Boston vs Santa Fe

Boston

Boston has a humid continental climate with four sharply defined seasons. Winters are cold and snowy, summers are warm and humid, and spring and fall can be glorious. Proximity to the Atlantic moderates extremes but also brings nor'easter storms in winter and occasional sea fog in summer.

Santa Fe

High desert climate at 7,200 ft. Intense sunshine year-round. Summer afternoons bring dramatic monsoon thunderstorms. Winter brings snow and world-class skiing at Ski Santa Fe.

Boston

Boston's MBTA — simply "the T" — covers the city with subway, trolley, commuter rail, bus, and ferry. The subway is the oldest in the Americas, compact, and perfect for most visitor itineraries. A CharlieCard (reloadable) or CharlieTicket (paper) is used across the system. Driving is painful — narrow one-way colonial street grids, no numbered system, and notoriously aggressive drivers.

Walkability: Central Boston is one of the most walkable areas in the US. Beacon Hill, the North End, Back Bay, Downtown, and the Waterfront are tightly packed and best explored on foot. The Freedom Trail is literally a walking itinerary. Cambridge is also very walkable once you cross the river. Winter ice is the main challenge; summer heat rarely stops walking.

Santa Fe

The historic plaza and Canyon Road are walkable. A car is essential for day trips to Taos, Bandelier, or White Sands. The city bus system covers main areas cheaply.

Walkability: Very walkable around the plaza, Canyon Road, and Museum Hill; a car is needed for day trips and outlying attractions