Boston it is one of the most historic cities in the United States and one of the most charming to visit. It is part of the select group of cities built on the east coast of the country, the founding place of the nation.
At some point in its centuries-old history she was nicknamed «the Athens of America », so today we will deal with this city, what we can know, visit, enjoy, learn. Let's start the journey.
Boston
It is one of the largest cities in this part of the country and also It is one of the oldest since it was founded in 1630 from the hand of Puritan settlers from England. Those moments when the colony gave way to an independent state from the British crown took place here.
Since those distant days, Boston has remained an important port on the Atlantic, an industrial city and at the same time a city with a rich culture and educational level.
Precisely of the educational institutions it has is that it derives the nickname of the Athens of America. Boston has many universities and colleges and is an internationally renowned educational center.
Many young Americans or students from other parts of the world come to its prestigious and expensive universities. Among those that you surely know are Harvard, MIT (Massachusetts Institutte of Technology), the Tough University, boston University or the Suffolk University, just to name a few.
All these educational institutions, it is calculated, employ 7% of the city's population, so they are important. There are also private schools, many of which are primarily devoted to law and medicine.
The name Athens of America was coined during the first half of the XNUMXth century and according to more or less official history it appeared in a letter written in 1764 by Samuel Adams in which he wrote about Boston's chances of becoming Christian Sparta. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century another epistolary reference appears, but this time referring to Athens.
The truth is that on the west slope of Beacon Hill there is today a statue of Aristides the Righteous, a Greek general and statesman who led the confederation of city-states of ancient Greece. A detail that reaffirms the nickname of the city.
Things to do in Boston
The first thing to do is Freedom Trail, a tour of 16 historical stops that tell us the history of the country. There is a path marked in red that guides those who undertake it and covers a total of three and a half kilometers. In the path there are historic houses, churches, museums.
You can do it on your own or sign up for one of the daily walks. Tickets can be purchased on the Freedom Trail website, which also offers audio guides. Calculate that lasts 90 minutes and the guides are dressed as in the XNUMXth century.
To move around the city you can use the public bicycle network, the Hubway, signing up online: there are 1600 bikes and 160 stations throughout Boston, Cambridge, Brookline and Sommerville, or the vast network of trains, buses and water buses.
If you have a good climate and you want to enjoy the outdoors, you can do it in the Public garden, a very large park that is beautiful in any season, it has a lake where you can walk with swan boats and an island, Duck Island, all great for a picnic.
If you like performing arts then you must take a look around the Theater District which is in the center of the city. There are well restored old theaters, theater, dance, ballet, comedy and much more. Do you like the Blue Man, for example? Well, you can see them live in Boston.
For eating and shopping, the best is Newbury Street it has beautiful old buildings. Many of these buildings have been converted into boutiques, cafes and restaurants and if it is summer there are tables and chairs on the sidewalks. It's a very cool site and fashionable, a site that you can visit on your own or with the help of a local guide who helps you for free.
If you are Jewish even there is a tour that explores the diversity of Jewish culture in Boston and other neighborhoods. Interesting. And so, walking, you may reach the Atlantic coast, after all the city is surrounded on three of its sides by water.
There are fantastic views, boardwalks, parks and along the coast you will see buildings, restaurants, hotels or boats crossing the sea taking advantage of the views. If you like the idea of take a cruise you can go to the Boston Cruise Port and take one.
With the name of Tea Party the most concentrated sector of the American right is known, white, rich and influential. The Tea Party was a ship and also a protest over the price of tea, but today we have its recreation that also works as a floating museum. The multimedia experience it offers is sensational and costs $ 26.
A historical walk is what you can do for the neighborhood of Beacon Hill, with its picturesque red brick houses and cobbled streets and narrow alleys. It is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city and besides being beautiful and picturesque it offers some interesting visits: the Black Heritage Trail, as well as the Boston Athenaeum, an old bookstore dating from 1807 and which counted Louisa May Alcott (author of Little Women) among its members.
Are you over 40 years old and do you remember seeing the cheers tv series? The one that took place inside a bar. If you liked it here you can visit the bar, the recreation as is of the Cheers bar that was built in the Faneuil Marketplace, an area with taverns, Irish pubs and bars of all kinds that give a lot of life to the Boston night.
Finally, Boston does not lack museums or sports stadiums, so it is just a matter of making plans well so as not to stop enjoying the most important and unforgettable of the city.