[PhilliesPhan]

Originally Posted by The North One

I agree with this, but you've got snobs in Cambridge who say things like "I've never even been to Boston!". I don't think they'll ever let go of their designated city status.

That's hilarious! Last year, I visited Boston for the first time in July. I stayed with a good friend of mine at her apartment in the Fenway neighborhood. She was studying at BU over the summer and suggested that I should come up and see Boston, which is something I had always wanted to do at that point. Anyway, walking along both Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street was confusing; although I was in "suburban" Brookline, the urban fabric continued almost seamlessly after Park Drive (I believe that's the Boston/Brookline border).

Originally Posted by The North One

It's one of the most handsome and walkable downtowns in the united states with great connectivity with the harbor. What underwhelmed you?

Tbh, I spent a lot of time around Boston during my visit. I arrived at South Station and walked along Atlantic Avenue until my friend arrived. We then ate in Chinatown and took the B trolley to her place. Over the next few days, I visited Brookline, Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, the Esplanade, Salem, Revere Beach, Newbury Street, Downtown Crossing, and Boston Commons. On the last evening I was there, I took the Red Line to Dorchester, connected with the Mattapan Trolley, and turned around. I got off at Savin Hill and walked from Southie to the North End to try Regina's Pizza. I guess all of that was a really long way of saying that I didn't see too much of Downtown. I can't wait to see more of it when I return, however! Despite what I stated about Downtown, I think that Philly and Boston are the best cities in the U.S.

Originally Posted by The North One

Honestly curious about this, what part was less walkable than you expected? New York doesn't have a neighborhood like Beacon Hill or the North End so it lacks in European-esque pedestrian streets (which is part of why I think Boston is better than New York) but objectively it's the most walkable city in the country by sheer size.

I have been visiting NYC for years, but recently started going by myself. Midtown has a problem similar to the western portion of Center City: wide one-way streets. NYC is undoubtedly the most walkable U.S. city, but the avenues are really wide!

Originally Posted by The North One

They're both old, great colonial cities with very similar urban fabrics and similar troubles and history. I wouldn't hold Baltimore's riots against the city, it's not really up to you to deem the riots justifiable or not.

I don't hold the riots against the city. Ultimately, a minority of Baltimoreans committed those atrocious acts. As someone who grew up poor in West Philadelphia and Chester, I know not to hold things against a city. The VAST majority of people within a city are hard-working, innocent people who are just trying to survive like the rest of us; however, the less than 10% of criminals attempt to make life hard for the others.

Regardless of everything, Baltimore is an interesting city that I still intend to visit and explore this summer. I have only stayed in the Inner Harbor area, and I would love to see more of what the city has to offer.