Photo by Tim Sackton (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Boston is a great city to live, study, and work in. It’s also a big and bustling city. Just like any big city, Boston can feel like a lonely place for a new resident unsure where and how to begin building a new home. Don’t know where to start in your pursuit of making Boston feel like home? Here are 7 tips to get you started.
1. Seek out the ideal neighborhood for you
As a city with a great mix of history, entertainment, dining, sports, and more, Boston offers a rich variety and lifestyle for any new resident to the city. This said, picking where to live can play a big part in pursuing your hobbies and interests. If you love the ocean, renting in Columbus Park ensures you’re always close to a weekend trip to the beach for a sail or a swim. If galleries and museums are your first love, an apartment in Cambridge can be perfect. And, if you love sports? A rental in Brookline sees you within walking distance of Fenway park, as well as a number of great golf clubs, cycling paths, and the iconic Boston Marathon training track.
2. Seek out an association via your college or workplace
Boston is a city where many friendships are very much ‘built-out’ of first meetings in class or the office. While other cities like LA and New York may find you making solid friends by chance meetings out and about, Beantown makes it easy for a new arrival to quickly feel a part of the city by virtue of meeting up for after-work drinks with friends or signing up for a new college club.
3. Get involved in sports
Whether you play or whether you just watch, Boston is a great sports town. Engaging with sports is a great way to make new friends and quickly feel at home in the city. Signing up to your office’s softball team in the springtime is always a great way to meet new people. In addition, so is getting season tickets for the Celtics, or the Boston Red Sox, and making friends courtside.
4. Have a regular coffee or breakfast spot
As a city with a proud food scene, getting out and about in your neighborhood is a great way to try some tasty new food, while also building up great friendships and local knowledge. By virtue of its commuter-friendly design – with many Bostonians able to bike or bus to work instead of driving in the car – finding a regular cafe for a morning breakfast or afternoon coffee should soon have you smiling and talking with familiar faces in your street.
5. Seek out some expats from your old town
While it’s important to ensure you make new friends in Boston, the city is also a melting pot of many cultures and holds many transplants from around the US, and the world. Checking out a local chapter of your hometown high school or college can be a fantastic way to meet people (and also combat the occasional homesickness). Whether you’re originally from Chicago and want a friend to cook deep-dish pizza with, a Houstonian who wants to watch A&M football with a fellow Texan, or even just someone from outside Boston seeking a fellow Massachusettsan to compare Sam Adams and Pabst with; Boston plays host to a number of meetups and groups to fit your interests.
6. Ensure you meet your actual neighbors
There is nothing like knocking on the door and saying hi to someone who lives next to you but many people still don’t do it. However, if you’re new to Boston be sure you do. You can be totally traditional with this and knock on the door with a casserole if you really like, but actually, most Bostonians would be happy with a hello, a handshake, and the exchange of a phone number. While it’s true like any big city some residents may be a bit miffed at getting a door knock, the great majority of Bostonians are always happy to meet a new neighbor, and happy to learn your nice and friendly (rather than some weirdo who lives near them but has never said hi)!
7. Give it time
Moving to a new city can be exciting but also feel a little tough at times. So, while you want to fit in immediately, don’t take it personal if your social calendar isn’t filled to the brim with party invites and events in the first couple of months. Ultimately, the best thing you can do as a new resident in Boston is to head out and explore the city as your new home! Check out the wonderful history, underrated things, the restaurants, and the beautiful parks and gardens that have made the city what it is today.
