Boston a boring city? (Cambridge: salary, living in, restaurant)

[Boston_Burbs]

One comment mentioned that a lot of places were dead by 10am.


I know at least when I lived in Boston we used to drink our way back home on a Saturday night. Dinner in the North End, a few drinks at Fanuel hall, then on the T to Boylston, a few drinks there, then either a walk to T back to mission hill. It was a much cheaper option than staying out far from home until 2am when you were fighting everyone for a cab.

Also, Boston I have found is big on your age and place in life. I am 26.. I don't have many friends who live in the city anymore. Most are still in the area, but have moved out in search of a house or cheaper rent as they all begin to get engaged or married. Some still work in the city, and go out once in a while, but overall not many are living in the city, going out regularly anymore. Compared to other cities I have spent time in like DC, the population out into the late hours of the night was decently older.

[flowbe202]

Originally Posted by Pear Martini

Also even if bars were open until 5am...no one would stay out that late because anyone who drove would be freaked out about finding an open street parking spot when they get home at 5am!

I always thought the blue laws were at fault -- this reason is sooooo more plausible!!!!!
I know it's the first thing I think of heading back home at 1am on a weekend night.

[chase them]

Yes, Boston is very boring. An example of it would be the people who sooo boringly outline the key Facts on how boston is not boring. These include descriptions of industry clusters, academics, movement of people along rail, changing dynamics of culture and ideas, blah blah blah shut up. That's part of the reason boston is so lame. You've got these rational minds that rationalize why they're in the city, why its okay to be there, trying to describe why everything is happening the way it is. They'll be entertained their whole life trying to describe why everything is happening. It's this rational and/or academic mindset (must have a missing piece of logic?).

Alot of people want to think that way nowadays. They think it will bring them success. Its the new business lingo. There's a lot of that in Boston. You've got deluded careerists, deluded students believing in this glorified vision of going to school in the city (good luck)...Mass delusion...mass conformity...With all the education that goes on in that city, it's amazing how many people run around still trying to describe the world using the language of the corporate and government types. You might call it self interest (like wearing headphones all the time)

Some say city's were made in large part for poor people to work in them. Tight housing, etc. Now students flock to these areas and each of them has a car...no parking... Of course, there is something to flock to, in a way. Career...connections, networking! People like to network in Boston and that's really boring. There's a difference between networking and real connections, of course. You can be yourself if you're really connecting with people. If you're networking, you'll have to wear a false face, black pea coat, certain hair style, Red sox gear as some sort of identity.

all the redevelopment of shopfronts and sidewalks is the same (with a budget and a known demographic, known to be boring enough to pass this **** off)

With everything becoming the same (minds included) and so little time available between commuting and career seeking, you've got no room for change. Even this wonderful built up environment with wonderful and diverse architecture and the culture too... it's all in the past. There's no change coming. snoozeville...yea, that was well said.

even the musical acts that come through boston have realized how boring it is. Some don't even come anymore.

I don't know what would make the city different. It's kind of a runaway train of boringness at this point. Look at their city hall, the most boring structure in the US possibly...there's no community organizing or community voice at city hall, of course. They destroyed the poor (and the charles river too -pollution...clean it up with a smile ). The industry folks, like leeches, sucking up all the sun. Generosity lacking..

Really though, what the hell is wrong with Boston? Picture a student going there, what happens? They see everyone is the same. They can toe the line, try to be themselves for a while, maybe pursue the arts a little or try to find new ideas or inspiring people, but they'll come up short. You say find the right people and it'll be fine. There's too many boring people to sift through and find the good ones. With all the boring people anything different is shunned, in a sense.

You might ask what would really make it different? The new pay-what-you-can-afford panera bread store is a decent start. Thing is...that idea definitely didn't originate in Boston. The academics are foreign and the innovators live in relative isolation.

Boston needs radical thought, basically...but the rent is too high...Get those kids out of the city before its too late for them! Also, try not to get hit by a cab or fall on the train tracks. "oh, but i like cities..."

