Boston is the capital of the state of Massachusetts and the largest city in the New England region. It is situated on a hilly peninsula, where the Mystic River and the Charles River flow into Massachusetts Bay. The city proper is small in area (130 square km/ 50 square mi) and has a population of about 600,000.  The Irish are the largest ethnic group, but French Canadians and Italians are numerous. South Boston remains strongly inhabited by the Irish, Little Italy is found in the North End, and Chinatown is adjacent to the downtown shopping area. The African-U.S. American, Greek, and Portuguese populations have increased in numbers in the last 50 years. Boston is New England’s major financial and insurance center as well as an important industrial center. In recent years research and development facilities, concentrating in sophisticated electronics, computers, and chemicals, have had a great impact on the industrial structure of the metropolitan area. Boston has been also a center of education and culture since 1635. More than 50 institutions of higher learning are found in the metropolitan area, including the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.

The Many Areas of Boston
Back Bay    As the name implies, Back Bay was originally under water, a part of the Charles River.  The filling-in and developing of this mud basin began in 1856 and continued for 30 years.  Today, Back Bay offers a rich mix of graceful Victorian townhouses and brownstone residences, chic shopping areas, trendy restaurants, and office complexes.  Newbury Street is lined with art galleries, boutiques, cafes/restaurants, and exclusive stores.  The stylish Copley Place Complex offers an impressive collection of world famous designer stores too.  Both the John Hancock Tower and the Prudential Tower offer magnificent views of Boston from above. 

Fenway    The Boston Red Sox, the Museum of Fine Arts, Symphony Hall and Harvard Medical School dominate this neighborhood of universities and hospitals. The Kenmore Square area caters to a crowd of mostly college students and young professionals offering the Boston University Bookstore, record stores, nightclubs, and restaurants.

The North End    Boston’s answer to “Little Italy.” The North End is the city’s oldest residential neighborhood, and one of its most spirited.  Pizza, homemade pasta, fresh breads, imported olive oil, pastries, and cappuccino, espresso, and gelati are readily available. Summer festivals through the North End’s narrow streets are a colorful sight. 

Faneuil Hall area    A lively, colorful market, featuring restaurants, gift, clothing and gourmet shops in three restored buildings from the 1800s.  Street entertainers often perform outside the complex.  The Quincy Market building is filled with food stalls offering everything from international delicacies to fast food. Retail shops sell everything from handcrafted artwork to high fashion clothing. Faneuil Hall itself was donated to the city as a marketplace building, with meeting rooms upstairs.  It was here that the Sons of Liberty delivered their patriotic orations, and not 200 yards away is the site of the Boston Massacre. Looking up, you will see the golden Grasshopper Weathervane, the sentinel of the Marketplace perched 80 feet above the country’s most historical meetinghouse.

Downtown Crossing    It is easy to dash from store to store in this shopper’s paradise.  Downtown Crossing, anchored by Filene’s and Macy’s department stores, is completely blocked off to traffic.  Vendors are usually on hand hawking pretzels, hot dogs, flowers, newspapers, and magazines.

Theatre District    Drama, comedy, ballet, opera and Broadway tryouts and hits on tour will play in Boston’s “Theater District.”  Here you will find the Wang Center for the Performing Arts, the Colonial and Shubert theatres, the Charles Playhouse, and other theaters, as well as a number of clubs.

Chinatown    Close to the renovated South Station, Chinatown is a small and densely populated area, the third largest Chinese neighborhood in the country. If you are looking for luxurious fabrics, jade, porcelain, exotic foods, herbs/spices, and late night dining, Chinatown is the place to go. Chinese New Year (February) and the August Moon Festival are special Chinatown events.

Cambridge   Electric, eccentric, and exciting, Cambridge is alive with youthful energy any time of the year.  From Nobel laureate to street musician, intellectual to immigrant, Cambridge is a city of diversity, offering endless adventure for all ages and for all interests.   Cambridge is renowned for Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  Founded in 1630, Cambridge was originally the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the home of the nation’s first college.  For the shopper, Cambridge offers small scale shopping arcades at Harvard, Charles, Porter, Kendall, and Central Squares.  Each square is different, distinctive and accessible. For dining and nightlife, the city offers an international array of restaurants from five-star to student hangouts.  Cambridge is also the capital for jazz in the northeast.  Bookstores, with more than 20 in Harvard Square alone, along with world-class museums, a major attraction for visitors, provide a great feast for visitors with an intellectual appetite.