New York City vs. Boston in one picture

[WilliamPitt]

[hlthe2b]

1. That is actually funny... Boston has a bit of a reputation, not only for the "lay-out"

but because some locals are notorious for giving wrong/bad directions....

Anecdotally, I can attest to experiencing at least a bit of that...

[NewJeffCT]

21. I even got bad directions from the police once

back in the 90s. We asked how to get onto the Mass Pike, and they gave me two street names, like go to Washington until you get to Jefferson (or Lincoln, or something, it was two streets named after presidents)... however, the two streets ran parallel to each other, so never intersected. Finally got some good directions from some Indian guy who worked at a convenience store.

[liberal N proud]

2. City planning

New York streets are 3x wider than Bostons

[LiberalEsto]

5. I believe Boston's streets were originally cow paths

meant for cows, not cars.

[Trajan]

3. LMFAO .... I've driven around Boston ....

Round and round Boston, saying "Can you read that sign ? ... Can you read that sign ? ... What F#$%-IN street is that ?"

"WHY doesn't that sign show the street we are crossing ? ... I already know what street I'm on !" ....

Yep .... more or less ....

[In_The_Wind]

4. Yeh.

[img][/img]

[graywarrior]

6. Hahaha!

I love when Boston changes a one way street to the opposite direction. When I was a tour guide in Boston, tourists couldn't believe that all of the Copley Square area was under water at one time.

[mythology]

7. Also known as why I bought a GPS

Prior to having one, I remember being horribly lost one night/early morning and I wound up on the corner of Tremont and Tremont or something in Boston. I was less than pleased.

They really do need to raze the Boston metro area and start over. There's no way to make the city truly fully functional without doing so.

[siligut]

8. Seattle is similar to Boston

Some of it can be blamed on the large bodies of water planners had to work around, but only some of it. There is a mnemonic to aid in remembering the order of downtown streets, something about Jesus not giving a damn.

[yewberry]

17. Jesus Christ made Seattle under protest.

Jefferson, James, Cherry, Columbia, Marion, Madison, Spring, Seneca, University, Union, Pike, Pine.

I ride around downtown every day and yet I go back to that mnemonic to remember where I am.

[bluedigger]

9. Now lets compare maps of the T and NYC's subway.

Boston



NYC

[First Speaker]

10. This is what gives Boston its character...

...hey--any city can make it *easy* to get around. NYC, of course...Washington, with its J and K and M streets, all neat and in a row. Hey--where's the fun in that? You take a walk in Boston, you never know what you'll find going around the next corner. And besides, it's New England--you can't get *too* lost. Just look up and see where the Pru and the Hancock are, and navigate by them. You'll get to your destination eventually. And have more fun along the way... ...

[struggle4progress]

24. IIRC there actually is no J St in DC

The Bermuda Triangle swallowed it or something

[Ava]

11. could also be called The Rest of NYC vs. West Village

I hate the West Village >_<

[LiberalElite]

12. I haven't been to Boston but not all NYC is nice 'n orderly

That's a photo of midtown Manhattan. About 1 1/2 miles south of there is Greenwich Village, where West 4th Street crosses West 10th, 11th and 12th Streets. Also, Queens which is composed of many areas which were once independent towns. isn't always so straightforward to navigate. The street I live on in Queens is one way going south for a couple blocks, one way going north for a couple blocks, and then a two-way street.

[surrealAmerican]

13. Valid point.

The opposite of Boston is not New York, but Chicago.

[Marrah_G]

16. Boston is a nightmare to navigate around

No neatly numbered straight streets.

NY has size and population density, but Boston is a maze of curves, one ways and rotaries. Oh yes and rotaries.... no rules really, they just depend on people not being assholes...

[Marrah_G]

14. LMAO

So true... navigating Boston is insane, even if you grew up in the area.

[Baitball Blogger]

15. LOL!

That's a good one.

[DFW]

18. I once lived near Boston for a few years

Much as I love the place, traffic is indeed a nightmare. Worse yet, I think all Boston motorists are required to take driver's ed in either Mexico City or Cairo.

I was once stopped in the right lane at a red light near the Quincy Market when the guy in the passenger seat of the car to the left of me had his window down and was frantically gesturing to me. I rolled down my window to ask what his problem was.

He said that they needed to turn right, and were in the wrong lane, and would I let them turn right in front of me when the light changed? I said sure, and commented that he couldn't be from anywhere near Boston if he asked first. He said "you got that right!"

[YankeyMCC]

19. You don't drive in Boston

You Aim.


btw: I live around Boston and love living here.

[krispos42]

20. The inspiration for Boston's street layout

[Mopar151]

22. This song says it best - Boston vetrans will recognize several landmarks

[Moondog]

23. I don't about that, but I do know this -

I really, really prefer Boston. Even to drive there.

[struggle4progress]

25. It makes sense to lay out the streets in an orderly fashion only if

most people are actually gonna drive on the streets. Maybe New Yorkers do that. Many Bostonians are more free-wheeling than that and feel free to drive wherever they want, like on sidewalks and such

[hrmjustin]

26. That is just Manhattan. The rest of this city can be very confusing.

But yes Boston is a maze.