Boston Business Daily

What are some distinctions between living in Boston and living in Chicago?

I'm considering moving to either Boston or Chicago. Are there some distinct differences between them? Are there certain types of people that tend to enjoy and thrive in one or the other?

Public Comments

1. Nah go ahead watch out for the LOOP and The LAKE in Dhicago Boston is wicked good
2. Steve: "Bostonians wear Red Socks, eat baked beans, and spawned Conan O' Brien." Edyie: "Chicago serves really giant meals...so big, that after I ate, I got on the Sears Tower elevator. and it busted, trapping us all!" Steve: "So we just sang elevator music until help arrived!" Both:...."Strangers in the night...exchanging glances...."
3. Boston is a bit more old-school, Chicago is really mid-west. To me, Boston has more history and establishment, Chicago is the gateway to the west.
4. Boston is mad chill.
5. Sadly, I've only been to visit Boston briefly, but what I've heard from many people (including my sister who lived in MA while she went to college, though not as close to Boston) is that people on the East coast aren't all that friendly. I've also heard it said that those on the East coast tend to be really reserved. I've never spent enough time on the E. coast to confirm that. I can say that I've lived in Chicago for 5 yrs, moved here from OH, & the people are SO friendly. People are always smiling & saying hi, which I have to say really threw me-- despite "midwestern warmth," you don't just say hi to people you don't know in metro-Ohio. I love Chicago & can't imagine living anywhere else right now. Chicagoans also tend to be really passionate about their city-- when I first moved here people would tell me all this history about the city, they love sharing the history & every resident becomes an oral historian. People who live on the ocean scoff at the idea of any lake being anything other than a pond, but living on a Great Lake is an experience. You'd be surprised how few Americans understand what the Great Lakes are. Chicago is a REALLY lively, vibrant city that is slower than NYC according to most, but you can actually live at your own speed here, whatever that is. If you're Polish, you probably really belong here in Chi-- we've had the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw, Poland.
6. Distinct differences between Boston and Chicago: People. Chicagoans are friendly types. Bostonians tend to be more reserved starting out, but they're good people once you get to know them. Food. Boston is lobster and chowder. Chicago is deep dish pizza. Places to go. Chicago has a shoreline to die for, and lots of things to do there. Boston is historic, from Bunker Hill to Faneuil Hall. City Hall. Chicago has the Picasso. Boston has City Hall Plaza, a concrete desert if there ever was one. Holes in the ground. Chicago has the Deep Tunnel. Boston has the Big Dig. Chicago is much more affordable than Boston, especially for those just starting out. Boston, however, has the colleges that provide the brains and the bucks that drive the economy. Of course, there's sports. Chicago had a world series champ in 2005, while Boston had theirs in 2004. The Pats vs the Bears. Times have changed since 1985. The Bulls may have won 6 in 8 yrs in the 1990s, but the Celtics have won a whole bunch more.