good one for me and my husband.
Aug 25th, 2005, 10:53 AM
#23
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>>the varied coast line within a short drive, mountains a couple of hours away, the close proximity to so many different rural and urban areas.<<
That's an excellent description of the San Francisco Bay area !!!
Stu Dudley
That's an excellent description of the San Francisco Bay area !!!
Stu Dudley
Aug 25th, 2005, 11:45 AM
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>>>Interesting point! It would be fun to debate which coast has more and better of what. But I don't think that's what interests SusanMac.<<
A friend of my sisters is a travel editor for a Camden Maine newspaper. My sister drove her up the coast from Santa Barbara to Monterey. When she returned to Maine, she wrote that she saw more of the coastline on that one trip, than she had seen in 20 years covering Maine. She did not say which was the prettiest - just that in Maine, access to the shore is somewhat restricted. In California, there are many, many regulations that go to extremes to allow public access to the coast.
Stu Dudley
A friend of my sisters is a travel editor for a Camden Maine newspaper. My sister drove her up the coast from Santa Barbara to Monterey. When she returned to Maine, she wrote that she saw more of the coastline on that one trip, than she had seen in 20 years covering Maine. She did not say which was the prettiest - just that in Maine, access to the shore is somewhat restricted. In California, there are many, many regulations that go to extremes to allow public access to the coast.
Stu Dudley
Aug 25th, 2005, 12:15 PM
#26
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Boston has a better baseball team and think how close you'd be to Montreal -- if you have enjoyed living in Paris. I'd take New England any day -- having lived on both coasts. p.s. it's real lobster in New England, too.
Aug 25th, 2005, 03:51 PM
#27
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You're getting great advice on both sides of this but as one who has lived in Boston for almost 20 years but grew up in NJ/NYC....Boston winters are DEFINITELY longer than other places south of us. It's not the December/January/February are that bad. Yeah it can snow a lot and be cold but that can be fun too. It's that Spring rarely arrives before early to mid-May so March and April (when you're dying for some nice weather) are generally very chilly, wet. For the past two years, I have been known to wear winter fleece gloves to my son's late May baseball games.
With all that said, I still love living here although i think SF is a great city. I do think we are less expensive and more convenient on a budget than SF. But we are definitely less sophisticated and not as ethnically diverse. Brookline/Brighton would give you more diversity and access to the city and some great ethnic restaurants.
Good luck with your decision!
With all that said, I still love living here although i think SF is a great city. I do think we are less expensive and more convenient on a budget than SF. But we are definitely less sophisticated and not as ethnically diverse. Brookline/Brighton would give you more diversity and access to the city and some great ethnic restaurants.
Good luck with your decision!
Aug 26th, 2005, 03:35 AM
#28
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My 2 cents for what it's worth...
I live in a beautiful coastal town about 45 north of Boston.
Though I love Boston, I would choose SF in a heartbeat, perhaps based on weather alone. The above poster is correct. "Nice" weather does not arrive until June and by November it's very cold and can snow. I got married late May and we were freezing at our photo shoot outside. One storm can drop 3 feet of snow on you, and temps may be near zero, but with wind chill, we had several stretches last winter that were 20 below. I love the snow and love to ski, but when you're up at 3am shoveling to get to a meeting because you know traffic will be crawling.... it's a little much. It's prime time for travel agents in the winter when everyone wants to escape, so I don't think you can expect any deals for trips away.
Boston IS also very Puritanical. An exaggeration, but it seems the sidewalks roll up at midnight. It's also much more a college city, for better or worse. I also find the people less friendly than those in CA. I'm a bit biased - I have never lived in CA, but SF is one of my favorite cities - after Venice and Paris.
There are lovely areas around here - Cape Anne, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, VT, Maine, but if you have family in SF, especially if you have been away for awhile, I'd think it would be nice to be back near them. CA is so beautiful and diverse!
If hubby does not yet have a job, and you plan to rent, you could always move if the area you choose doesn't suit you after a period. Good luck! Let us know what you decide.
