Country Profile

"With many colleges and universities within the city and surrounding area, Boston is an international center of higher education and a center for medicine"

Boston is a thriving metropolis and the capital of the state of Massachusetts. The downtown is located on a peninsula that juts into Inner Boston Harbor, with the Charles River beginning at the north end. Also, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States.

 

About the population, Boston had an estimated of 625,087 in 2011 according to the U.S. Census, making it the 21st largest in the country. Boston is also the anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area called Greater Boston, home to 4.5 million people and the tenth-largest metropolitan area in the country.Greater Boston as a commuting region is home to 7.6 million people, making it the fifth-largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States. The city proper, covering 48.43 square miles (125.43 square km). 

Currency : US ( Dollar)

The city's economic base includes research, manufacturing, finance, and biotechnology.As a result, the city is a leading finance center, ranking 12th in the Z/Yen top 20 Global Financial Centers.The city was also ranked number one for innovation, both globally and in North America,for a variety of reasons. Boston has one of the highest costs of living in the United States,though it remains high on world livability rankings, ranking third in the US and 36th globally.

Distribution of the Boston metropolitan NECTA labor force, 2004 annual averages

Boston's colleges and universities have a significant effect on the regional economy, with students contributing an estimated $4.8 billion annually to the city's economy. Boston's schools are major employers and attract industries to the city and surrounding region. Boston is home to a number of technology companies and is a hub for biotechnology, with the Milken Institute rating Boston as the top life sciences cluster in the country. Boston also receives the highest absolute amount of annual funding from the National Institutes of Health of all cities in the United States.

SOMETHING ABOUT BOSTON HISTORY ... 

Boston is probably the most historical city in America - it is where American history began more than 300 years ago. Boston itself was founded in 1630, nearly 150 years before the colonies formed a new nation. Since then, it has been this site for innumerable events that changed the face of the continent, most notable among them being the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere's ride.

CLIMATE

Boston has a climate that is continental in nature but with maritime influences owing to its coastal location. The climate is either classified as a humid subtropical climate, using the −3 °C (26.6 °F), or a humid continental climate , using the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm preferred by some climatologists. For example, summers are typically warm, rainy, and humid, while winters are cold, windy, and snowy. Spring and fall are usually mild, but conditions are widely varied, depending on wind direction and jet stream positioning.

The hottest month is July, with a mean temperature of 73.7 °F (23.2 °C). 

The coldest month is January, with a mean of 29.3 °F (−1.5 °C).

ABOUT BOSTON CULTURE

• Boston shares many cultural roots with greater New England, including a dialect of the non-rhotic Eastern New England accent known as Boston English, and a regional cuisine with a large emphasis on seafood, salt, and dairy products. Irish Americans are a major influence on Boston's politics and religious institutions. Boston also has its own collection of neologisms known as Boston slang.

•  Is home to pro sports teams in all four major sports, although the New England Patriots actually play football in the southern suburb of Foxboro. The other teams are the NBA's Celtics, one of the most storied franchises in any sport; the Bruins in the NHL, and of course the cursed Red Sox, who we came to see. 

• Walking in Boston is a challenge, but not because of hills, or strange streets. No, what makes Boston so fun are the pedestrian crossings - simply the most dangerous in America, and rivaling those in Europe. Pedestrians routinely disobey these crossings and drivers rarely slow down, causing most walkers to dodge the traffic while trying to get to the other side. The walk signals are very short, and change to red very quickly, so be careful.

• People in Boston are really energetic. This may be a strange thing to say, but Bostonians are attractive and have a good sense of life - it would be a great place to reside; there's lots to do and see. Beantowners may talk with funny accents, but they definitely approach things straight on. The style of architecture here is very interesting, with historical residential buildings having been well-preserved.

• Boston is one of the top 5 cities in the nation. History mixes well with the modern age, the transit system is good, and the restaurants and other amenities are top notch. But it is the people of Boston who seem to have a special resolve about them, perhaps a joie-de-vivre that one doesn't see in many other cities, that really gives this city it's lively energy. Stop in Boston for a couple of days and enjoy the sights before getting over to Fenway for a night game.

 

ATTRACTIONS

1. The Freedom Trail - This is not just one attraction, but a collection of Boston's historic monuments, linked by a 3-mile long path that is embedded in red brick in the pavement. Starting at the visitor center at the Boston Common, the red line leads past the State House, through a number of churches and burial grounds, past the Old State House, over to Faneuil Hall, past the house of Paul Revere and the Old North Church, and finally over the river to Bunker Hill and the U.S.S. Constitution. Some of the 16 stops on the trail have museums or other attractions, so this historic walk can easily take the entire day. 

2. New England Sports Museum and Hall of Fame - Located on the 5th and 6th floors of the Fleet Center, this museum is difficult to get into, but a good spot for the true sports junkie. With 3 areas devoted to hockey, basketball, and baseball, there is a lot of history on display as Boston has had teams in each sport for many years. A fourth area is devoted to changing exhibitions, and there are also displays dedicated to boxing, the Boston Marathon, and the Boston Garden.

3. JFK Library and Museum - Located south of downtown and accessible by a free bus from the JFK/UMass subway stop, this musuem presents a detailed look at the life of America's most famous president. Using rare film footage, historic documents, and family keepsakes, the museum recreates the world of JFK.

4. Bull and Finch Pub (Cheers) - TV geeks will want to have a beer at the bar that inspired the TV series "Cheers". Still a normal functioning bar, the staff here knows that everyone is a tourist, but they are friendly enough. There are three separate bars that handle the still large crowds (the series ended nearly 10 years ago) and a souvenir shop is on the premises so you can buy the Cheers beer glass.