Boston city overview :
Genteel streets lined with a grassy common and cosy brick Victorian townhouses with polished brass door-knockers, acres of public greens and gardens, more colleges than are found in many states, and a church on almost every corner: Boston serves up slices of history and culture at every turn. The city is situated on a magnificent natural harbor, opening onto Massachusetts Bay. This 250-year-old city is distinguished not only by its many fascinating historical sites, but also its thriving cultural heart, covering all aspects of the visual and performing arts. The Boston Ballet and Symphony Orchestra have achieved wide acclaim and are highly esteemed throughout the world. More surprisingly, Boston is 'America's Walking City', renowned for its many footpaths and trails, including the famous Freedom Trail. It takes the visitor to 16 historical sites of Colonial Revolutionary Boston in the course of two or three hours and covers two and a half centuries of America's most significant past.
The highest observation point in New England, the 60-floor John Hancock Observatory, offers a bird's-eye view of the city. Other attractions include harbour cruises, some of which enable the visitor to see the Boston skyline, the airport and the 1822 USS Constitution at Charlestown Navy Shipyard; the Museum of Fine Arts; the famous Museum of Science; the John F Kennedy Library and Museum; the New England Aquarium; the Old North Church; the Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum; Faneuil Hall; the Skywalk Observatory at the Prudential Tower (a viewing platform on the 52nd floor, open office hours); and the Cheers Bar, upon which the popular TV series was based.
In the evenings, the best live music, sports, dancing, theater and food await in every nook and cranny of this vibrant, exhilarating city. |
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 Boston Common Park
The starting point of the Freedom Trail. The oldest public park in the country, with swan-boat rides on the lake, ancient trees and a colorful array of shrubs. The park is almost 50 acres in size. The ‘Common’ has been used for many different purposes throughout its long history. Until 1830, cattle grazed the Common, and until 1817, public hangings took place here. British troops camped on Boston Common prior to the Revolution and left from here to face colonial resistance at Lexington and Concord in April, 1775. Today, It buzzes with activity all day. You might see a demonstration, a musical performance, a picnic lunch, or a game of tag. Located between Boylston, Park, Tremont and Beacon Streets.
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 Hancock Tower
The John Hancock Tower is the tallest building Boston. The construction of a modern skyscraper at Copley Square, a site with many important historic buildings, sparked an intense debate. However, despite the enormity, its presence is made less overpowering by its pure, crystal-like geometry and reflecting glass skin. The dominant view when you are close to the building is of the nearby historical buildings (The Trinity Church, for example) reflected with subtle distortions of colour and shape in the Hancock Tower's glass. On a sunny day it appears almost transparent against a deep blue sky.
The glass skin suffered massive technical problems when first built: many of the 10,000 windows habitually fell out, as the building responded to the pressures of wind and changing heat. Solutions to this problem included installing a network of 10,000 sensors stuck on each window, giving a special control room. The John Hancock tower has an observatory with a great panoramic view on Boston.
Adjacent to the modern John Hancock Tower is the 1947 Old John Hancock Tower. This art deco building has a pyramid- shaped roof topped with a weather beacon. The beacon has a different color depending on the weather: clear blue means a clear view, flashing blue means clouds due, steady red signals rain ahaid and a flashing red beacons warns for snow.
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 Bunker Hill Monument
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" This legendary order has come to symbolize the conviction and determination of the ill-equipped American colonists facing powerful British forces during the famous battle fought on this site on June 17, 1775. Today, a 221-foot granite obelisk marks the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution known as "The Battle of Bunker Hill". A flight of 294 stairs leads to the top. There's no elevator, although the views of the harbor and the northern portion of the Big Dig are impressive.
Nearby at the Charlestown Navy Yard is the oldest commissioned ship in the US Navy, the USS Constitution. Launched in 1797, it got its nickname, "Old Ironsides" after surviving over 40 engagements during Thomas Jefferson's war against the Barbary pirates of North Africa.