[chase them]

Now is there a double standard I'm keeping in my criticism? An irony? By trying to make a point about conformists, I'm just singing out some new form of conformism, a different ideology? It certainly would seem that way.

Maybe the Irony is that I'll end up living there and doing the same thing. I'll try to hold on to myself, just like everyone else is doing there. Of course, these are all good people. Maybe we're just living in a world with a new type of censorship. We don't know what to do, what the right path is.

Do the revolutionaries have something to say? Was the whole american revolution, with its epicenter in the boston area a big joke? All that History...what is it really? Piles of sludge... ideology followed by ideology, delusion and more delusion...no one knows what the hell is going on and yet some people seem happy. What are those happy people doing differently? In how many ways can you say no to peace?

[OyCrumbler]

Why don't you just join a bdsm club if you're so bored? I don't get it.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Morris Wanchuk

One comment mentioned that a lot of places were dead by 10am.


I know at least when I lived in Boston we used to drink our way back home on a Saturday night. Dinner in the North End, a few drinks at Fanuel hall, then on the T to Boylston, a few drinks there, then either a walk to T back to mission hill. It was a much cheaper option than staying out far from home until 2am when you were fighting everyone for a cab.

Also, Boston I have found is big on your age and place in life. I am 26.. I don't have many friends who live in the city anymore. Most are still in the area, but have moved out in search of a house or cheaper rent as they all begin to get engaged or married. Some still work in the city, and go out once in a while, but overall not many are living in the city, going out regularly anymore. Compared to other cities I have spent time in like DC, the population out into the late hours of the night was decently older.

I agree with you for the most part (I'm 27, so similar in age) except about DC. I've lived there and would say that DC gets equally, if not more quiet than Boston late at night when it comes to late 20-somethings and older nightlife. DC also has student nightlife ghettos as well (Adams Morgan). I wouldn't give either DC or Boston the "great nightlife" endorsement when compared to other large cities.

[TAM88]

Why are there all of these people with low post counts coming in and trashing Boston.......

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by TAM88

Why are there all of these people with low post counts coming in and trashing Boston.......

IT'S A CONSPIRACY!!!!

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by chase them

Look at their city hall, the most boring structure in the US possibly...

Haha ok, everything else in your post is subjective, but I will give you that this is pretty much objectively true.

[mdovell]

"I don't know what would make the city different. It's kind of a runaway train of boringness at this point. Look at their city hall, the most boring structure in the US possibly...there's no community organizing or community voice at city hall, of course. They destroyed the poor (and the charles river too -pollution...clean it up with a smile ). The industry folks, like leeches, sucking up all the sun. Generosity lacking."

Huh? Maybe we are looking at boring in a different way. There's plenty of community organizing in Boston. Check out meetup for various groups Social Networking Meetups near Boston, Massachusetts - Social Networking Meetups - Boston and also the non profit map here Boston Indicators

It wasn't destroying the poor. A place gets better, people get jobs and well they aren't poor anymore. That would be like complaining about where all the kids went in the neighborhood I grew up at..well they are all grownup and are in at least their mid 30's by now. Would you rather have a place have a increase in poverty?

"Really though, what the hell is wrong with Boston? Picture a student going there, what happens? They see everyone is the same. They can toe the line, try to be themselves for a while, maybe pursue the arts a little or try to find new ideas or inspiring people, but they'll come up short. You say find the right people and it'll be fine. There's too many boring people to sift through and find the good ones. With all the boring people anything different is shunned, in a sense. "

Differences shunned? How exactly? Ethnic restaurants, clubs, cafes, schools a fair amount is different. Yes the city hall is weird but so what. If the MFA bores you then there's the ICA. Almost anything can be considered to be boring depending on the perspective. I have met some that thought that NASCAR is riveting while I could fall asleep. Meanwhile I might be content watching some foreign debate or the stock market.