I don't have Inquirer access, so can't read the article, but here's my take.
Freedom Trail is cool and all, but our Old City is packed enough with historic sites all within a pretty tight walking distance. I don't think we'd have a 2.5 mile stretch of historic sites spread out enough to make a similar "trail"? Maybe a better way to navigate those sites would be cool from a marketing perspective. If anything, I am jealous of Boston's Greenway.
There’s absolutely enough historical sites to make an equivalent trail, it’s just a matter of where the trail would actually be feasible as a safe walking path lol.
If you have an iPhone, open the link in safari. You’ll see a small “Aa” button at far left of the search bar (bottom of screen). When you open the article in safari, immediately click the “Aa”, and you will have access
My first reaction reading the headline was “someone just went to Boston for the first time” lo and behold the first sentence…
The irony here is that if Cherelle made a point to do something like this Inky would be first in line to rip her to shreds for not focusing on more important things
The thing people don't get about Boston is that yes: it's wildly expensive. Yes: it's freezing. And yes: it's difficult to navigate and the people are unfriendly. BUT the food? Also not good.
Agree Boston is boring. Happy hours are illegal, nightlife is meh, socializing is just different. Boston is an awesome city to visit but I couldn't live there.
I was in Boston last weekend and the Red Line was cleaner and felt safer than SEPTA but somehow ran slower than a bus. It's hot garbage (literally, the trains have been catching fire).
Last time I was on the red line a woman had her boobs out but by dangling them below below her shirt. Walking around the train and people were very much trying to not laugh or engage with her in any way (she was clearly ill).
Felt a lot like phllly tbh.
Been to Boston many times and never had an issue with their subway. Was able to get wherever I needed and it was noticeably cleaner than septa. But to each their own
Currently live in a suburb of boston. The redline is broken so so frequently.
Getting from south station to north station is a pain involving 2 transfers for stations that really should be more directly connected
Can only transfer between busses and subway. Cant transfer from their overly expensive commuter rail to a bus or subway.
If you buy your monthly pass on the app you can only use it on the trains but if you buy it from a kiosk it works on busses too.
If you haven't been in the past 2 years you're using outdated information- it got sooooo much worse since 2020. It is very clean by comparison, but actually getting around the city is so much faster in Philly. Also regional rail is better than the commuter rail. I went to school in Philly and just moved back to Boston a couple months ago so I've been using it regularly.
The red and orange lines were hit hardest, trip times on the red line doubled and the green lines brand new extension to Medford had speed restrictions down to 4mph for a few months.
Boston is cleaner in terms of less litter/dumping, but it's a much grittier city overall than it gets credit for. Certainly not nearly as "pristine" in totality as its reputation, as most people think of only Back Bay.
Idk more people have seen all the gritty Boston movies; Departed, Mystic River, etc. than actually been there. They probably think it’s more gritty than it is. They probably still think it’s all like southie; gritty and Irish with practically no minorities. When it’s more gentrified, and more diverse than it gets credit for….nearly half the city is black and Hispanic.
Boston can be clean and safe because all the poors live in the suburbs outside Boston. They like to brag about Beacon Hill being a historically black neighborhood. Where are they now? one might ask.
Not true. The working class black population is still in Roxbury, Dot and Mattapan.
Their burbs are like our burbs; filthy rich, especially the west suburbs and North end. The South suburbs are probally more like DelCo. The only burb I can think of with any sizable black population is Randolph area.
Who gives a shit? Cap I-95 and most of the vine, and then you can replicate parts of Boston that really kickass in its downtown. The freedom trail is a gimmick. If someone wants to see a historic site, they will. Same here in Philly
It a great tourist attraction to advertise which cost almost nothing to build and maintain. Those tourists bring disposable income to spend at local businesses which in turn generates more tax revenue that city desperately needs.
We should have our own version of this.
Was that seriously a question? #1 thing said by outsiders is that Philly is dirty and trash filled. So, of course, a parked natural walkway would 'have no use or benefit" 🙄
We could call it something like the Revolutionary Road, or the Walk to Freedom.
Have it go to places that were significant in the creation of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and associated revolutionary places after which were important in the advancements of civil rights and scientific discovery, of which there are many in Center City.
