Boston
Travel Guide > North America > USA > Northeastern United States > Massachusetts > Boston
Introduction
Boston is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts's capital and the largest city in New England. The city was originally settled by Puritan Christians in 1630 and quickly grew into a major trading port. The city was instrumental in the events leading up to the American Revolution such as the Boston Massacre, when British soldiers fired into a mob of civilians in self defense, and the Boston Tea Party, when colonists destroyed tea owned by the East Indian Company in protest over favored status from Britain. Boston was also the home to many famous revolutionaries, for example John Adams, John Hancock and Sam Adams.
After the revolution Boston become a major port and grew into the surrounding areas. Recently Boston has taken the lead in massive public building projects. One of the more notorious ones is the Big Dig, which is burring all the major expressways underground in order to open up more green space. Boston is also a major center for education being the home to many famous universities.
When traveling in Boston, make sure to catch a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The Prudential Center and reflection pool at the Christian Science Center are must sees. Go for some shopping at Newbury St., promenade. See the Boston Commons, take a view from above at the Skywalk located at the top of the Prudential building. Head over to Cambridge (be sure to check out Harvard Square) via the MBTA subway with a quick and gorgeous view of the Charles River as you cross.
Neighborhoods
Boston is located on a very small piece of land and when people say Boston they usually include the Greater Boston Area. The major neighborhoods in Boston are:
- Downtown
- Back Bay
- South Boston, is a densely populated Irish Catholic working class area
- South End
- East Boston
Great Boston Area
Are the towns that border Boston and are very easy to get to from Boston.
- Winthrop
- Revere
- Chelsea
- Everett
- Somerville
- Cambridge
- Watertown
- Newton
- Brookline
- Needham
- Dedham
- Canton
- Milton
- Quincy
Sights and Activities
Events and Festivals
Weather
Boston is in a continental climate with winds blowing off the Atlantic. The summers are usually hot and humid while the winters are snowy and cold.
Getting There
By Plane
Logan International Airport (BOS) is located in East Boston and is one of the busiest airports in the United Sattes with over 27 million passengers a year. It is a major hub for American Airlines, Delta Airlines, US Airways and JetBlue Airways. There are several daily international flights and all major domestic cities have direct service from BOS.
By Train
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
Getting Around
By Car
By Public Transport
By Foot
By Bike
Bicycling magazine ranks Boston as one of the worst cities in the United States for biking. This is most likely due to the narrow and winding streets that make up most of the central Boston. At the same time Boston does have one of the highest rates for people commuting to work by bicycle in the United States.
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This is version 11. Last edited at 6:03 on May 15, 08 by GeoBot (+56). 10 articles link to this page.
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