When in Boston
Boston is said to be America's most European city.
This compact New England city is known for being one of America's most quaint and atmospheric, and is particularly renowned for being the seat of the world famous Harvard University.
This means that many of the rules which would apply when visiting Europe are also applicable here: for example, the city is best explored on foot; spaces are often more confined than elsewhere in the US and it is essential as a tourist to bring a love of history with you.
Driving is not recommended in Boston. As well as it being difficult to find spaces to park, the city's official website says: "Our drivers and roads are insane", which is not a glowing recommendation. Fortunately, however, the public transport system is excellent and clearly signposted.
This also makes it an inexpensive place to visit, as much of what there is to see is absorbable by simply wandering around and soaking in the atmosphere, keeping your eyes peeled and your camera handy.
Boston is one of America's oldest cities, having been founded in 1630, and has historical surprises around many of its corners ? some of the streets are still cobblestone lined and gas lit in a homage to the Brahmins who once ran the city.
Harvard is known all over the world as one of the finest Universities. They say about it: "You can always tell a Harvard man ? you just can't tell him much." Boston embraces this atmosphere with its plentiful bookstores and tolerant attitude, which gives it a creaky sort of intellectual charm.
The oldest institution in the United States, 370-year-old Harvard was founded when pilgrims arrived in Plymouth in 1636 as an institution of nine students and a single teacher. There are now 18,000 students, which necessarily gives the city a young and slightly raucous undertone. It was the institution of choice for seven of the country's presidents, including Franklin D Roosevelt and George W Bush.
It is the history of the city that really secures its place in guidebooks, however. Boston played a pivotal role during the American revolution, remembered for the 1768 Boston Massacre, when five locals were killed by British soldiers, who were in town to keep order but were viewed as oppressors and a cultural threat.
The Boston Tea Party is another famous moment in the revolution. In 1773, three companies of 50 men dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded three ships carrying tea and emptied the chests into the harbour in protest at the Tea Act of 1773, an action which subsequently spread to other seaports.
With its combination of history, academia, quirky features and cobbled streets, Boston is truly unique among US cities.
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Introduction
