Adrian and I lived in Boston for a about two and a half years and now that we’ve moved on to Berlin, I thought I’d write down a couple things I will and won’t miss about our old city.
Will Miss:
- The local sports teams – For some reason it’s always comforting to be able to count on the Red Sox being on at every bar you walk into, that Patriots will always be on on Sundays and that the Bruins and Celtics are playing their home games just a mile or so down the road. Here in Germany I’m either stuck going to over crowed American bars or watching spotty online streams so this is definitely something I’ll miss.
- The Boston Common/Public Gardens – Sure it’s not central park, and sure its covered in trash and infested with rats, but the Common is such a great place to go for a walk and it’s so quintessentially Boston… it’s probably my favorite spot in the city.
- The Charles River – Memorial Drive is the best road in Boston to cruise down and the perfect way to scope out the Charles on a nice day. Just don’t go swimming in it.
- Singing Beach – Adrian and I had season passes to this beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea. It was about 45 minutes from the city but well worth the drive. Some of my favorite days were spent here. Adrian will surely miss Captain Dusty’s- the ice cream place down the road from the shore. She made sure we stopped there every time we went to the beach.
- The food – So many great restaurants in Boston, but my favorites for lunch were Dorado in Brookline and Mikes Deli in Brighton. For dinner Redbones in Somerville, Giacomos in the North End and Harry’s in Allston for their wings (not a big breakfast guy, sorry). Also Dunkin Donuts… in Germany they only have one size for coffee and it’s about 1/3 the size of a Dunks small.
- The weather – People in New England constantly complain about the weather but the changing season are one of my favorite things about the region. Whether it’s heading to the beach in the summer, opening the windows to let in the cool fall air or skiing in the winter, I love all the seasons in New England and for me it has the perfect climate
- The people – This is sort of a given, but being so close to my family in Maine and have some of my best friends living in Boston made it a great place to live… New England will always be my home for this reason.
Won’t Miss
- Public Transportation – Going from the Green Line to the U and S Bahn in Berlin is basically going from world’s worst to world’s best. I can’t say enough good things about German public transportation. Really the only bad thing is it’s a little expensive, but since unlimited travel is included in my tuition, that’s not a problem for me!
- Having a Car – Having a car obviously comes in handy (it’s probably the only reason I was able to find a job in Boston right away) but by the time I left, I was convinced owning a car in the city is more trouble than it’s worth. If you don’t believe me, trying digging your car out after a 2 foot snow storm at 5 in the morning so you can get to work on time.
- The rent – Rent is so overpriced in Boston that I have difficulty discussing it without getting angry. We are paying half as much right now in Berlin.
- Traffic – Mosquitos and traffic are the two things that are universally hated by human beings.
- Overcrowding – I heard once that there are 12 million people living inside the 495 loop. If you want to run in to half of them, take the Bourne bridge to the cape on a summer weekend. People are everywhere in Boston and they were always in my way.
- Pot Holes – I had six flat tires during the two plus years I lived in Boston. That’s right, six.
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