Fair point. While I can't comment on Boston having never lived there, I have a general method for getting a feel for a new area. Say if 7 out of 10 people I meet exhibit common behaviors or the like, I deem that to be part of the local culture. Take Kentucky for example. The small towns are a general mix of uneducated, yet friendly people who aren't afraid to pry into your personal life, and uneducated pricks who you wouldn't want to look at the wrong way.

Again, I have met some really great people here and a fair amount of kind strangers. But the majority of people in my day to day sphere of interaction are as I described. Living in one of the bigger cities may play a part in this.