Cambridge is wealthy, but people try not to show it because it’s very progressive. What is normally coded “high status” in the US (Mercedes, BMW, etc.) isn’t cool here. Instead, older cars with fancy bike racks or bumper stickers from Ivy League schools show status. This is a cultural feature of wealthy progressive enclaves—Boulder, CO is similar.
dmw14c t1_iznq6ab wrote
Reply to Why are some more obscure car brands (e.g. Volvo, Saab) so popular in Cambridge MA? by MussleGeeYem
Cambridge is wealthy, but people try not to show it because it’s very progressive. What is normally coded “high status” in the US (Mercedes, BMW, etc.) isn’t cool here. Instead, older cars with fancy bike racks or bumper stickers from Ivy League schools show status. This is a cultural feature of wealthy progressive enclaves—Boulder, CO is similar.