DC or Boston for 30something female?
Apr 8th 2013, 6:01 pm
#31
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Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
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Apr 9th 2013, 6:54 pm
#32
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Location: New Hampshire
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Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
My vote definitely goes to Boston. Great city, friendly people and reasonable transport system (better than DC by a mile). I used to live in Maryland in between Baltimore and DC for five years and visited DC many times before moving north to New England and if there is one thing that drove me nuts about the area was the humid summers.....working in Baltimore as far as I was concerned the nasty humid summer started in April and would last sometimes through October. If I had a choice between a few months of harsh winter and 6 months of sweat hell, I would take the former. Coming from the UK, I could just never get use to the humidity.
Apr 11th 2013, 4:38 pm
#33
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Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
DC may be a capital city, but apart form museums it's a bit of a cultural desert where as Boston has lots of great theater, cinema, concerts etc. Also I found DC to be more segregated than DC and it's a "company" town. In contrats Boston is more varied because of all the different colleges and tech employers.
DC has plenty of good nightlife e.g. downtown, Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle, Georgetown, etc.
DC has major league sports teams in hockey, football, baseball, basketball and soccer.
DC is a major stop on concert tours.
DC has a good theater scene (http://dctheatrescene.com/).
I don't know what "great cinema" means but there are plenty of cinemas.
As for colleges/universities, DC has the following:
- American University
- The Catholic University of America
- Corcoran College of Art and Design
- Gallaudet University
- The George Washington University
- Georgetown University
- Howard University
- Trinity Washington University
- University of the District of Columbia
Graduate institutions
- The Catholic University of America
- Columbus School of Law
- The George Washington University
- The George Washington University Law School
- Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration
- George Washington University Medical School
- The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development
- Georgetown University
- Georgetown University Law Center
- Georgetown University School of Medicine
- Graduate School USA
- Howard University
- Howard University School of Law
- Howard University College of Medicine
- Howard University College of Dentistry
- Johns Hopkins University
- Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
- American University
- Washington College of Law
- Dominican House of Studies
- Institute of World Politics
- International Circle of Faith Colleges and Seminaries
- School for International Training Graduate Institute
- Washington Theological Union
Apr 11th 2013, 6:29 pm
#34
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 67
Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
"I don't know what "great cinema" means but there are plenty of cinemas."
The DC area has plenty of cinemas, but on any given week 98% are showing the same half a dozen films, all the major Hollywood releases.
For anything left field or Foreign, there is the E Street Cinema, the West End Cinema, the Shirlington Cinema, and the AFI in Silver Spring.
I suppose that's not too bad -- though E St, West End and Shirlington tend to show the same films at the same time, so it's not quite as varied as that first appears.
But for a major city, it's not very good. They are all run by corporations, there are no idiosyncratic places that do their own programming like the Electric Cinema or Ritzy and so on in London.
The DC area has plenty of cinemas, but on any given week 98% are showing the same half a dozen films, all the major Hollywood releases.
For anything left field or Foreign, there is the E Street Cinema, the West End Cinema, the Shirlington Cinema, and the AFI in Silver Spring.
I suppose that's not too bad -- though E St, West End and Shirlington tend to show the same films at the same time, so it's not quite as varied as that first appears.
But for a major city, it's not very good. They are all run by corporations, there are no idiosyncratic places that do their own programming like the Electric Cinema or Ritzy and so on in London.
Apr 11th 2013, 7:29 pm
#35
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 123
Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
"I don't know what "great cinema" means but there are plenty of cinemas."
The DC area has plenty of cinemas, but on any given week 98% are showing the same half a dozen films, all the major Hollywood releases.
For anything left field or Foreign, there is the E Street Cinema, the West End Cinema, the Shirlington Cinema, and the AFI in Silver Spring.
I suppose that's not too bad -- though E St, West End and Shirlington tend to show the same films at the same time, so it's not quite as varied as that first appears.
But for a major city, it's not very good. They are all run by corporations, there are no idiosyncratic places that do their own programming like the Electric Cinema or Ritzy and so on in London.
The DC area has plenty of cinemas, but on any given week 98% are showing the same half a dozen films, all the major Hollywood releases.
For anything left field or Foreign, there is the E Street Cinema, the West End Cinema, the Shirlington Cinema, and the AFI in Silver Spring.
I suppose that's not too bad -- though E St, West End and Shirlington tend to show the same films at the same time, so it's not quite as varied as that first appears.
But for a major city, it's not very good. They are all run by corporations, there are no idiosyncratic places that do their own programming like the Electric Cinema or Ritzy and so on in London.
