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Destination Rankings

Did You Know...?

Ranking Among U.S. Cities / Regions: #13

Venturers: 7

Mid-Venturers: 8

Centrics-Venturers: 8

Centrics-Authentics: 7

Mid-Authentics: 7

Authentics: 7

• The Boston Marathon, mother of all city marathons, was first run in 1897 with 15 racers

• Boston hosted the first baseball World Series (Pilgrims vs. Pittsburgh Pirates) in 1903

• The African Meeting House was the first church built by free blacks in the U.S. (1806)

• Boston has the moniker Beantown from the beans-and-molasses combo that is a local staple.

• It’s a myth that the city’s streets were built atop cow paths; it just seems that way

Beantown: A capital city
In Boston, tradition and history sit comfortably cheek by jowl with liberal politics — so much so that any visitor will feel welcome, with the possible exception of vocal New York Yankees fans. Once the home of staid hotels and set-in-their-ways restaurants, the city now boasts hot new chefs, cutting-edge eateries plus revitalized theater options. Shopping has become fun, too, with a mix of high-end, boutique and mass-market choices. Best of all, Boston offers distinct neighborhoods to explore, from the European charm of the North End, the once-depressed but now trendy South End and the always stately Beacon Hill. Even cruise ships are calling in Beantown with some regularity.

About Boston
One of the city's nicknames is The Hub, and while Boston may no longer lay claim to being the center of the universe, it is the unofficial capital of New England as well as the official capital of Massachusetts. Settled in 1630, the city is one of the country's oldest, and visitors will feel that sense of history in its narrow, twisted streets and lovingly preserved architecture. Its parks add to the charm, most notably the legendary Boston Common and its adjacent Public Gardens, both part of the so-called Emerald Necklace of parks that loop around the city.

Originating as a great seafaring city, Boston has always benefited from the influx of trade and immigrant cultures, as evidenced by well-established Italian and Asian neighborhoods and, more recently, by thriving Latin American and Caribbean communities. Boston also is one of the world’s foremost cities of higher learning. There are some 100 colleges and universities in the city or environs, and the jewel in the crown, Harvard University, is the nation's oldest (1636). As with any city teeming with students, there are movie theaters showing independent films, talented musicians playing in the subways and vintage clothing shops and used bookstores vying for space amid the city's more mainstream life.

Getting to the city center is easier with the Big Dig, a multiphase, over-budget engineering project designed to bury the Central Artery and repurpose the resulting reclaimed land, now completed. The Ted Williams Tunnel to Logan Airport and the strikingly modern Leonard P. Zakim-Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge make it easier for taxis and other vehicles to get in and out of town. But all but the most die-hard venturers should avoid driving in the city as the layout of the streets is incomprehensible and local drivers are renowned scofflaws. A robust public transportation system is a reliable solution. Boston is a great walking city, as well, particularly in the warm weather months, thanks to the intimate size of its historic center and proliferation of resting spots.

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Things To Do for Venturers

• Visit in winter. Some of Boston's best festivals take place in the snow, including the Festival of Lights and the Prudential Tree Lighting in December and First Night on New Year's Eve.

• Rent rollerblades or jog along the Esplanade that flanks the Charles River, which also offers boating or ice skating, depending on season.

• Hop on a boat to Spectacle Island, one of the Boston Harbor islands, which now boasts a marina, beach and walking trails.

• Love to ski? Within an hour-and-a-half of your hotel, there are several ski resorts offering both downhill and cross-country skiing.

• Stand in line at BosTix Booths in Copley Square or Faneuil Hall Marketplace for half-price tickets to some of Beantown's hottest shows. Venues include the Colonial Theater, the Wang Center for the Performing Arts, the Shubert Theater, the Charles Playhouse and the gloriously renovated Boston Opera House.

• Explore HarborWalk, a walking path that wends its way through the city's neighborhoods to the new Institute of Contemporary Art in the refurbished Waterfront district.

• Strap on ice skates and practice figure eights at the Frog Pond public skating rink in the Boston Common, or cross the bridge to Harvard Square for outdoor skating at the new rink at the Charles Hotel.

• Take in a dose of foreign cinema at the annual Boston French Film Festival, held every July at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.

• Dare to visit the House of the Seven Gables and the Salem Witch Museum, both in Salem, preferably at Halloween, and stay for all manner of ghoulish events and parades.

• Kick up your heels at one of the nightclubs and bars that line the city's famous Lansdowne Street.

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Things To Do for Centrics

• Walk the Freedom Trail, a 2 1/2-mile brick path that stops at 18 historic sites, or join a guided tour, where costumed actors spice up the history lesson with humorous patter.

• Ply the smooth waters of the Public Garden lagoon in a classic Swan Boat, which offers 15-minute rides daily in summer.

• Save your appetite for a foray into the International Marketplace food hall at Quincy Market, where stalls selling everything from clam chowder to chicken satay will assault your senses.

• See the sights on land and at sea on a Boston Duck Tour aboard a refurbished World War II amphibious vehicle and be prepared to quack at passersby.

• Stake out your spot on the lawn at the Hatch Shell concert stage on the Esplanade for a free summer concert or outdoor movie.

• Try a hop-on, hop-off tour of the city on an Old Town Trolley Tour for a look at such A-list attractions as Bunker Hill and the gold-domed State House.

• Spend the day exploring the U.S.S. Constitution — aka Old Ironsides — at the Charlestown Navy Yard at Bunker Hill Pavilion, accessible via water shuttle from the New England Aquarium.

• Spend an evening at the Hayden Planetarium, where the educational daytime programs turn lively at night with light shows set to rock music.

• Learn about one of Boston's favorite sons at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, where multimedia exhibits include a re-creation of the Oval Office and examples of Jackie Kennedy's clothes.

•Avoid the crowds by visiting the flower-filled Courtyard Garden in the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum or at the MIT Museum's holograph exhibit.

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Things To Do for Authentics

• Splurge on a ticket to a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park, otherwise known as the Green Monster, and see if lightning strikes twice in the same century.

• Relive the children's classic “Make Way for Ducklings” by Robert McCloskey at the Public Garden, where bronze statues of the ducklings are usually crawling with young fans of the book.

• Create a virtual fish at the Boston Museum of Science, which houses temporary and permanent exhibitions on everything from chimpanzees to DNA.

• Search for hard-to-find books or CDs at the Harvard Coop on Massachusetts Avenue (make that Mass Ave if you want to be understood by locals) or poke around among the kids' books at Curious George Goes to Wordsworth in Harvard Square.

• Check out the penguin exhibit at the New England Aquarium at Boston's Central Wharf, or duck into the Simons IMAX theater for a spot of virtual entertainment.

• Indulge in a milk shake — it’s a frappe in Boston — at J.P. Licks ice creamery, a repeat Best of Boston winner.

• Take in the best views of the city from the John Hancock Observatory in Copley Square.

• Listen to a show at the new $87 million headquarters for WGBH-TV, complete with a performance center for concerts, lectures and films.

• Shop for fresh fruit and vegetables at Haymarket, the city's largest outdoor market, on Fridays and Saturdays; top off the outing with a cappuccino at a cafe in the historic North End.

• Relax to the sound of music at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of James Levine.

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Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.bostonusa.com

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