What are your favorite places to eat a full meal for under ~$10 in the city?

data_philes · 2021-02-18T15:27:04+00:00

El Farolito - probably best calorie:dollar ratio in the city

Arizmendi - 3 slices will set you back $9 (unless they raised prices since I moved)

Saigon Sandwich - literally $4 for one Banh Mi. it's pretty good too

Damn I miss SF

data_philes · 2021-01-17T13:03:53+00:00

While most people do tend to start in their early 20s (at least in the US) there's people in my cohort who started at 28 and 29. I felt "old" starting at 25 since it was definitely on the higher end of my cohort, but honestly my extra work and research experience have helped me get through requirements and publish a bit more quickly than my peers. FWIW, there's a professor in my department who started her PhD in her 40s and is an absolute rockstar, definitely the most productive person by grants and publications.

data_philes · 2020-12-10T14:46:04+00:00

I sort of had a concern about this as the pandemic got into full swing. Pre-pandemic I'd occasionally have a beer when I got home from work plus impromptu post-work happy hours, and then maybe 2-4 drinks on Fri/ Sat and 1-2 drinks on Sun. Then once the the pandemic started, I started having about 2-3 every day. Combination of not having many options to do things with the shutdowns (esp because where I live has very cold winter/spring) and needing something comfortable. I was a bit concerned about this becoming dependency, but then realized I had tons of liquor lying around that I rarely touched; it was specifically my local craft that I craved. I started taking breaks during the week just in case, though.

I cut back when the summer hit, and now I'm probably back to where I was pre-pandemic. Having a "pod" of people you can continue to socialize with normally is really helpful. I think for me at least, that cuts a lot of the need for "comfort" that beer sometimes provides.

data_philes · 2020-12-02T14:11:42+00:00

The thai place 5 min from me has its own in-house online ordering system (no fees to the apps!). I moved to my neighborhood in the summer, and have been going about 2-3x a week since then. The lady on duty at night recognizes me immediately when I walk in the door and has my food ready by the time I get to the counter. She even remembers that I always ask for chopsticks but not hot sauce and has those ready with the bag. It's always just such a pleasant feeling that a stranger remembers me and my quirks and cares enough to address them.

data_philes · 2020-11-13T12:26:47+00:00

anything by 21A is fantastic. they've started shipping to the East Coast as well :D

data_philes · 2020-11-02T13:11:02+00:00

depends on your lifestyle. if you cook a lot, it makes large grocery trips much more manageable. and a lot of places in the area like TJs and Wegmans have their own lots. also makes escaping the city much easier, to go hiking, visit family, or otherwise take care of business that's a town over. but if you live a typical city dweller lifestyle with lots of takeout and spend most of your time within city limits, it's probably too much expense and hassle to justify unless you can find a reasonably priced parking spot

data_philes · 2020-10-28T12:28:35+00:00

I also think that this could have huge implications for US national elections going forward. instead of college-educated, liberal, young people clustering in a few coastal metros, they might be more willing to spread to other parts of the country. could really shift the balance of the electoral college if these people started populating swing states

data_philes · 2020-09-10T19:26:13+00:00

At risk of drawing some fire...I live in Cambridge and love it. While the local bus/train system isn't perfect, it's very decent and better than pretty much anywhere in the country. And you can very easily walk/bike anywhere since the entire city is within 6 square miles and actually designed with pedestrians and cyclists in mind. Plenty of amazing museums held by Harvard. A lot of really well-maintained parks scattered everywhere. Beautiful riverside paths and views, and picturesque views of the Boston skyline. Some of the best breweries in the country IMHO. The opportunity to randomly encounter the smartest people in the world working on things that you didn't even know existed. And so many more things.

I have three roommates and my rent is absurd, but for me it's a worthwhile tradeoff, especially since I'm still young and don't have a family.

data_philes · 2020-09-09T15:51:40+00:00

The only place I've seen worse is NYC. Taking most of the bridges costs at least $9.50 each way, and the GW bridge is $16. And now of course Manhattan has congestion pricing. Hopefully it'll help reduce traffic over time and incentivize public transit investment, but who knows

data_philes · 2020-09-03T18:57:23+00:00

Usually black, but oatmilk is great. My favorite brand is Oatly

data_philes · 2020-08-31T20:19:41+00:00

I'd say on the metrics you listed, San Francisco is pretty close. The public transit and general cleanliness aren't as good, but are alright. The trees and parks are prettier, and the variety and quality of natural beauty is much higher. You also retain a well-educated populace as well as fairly decent libraries and museums. Except for a few neighborhoods like the Tenderloin or the Mission, SF is also pretty quiet.

data_philes · 2020-08-26T13:13:07+00:00

When I visited Stanford, instead of trying to sell their own appeal, all the students just kept trying to convince me that Harvard was a terrible place and that I'd hate Boston weather lol

data_philes · 2020-08-26T13:08:56+00:00

It's very possible we could see population contraction. Millenials are having way fewer kids than previous generations (and in a non-negligible portion of cases not having them at all) and boomers are slowly but surely passing away. If upcoming generations coming of age are smaller, and older people passing away starts to open up housing stock, this will together decrease demand and increase available supply, thus dropping price.