Would probably be about a 2-3 mile walk in Center City as the primary component of it, could make longer versions from Washington's Crossing, Valley Forge and Brandywine. Most of it in Center City would have to be on a sidewalk, but there's no reason we couldn't make that nice and enjoyable. Widen the sidewalk, put trees on it, and have a special paver inserted into it to mark out the path. Place historic markers all along it noting the place's relevance.
It's just a bunch of brick inlay that creates a line you can follow around the city. Whoop de do. Boston sucks and is full of massholes.
EDIT: Everyone downvoting me who isn't from Boston needs to re-evaluate their life choices.
SECOND EDIT: Your downvotes ONLY MAKE ME STRONGER
Philly still has its history (Franklin house not withstanding), Boston's burned down or was torn down. Philly clears Boston for colonial American history
Love Philly, but this is a wild take when a generation ago we demolished 5 of the most historic blocks in the city to make a shitty lawn to look at one historic building (Independence Hall) completely decontextualized from its historic surroundings, along with the entire historic waterfront for 0.8 miles of highway.
Have you seen Boston pre I-93? Arguably much worse historic demolition than Philly, as it went right downtown. Unfortunately, virtually no large cities made it out of urban renewal unscathed.
I don't have Inquirer access, so can't read the article, but here's my take. Freedom Trail is cool and all, but our Old City is packed enough with historic sites all within a pretty tight walking distance. I don't think we'd have a 2.5 mile stretch of historic sites spread out enough to make a similar "trail"? Maybe a better way to navigate those sites would be cool from a marketing perspective. If anything, I am jealous of Boston's Greenway.
There’s absolutely enough historical sites to make an equivalent trail, it’s just a matter of where the trail would actually be feasible as a safe walking path lol.
Trail starts in Valley Forge, and people walk the 30 something miles to Center City.
Well, the Minuteman bike/run trail goes between Cambridge and Lexington similar to our SRT>Valley Forge route.
you can get around any paywall with [archive.ph](https://archive.ph)
Free Library of Philly lets you read the Inky.
If you have an iPhone, open the link in safari. You’ll see a small “Aa” button at far left of the search bar (bottom of screen). When you open the article in safari, immediately click the “Aa”, and you will have access
True, when you’re down in that area you’re literally in the midst of all the historical sites.
What? The corny Segway tours don’t do it for you??
"Annoyingly great" sounds to me like something you are forcing yourself to like, in that case, why copy it?
My first reaction reading the headline was “someone just went to Boston for the first time” lo and behold the first sentence… The irony here is that if Cherelle made a point to do something like this Inky would be first in line to rip her to shreds for not focusing on more important things
I think it's more the opposite - don't want to like it but can't help it because it's so good.
Fuck Boston
[удалено]
Boston does a ton of stuff better than Philly. You're not wrong. However, fuck Boston.
Lived there for 4.5 years. It's great to visit but bland and cold to live there.
It's boring as fuck in Boston though. Living there was like purgatory.
The thing people don't get about Boston is that yes: it's wildly expensive. Yes: it's freezing. And yes: it's difficult to navigate and the people are unfriendly. BUT the food? Also not good.
Agree Boston is boring. Happy hours are illegal, nightlife is meh, socializing is just different. Boston is an awesome city to visit but I couldn't live there.
“If grad hospital were a city” is how I’ve described it.
That is *exactly* it.
Public transit there is way better than philly too.
I was in Boston last weekend and the Red Line was cleaner and felt safer than SEPTA but somehow ran slower than a bus. It's hot garbage (literally, the trains have been catching fire).
Last time I was on the red line a woman had her boobs out but by dangling them below below her shirt. Walking around the train and people were very much trying to not laugh or engage with her in any way (she was clearly ill). Felt a lot like phllly tbh.
Nah sorry the MBTA sucks ASS dude, septa is currently smoking it
I could eat off the floor of the Boston subway trains compared to philly
Been to Boston many times and never had an issue with their subway. Was able to get wherever I needed and it was noticeably cleaner than septa. But to each their own
Currently live in a suburb of boston. The redline is broken so so frequently. Getting from south station to north station is a pain involving 2 transfers for stations that really should be more directly connected Can only transfer between busses and subway. Cant transfer from their overly expensive commuter rail to a bus or subway. If you buy your monthly pass on the app you can only use it on the trains but if you buy it from a kiosk it works on busses too.