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 New England Aquarium
A huge, colorful central aquarium displaying a fantastic and vibrant collection of aquatic life. Since opening in 1969, this waterfront landmark has become one of Boston's biggest tourist attractions. The most famous exhibit, the massive 200,000-gallon "Giant Ocean Tank" has a simulated Caribbean coral reef. Sharks, sea turtles, moray eels and tropical fish cruise by crowds of children pressed against the glass. Another freshwater gallery contains piranha. Visitors can view a sea otter habitat and three species of penguins. Don't miss the five-times-a-day feedings, which take divers 24 ft into the tank. There are also hand-on exhibits.
From outside the glassed-off Aquarium Medical Center, you can watch veterinarians treat sick animals. At the "Edge of the Sea" exhibit children can gingerly pick up starfish and other creatures. Sea-lion shows are held aboard Discovery, a floating marine-mammal pavilion; whale-watch cruises leave from the aquarium's dock April-early November.
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 Museum of Science
With 15-ft lightning bolts in the Theater of Electricity and a 20-ft-long Tyrannosaurus rex model, this is just the place to ignite any child's Jurassic’s park. More than 550 exhibits cover astronomy, astrophysics, anthropology, progress in medicine, computers, the organic and inorganic earth sciences, and much more. The emphasis is on hands-on education. At the "Investigate!" exhibit children explore such scientific principles as gravity by balancing.
The Museum of Science's Charles Hayden Planetarium, with its sophisticated multimedia system based on a Zeiss planetarium projector, produces exciting programs on astronomical discoveries. Laser light shows, with laser graphics and computer animation, are scheduled Thursday through Sunday evenings. The Mugar Omni Theater, a five-story dome screen, has a state-of-the-art sound system with extra-sharp acoustics.
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 Symphony Hall
Home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops since 1900, this impressive structure is known as one of the world's premier concert halls. It was the first American auditorium designed with acoustic principles in mind. Massive chandeliers hang from the ceiling and replicas of Greek and Roman statues line the walls. The BSO and Pops perform here from October to April. They are often joined by celebrity conductors, soloists and singers. Performances range from classical concerts, jazz and popular music concerts to the occasional circus troupe. Tours are available 9am-5pm Mon-Fri by appointment.
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 Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Faneuil Hall has served as a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. Funding was provided by a wealthy merchant, Peter Faneuil. Inspiring speeches by Samuel Adams and other patriots were given here that eventually lead to independence from the British. Today, the first floor is still used as a lively marketplace and the second floor is a meeting hall where many Boston City debates are held. The fourth floor contains a military museum and paintings of notable battles. The hall is now a tourist center with more than 100 places to eat, shop and drink at this historic site.
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 South Station
Both rail and bus stations are located at South Station Transportation Center. Boston has three rail centers: South Station on Atlantic Avenue at Summer Street, near the Waterfront and the Financial District; Back Bay Station on Dartmouth Street; and North Station, on Causeway Street near the FleetCenter. Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) serves all train stations, which are also linked to the MBTA subway. At South Station you can take the Red Line to Cambridge or to Park Street, the system's hub, where you can make connections to the Green, Blue, and Orange lines. Regularly scheduled MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak trains arrive and depart from South Station.
Conveniently adjacent to the South train station there is a Boston’s modern, indoor, bus station just south of the Financial District, above a T stop for the Red Line. Greyhound, Trailways and other bus lines serve the bus station.
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 Boston Logan airport
Logan International Airport is located in East Boston. America's sixth busiest airport, BOS handles domestic flights and international connections to and from the Pacific Rim, Europe and Latin America. Logan Airport has five terminals (A, B, C, D and E), with an expanded Terminal E. Terminal B serves US Airlines. It contains gates 1 to 27. Terminal C serves Air France (departures only), Comair, Delta Airlines, Delta Express, Sabena (departures only), Swissair, TWA, TW Connection, United and United Express (gates 11 to 41). Terminal D serves Air Tran, Alitalia (departures only) and charter flights. Terminal E serves Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France (international arrivals), Air Nova, Alitalia (arrivals), American (arrivals), British Airways, Icelandair, KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Northwest, Olympic, Sabena, Sun Country, Swissair (arrivals), TAP Air Portugal and Virgin Atlantic. It contains gates 1 to 8.
The travel time between the airport and downtown Boston takes approximately 15 minutes. Many of the major hotels offer a shuttle service to and from the airport. Buses, trains and the subway are easy to use and are a cost-effective choice for the downtown journey.
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