Show no quarter!

[memnus]

[Poll #1417382]Duke it out in the comments. Try to change each other's minds. Try to make up our minds. This is a public post, so get other people involved. Pull no punches (except at each other's privacy).

Bring it on.

click

Comments

[catbird.livejournal.com]

Boston was the awesome place to live! My favorite city so far.

[quartzpebble.livejournal.com]

What made it awesome?

[catbird.livejournal.com]

1) Fantastic public transportation 2) great produce 3) strong neighborhood identity 4) New England weather 5) more geeky poly folks then you can shake a stick at 6) great little restaurants hidden in different corners of the city

and, of course, friends/family in the area

[katmerlin.livejournal.com]

Are you folks moving? Or just getting a coast-to-coast death match?

[memnus.livejournal.com]

Not immediately - maybe next year sometime. But San Diego has never been a permanent place for us, and the topic seems to be coming up a lot in recent weeks. This is also the sort of thing to be thinking about well in advance.

[willskyfall.livejournal.com]

When you move you shall be missed . . . but I totally dig the desire for a change of scenery. Here's hoping we still get to connect from time to time!

[lorimt]

Boston has literally dozens of colleges! One could get a Master's degree in practically anything. Not only that, it has lots of tech companies, bio companies, and (even more, it seems) biotech companies.

We've also got Mudd folk (iluvsheep, zwilichkl, fabricant, leech all live nearby, there are some others around too) and piles of cool non-Mudd folk (7+ within 2.5 blocks of my house). We have games nights on order of 3 times a week, drawing on what I will estimate is one of the best game collections around. There's good rock climbing, indoors and outdoors - iluvsheep is climbing a couple times a week. There are interesting small towns up and down the coast as well as lots of hiking options (from the very low key to the fairly energetic).

Massachusetts is full of shiny things to do: New England Pirate Faire, Roller Derby, and a Tango Festival are all this weekend, along with dozens of other events. We've got a world class aquarium, several world class museums, the museum of bad art for balance, a large and active kink scene (or so I'm told) and sports (for people who like that sort of thing).

That's all I've got off the top of my head - more as I think of things. :)

[lorimt]

Oh - Archery! I don't know enough to tell quality, but there seem to be lots of tournaments, and at least a few coaches/ranges within half an hour or so of Cambridge.

[iluvsheep.livejournal.com]

Hey, I know those people!

Seriously though, the people are awesome in Boston. We have a score or so in our social group all within a couple block radius (and the MIT kiddies you haven't met are every bit as awesome as the Mudders you know and love), but in my various meanderings off the beaten track, I've run into scores more of really interesting, young, awesome people. I think that very few places have such a high concentration of cool, young people. I blame the bevy of institutions of higher learning.

As alluded to earlier, I do usually go climbing 2-3 times/wk. We have an amazing climbing gym 30 minutes away (15 without traffic), and I would enjoy more belay partners. I've barely scratched the surface of the outdoor stuff, but it's around and really quite good if you're willing to drive for a hour or two.

I don't know if you play or are interested in learning, but there is also a weekly pickup game of ultimate a couple blocks away that a bunch of us attend.

On the topic of making big, scary decisions that deeply affect two people. Katy and I have had a lot of luck with writing down all the factors that we can think of and scoring each alternative for each of the factors (Ex: Public Transit - Boston: 5 of 5, Seattle: 3 of 5). Then you each get 100 weighting points to divy out amongst the factors. Then, chug the numbers and see what comes out ahead.

Of course, it should inform the decision making process, rather than being the decision making process. I've always found in very elucidating to see Katy's weights, and (in my experience) knowing what they care about and how much really does help guide the discussion.

[savfan104.livejournal.com]

I clicked a ticky box.

I have no input, having lived in neither of those places.

I'm just jealous 'cuz I want to move to one of those places :)

[avhn.livejournal.com]

Seattle is awesome and there are lots of things to see and do. We have two mountain ranges, lots of lakes, and an ocean, so that all pretty much wins. Decent climbing from what I've heard (although I don't climb - but two kids from my HS climbed competitively.) There's tons of hiking around, which is always fun.

We have a pretty awesome pride celebration every year, plus folklife (which you've seen) and bumbershoot (similar to folklife but bigger/costs money to get in/ bigger named bands... worth going to once, anyway.) Pike place market rocks, as do most of the local farmer's markets. They probably won't be quite as convenient as in SD, but they're not bad. There's the Burke Gilman, which provides some biking access, and the town is generally reasonably bike friendly. Traffic isn't great, but it isn't horrible either, and when it's not rush hour it's generally completely fine.

People are generally pretty friendly in my experience; most people hold doors open and such, which makes a big difference to me.

Downsides: taxes/living expenses are pretty high (I think they are in Boston as well), and we do get a lot of rain in the winter (which I like, but not everyone does.) Usually it doesn't snow like crazy... hopefully it doesn't do that again, so transport isn't too much of an issue in the winter. There is reasonable access to snow in the mountains, though (it's about an hour/hour and a half drive), so it's not too bad if you're craving snow ^^

Also there are awesome people. But you know that.

