Those things are great, and Boston does have its unique advantages. Digging your car out of the snow, slipping on ice, and gloomy days aren't. After 3 (ok, 2.8) winters here, those are the things that made me finally understand why people don't like winter.
Well, I grew up in Vermont, so I may be crazy, but I have a garage, good boots, and a love for snowboarding, walking in the snow, fireplaces, hot tea, and all that. I don't have to dig my car out of the snow, I don't slip on the ice, and I don't mind the dark days at all.
I love the sense of history that Boston has, old churches and many places that played a big role during the American Revolution. For me, it's the perfect US city, with the right balance of culture, East Coast attitudes, weather, etc... But I totally understand that it's not for everyone:)
With regards to the tech hub thing, I definitely see lots of younger tech people flocking to SV due to all the VC, Google, etc... That said, if you ignore the VC driven profitless startups, Boston still has a decent share of tech companies, and lots of other business (financial, medical, pharama/gene/biotech, etc..) which I think is important for a standard business ecosystem.
> [I have] a love for snowboarding, walking in the snow, fireplaces, hot tea, and all that
Ditto. The difference is that out here in the valley winter is a place up in the Sierra Nevadas that we visit when the December/January rain hits the bay area. The best part is that once we have had our fill of winter fun we drive back home :)
