Boston – capital of Massachusetts
JP, Dot Southie and Eastie – affectionate names for districts that were once independent cities and now form characteristic parts of Boston, the largest city in New England and the capital of the US state of Massachusetts on the east coast of the country according to Abbreviationfinder. In probably no other city in the United States is there more sympathetic pride in its own neighborhood than in “Beantown”, as Boston is also often called. And so the astonished visitor hears sentences like “I’m from Dorchester” or “I was born in Jamaica Plain” more often than – “My hometown is Boston.”
Yes, the metropolis between Muddy, Mystic, Neponset and Charles River, which is one of the oldest, wealthiest and culturally richest cities in the country, is a really motley hodgepodge of culture, education and life. In the greater metropolitan area of Cambridge, Harvard University, one of the most renowned educational institutions in the world, is spreading, while Symphony Hall with its Boston Symphony Orchestra plays its way into the hearts of music lovers.
The economically highly potent city is the seat of a Catholic archbishop and is crammed with museums, historical monuments and cultural institutions, which explains why the “Cradle of Liberty” attracts, inspires, fascinates and falls in love with more than 16 million visitors from all over the world every year power. In the surrounding area there are wonderful landscapes and recreational areas such as Cape Cod and the island of Martha’s Vineyard. And when the heat of summer drives beads of sweat onto the forehead of the Bostonians, they simply slip away to one of the beaches inside or outside the city and stick their feet in the ice-cold water of the Atlantic Ocean.
Majestic and somehow sublime, the skyscrapers stretch and stretch themselves into the wide sky and form the skyline of a city that is an American exception and yet again confirmation of the dream of a better life. The American War of Independence began in the so-called “Athens of America” when, in the beautiful year 1773 with the famous Boston Tea Party, the tax demands of the British colonial power were questioned and rejected – nothing less than a declaration of war. Today Boston shines as the capital of Massachusetts and prides itself on its supraregional government functions. Many politicians and numerous later presidents come from the city or the state and gave both of them enormous political weight, when it comes to federal policy of the United States. A completely normal American city, then, this Boston, this friendly hodgepodge of many things. “De pluribus unum.”
| Surname | Boston |
| Other names | – Beantown – The Hub of the Universe – The Cradle of Liberty – City on a Hill – Athens of America – The Walking City [ |
| Country | United States of America (USA) |
| Location | Boston, the largest city in New England, is located in the US state of Massachusetts on the east coast of the United States. |
| Region | Suffolk County |
| landmark of the city | John Hancock Tower (the tallest building in Boston at 241 m) |
| Function of the city | Capital of the state of Massachusetts Capital of New England (unofficial) Important cultural, economic and scientific location. Seat of a Catholic Archbishop (Archbishopric Boston) with a cardinal tradition |
| Surface | 232.1 km² |
| Population | Approx. 617,600 (metropolitan area) Approx. 4,552,400 (metropolitan area) The residents are called Bostonians. |
| Ethnicities | Americans with Irish, Italian and British roots. Boston is a center of the so-called “Irish Diaspora”. Numerous immigrants from other countries – including Chinese, live in the city |
| Languages | Va English |
| Religions | Va Protestant and Catholic Christianity |
| National currency | US dollars ($ 1 = 100 cents) |
| Adjacent waters | Atlantic Ocean (Massachusetts Bay) Mystic River Neponset River Charles River |
| Official homepage | www.cityofboston.gov |
| Tourist office | www.bostonusa.com |
| Telephone code with country code | 01 – 617 – participant number 01 – 857 – participant number |
| Time compared to CET | – 6 hours |
| USA license plate | USA |
Boston: tourist offices, city tours
Tourist offices
Boston Common Visitor Information Center
148 Tremont Street
[email protected]
Shops at Prudential Visitor Information Center
800 Boylston Street
[email protected]
Downtown Visitor Center
15 State Street
Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center
Navy Yard Pier 1
City tours
City tours, city walks in Boston? You are spoiled for choice. Here we present some tour operators and ways to get to know the city in a structured way and remind you that this is only a selection that does not claim to be exhaustive:
Black Heritage Trail
The Black Heritage Trail is the “black” answer to the famous Freedom Trail. It leads past 15 places that are significant for the city’s African-American population. That makes sense too, since Boston was a haven for black slaves from the south of the country long before the Civil War.
Boston Duck Tours
This wonderful institution in itself offers deeper insights into the city and its surroundings and grants insights from land and water – in the same vehicle, by the way. In short, if you stick with Boston Duch Tours, you are ahead of the game because the company is top class because it offers the most comprehensive tour program in the city. Have fun exploring!
Boston By Foot
The guided tours from Boston by Foot are aimed at pedestrians and take an in-depth look at the architecture and history of the Back Bay. This includes such suspects as Trinity Church, the Boston Public Library, the New Old South Church, and the Back Bay Townhouses. Stop for interested hikers.
Boston National Historical Park Visitor Center
Bulky name, great tour. The BNHPVC offers 90 minute walking tours, free and accompanied by Park Service Rangers, along the heart of the Boston Freedom Trail. To discover is Boston’s important role in the American Revolution. The tour follows the motto “First come, first see.” Sure, it’s free and limited to 30 interested people.
Chinatown Walking Tour
The Chinatown Walking Tour is hidden in Oak Street. They offer very different themed tours, of course always with a focus on East Asian life in Boston’s Chinatown. Local markets, restaurants and sights of all stripes present themselves to visitors with Chinese charm and cultural dignity. The very personal stories of the residents and residents make the tour a very individual experience.
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is nothing more, but also nothing less than one of the city’s most important and well-known tourist attractions. The marking made of red cobblestones on the ground connects 16 places of historical importance. Among the places and structures worth seeing along the nearly two-mile long path are suspects such as the Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, King’s Chapel, the Benjamin Franklin Statue, the Old State House and the Bunker Hill Monument.
Harpoon Brewery Tour
Beer is delicious, thirst quenching, and sociable. Therefore, after a guided tour through the brewery, free tasting is also the focus. Cheers.
Sam Adams Brewery Tour
The Sam Adams Brewery is no less boozy. This beer cradle, located in Jamaica Plan, guides and shows what needs to be shown in relation to the delicious barley juice. At the end there will inevitably be a small free tasting.
The Swan Boats
The Boston Swan Boats bask in the center of the Boston Public Garden, arguably the most famous and traditional way to get to know Boston. Established in 1877 by Robert Paget, there are now six of them that can accommodate up to 20 adults per boat. Most of the time it is students who take care of the inmates and take them on a beautifully picturesque tour of the watery sides of the Boston Public Garden for about 15 inexpensive minutes. Ship ahoy.
Urban AdvenTours
Urban AdvenTours are out and about by bike. Eco-friendly and entertaining, cycling past historic landmarks and lively streets of Boston and Cambridge. Just stroll to the UAT office on Atlantic Avenue in the North End and get in the saddle.