[ladydrakaina.livejournal.com]

And there's a renn faire in August, and Faerieworlds is nearby, and Sooj visits Seattle more often! And, I'm gonna second the awesome people comment, many of whom are very excited that you are coming to Faerieworlds this year :)
Also many yarn and tea stores to tempt a Frances...

[avhn.livejournal.com]

Here is list of a bunch of the yarn stores and a review from the 2008 local yarn store tour! http://smallsmallfaery.livejournal.com/6301.html The website for the tour itself seems to be down, but hopefully will come back soon.

[gdarklighter.livejournal.com]

Neither! Start a new Mudd enclave!

[avhn.livejournal.com]

Wrong! You should move to Seattle, too! Awesome sea-food... best salmon anywhere but Alaska... And all of the awesome stuff said above.

[gdarklighter.livejournal.com]

I am not prepared to live anywhere that requires me to give up Mexican food.

[ladydrakaina.livejournal.com]

Fortunately Seattle would not require that of you, tons of Mexican restaurants here, and most grocery stores have anything you'd need, but I also know where the local specialty market is if you prefer to make it yourself, and we've got the usual taco trucks too if that's what you want...

[gdarklighter.livejournal.com]

Even if I believed that, you're still lacking In-n-Out, Tommy's, and sun.

[bennj.livejournal.com]

Everywhere except LA is missing Tommy's. Even in Long Beach, you're stuck with Tomy's (and other similarly misspelled imitators).

[gdarklighter.livejournal.com]

Actually, San Diego got one out in Clairemont Mesa a few years ago! It was very exciting.

[bennj.livejournal.com]

There are also apparently *two* in Las Vegas. But this has increased my need to visit San Diego dramatically.

[avhn.livejournal.com]

Dude! We have Dick's Drive In! Waaaaay better than In-and-Out. Okay, maybe not, but still damned good.

[wyrmie.livejournal.com]

I actually know a couple of people from Seattle who took a road trip specifically to obtain In-and-Out. I thus do not believe that you have anything equivalent up there.

[bennj.livejournal.com]

Dick's shakes are way better than In-n-Out, but their burgers and fries are worse. And you can buy frozen Dick's shakes to make them wherever you are, so it's no contest to me.

[wyrmie.livejournal.com]

Boston's cool. Seattle seems cool. I'm more likely to move to the Boston area than the Seattle area. :D

[avhn.livejournal.com]

Noooo! Don't join the dark side! We have an awesome science center... it has a large, moving dinosaur diorama! Also, I will bake for you... and help clean your kitchen! *puppy dog eyes*

[wyrmie.livejournal.com]

Seattle has rain, yo. Hannahs don't do that for extended periods of time.

[gwillen.livejournal.com]

San Francisco! :-D

If you did that I could probably be persuaded to move there... hell, I might check the "make room for me in your madhouse" box. :-)

I would have said Seattle of the given options until recently, but several of the people I know in Seattle are now moving to ... San Francisco! So I don't really know a critical mass of people in either of your two proposed locales anymore. :-\

[quartzpebble.livejournal.com]

You don't know a posse of Hunt-related people in Boston? I was under the impression you did.

[gwillen.livejournal.com]

I definitely know some people, but the total number of people I know in Boston is pretty small compared to San Francisco. I guess I know the entire contents of Buddha Lounge, and more, so that's quite a few people. :-)

[mackenzie]

Seconded. The Yay Area is excellent. I could see you two as liking the eBay as much as I do, or enjoying the fruits of the city proper.

[cmouse.livejournal.com]

You are everywhere!


*You* should move to Boston!

[fabricant.livejournal.com]

Boston has everything lorimt said above, plus tons of really nice areas to walk around in - with good restaurants and small retail, like Harvard Square and Coolidge Corner. It also has solid public transportation options - maybe not as a good as NY or DC, but better than pretty much anything on the West Coast.

Lots of swing dancing in the area - don't remember if either of you were into MOBs back at Mudd. Also, we have sports teams who win occasionally, in case that makes a difference to you.

[notsteven.livejournal.com]

Ann Arbor? Anyone?

*Crickets chirping*

[sithjawa.livejournal.com]

Obviously since I'm apparently buying a house here instead of moving to the PNW, you should move to Santa Clarita.

Failing that, you should move to the PNW, because otherwise the concentration of awesome people in Boston will be too high. What will happen if Boston gets nuked, I ask you???

[quartzpebble.livejournal.com]

Ending up in the PNW is still in the plan (inasmuch as there is a plan, I mean).

[sithjawa.livejournal.com]

There is always a plan! you can't fool me!

A Secret Plan.


Seriously, I like the "ending up in the PNW" plan. Same coast travel is much cheaper, and I love the PNW, so it'd be pretty cool to have more people to visit there. Plus I'd still like to end up there eventually.

[cmouse.livejournal.com]

Boston is awesome! I've live here for a good 10 years and you'll be hard-pressed to drag me away. I can also probably answer any Boston-related questions you have.

It's got everything listed above, and in my experience is a brighter place than Seattle with better weather. It has the best public transit of any city in the US (except Chicago).

There's plenty to do and a lot of good places nearby to drive to like the white mountains and good modern art.

(Cmouse of Buddha Lounge)