by Sabrina Boyd (@SabrinaKayaB)
Before our Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, maybe we should get to know their city a little better.
You know, know your enemy before you crush them.
I personally have never been to Seattle. But I don’t want to hate on anyone ignorantly.
So I did a little research.
After extensive analysis, I can tell you for a fact, in my completely unbiased opinion, Boston is the better city hands down.
Our two cities actually have a lot in common. But the east coast just does it better.
See for yourself. Here are some of Seattle’s highlights, as compared to our own:
The High Point: The Space Needle
(Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
The Space Needle is Seattle’s signature landmark. It stands at 605 ft. and was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. Now, it’s an observation tower where tourists can overlook the city and the surrounding mountains.
In Boston, we have: The Prudential Tower
(Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
The Pru is 749 ft. tall – taller than the Space Needle. And it’s no mere fair decoration – the tower houses offices and shops, not to mention the Mix broadcast tower. Does any radio station broadcast from the Space Needle? I don’t think so.
Shopping: Pike Place Market
(JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP/Getty Images)
Pike Place Market is a public farmers’ market that overlooks the waterfront. The market first opened on August 17, 1907. Visitors today can buy food from local farmers, of course, plus there are tons of other shops, crafts, and restaurants.
In Boston, we have: Haymarket and Quincy Market
(Photo by Chris Wood via Wikimedia Commons)
Boston has two markets right around the corner from each other that give you everything Pike Place has. Haymarket has fresh, locally grown produce for a bargain – and has been operating since at least 1830, so longer than Pike Place – and Quincy Market has all your shopping needs. Plus there’s tons of history there, and more restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs than you could visit in years of living here.
Colleges: University of Washington, Seattle University
(Photo by Punctured Bicycle via Wikimedia Commons)
Seattle has pretty much one major university: University of Washington. There’s also Seattle University and Seattle Pacific University, both private schools that I don’t know anything about. There are a bunch of other schools there that pretty much nobody has heard of. University of Washington is definitely the biggest, with 45,213 students. I guess they probably have good sports or something.
In Boston, we have: Boston University, Boston College, UMass, Northeastern University, Emerson, Suffolk…
(L: Boston College Eagles field, Jim Rogash/Getty Images. Top: Harvard University, Joe Raedle/Getty Images. Bottom: Boston University, STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images.)
And if you extend to the surrounding communities, Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Wellesley…and that’s just off the top of my head. I’m pretty sure people in Seattle have heard of more than one of those. Massachusetts is the top state for grade school public education, so it’s pretty natural that such quality extends to colleges.
Getting Around: Seattle Center Monorail
(Photo by Joe Mabel via Wikimedia Commons)
To be honest, I couldn’t really figure out what Seattle’s main public transportation service is. The monorail sounds cool – imagine zipping around the city in that thing that brings you to the parks in Disney World! – but it’s actually only one line, open from 7:30am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday, and until 11pm on weekends. There’s also the Sounder Train & Light Rail, with two lines each, most of which close around 10pm. There are buses and ferries and streetcars… So how are you supposed to know what to take? And do any of them really go anywhere?
In Boston, we have: the T
(Darren McCollester/Newsmakers/Getty Images)
Okay, we all complain about the T. But at least it’s some logical, connected form of public transportation. It’s easy to figure out and gets you to the major points and outer neighborhoods of the city. Now it runs until 3am on weekends, and if you thought trains ending at midnight on weekdays was bad, imagine being stuck in Seattle at 11pm. Makes you kind of grateful for the T, even if it is often slow and dirty.
Morning Refreshment: Starbucks
(Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)
Guys, are we going to have this argument? Really? Starbucks overcharges you for fancy drinks that you always order wrong (news flash: in English, tall is the OPPOSITE of small). And have you ever had breakfast there? If you do, I suggest you go for a pastry or fruit cup, because their hot food is pretty lame. And what does a mermaid have to do with coffee, anyway?
In Boston, we have: Dunkin’ Donuts
(Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
Good ol’ Dunkie’s. They’ll give you a cheap cup of plain old Joe and are probably about as happy as you are at 8 in the morning (get over it, people, we like our Boston attitude). Whenever someone brings a box of munchkins in to work, you’re going to have a good day. Their breakfast sandwiches set the standard for all other breakfast sandwiches, in my life, anyway.
This is pointless. If you’re reading this, you’re probably from Boston, and if you’re from Boston, you’ve already pledged your allegiance to Dunkin’ Donuts.
So there you have it, folks. Regardless of the outcome of the Super Bowl, at least the Patriots get to come home to Boston and not Seattle.
What else is better in Boston? Seattle fans, got a comeback? Join the conversation – comment below!
