San Francisco vs Boston

[socurious]

Two very expensive cities. Two cities full of history.  But is one better than the other? 

Let's just start with the obvious:

Gay life and weather: San Francisco.

European charm and cleanliness: Boston.

 

 

[socurious]

I want to keep reading opinions. You guys seem better-traveled than me. It's always a pleasure to read you.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

3 minutes ago, socurious said:

Gay life and weather: San Francisco.

I disagree.  Summers in San Francisco are bitterly cold and damp.  And the gay life in San Francisco has moved on.  While the gay life is more prevelent than in Boston, it's nothing like Palm Springs, Wilton Manor, or New York.

As someone who prefers to not walk on sidealks littered with needles and feces, the gay bars and scenery of San Francisco is not enough to offset the city's negatives currently.  My last trip there was in August 2018, and I have no desire to go back anytime soon.

[socurious]

Just now, Vegas777 said:

I disagree.  Summers in San Francisco are bitterly cold and damp.  And the gay life in San Francisco has moved on.  While the gay life is more prevelent than in Boston, it's nothing like Palm Springs, Wilton Manor, or New York.

As someone who prefers to not walk on sidealks littered with needles and feces, the gay bars and scenery of San Francisco is not enough to offset the city's negatives currently.  My last trip there was in August 2018, and I have no desire to go back anytime soon.

Thanks.

I've never spent a summer in San Francisco (I always assumed this season felt springful there). So I can't speak on that. 

I do think gay life there has moved on to L. A. from what I experienced though. But it's still quite descent in comparison to other major cities. 

The homelessness stereotype is a bit overblown in SF. Just avoid the Tenderloin/City Hall surroundings if you go there and you will be good. 

[socurious]

Boston is cleaner but it's way too cold. I rather having a SF summer than a Boston winter. Heck, half of the spring and fall in Boston feels like winter. Winter there lasts like 6 months. 

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

Just now, socurious said:

Boston is cleaner but it's way too cold. I rather having a SF summer than a Boston winter. Heck, half of the spring and fall in Boston feels like winter. Winter there lasts like 6 months. 

“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” ― Mark Twain

[socurious]

Just now, Vegas777 said:

“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” ― Mark Twain

Wow. Something to think about...

I think some people don't like hot summer. San Francisco is the best place for those types I guess.

[Lookin]

Two things about San Francisco: neighborhoods and microclimates.  There are so many different experiences you could have in San Francisco that you may want to gloss over generalities.  Lands End, the Mission, Fisherman's Wharf, the Financial District, Telegraph Hill, Pacific Heights, the Castro, Golden Gate Park, the Tenderloin will all give you different experiences of what San Francisco is like.  So will your attitude.  If you're a complainer, you'll find dozens of things to complain about.  If you're an explorer, you'll find years' worth of adventures.

I lived in Boston one summer many years ago and thought it was fantastic.  Beacon Hill at night was like a fantasyland.  Of course I was a fit twenty-something at the time and was accompanied by locals who wanted to make sure I had a nice time.  They did and I did.  

If you're someone who likes to have a good time, I don't think you'll be disappointed by either city.  Even watching a city wrestle with its problems, at least in my opinion, is not a waste of time.  It may turn out that you'll stick around and try to help.  You seem to be a learner and that's a valuable quality.  👍

Edited April 26, 2023 by Lookin
added some more neighborhoods

[pubic_assistance]

1 hour ago, socurious said:

I rather having a SF summer than a Boston winter.

The temperature is probably the same. 😜

People mistake San Francisco  for having the same climate as LA because they're both in the same state.

S.F. can be as cold and miserable in the summer as a crappy Boston Spring.

Summer in Boston is actually quite pleasant.

[+ azdr0710]

gee, you've been asking about a lot of cities lately......

my Mom always said no matter where you go, you have to take yourself with you........

[MikeBiDude]

I’m a SoCal native….went to school in San Francisco two years of undergrad. Used to love my SoCal summers, then get two months of beautiful San Francisco September/October often two of the best weather months there.

[socurious]

1 hour ago, pubic_assistance said:

The temperature is probably the same. 😜

People mistake San Francisco  for having the same climate as LA because they're both in the same state.

S.F. can be as cold and miserable in the summer as a crappy Boston Spring.

Summer in Boston is actually quite pleasant.

 Average high summer temperatures in SF are in the upper 70s according to Google.  Boston summers are probably similar to NYC summers but with maybe less humidity. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. 