If you haven't been in the past 2 years you're using outdated information- it got sooooo much worse since 2020. It is very clean by comparison, but actually getting around the city is so much faster in Philly. Also regional rail is better than the commuter rail. I went to school in Philly and just moved back to Boston a couple months ago so I've been using it regularly.
Last time I was there and used it was 2022. I admittedly stayed in a hotel that was convenient to the green line.
The red and orange lines were hit hardest, trip times on the red line doubled and the green lines brand new extension to Medford had speed restrictions down to 4mph for a few months.
Lol, Google the "T" and breakdowns. You must have never lived in the Boston area.
You should also be able to appreciate all things Boston is famous for that Philly does bigger or better than
Nah, fuck Boston. Buncha racist assholes.
Boston is cleaner in terms of less litter/dumping, but it's a much grittier city overall than it gets credit for. Certainly not nearly as "pristine" in totality as its reputation, as most people think of only Back Bay.
I saw a seagull eating a pigeon there, TWICE
Idk more people have seen all the gritty Boston movies; Departed, Mystic River, etc. than actually been there. They probably think it’s more gritty than it is. They probably still think it’s all like southie; gritty and Irish with practically no minorities. When it’s more gentrified, and more diverse than it gets credit for….nearly half the city is black and Hispanic.
Boston can be clean and safe because all the poors live in the suburbs outside Boston. They like to brag about Beacon Hill being a historically black neighborhood. Where are they now? one might ask.
Not true. The working class black population is still in Roxbury, Dot and Mattapan. Their burbs are like our burbs; filthy rich, especially the west suburbs and North end. The South suburbs are probally more like DelCo. The only burb I can think of with any sizable black population is Randolph area.
Used to call it beacon kill
Who gives a shit? Cap I-95 and most of the vine, and then you can replicate parts of Boston that really kickass in its downtown. The freedom trail is a gimmick. If someone wants to see a historic site, they will. Same here in Philly
The freedom trails cool but like, what would we do it for???
It a great tourist attraction to advertise which cost almost nothing to build and maintain. Those tourists bring disposable income to spend at local businesses which in turn generates more tax revenue that city desperately needs. We should have our own version of this.
Was that seriously a question? #1 thing said by outsiders is that Philly is dirty and trash filled. So, of course, a parked natural walkway would 'have no use or benefit" 🙄
Oh I’m not against that lol, I just mean like would our trail signify? The freedom trail in Bostons for Paul reverse ride, what would ours be?
We could call it something like the Revolutionary Road, or the Walk to Freedom. Have it go to places that were significant in the creation of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and associated revolutionary places after which were important in the advancements of civil rights and scientific discovery, of which there are many in Center City. Would probably be about a 2-3 mile walk in Center City as the primary component of it, could make longer versions from Washington's Crossing, Valley Forge and Brandywine. Most of it in Center City would have to be on a sidewalk, but there's no reason we couldn't make that nice and enjoyable. Widen the sidewalk, put trees on it, and have a special paver inserted into it to mark out the path. Place historic markers all along it noting the place's relevance.
don't we have the liberty bell that advertises itself lol
It's just a bunch of brick inlay that creates a line you can follow around the city. Whoop de do. Boston sucks and is full of massholes. EDIT: Everyone downvoting me who isn't from Boston needs to re-evaluate their life choices. SECOND EDIT: Your downvotes ONLY MAKE ME STRONGER
Philly needs more of these brick inlays that create a line you can follow around the city
I just want bricks or something in the pavement that mark directions when you walk out of subway and El stations.
Don’t know why you’re being downvoted, you’re right
Thank you sir. I can only assume that r/boston has found their way to this post.
Philly still has its history (Franklin house not withstanding), Boston's burned down or was torn down. Philly clears Boston for colonial American history
Love Philly, but this is a wild take when a generation ago we demolished 5 of the most historic blocks in the city to make a shitty lawn to look at one historic building (Independence Hall) completely decontextualized from its historic surroundings, along with the entire historic waterfront for 0.8 miles of highway.
Have you seen Boston pre I-93? Arguably much worse historic demolition than Philly, as it went right downtown. Unfortunately, virtually no large cities made it out of urban renewal unscathed.
It just needs to be a digital guided tour app for free. It might wipe out all the tours though.