I just visited Boston the other day for the first time. What I have gathered is the streets are terribly narrow, it's pretty hard to navigate when driving due to lots of silly ramps and detours, and people sure like their baseball.

i hate boston, even though majority of people i've talked to like it.

just not a fan of chicago/boston/nyc or any up north big city

the only thing you shouldn't do in boston is watch a red soxs game, it will only end in disappointment

take ya wife to the isabella gardner museum. its down the street from simmons. if she shows her student id she gets in for free.

she should also get into the MFA for free, cause simmons is part of "College of the Fenways"

http://i.imgur.com/Kte6jIq.jpg

lester threw 15 strikeouts that game vs the A's

shit was cash

I have lived near Boston my entire life so from my standpoint I think it is a pretty good city. The streets are pretty hard to get around when you have zero idea where things are because most of them are just extended cow paths from the colonial days. Restaurant wise I know that a lot of them are really expensive, but there are a whole lot of little places around that are really good and there is a pub pretty much every street corner. Also if you like seafood you are pretty much set because there are way to many places to get it and most of them are actually top notch. You really don't want to go past the Savin Hill area near Umass Boston because after that it is pretty much just all crime. Not totally sure where you can meet people outside of schools/universities because a lot of the town is made up of campus's but there are a lot of night clubs and concert venues of all types. I would suggest just walking around the main parts of town and getting accustomed to it. Regarding smell I feel like it doesn't smell awful but it can get a bit icky around high tide. The surrounding cities are also really nice like as Lange said Cambridge, other direct suburbs are really nice with plenty of stuff to do and cheaper food options. I would recommend using the subway's personally they get you pretty much anywhere efficiently.

good fucking music in boston, damn fine music.

But you get to see Brock Holt.

come chill with me and ranga

i scoop icecream in boston

bosh1 scoop please

Thanks for all the replies. Keep them coming. We're looking to live in the jamaica plain area. Any cool spots there or nearby? Also, what do people do for exercise in the winter? I'm going to try and be less fat while I'm in boston(~3 years). Does everyone have gym memberships so that they can keep in shape when it's snowy?

Where is the nearest swimable beach? I understand that the east coast is warmer that the west, so how far south do you have to go?

What's the nature like nearby? Any cool hiking opportunities?

I'll be sure to do that. Free is good since we'll largely be broke until I get a job.

Alright. Let's get some ice cream from bosh.

Firstly, congratulations to your wife for being accepted to a Simmons graduate program.

The MFA is indeed free to students, but that would leave you to pay for a ticket. They also have free admission Wednesdays after 4 pm, though they request donations.

I would wager that the public transit in Massachusetts is superior to that found in most other places in the nation. It's easy to make your to the city from the suburbs and vice versa. It can add up, but there are monthly passes, and it's quick and convenient. Can find more info about the MBTA here:

http://www.mbta.com/index.asp

Located in Jamaica Plain is the Arnold Arboretum, which is quite beautiful and also free. For an idea of what you might see, you can check out this flickr album they advertise on their site. It's all content from visitors.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/arnoldarboretum
http://arboretum.harvard.edu/visit/hours-services-and-policies/

Hiking: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-south/blue-hills-reservation.html

You may want to check out Fanueil Hall: http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/

You're coming to town at an ideal time, as there are Italian festivals (known as Feasts) that take place during the summer in the North End. The most prominent is arguably St. Anthony's, which will occur on Labor Day weekend. Streets are blocked off, vendors line the road, there's live music, and people are everywhere. While there, you might want to grab some pizza from Pizzeria Regina, and grab some desserts from either Maria's Pastry or Modern Pastry. More info to see what you can expect here:

http://www.stanthonysfeast.com/

Regarding beaches: you'll probably want to visit many of them, but you could start with the tourist-y thing by knocking out a visit to Plymouth Rock while heading to the beach there. Wood's Seafood is a hole-in-the-wall place located right on the water that a lot of people love.

It goes without saying that you might want to catch some games at Fenway or the TD Garden, provided you're willing to pay out the ass for tickets and food. There are also many, many places in and around Boston to catch concerts. Also keep in mind the many universities/colleges around. You'll often find theatrical productions put on by students that are enjoyable and far cheaper to attend than a professional performance.

