11 Undying Habits That Prove You Can Never Take Boston Out Of The Bostonian
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Juliet White
Author
Bostonians are the best, so why anyone would want to yank out their Boston roots is beyond me. Then again, even if you were so inclined, it’s not as easy a process as you might think. Certain traits stay with us no matter where we are in the world. Here are 11 habits that prove you can never take Boston out of the Bostonian:
Boston has earned its reputation as America’s Walking City. You’ll see us striding purposefully down sidewalks, strolling along the banks of the Charles, and wandering through markets. While some cities have too much urban sprawl to make this practical, Boston neighborhoods are pretty compact and easy to navigate on foot. When traveling elsewhere, it’s easy to forget that many places aren’t pedestrian-friendly and that people only walk alongside the road if they’ve broken down!
"Runner’s World" ranks Boston as the third best city in the nation for runners. Given that we host the world’s oldest continuously run marathon, that’s no surprise. When you look around and see flocks of joggers, it does make you wonder just how much spandex the average Bostonian owns! Go ahead. Glance out a window. You can see a jogger, can’t you? Since the sport only requires a good pair of sneakers, we take our dedication to jogging with us wherever we go.
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That nice grandma who just held the door open for you morphs into a horn blasting, bird-flipping madwoman when driving. And it’s not just grandmas. We all have a little Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in us when we’re forced to navigate Boston traffic. Once outside of the city, many – but by no means all – of us revert to a more mellow driving style.
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While we’re allowed to veer into the breakdown lane during rush hour on some roads, it’s one of those Boston quirks that isn’t well received in other places. Nothing to see here officer, nothing at all...
…Then wondering why A) your order is completely wrong, or B) the barista gives you a blank stare. Apparently, "regular" is not universal.
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We're fiercely loyal fans and our devotion to sports comes with us, no matter where we are. We even get small children and dogs involved!
Did you know that the rest of the nation doesn’t celebrate Tom Brady’s birthday? Whaaat? This is why you should never leave Boston.
Did you know that the rest of the nation doesn’t celebrate Tom Brady’s birthday? Whaaat? This is why you should never leave Boston.
After a while, it becomes ingrained. Sorry, not sorry!
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This is a tough habit to break, and once you know something as a "bubbler," it’s irksome to have to translate that into "water fountain" for those who aren’t in-the-know. We’re also likely to say "wicked," "frappe," and a whole bunch of lingo that is incomprehensible to people in some other parts of the country.
In some places weather in the 40s means bundling up. Here, that’s borderline balmy and shorts are a valid fashion choice. Even if it turns out that we’ve misjudged the situation, Bostonians are tough enough to power through! (Note the people wearing layers in the background of this photo!)
We can appreciate the advantages of other places – in the short term... but, when it comes down to it, we know that Boston is the best.
If you’re a native Bostonian, what traits have stuck? If you moved to the city later in life, what habits have you adopted? Let us know on the Only In Boston Facebook page.
You may also be interested in this article: 16 Ways Living In Boston Ruins You For Life.
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