[pubic_assistance]

27 minutes ago, socurious said:

Average high summer temperatures in SF are in the upper 70s

Cold and rainy summer days are not pleasant. I was there once over Fourth of July weekend. I had to buy a coat !! I wasn't prepared for such cold weather.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

54 minutes ago, socurious said:

 Average high summer temperatures in SF are in the upper 70s according to Google.  Boston summers are probably similar to NYC summers but with maybe less humidity. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. 

The two warmest coats in my closet are ones I bought in San Francisco in August, two different trips.  No one believes how bone-chilling cold it can feel with the fog and rain, even with a high of 70F.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Vegas777 said:

“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” ― Mark Twain

Actually, he's often been quoted as saying that, but the attribution is uncertain.

September is the only warm month in SF. Very unusual to see 70s in June-August. SF streets aren't THAT bad, but, yes, you definitely need to look where you're stepping. One should never go to SF without either a warm coat or a sweater and windbreaker, regardless of the month. 

On a hot summer's day on the West Coast:

[BSR]

On 4/26/2023 at 4:18 PM, socurious said:

 Average high summer temperatures in SF are in the upper 70s according to Google.  Boston summers are probably similar to NYC summers but with maybe less humidity. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. 

I've lived in both NYC & Boston.  Humidity is a tick or two higher in Boston, but not a huge difference.  I think you notice the heat more in NYC, especially when you go into subway stations.

As someone pointed out in another thread, Boston's gay scene is surprisingly small for a city its size.  Maybe the SF gay scene ain't what it used to be, but it's gotta be better than Boston's.

[dbar123]

Summers in Boston are glorious. Lately the Atlantic water temperatures have been warmer. Fantastic seafood and plenty of Dunkies on every corner too. Just don’t ask for Manhattan clam chowder.

[socurious]

Nobody is going to discuss which city is better?

[Guest]

Better depends on your perspective, in addition to whether you're discussing a visit or living there. I would rather live in the SF area, but not in SF proper. I don't think I could stand for Boston winters for too long. As for visiting, if you're interested in US history, Boston, but for scenic beauty SF. 

[BSR]

4 hours ago, Unicorn said:

Better depends on your perspective, in addition to whether you're discussing a visit or living there. I would rather live in the SF area, but not in SF proper. I don't think I could stand for Boston winters for too long. As for visiting, if you're interested in US history, Boston, but for scenic beauty SF. 

One of the best moments I had in Boston was seeing the Old North Church for the first time, when it hit me that Paul Revere was a real-life person, not just some story I heard in grade school.  I was surprised by how short the steeple was and doubted that you could actually see a couple of lamps all the way over in Charlestown until I noticed that it is indeed quite a bit taller than all the surrounding structures.  The pews are tiny -- were people that much smaller in the 1700s?  Anyway, even though I can't really say I'm a history buff, I really enjoyed all the history to be discovered and enjoyed in Boston.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

11 hours ago, socurious said:

Nobody is going to discuss which city is better?

that’s a ridiculous premise.  

[dbar123]

I feel a lot safer walking around Boston. There are more cops per square mile than anywhere except maybe NYC. The cold winters make for fewer homeless. Better mass transit (when it runs). And fantastic sports teams. Nothing beats a warm evening at Fenway.

[+ Charlie]

I always enjoyed visiting San Francisco when I was younger (I have particularly fond memories of the "Summer of Love" in 1967), but I never considered living there. I strongly considered moving to Boston in the 1970s, because I thought it was a very comfortable city to live in then. I haven't been to either one of them in the past decade, so I don't know if I would still feel the same way about them today.

[CuriousByNature]

18 hours ago, BSR said:

 The pews are tiny -- were people that much smaller in the 1700s?  

Well, the Minutemen were pretty small.  Some might even say minute.

[+ Pensant]

I had a love affair with San Francisco in the ‘80s and 90s; later, not so much. I was often there in the summer and loved the cool weather. And I spent loads of time in Napa and Sonoma, and up coast to Mendocino. The last ten years I’ve noticed a real decline, but that’s happened to a lot of cities. I always found Boston to be a civilized city. It’s heads and shoulders above many of its peers. The time o was there in early November 2017, I walked around Harvard and Cambridge and dropped by a men’s store (Andover Shop?) to pick up a cashmere cable-knit sweater. While browsing, I overheard the shop owner chatting about world economics with two gentlemen. I discovered that they were both professors at the Kennedy School. Only in Cambridge!

Edited April 30, 2023 by Pensant