Apr 12th 2013, 1:26 pm
#36
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 67
Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
Yes, you're right, I forgot about that one. It's a bit far from me in Arlington which is why it slipped my mind, but it is a goodie. But is it the only one? There's the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse on Columbia Pike -- it's fun, but it's hardly an arthouse.
Apr 12th 2013, 2:40 pm
#37
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Joined: Oct 2007
Location: Rockville maryland
Posts: 633
Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
also the Howard theatre beautifully restored too and a great place for a concert.
went to see sister Hazel there a few weeks ago, absolutley fantastic night.
Also Bethesda row cinema is a great place to see not the run of the mill movies
went to see sister Hazel there a few weeks ago, absolutley fantastic night.
Also Bethesda row cinema is a great place to see not the run of the mill movies
Apr 12th 2013, 9:07 pm
#38
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 12
Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
Wow - amazing that this thread has generated so much helpful advice on both cities. I won't ever want for local info ever again. Many thanks.
Apr 13th 2013, 2:40 am
#39
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Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
Posts: 4,802
Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
"I don't know what "great cinema" means but there are plenty of cinemas."
The DC area has plenty of cinemas, but on any given week 98% are showing the same half a dozen films, all the major Hollywood releases.
For anything left field or Foreign, there is the E Street Cinema, the West End Cinema, the Shirlington Cinema, and the AFI in Silver Spring.
I suppose that's not too bad -- though E St, West End and Shirlington tend to show the same films at the same time, so it's not quite as varied as that first appears.
But for a major city, it's not very good. They are all run by corporations, there are no idiosyncratic places that do their own programming like the Electric Cinema or Ritzy and so on in London.
The DC area has plenty of cinemas, but on any given week 98% are showing the same half a dozen films, all the major Hollywood releases.
For anything left field or Foreign, there is the E Street Cinema, the West End Cinema, the Shirlington Cinema, and the AFI in Silver Spring.
I suppose that's not too bad -- though E St, West End and Shirlington tend to show the same films at the same time, so it's not quite as varied as that first appears.
But for a major city, it's not very good. They are all run by corporations, there are no idiosyncratic places that do their own programming like the Electric Cinema or Ritzy and so on in London.
Last edited by MarylandNed; Apr 13th 2013 at 2:43 am.
Apr 13th 2013, 11:37 pm
#40
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 4
Re: DC or Boston for 30something female?
Hello there,
I am looking at spending 6 months to a year on sabbatical from my UK job in a think tank or non profit in either Washington DC or Boston, and I was wondering if you kind people could share your views with me on the pro's and con's of both regarding some specific factors.
1) I have a walking disability, I can walk but not far and will be without a car, so need to be able to use buses, the tube and taxis and find somewhere to live that's situated near to public transport.
2) As I'll be moving over on my own and looking for accommodation (shared or otherwise), safety is a big factor for me.
3) Making friends - although I have contacts in both cities and expect to be able to make a few friends through work, on the ex pat and hobby scene, being able to meet friendly people is important. I come from London however, so almost anywhere will seem friendly in comparison! I am socially pro-active too.
4) The work I do is fairly serious and academic, but I am a laid back, friendly, communicative and down to earth person. Hearing the stereotypes of DC workers as hot headed politicos with no time for social or personal life, and of Bostonians as tied to their childhood circles and less open to outsiders is a bit scary. But then again, I come from London so most places have to be friendlier and contain some laid back people, right.
I'd be most grateful for any experience sharing in view of the above.
Thank you very much.
Cheers,
Katya
I am looking at spending 6 months to a year on sabbatical from my UK job in a think tank or non profit in either Washington DC or Boston, and I was wondering if you kind people could share your views with me on the pro's and con's of both regarding some specific factors.
1) I have a walking disability, I can walk but not far and will be without a car, so need to be able to use buses, the tube and taxis and find somewhere to live that's situated near to public transport.
2) As I'll be moving over on my own and looking for accommodation (shared or otherwise), safety is a big factor for me.
3) Making friends - although I have contacts in both cities and expect to be able to make a few friends through work, on the ex pat and hobby scene, being able to meet friendly people is important. I come from London however, so almost anywhere will seem friendly in comparison! I am socially pro-active too.
4) The work I do is fairly serious and academic, but I am a laid back, friendly, communicative and down to earth person. Hearing the stereotypes of DC workers as hot headed politicos with no time for social or personal life, and of Bostonians as tied to their childhood circles and less open to outsiders is a bit scary. But then again, I come from London so most places have to be friendlier and contain some laid back people, right.
I'd be most grateful for any experience sharing in view of the above.
Thank you very much.
Cheers,
Katya
.
