Welcome to Boston
Welcome to one of the oldest cities in the United States. The city of Boston is the home of a number of world class institutions of higher learning, arts and expression, and some of the most important historical locations and figures of the country’s past. While living in Boston is in many ways similar to living in any large, modern city, Boston’s character diverges sharply from many other metropolises in the United States and in the world.
The city of Boston proper is made up of a number of different neighborhoods, each with its own distinct culture and atmosphere. The city was originally founded in 1630 by Puritan colonists from England. During the 1700s, Boston was a primary port of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, due to the size of its harbor and its position as the closest port in North America to England at the time. Its wealth and cosmopolitan nature made Boston a focal city during the American Revolution and many of the landmarks of that time still exist today on the Freedom Trail, a path that runs through the city highlighting historic buildings and areas. Over the last 200 years, Boston has retained its position as one of the prominent centers of American learning and research. Many of the neighborhoods that make up the city today were originally separate municipalities, and were only annexed into the city proper in the mid-1800s. This gives each of the different sections of town very different characters.
At just over 89.6 square miles, today’s Boston is one of the smallest major cities in the country geographically (only Washington D.C. and San Francisco are smaller), but with a population of over 550,000, it is the largest city in New England. The greater Boston area covers a large section of Eastern Massachusetts, and extends as far south as Providence, Rhode Island. Boston has a huge diversity of racial and ethnic groups, as well as religious and political beliefs.
Boston truly is a city of neighborhoods. Within each neighborhood, you will find different options for housing, different styles of architecture, racial and ethnic groups, industry, and atmosphere. Above and beyond similar cities, picking the neighborhood that best suites your personality will be a large part of your housing search in Boston. Throughout the guide are frequent references to the various neighborhoods of the city. You’ll find a wealth of information about the different neighborhoods in the city under the Neighborhoods tab below.
Modern Boston’s most prominent feature is its incredibly high student population. About one-third of Boston is composed of people between the ages of 18 and 25. Over 90 colleges, universities, and institutions of higher learning call the greater Boston area home, a higher concentration than any other part of the globe. This emphasis on scholarship has made Boston a young and dynamic place, despite the age of the city itself.
Below are a number of links to various organizations around the city that can give you a better sense of the type of place you’ll be living.
Official City of Boston website
Boston.com, the Boston Globe’s portal to news and events in the city.
Wikipedia’s entry for Boston
