Boston is not just one of the oldest cities in America, but it’s also one of the most accessible. The city offers historical and cultural curiosity around every turn, from the Italian origins of the North End to Boston’s characteristic brick facades and New England charm. First-time visitors to Boston who are unsure what to do will be delighted to learn that there is something for everyone—Red Sox games for sports fans, oysters shucked fresh at Boston’s best restaurants for foodies, Freedom Trail walking tours for history buffs, and public green spaces for relaxing in the summer.
Boston is a small city, but its cultural diversity gives it the sense of a much bigger metropolis. You can have some of the most excellent dim sums in the nation in Chinatown, then travel 15 minutes to a brewery on the river. You may spend your day at a world-class art gallery before heading to a Red Sox game later that evening, or you can start your day roaming the Harvard University campus and conclude it with a performance at the iconic House of Blues.
May through November is the most outstanding season to visit Boston. Beautiful weather may be seen in the late spring and summer months (temperatures reach nearly 70 by May and hover in the low 80s by July). Fall in Boston is beautiful, with foliage draping the campuses of Harvard University, MIT, and Boston University, with temperatures dipping into the low 70s in September and the low 60s in October.
The oldest public park in the United States, Boston Common, was founded in 1634. The Tremont Street Subway, which opened in 1897, was the first subway line constructed in the United States. Revere Beach, the country’s first public beach, was another Boston first. The city’s cuisine includes Boston baked beans, New England clam chowder, Boston cream pie, lobster rolls, and Fenway Franks. Beacon Hill is one of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods, named for a beacon to alert residents of impending invaders. It is now a designated historic area, with self-guided walking tours available to see the classic residences. The National Park Service manages several famous tourist attractions in Boston.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) provides public transportation in Boston with two kinds of trains: metro and commuter rail. There are 13 commuter train lines in the city, which will transport you to different suburbs. There is also a comprehensive subway system, dubbed “the T” by Bostonians, that travels across the city and can readily transport you to most of the city’s main attractions and districts.