I live in a beautiful coastal town about 45 north of Boston.
Though I love Boston, I would choose SF in a heartbeat, perhaps based on weather alone. The above poster is correct. "Nice" weather does not arrive until June and by November it's very cold and can snow. I got married late May and we were freezing at our photo shoot outside. One storm can drop 3 feet of snow on you, and temps may be near zero, but with wind chill, we had several stretches last winter that were 20 below. I love the snow and love to ski, but when you're up at 3am shoveling to get to a meeting because you know traffic will be crawling.... it's a little much. It's prime time for travel agents in the winter when everyone wants to escape, so I don't think you can expect any deals for trips away.
Boston IS also very Puritanical. An exaggeration, but it seems the sidewalks roll up at midnight. It's also much more a college city, for better or worse. I also find the people less friendly than those in CA. I'm a bit biased - I have never lived in CA, but SF is one of my favorite cities - after Venice and Paris.
There are lovely areas around here - Cape Anne, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, VT, Maine, but if you have family in SF, especially if you have been away for awhile, I'd think it would be nice to be back near them. CA is so beautiful and diverse!
If hubby does not yet have a job, and you plan to rent, you could always move if the area you choose doesn't suit you after a period. Good luck! Let us know what you decide.
Aug 27th, 2005, 03:23 AM
#29
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Thank you all for your input. The description of areas is helpful wyatt92. We will look into these neighborhoods.
The talk of what each coast has to offer is an interesting one. I wouldn't mind knowing the differences although wouldn't be a deciding factor. One thing I loved about SF is there is so much to do in the surrounding areas-hiking, skiing, beach, wine tasting....
Going to baseball games again sounds fun, although being a SF native I always supported the Giants.
Is it difficult to find apartments with a garage?
Thanks again.
The talk of what each coast has to offer is an interesting one. I wouldn't mind knowing the differences although wouldn't be a deciding factor. One thing I loved about SF is there is so much to do in the surrounding areas-hiking, skiing, beach, wine tasting....
Going to baseball games again sounds fun, although being a SF native I always supported the Giants.
Is it difficult to find apartments with a garage?
Thanks again.
Aug 27th, 2005, 04:01 AM
#30
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An aspect to living in the Boston area that I really love and appreciate is how many different places I can go for a getaway within a 3-4 hour drive. I can go to Cape Ann for georgeous beaches, fantastic seafood, antiquing, quaint shopping. I can go anywhere in Cape Cod and an island trip to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket where I really feel I've gotten away. I can go North to my choice of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont for a weekend with endless options to explore and enjoy - skiing, sledding, lakes, rivers, ocean. I can spend a weekend in Providence, go to Newport and a but further I can easily go to NYC or into Canada. Over the many years I have lived here I have loved going away for 2-4 nights to B+B's, inns, luxury hotels and resorts, camping, log cabins, ski condos and anything I desire it is easy to find and do. Just thought I would throw this perspective out. Living here feels like all of New England is your home not just Boston.
If you come to dread winter and are able to afford it, planning to escape it to Florida, Carribean or Mexico sometime over the winter is the key. Also the more you can participate in winter sports the more you will come to like winter. For me personally what I hate the most about the weather here are the months of November,March, April. They are shoulder months and usually very dreary, cloudy and depressing months. When April comes I think it should be spring but it isn't. December, Jan, Feb I don't mind because as long as it is sunny out eventhough it is very cold and snowy I don't mind and these months tend to be sunny and bright, when it isn't snowing. The lack of sun in the months I mentioned is what gets to me.
If you come to dread winter and are able to afford it, planning to escape it to Florida, Carribean or Mexico sometime over the winter is the key. Also the more you can participate in winter sports the more you will come to like winter. For me personally what I hate the most about the weather here are the months of November,March, April. They are shoulder months and usually very dreary, cloudy and depressing months. When April comes I think it should be spring but it isn't. December, Jan, Feb I don't mind because as long as it is sunny out eventhough it is very cold and snowy I don't mind and these months tend to be sunny and bright, when it isn't snowing. The lack of sun in the months I mentioned is what gets to me.
