Why does Boston have a reputation for having a lack of nightlife and "nothing to do"?

I've heard Boston has a reputation for not having a nightlife, or in general not as many "things to do" as other cities do. I've lived in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville my whole life so I'm wondering what I am missing out on that other cities have. I feel like it is pretty easy to find bars and clubs around here, but I'm interested to hear experiences from people who moved from other cities to Boston.