As a Californian, my first year in Boston brought many surprises. Even though they are both in the U.S., there are many cultural differences between the two coasts. I’ll take you through the five first things I noticed in the span of two weeks.
- Casual Greetings
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When you go to any retail or grocery store in California, workers and the people around you show enthusiasm. I’m not exaggerating when I say the movies about California are, in some parts, accurate. The East Coast has a slightly more rushed lifestyle. As an introvert who doesn’t like small talk, this change worked out well for me.
- different cuisines
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Whenever I come back to visit California, I always make sure to stop and get an acai bowl as the sunshine undoubtedly makes fruit taste better. I also love to grab some udon and Korean barbecue (you can’t miss this combo). But while I’m in Boston, I always find myself stopping to get Mediterranean food or some good Italian food on the weekends. One thing I love about being in Boston is that there are cuisines from all around the world to try here. In fact, I even tried Southern food for the first time here and loved it!
Shun Matsuhashi / Spoon - the architecture
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During my time here, I’ve visited many bustling cities. But I must say, Boston is incredibly unique and stands out among the rest. The architecture truly reminds me of Europe, which I think is a rare sight to find in a U.S. city. Not only are these buildings pleasing to the eye, but they are full of rich history. On the flip side, California has gone all modern and sunny with its open floor plans and palm trees.
- traveling from one state to another
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Another huge change I’ve had to wrap my head around is travel distances, or the lack thereof. The thought of being able to drive just one hour and be in a completely different state was a shocking concept to me until I came to Massachusetts. In North California, it takes about a four-hour drive just to get to another state!
- public transportation
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Back in California, public transportation is rarely used since most people get around by car. But when I got to the East Coast, I was mesmerized trying to figure out my way through public transport. It was a fun learning experience, and it made me a much better navigator.
So if you’re a fellow west coast native looking to move to Boston, these are 5 things to think about!
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