BostonAs one of the oldest settlements in the
USA and the largest city in
New England,
Boston has plenty of historic culture. Yet with over 50 colleges and universities situated in the greater Boston area there is a youthful vibrancy that adds a different dimension to the historic charm of the city.
Cambridge lies across the
Charles River and is the largest college town in the world, synonymous with
Harvard University founded in 1638. The neat ivy-covered brick buildings of the university grounds, as well as the labyrinth of twisting streets in Boston center and the historical
buildings in the old-world neighborhoods are best explored on foot. Boston refers to itself as the 'Walking City' and is a remarkably compact city that is centered on the country's oldest public park,
Boston Common. The Information Center in Boston Common is the starting point for two of the city's main attractions, which are in fact walking tours. The
Freedom Trail explores the city's revolutionary past and the birth of the modern American Republic, while the
Black Heritage Trail highlights Boston's place in black American history and its role in anti-slavery.
Boston is an easy blend of historic charm and modern conveniences with a busy street life and beautiful architecture, green parks and gardens, skyscrapers and modern freeways, museums, galleries and colonial churches. Boston is home to the first public library, the first public school and the first subway system; it is the site of the Boston Tea Party that started the Revolutionary War, and is the location of the Cheers bar, made famous by the popular TV sitcom
Cheers. Boston is also the city from whence both planes that crashed into the
World Trade Center on 11 September 2001 originated, and many of those who died were local residents, a tragedy that thus hit the city particularly hard.
Getting Around: Boston's transport consists of the country's oldest subway system, buses, trolley buses, ferries around the harbor and the commuter rail. For getting around the Boston-Cambridge area the subway, or the 'T' as it is known, is the best as it is easy to use, cheap, fast and safe. It serves most of the city and on the whole visitors will have little use for the bus network, which is cheaper but more confusing for newcomers. Both operate from about 5am to 12.30am, but a 'Night Owl' bus service has been introduced to provide transport along main bus routes and parallel to subway lines on Friday and Saturday nights until 2.30am. Different types of transport require different tokens, but various passes are available for unlimited travel on buses and the 'T'. Taxis are plentiful but expensive, although water taxis are a novel way to explore the city. Licensed cabs are best found at cabstands usually near hotels or can be reserved by phone; they are metered and provide receipts. Boston is a motorist's nightmare and there is no need to rent a car while in the city, unless planning excursions. Rental agencies require drivers to be 21 years old with additional surcharges for under-25s.
Nightlife: Bostonians don't take their nightlife too seriously, especially since most clubs close at 2am and
Massachusetts state law forbids smoking in all bars nightclubs and restaurants. That said, Boston's entertainment and nightlife scene is still thriving with live bands, comedy acts and shows taking center stage in the Theater District. Contrary to popular belief, not everybody knows your name in Boston's bar scene, but a beer at the 'Cheers' bar on 84 Beacon Street is worth a visit. Don't be disappointed though if you don't find your friends here, they're probably hitting some of Boston's hipper nightspots, such as one of the classiest spots in Boston, the
Museum of Fine Arts, which features music and a cash bar every Friday evening in summer from 5.30pm onwards. Here crowds of 20- to 30-somethings mingle and socialise round the galleries while sipping on cocktails and wine.Many Bostonians prefer to start off an evening with drinks in hotel lounges and bars as they're much more civilised than many clubs and bars and patrons are able to hear themselves speak over the music. Once they're warmed up, the clubs are the place to be and Bostonians can party hard. Pool and bowling are popular pastimes in Boston and visitors will notice the amount of bowling alleys and pool halls to choose from. Couple these activities with a few beers and you've got yourself a recipe for a more relaxed evening out - the choice of many Bostonians.
Climate: Boston has a continental climate with very changeable weather patterns such as wide temperature swings in a matter of days, and unseasonal snowfalls. Summers are usually sunny, hot and humid, the temperature in July averaging 82°F (28°C). Winters, by contrast, are bitterly cold, windy, wet and snowy. Boston averages 42 inches (108cm) of snowfall annually, much of it deposited in north-easterly storms. The best time to travel to Boston is in late spring or early autumn, when the weather is warm and pleasant. Autumn is particularly lovely when New England's trees wear their colorful fall foliage.
Cape CodNamed for the large quantities of cod caught by its founder ship in 1602,
Cape Cod is a 70-mile (113km) long peninsula that is likened to a flexed arm bent at the elbow extending from the main body of Massachusetts, and is the premiere vacation destination in New England with its charming historic towns and small villages, miles of sandy beaches and wind-sculpted sand dunes. Millions of visitors from around the world flock to the amazing natural beauty of the Cape and although known as the playground for the rich and famous and mostly geared for big spenders there is plenty of sun, sea and sand for everyone to enjoy.
Provincetown, at the tip of the Cape, on the 'fist', is the gay center of New England and long renowned as an artistic colony with more than 20 galleries. It is also the liveliest resort town on the Cape. Stretching from Provincetown down to the pretty town of Chatham, from the 'fist' to the 'elbow' of the peninsula along the
Atlantic Ocean, are 40 miles (64km) of dunes and desolate beaches protected within the
Cape Cod National Seashore. Wellfleet is a quieter and picturesque town untouched by commercial development, and famous for its oysters. The commercial towns along the horizontal stretch of the arm represented by the 'biceps' offer the obvious attractions of shopping, exquisite dining and beach activities, but there is also whale-watching, walking and biking. However, be prepared for summer crowds and traffic-filled roads, especially between June and August, when prices are high and accommodation booked out. Otherwise come in the off-season when the beaches afford solitude and the towns have quietened down. Cape Cod is also the gateway to the beautiful vacation islands of
Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket.
The Berkshire HillsSprinkled with classic small New England towns, country shops and green hillsides that turn to a kaleidoscope of golden colors in autumn,
the Berkshires are a popular weekend destination from Boston, and in winter the snow-covered peaks and cross-country tracks lure skiers from around the area. The hillsides are dotted with grand country estates and Victorian mansions that were once the summer residences for wealthy families from Boston and
New York and today have become inns or museums. Many have converted their grounds to outdoor venues for summertime music, theater and dance performances that attract thousands of visitors every summer, particularly the
Boston Symphony Orchestra that performs at the Tanglewood Estate in Lenox. These performances as well as several museums and art institutions have turned the region into the summer culture capital of New England. Further north it is easy to escape the crowds, especially along the scenic route known as the Mohawk Trail that was used by the Native Americans to travel between valleys, and there are beautiful views and vistas as it winds through miles of state parks and forests.