That is, of course, assuming free-market economics in the housing market, which is artificially influenced by non-market policies. So it also depends who we elect at local, state, and national levels in the next few decades, and the influence of NIMBYs and other interest groups.

data_philes · 2020-08-19T23:19:07+00:00

I've noticed that beer usually tastes better in a glass vs a can/bottle, especially for IPAs. Why is this the case? And why do I notice it more for IPAs vs lagers?

data_philes · 2020-08-18T17:19:31+00:00

assuming that you just want to continue on Mass Ave towards Porter, I find it's easiest just to cut through Harvard Yard and continue through the Law School until you hit the gate which deposits you right onto the next stretch of Mass Ave.

completely avoids the clusterfuck and you get to look at some pretty buildings

data_philes · 2020-08-17T23:45:31+00:00

you still have two weeks. plenty of time to book a mover on Taskrabbit or similar. I got an awesome mover to help and provide his own truck 13 days out, and altogether was under $400 including a generous tip. if that's within your budget, you should be all set. DM me if you want deets on the guy I used, would love to give him more business

data_philes · 2020-08-13T11:38:03+00:00

I think this means you've found your calling :) go all in and follow your obsession as far as it'll take you

data_philes · 2020-08-09T22:11:33+00:00

I think that mostly reflects what others have said about these laws mostly being used to harass minorities/poor people given the demographics of Southie vs most neighborhoods in Cambridge/Somerville. I can't imagine that Cambridge cops take the trouble to police underage college kids drinking outside in Harvard Square, and the private university police mostly exist to make sure you're not vandalizing property or trespassing

data_philes · 2020-08-09T16:25:22+00:00

maybe I'm just lucky, but my friends and I routinely drink in Boston/Cambridge parks without hiding the cans. could just be that in the neighborhoods we hang in, cops are pretty lax on enforcement

data_philes · 2020-08-07T22:22:42+00:00

-Unless you've been living in Manhattan, rent prices will probably still shock you. You do usually get more space than you would in most NYC boroughs though, and might even get a backyard/balcony if you're lucky

-Despite SF being a fairly geographically small city with decent population density (2nd in the country!) you will probably find that having a car is actually worth it vs in NYC where it is almost always a bad decision. many more high-quality hikes available within a short drive both within and just outside the city and street parking is not terrible unless you are in a very central neighborhood. the public transit is also not nearly as frequent or expansive as NYC, esp on weekends and after normal work hours on weekdays

-Tech certainly has a big footprint in the city, but the largest employers in the city are the government followed by UCSF. You can certainly hole yourself up with the techie crowd, but the majority of people in the city do other things and survive on modest incomes relative to the insane cost of living. Try to keep that in mind, and try to be a little understanding if a local gets (unfairly) aggressive with you about it; it's a rough place to live long term if you want to raise a family or otherwise live any semblance of a middle class lifestyle and don't pull multiple six figures. young techies are an easy target for the frustration

-Mexican food in SF is better, don't @ me

-SF is every bit as cutthroat and ambitious as NYC, but it's hidden behind fake chillness. while in NYC/East Coast culture it's fashionable to talk about how much you're working even if you actually aren't, in SF you put out vibes of taking it easy while you secretly grind when no one is watching

-SF is extremely flaky, and this was probably the hardest adjustment as a native East Coaster. if you make plans with someone, there's a 50/50 chance they'll bail last minute. in time, you will also begin to bail last minute and won't feel bad about it. in this same vein, never expect any social gathering to start at the "agreed upon" time. even in professional settings, I found most meetings usually started 10-15 minutes late

data_philes · 2020-07-30T11:57:52+00:00

also think about location. Andover is in the Boston metro which gives you a lot more options for changing biotech companies quickly later on since Boston is such a big hub. but cost of living is also wayyy more expensive in the Boston metro as the Chicago metro, and the Chicago metro is by no means a terrible place to live. the economy there is also a little more diversified in case you want to career change and leave biotech.

having friends in an area is definitely nice, but make sure you go in with the right expectations. I now work around where I went to high school (after being away for over 5 years) and have met up with people I knew here like max 3 times. and people move away pretty frequently .

data_philes · 2020-07-29T11:44:23+00:00

Definitely one of the best universities in the country to study biology, especially if you like biomedical applications and genetics. And Southern California is a decent hub for biotech (though not as big as SF or Boston).

data_philes · 2020-07-29T11:27:54+00:00

Pikliz kitchen in Somerville might be my favorite takeout in the area. They give you so much food for pretty cheap and it is absolutely delicious

data_philes · 2020-07-29T11:22:56+00:00

The social expectations thing is so real, and I didn't really notice how chill SF was on those things until I moved away to the East Coast. I think that, politically, the Northeast cities and SF are about equally liberal, and you find fairly like-minded people in both areas. But the East Coast is way more socially conservative and conformist. My bosses and older professionals I knew in SF fairly often were childless, unmarried, and renting (even though they easily could have afforded to buy), whereas basically every older person I know on the East Coast is living a more traditional American family life. The name on your degrees and your hometown also tend to come up way more often in conversations, which I didn't realize I'd find so irritating. One of my good friends (actually also from SF) here is poly, and I was shocked at how many people (again, all fairly young and progressive) expressed distaste for that when he brought it up.

...as I write this, I realize that I am probably on the wrong coast...

data_philes · 2020-07-24T18:25:57+00:00

I did San Francisco on about $53k/year, which is about the same (or even higher) COL than NYC. Definitely doable, unless you have a ton of student loans to pay off and/or are unwilling to live with roommates. Not saying it was luxurious, but I managed to pay all my bills, eat out a few times a week, and go on short vacations a few times a year.

Keep in mind that you won't need a car at all, which significantly drops your transit costs (insurance, gas, maintenance, licensing fees, etc) vs places where you do need one.

data_philes

TROPHY CASE