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Detailed pages on related topics: Boston colleges • Boston travel • Boston mortgage and property.
Boston, also known as "Beantown" or "The Hub", is the 24th largest city in the United States with a population of nearly 600,000 people. The Boston metropolitan area is the eleventh largest in the United States with a population of over 4.4 million people, according to U.S. census estimates. It is the largest city in Massachusetts and New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut), and the capital of the The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Boston is located on the eastern Massachusetts coast, at the mouth of the Charles River which separates Boston from Cambridge, and is on Boston Harbor. The Boston Metropolitan area is home to many Fortune 500 company headquarters, including well-recognized names such as Raytheon, Staples, TJX, and EMC. The Boston economy is founded on the education, healthcare, finance, and technology (information technology and biotechnology) industries. Some of the nation's most well-regarded teaching hospitals are based in Boston, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Boston is also home to mutual fund giant Fidelity Investments.
Boston is one of 11 U.S. global cities (world city or world-class city) and is ranked a "Gamma World City" by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (cities get ranked as Alpha, Beta, or Gamma World Cities).
Boston is a city of neighborhoods, from Allston to Roxbury, with the Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, the North End, and more in between. Each has its own unique character, history, and charm. Boston is physically a relatively compact city and it is a good walking city. It is relatively easy to walk from one of the neighborhoods all the way to the Boston waterfront on Boston Harbor.
Boston was founded in 1630 by Puritan colonists from England. Most early settlers of Boston were Puritans, who placed their strong "Puritan ethic" stamp on the city. The Puritans who came to Boston were not terribly tolerant of "other" religions. Many of the surrounding colonies were founded by people fleeing the persecution of the Puritans.
Boston, and the surrounding area, is rich in early American colonial history as well as the history of the American Revolution. The Revolutionary War started outside of Boston, in Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts. Some key dates in Boston's history include:
Boston is a major center for arts and culture. Boston offers museums, the performing arts, and much more. Some of Boston's more notable museums include:
For patrons of the performing arts, Boston has many wonderful attractions. Some of the more notable include:
The Boston area also plays host to numerous festivals every year, including First Night Boston, the Boston Arts Festival, the Boston Blues Festival, the Boston Wine Festival, Boston Harborfest, the Boston Pops 4th of July Concert and Fireworks, St. Patrick Day Parade, and much more.
No city in the United States is as crazy about their sports as Boston. Boston sports fans are legendary for their devotion to their teams. Boston has plenty to offer to fill every sports fan's appetite. Boston is home to the following major sports teams:
Boston is also home to the world famous Boston Marathon that is run from Hopkinton to Boston in April of every year.
If an individual's interest turns to outdoor activities, Boston has a lot to offer. Boston is only a couple of hour drive from many of the northeast's premier ski areas in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In addition, wonderful beaches lie a short distance to the north of Boston (north shore) and the south of Boston (south shore). Cape Cod and the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, all popular summer destinations, are an hour and a half south of Boston. Boston also offers the highest concentration of National Park sites in the country, with 12 located within 30 miles of downtown.
Boston has attractions too numerous to do justice in a simple list. Some of Boston's more notable and unique attractions include:
If interests turn more to the evening dining and nightclub scene, Boston takes a back seat to no city. The city is full of wonderful eating establishments that span the spectrum of ethnic cuisine. Nearby Cambridge also offers an excellent dining scene. For Boston's night club scene, good places to head include the Faneuil Hall Marketplace area, the Kenmore Square/Fenway Park Area, Allston, and nearby Cambridge. The Boston Globe "Calendar" section is a good source of information on events and happenings, as is the The Boston Phoenix.
Boston strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Massachusetts):
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Racial Diversity (vs. State) | Top 1% |  |
| Public Transportation Use (vs. Peers) | Top 2% | |
| Walking and Biking to Work (vs. Peers) | Top 5% | |
| Well-Paid Single Women (vs. Peers) | Top 9% | |
| Affordability of Property Taxes (vs. State) | Top 14% | |
| College Educated Adults (vs. Peers) | Top 16% | |
| Well-Paid Single Men (vs. Peers) | Top 18% | |
Comparing Boston to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Massachusetts (State):
Ratings range from 
(lowest) to 
(highest).
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Well-Paid Single Women | |  |
| Well-Paid Single Men |  |  |
| Female Share of the Population | |  |
| Racial Diversity | | |
| Senior Citizens |  |  |
| Age of the Population | | |
| Male Share of the Population | |  |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | |  |
| Portion of People Married | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults | | |
| People in Middle Class or Better | | |
| Median Family Income | | |
| People Above Poverty | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Public Transportation Use | | |
| Walking and Biking to Work | | |
| Working at Home | | |
| Short Commute Times | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | | |
| People Living Alone | | |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | | |
| Affordability of Property Taxes | | |
| Affordability of Rents | | |
| Housing Recently Built | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Low Property Crime | | |
| Low Violent Crime | | |
Detailed pages on related topics: Boston colleges • Boston travel • Boston mortgage and property.
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 | Boston Careers Boston career and employment information. |
 | Boston Colleges Boston colleges and trade schools. |
 | Boston Hotels & Travel Boston hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation. |
 | Boston Mortgage Boston property, mortgage, and real estate. |
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We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.
Select a photo to view (Source):
Daniel Webster Statue (State House grounds) between 1900 and 1905
Horace Mann statue (State House grounds) between 1900 and 1906
Memorial Hall (State House) c1904.
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