Aug 27th, 2005, 08:29 AM
#31
I'll attempt to give my view of the differences of people without offending anyone.
New England folks are more set in their ways, "staid" is the word that comes to mind. Liberalness comes more from an everyone minds their own business kind of attitude. There is a strong and generous spirit and a sturdiness and self-sufficiency that I believe comes from choosing to live thru all those long harsh winters! That said, some of my best friends are Vermonters.
People on the west coast have a more laid back attitude. The friendliest shopkeepers I have met anywhere were in San Francisco recently. I believe the liberal attitude is truly embraced, not just as a side effect of keeping to your own business. Racial and sexual preferences receive more acceptance (mixed race couples or gay couples do not so much as turn heads in Seattle, San Fran or LA). I have a long-held personal theory that living in a milder climate shows in the generalized personality of its people (look at all the smiling native people in sunnier climes such as Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii).
These are my own extremely personal observations from living on both coasts of the U.S. (4 states back east, 2 states out west).
New England folks are more set in their ways, "staid" is the word that comes to mind. Liberalness comes more from an everyone minds their own business kind of attitude. There is a strong and generous spirit and a sturdiness and self-sufficiency that I believe comes from choosing to live thru all those long harsh winters! That said, some of my best friends are Vermonters.
People on the west coast have a more laid back attitude. The friendliest shopkeepers I have met anywhere were in San Francisco recently. I believe the liberal attitude is truly embraced, not just as a side effect of keeping to your own business. Racial and sexual preferences receive more acceptance (mixed race couples or gay couples do not so much as turn heads in Seattle, San Fran or LA). I have a long-held personal theory that living in a milder climate shows in the generalized personality of its people (look at all the smiling native people in sunnier climes such as Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii).
These are my own extremely personal observations from living on both coasts of the U.S. (4 states back east, 2 states out west).
Aug 27th, 2005, 10:19 AM
#32
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I agree with Suze. New Englanders are not puritanical in the sense that they disapprove of the way others live, more that they think it rude to stick their nose where it doesn't belong. There is also a sort of provincial thing. It's your family, your neighborhood, your city, your state, and New England in that order. Everything else is kind of not that important. Of course I'm generalizing but I have never found people in this area to be unfriendly just unwilling to intrude. As far as the weather, it's not the cold or snow but the constant wind from November til May that makes everyone walk very quickly with their heads down. No one will smile at you outside because their face may freeze off. This is not restricted to Boston. I have seen this phenomenon in Buffalo and Chicago also. You however know the SF attitude and only you can judge how comfortable you will be.
Aug 27th, 2005, 12:26 PM
#33
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Hi SusanMac,
Suze and Shaz have some good points. I moved from the UK to the Boston suburbs over 3 years ago. I think I can take one more winter and I thought I loved snow!!
It's very, very cold here and we definitely get cabin fever even though we take 2 winter vacations in Nov and Feb (Hawaii, UK, California, Florida, Crete ...anywhere warm!)
I've been to California 4 times and prefer it to Massachusetts but chose to live in the NE to be closer to home (the UK). I'm not terribly unhappy here but the winters are brutal and really the travel times don't seem to matter much because, hey we only fly home twice a year at most.
Move to SF, be near your family, an advantage especially if you intend to have kids. You can take a vacation in Boston (preferably in the fall
!
Good Luck!!_
Suze and Shaz have some good points. I moved from the UK to the Boston suburbs over 3 years ago. I think I can take one more winter and I thought I loved snow!!
It's very, very cold here and we definitely get cabin fever even though we take 2 winter vacations in Nov and Feb (Hawaii, UK, California, Florida, Crete ...anywhere warm!)
I've been to California 4 times and prefer it to Massachusetts but chose to live in the NE to be closer to home (the UK). I'm not terribly unhappy here but the winters are brutal and really the travel times don't seem to matter much because, hey we only fly home twice a year at most.
