Boston vs New York City
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, New York City leads 4–1 (1 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Boston is the cradle of revolution; New York City is the island of arrivals.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Boston
46
New York City
369
New York City leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Boston
299
New York City
291
Tie
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Boston
4
New York City
99
New York City leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Boston
60
New York City
75
New York City leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Boston
6
New York City
20
New York City leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Boston
3
New York City
2
Boston leads
| What we measure | Boston | New York City | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 46 | 369 | New York City |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 299 | 291 | tie |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 4 | 99 | New York City |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 60 | 75 | New York City |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 6 | 20 | New York City |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 3 | 2 | Boston |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Boston in orange, New York City in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Boston scorecard
The cradle of revolution
New York City scorecard
The island of arrivals
