Considering a cross-country move to the east coast’s beloved Bean Town? 2016 might just be your year and the reasons why are more than a few. Between Boston and Cambridge, the metropolitan area boasts the youngest population in the country with over a quarter million university students at over 100 universities and colleges. The city also receives the third most venture capital in the country as of 2015- more than Los Angeles, more than Chicago, more than Seattle. And if you’re looking for a city with endless entertainment and learning opportunities, you’re heading in the right direction.
But if you need more reasons for Boston to be your next move, here are the six biggest ones we can think of.
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Boston’s amazing seafood
Perhaps we should just say Boston’s amazing food, period. But as a seaport town with a pretty sizeable waterfront district, there is no shortage of seafood – from fried fish to high-class oysters – to tantalize your palate. Take a wander around the waterfront to see what you find, but really? There are great seafood restaurants all throughout the city, so as long as they’ve got fresh fish, you’re likely to find something fantastic. Don’t miss the Union Oyster House right near Faneuil Hall. As the oldest restaurant in Boston and the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the US, they know what they’re doing.
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Great public transit and walkability
The MBTA, lovingly known as The T, provides transportation beneath the confusing city streets of Boston. Built without much in the way of city planning for drivers, it can be a challenging city to navigate in your car. So with a T-Pass, you’ll have access to the bus system and the subway, which can get you around the city as well as out into the suburbs. Sometimes traveling by foot is an even better way to go, especially during prime commute hours. Boston’s downtown is incredibly pedestrian friendly with its historic cobblestones and narrow side streets, and a stroll through Boston Common on a sunny morning commute makes getting off the T a few stops early completely worth it.
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Safe city life
Forbes rated Boston as the fourth safest metropolitan city in the country, tied with Seattle. Low crime rates and a low traffic fatality rate make Boston a safe place to be, and the police departments report that crime is on the decline — even in some of the peripheral, more affordable neighborhoods like Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury. So you can enjoy all of the people, the energy, and the culture of the city while still feeling safe at home and out on the town.
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Sports fans, unite
Boston is fanatical about sports: the Patriots, the Celtics, the Bruins, and the Red Sox bring people out in droves to celebrate the Great American Pastimes. You might say this city is known to celebrate quite enthusiastically. As such, Boston also boasts a wealth of sports bars equipped with plenty of televisions and beer. Side note: Yankees fans, beware. You’re Boston’s favorite enemy team.
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Grow your career in Boston
As the national economy has righted itself, Massachusetts’ employment rate has actually stayed ahead of the curve pretty significantly, with the majority of jobs in the professional, scientific and technical sector. And with an abundance of networking events for everything from the tech industry to the nonprofit fields, everyone can find their niche. Events like Mass Innovation Nights give entrepreneurs and innovators an opportunity to showcase their ideas and connect with other progressive thinkers, while Boston After Work gets professionals together at the city’s hot spots — like a Celtics game — to get to know one another and expand opportunity. So find a gathering that suits your interests and get out there to meet people, face to face.
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Boston’s social calendar is packed
As the east coast hub for musicians, comedians, museum tours, and conferences, there’s never a shortage of things to do. Your ventures into Boston’s nightlife might begin in the Theater District, which hosts eclectic Off-Broadway shows at The Charles Playhouse black box theater, world-class opera, and symphonies at the Boston Opera House, and of course, your traditional shows like Les Miserables or Riverdance at the opulent Wang center for the Performing Arts.
To kick off 2016, the stadium-style:
- TD Garden hosts acts like Cher and Pat Benatar (January 7th)
- With its proud Irish heritage, Boston celebrates St. Patrick’s Day in fine form with organized pub crawls, a Dropkick Murphy’s show (Boston’s own Celtic punk rockers), and more Irish music and Guinness than anyone knows what to do with
Summer is likewise packed:
- April brings Boston Marathon madness
- Harborfest kicks off summer over July 4th weekend
- Shakespeare’s in the Common all throughout July
- Fall kicks off as university students flood the city with the last of the Summer in the City movie series at the Hatch Shell
- Boston Calling music festival rounds out September with three days of outdoor music, vendors, and beer gardens
- Boston Fashion Week lets you mingle with the who’s is who in the fashion industry and make a point to have the up and coming trends in your closet every season
- For the HONK! Festival in October, bands fill the streets with colorful attire, celebratory music, and everything from Balkan music to New Orleans brass bands
Falls has its own setup festivities:
- There’s also the Cranberry Harvest Festival in October. Celebrate with family-oriented games, bog tours, fresh cranberries to buy and entertainment
- To honor Christopher Columbus, military commitments, and the city’s Italian heritage, the city kicks off at around 1:00 PM, their annual parade. It’s a pretty big deal in October
- There’s one you don’t want to miss, or wear your skinny jeans for. Food from local farms and restaurants as well as some locally-made craft brews will be available to indulge in the Boston Local Food Festival
- Vegetarian Food Festival can be enjoyed by all. Come out and enjoy free samples from award-winning chefs and pick up a cookbook or two. There are even children’s events!
- To wrap up October, SoWa Market of the Living Dead and Beacon Hill with a Boo provides lets Bostonians celebrate Halloween with costume contests, and walking tour which brings you murder, mystery, and an occasional ghost haunt.
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Get some culture!
Lest we forget, Boston also has numerous museums and a bustling theater district for those who prefer a different flavor. There is always a new exhibit upstairs at Faneuil Hall and with over 30 museums, and most museums have days that are free for Boston residents- or with a library card from Somerville, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, or Boston, you can “check out” a museum pass for a day just like a book.
