Is Boston the New LA?

By: Demetris Owens

Photo by Yeyoung Chang

If you're unfamiliar with the densely populated city of Boston, you might want to keep reading.

Boston is climbing the travel destination list, thanks to its rich American Revolution history, prominent universities, efficient transportation, strong sports culture, and boutique storefronts lining its streets.

Boston has traffic similar to LA’s, but its surface area is much smaller. The compact, dense layout makes the city feel just as busy as Los Angeles County. But as it grows, the city is only becoming more hospitable.

Los Angeles, on the other hand, seems to be in a state of decline, with issues surrounding housing affordability, economic hardships, and Hollywood's relocation to other states. The city seems to be feeling the effects. Still, Los Angeles has a lot to offer, from serving as the backdrop for the most enduring movies to offering fine dining restaurants, malls, beautiful views, and near-perfect temps.

Boston offers something slightly different, yet just as enticing. Its full seasons and cool retail streets are becoming even more packed with stores, including upcoming openings such as Gentle Monster, Garage, Skims, Joe & The Juice, and others. Boston is beginning to pick up the Los Angeles vibe, with wellness culture, smoothie lines and athleisure all showing up on its sidewalks. The city might even become the setting for your new favorite movies.

Boston isn't trying to become LA. The city prides itself on its history and independent identity. But West Coast accents are subtly showing up, bringing a new, vibrant feel to the city's historically rich foundation.

So the question becomes: Is Boston the new LA? It's a perplexing question, but I think you can expect Boston to make a bigger name for itself as time goes on.

If you're thinking about moving from either of these places, you may want to ask yourself: Same grass, but maybe one’s greener?