Move to SF, be near your family, an advantage especially if you intend to have kids. You can take a vacation in Boston (preferably in the fall
!Good Luck!!_
Aug 27th, 2005, 04:12 PM
#34
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Hello SusanMac, haven't read every post but just want to suggest that you check out the cost of living in SF before you make any final decisions. I love SF but you really need a large income to live in SF. On the SF Chronicals webpage which www.sfgate.com there is an interesting article under the Real Estate (they call the section Home & Gardens) about a gentleman that purchased an 800sq.ft. cottage. You might find it interesting.
But other then the financial end, the traffic and so forth it is easy living here. Best wishes to both of you with your decision.
But other then the financial end, the traffic and so forth it is easy living here. Best wishes to both of you with your decision.
Aug 28th, 2005, 09:38 AM
#36
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Hi SusanMac,
I have never lived in the San Francisco Bay area (only visited it twice and it rained both times). But I did live in Boston and in the Boston area for quite a few years while going to graduate school (Boston University. I confess I do love Boston, even though I am a survivor of the Blizzard of '76 and was there as well in the Blizzard of '95-96.
Although what everybody else said about the harsh weather in Boston is certainly true - and while for me it was even harsher because I come from sunny and warm Brazil - I would not think twice about choosing Boston. I found the people there to be friendly and helpful, and not necessarily any more conservative than your average American (well, I livef in Central Illinois before going to Boston...). Actually, I find it strange to think that California would be any less conservative: look who is governor there!
As to places to live in the Boston area, I would consider Watertown. It did not use to be as expensive as other parts of the city (I think it was cheaper than Brookline) when I lived there, and it was of easy access both to the Western suburbs as well as to the downtown area.
But when I spent time there in the 90's, I chose to live in Gloucester, on Cape Ann. A perfect choice!
I have never lived in the San Francisco Bay area (only visited it twice and it rained both times). But I did live in Boston and in the Boston area for quite a few years while going to graduate school (Boston University. I confess I do love Boston, even though I am a survivor of the Blizzard of '76 and was there as well in the Blizzard of '95-96.
Although what everybody else said about the harsh weather in Boston is certainly true - and while for me it was even harsher because I come from sunny and warm Brazil - I would not think twice about choosing Boston. I found the people there to be friendly and helpful, and not necessarily any more conservative than your average American (well, I livef in Central Illinois before going to Boston...). Actually, I find it strange to think that California would be any less conservative: look who is governor there!
As to places to live in the Boston area, I would consider Watertown. It did not use to be as expensive as other parts of the city (I think it was cheaper than Brookline) when I lived there, and it was of easy access both to the Western suburbs as well as to the downtown area.
But when I spent time there in the 90's, I chose to live in Gloucester, on Cape Ann. A perfect choice!
Aug 31st, 2005, 06:23 AM
#37
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Thank you for all comments. Suze you did a great job of exolaining without offending I think. I now have a better understanding. Even though I will have to get used to snow at the moment we are leaning toward Boston. Thanks to everyone comments about what to do in Boston and the surrounding areas you have me excited about exploring a new place. My husband and I are looking forward to settling somewhere for awhile after moving 3 or 4 times in 3 years to different countries! Hopefully where ever we decide that housing bubble will burst!
Aug 31st, 2005, 08:54 AM
#39
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While I live in the SF Bay area and think it's a wonderful place to live,
Boston would be a choice if I were younger. MA is big in the internet world and housing has got to be cheaper. You still are in a blue state and have a serious Irish community to support you.
Boston would be a choice if I were younger. MA is big in the internet world and housing has got to be cheaper. You still are in a blue state and have a serious Irish community to support you.
Aug 31st, 2005, 11:42 AM
#40
hey, thanks. my pleasure. this post was interesting because it made me think about what i love best about both coasts. while my own living experiences were Los Angeles to New England to Seattle, it's similar i feel to your question.