It's understandable being freaked out about moving to a new place not knowing anyone, but I think you'll enjoy your time here. It's a great city, and there's literally something for everyone. Massachusetts is very much a place rooted in our nation's history. As I said before, visit Plymouth Rock. Visit the Old North Church. Embrace the city, and have fun. :)

I'd say only go to Fanueil Hall once... it's a quintessential thing to do when you visit Boston, but you can get food just as good (or better) elsewhere for less. The live music around the area is usually pretty good though.

To add on to what Rez said:
If you like Italian food, hit up the North End. Regina's pizza, while touristy, is also very good if you've never had the style of pizza before. Someone more local can probably point you to better pizza places.

Whenever I'm in town I go to Al Dente. I'm sure I haven't been to every restaurant in the area, but this is the one I've liked the most.

If you aren't moving from a city, you might be struck by the smell of "The T" (our subway system). As cities go the smell isn't that bad, but if you aren't used to Subway travel it will take some getting used to no matter where you move.

I'm from about 30 minutes out, so I don't have too many fond memories of being in the city, besides visiting and stuffing my face with good Italian food. We have some top notch museums: Museum of Science, MFA, Gardner, Museum of Bad Art, etc. I also recommend walking around some of the colleges in the area - lots of nice campuses.

Also if you're moving here long term, congrats on picking the state with perhaps the best education system (primary and secondary).

Oh and if you like soccer, too bad. The Revs are all the way out in Foxboro, and the commuter rail doesn't run for Revs games.

Make sure to check out r/boston, they do a good job of posting goings-on, concerts, etc.

There are also more Bostonian gamers than I thought. Do I smell a LAN?

i live right outside of boston and its a very cool place

walk around newbury street and check out all the stores, you can find some cool stuff there.

also check out the north end for a nice dinner and harvard square to walk around

good luck @grad school!

get dinner at fire&ice, went there 6 years ago, still remember it, thats how cool it was.

NAMES FLAME

i see

yo my sister goes to simmons

I live about 15 min from boston. walking around south boston by the warf and just kinda checking it out is still fun, even though ive lived here for 12 years. also north end to eat.
add me if you need anything more

Public transportation is much, much better than Southern California. Not that that's saying much.

I consider myself something of a fried chicken connoisseur and easily the best fried chicken I've ever had was at a place called Drink in Boston. It's a more upscale bar where you give the bartender an adjective, and they try to make a cocktail that matches your preferences. I'm pretty snobby when it comes to my cocktails, but the bartenders were extraordinarily well trained and as I mentioned, the fried chicken was perfect. They used some pressure system to keep the chicken juices locked in as they did the frying, so each bite started with a rich, buttery crunch before progressing to the moist, juicy taste of chicken. Pricey, but worth it.

Wish I had something more useful to tell you but the memory of that chicken bullied out everything else I know about Boston. Best of luck, it's a beautiful city and I'm sure you and your wife are going to love it.

Jamaica Plain might suit your needs perfectly, I know a few people who live there and they're quite happy with it. There are some rougher areas, but it beats Dorchester (where I did live for a span of months... avoid it if you can).

Being something of a recluse I'm of little use when it comes to suggesting where to spend some time. In spite of that... The MFA is a nice way to kill an afternoon (just... don't give them your email), though I'd say this about any museum really, even the Museum of Bad Art that's scattered around Somerville.

Lange has Cambridge nailed, it's a really charming town. Also hosts two of my favorite eateries... Bartley's makes some interesting and tasty (though slightly pricier) burgers, and Izzy's is probably one of the only distinctly Puerto Rican places in the area (as far as I'm aware). It is a great place to amble about and get lost, or spend hours perusing the shelves of the Harvard bookstore (the prime example of what a bookstore should be)

Transportation wise I've always relied on the T, though I've always avoided the orange line like the plague since from all accounts it might as well be a war zone. Never made sense to drive about on the admittedly nonsensical streets and worry about paying asinine amounts for parking. They recently bumped the prices on the T a bit, but I'm probably the only person you'll encounter who is bitching and moaning about it.

Dunkin' Donuts EVERYWHERE.