robin1234

I don't really know Washington DC, but I lived in Boston & environs for many years and it is a wonderful city, and it is the Hub of the Universe.

http://www.universalhub.com/glossary/hub.html

Public transport is not really up to London standards, but it is pretty good. We lived there for years without a car. I'd look in Arlington, one of the nicest towns I know, and it has fast, relatively frequent buses into Harvard Square in Cambridge. Housing is mid to high priced in Arlington, but probably low compared to London. here's the Uncle Sam memorial in Arlington.

Bob

Well I can say that's true of Boston if you're got troubles walking...especially outside of the thin bit along the redline....and that's just getting about with a pushchair.

celticgrid

Exactly. The fact that a city has a very good public transport system is not the same thing as being 'walking-friendly', especially if you have a walking disability. The public transportation system is more akin to a car replacement.

My experience of DC is that sometimes even a short walk can be problematic due to crowds, uneven ground, the sheer number of roads that need to be crossed, etc. It does, however, have a very good public transportation system!

redarmy990

never been to Boston so can only comment on DC

I have lived here since june 2012,personally i dont think the heat of summer is unbearable.

I live outside DC In Bethesda/Rockville. we are on the metro red line which is about a 20 minute commute into DC Metro center.

I think it is a fantastic city and personally i think there are more options for getting around than people think.

You could live in the grovesnor area which is near us and be at the metro in 2 minutes walking.Then into DC on metro.

Bethesda is a fantastic place to live and theres plenty to see and do.

If i had the choice i would chose DC.

MarylandNed

You're very close to me! You've only had 1 DC summer. I've had 15 and some of them were brutal! Winters can also be brutal but we haven't had a real one for the past 2 or 3 years.

MarylandNed

I've been to Boston several times and now live in Maryland near DC. I really like both cities. Lots to do in DC and the museums are great. DC probably has a more diverse population in terms of where people are originally from - lots of people from around the US and other countries. Of course a lot of that has to do with the fact that DC is the nation's capital. Boston does have the better sports teams though!

jemima55

Hi Katya.
We have just returned after five years in DC.
We lived in Falls Church, just next to Arlington and the nearest metro stop was East Falls Church on the Orange line. There is quite a nice "yuppie corridor" on the Orange line. The stops are Courthouse, Clarendon and Ballston, and along there are lots of apartments, restaurants, bars etc, and a lively evening social scene.
The DuPont Circle and Chevy Chase areas are also very lively. Georgetown is also lovely.
I found the weather a bit mad. Very hot and humid in summer, bearable, but not suitable for walking long distances. The distances between places can also be deceptively far as we discovered when we first moved there with our "British" walking habits.
Meet ups are very popular for meeting new people with similar interests.
As far as I could see, Washington was filled with "government types" but there was still a thriving social scene and lots to do. This is a bit presumptuous, but I think you'd love it!

Bob

True, but if you're in Cambridge/Kendall area, there are loads of folks from all over, going to the colleges, the consulates, MS/Google/Amazon and all that tech/research guff with the younger crowd.

Getting out to the burbs can be a bit more stale though.

KatyaM

Thanks very much again to all of you for the kind replies, and the comprehensive information on the pro's and con's of both places. DC is looking more likely at the moment due to the work opportunities, but it's great to hear about both. Take care and best wishes.

Hiro11

I've lived in both Boston and DC, but I'm male and do not have a walking disability... so this may need to be taken with a grain of salt.

1. Public transportation is in general much more comprehensive in Boston than in DC. The Metro in DC does not go anywhere in Georgetown, for example. The T in Boston goes pretty much everywhere. Buses are pretty good in both cities. Cabs in DC were a complete ripoff when I lived there due to the completely dishonest "zone" system, I think that's gone though.

2. Boston is a bit safer than DC although DC has gotten better in recent years. Neither city is particularly dangerous.

3. DC is an entire city dedicated to one industry: the business of government. It's an enormous, well funded business. In general, DC is a highly professional, fast-paced and lawyer heavy. To generalize Boston, it's a bit more academic and scientific but no less type-A or neurotic. Neither city is a relaxing place.

4. They are remarkably similar cities in numerous ways. Both are about the same size, both have more of a sense of history than many American cities, both are extremely cosmopolitan and diverse given their size. Both are vibrant culturally. DC is arguably more livable than Boston but you're really splitting hairs. Both are expensive and have terrible traffic. Both have corrupt local governments.

5. There are some difference, though. DC is (very) slightly southern while Boston is hardcore Northeast. DC's political class and voting base is largely black, while Boston's is largely white. DC is more divided along racial lines, but both have this issue. DC has a huge population of commuters from other states while Boston people are more local. DC is full of diplomatic plate drivers who do whatever the hell they want on the road, while Bostonians are simply crazy behind the wheel. Wandering outside of Boston is to be immersed in small-town New England, wandering outside of DC is generally vast, much newer suburban sprawl.

ian-mstm

Yup! +1.

Ian

nun

Asfar as transportation and liveability Boston wins over DC, IMHO. i've lived in both places and the Boston public transport system serves a larger area of the city than in DC.

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.

If you can get an appropriate job in Boston I'd choose it over DC......have you considered places like the Kennedy School.

Bob

Lot of really good free concerts in Boston too. Hatch Shell - http://www.celebrateboston.com/hatch-shell/concerts.htm

Also with decent Friday night movies and then concerts in City Hall plaza are pretty decent, the gay pride is a blast and the concerts and movies on either side of the Wharf, not that far away are also really decent.

SoftwareBloke

I have been living in Arlington for the past 6 months and after surviving the winter it has been fun. You are about 30 minutes from downtown Boston and close to Somerville and Cambridge as well and there is always something going on.

I haven't been to DC but what I have been told by people I know here is that it is a bit like Canberra in Australia where it is an admin centre with some museums and monuments but not much else.

Bob

Apart from being long, this has been a really mild, lame winter and not all that much snow, a couple of decent blizzards but that's been nothing really.