One of the most catchy little pop ditties from 1974 extolled the virtues of various American cities, but the song’s title took on the identity of one particular locale. Yes, I am old enough to remember “Please Come to Boston” from Dave Loggins, but only because I was a rather precocious little six or seven-year old in terms of soaking up everything that emanated from the radio at the time.
Anyway, I had always said that I would make my way to New England at some point. To do it up right, I know that I need to have time to perhaps rent a car and drive through the various scenic rural spots. Yet, for now, my other half and I took advantage of low airfares and took a four-night jaunt to the city of Boston.
As a Southerner, it’s easy to lump the major Northeastern population centers into the same category. It’s also very tempting to play the comparison game, especially with regard to New York, where I had the opportunity to visit as a tourist years ago. Yet, Boston has its own very distinct vibe. It marches to the beat of a different drummer and needs to be celebrated for it.
Here are some of the reasons why I fell in love with Boston.
So Much American History, Both Old and Really, Really Old
I have always been an American history buff, but I never really fixated on one particular era. Boston offers equally prominent elements from both the Colonial Era dating back to the early 1600s and the fateful time period of the 1760s and early 1770s leading up to the American Revolution. To even begin to list the historic sites you can visit is an overwhelming task. Yet, I think a good start would be to learn about the Freedom Trail, a pedestrian path that winds its way through a series of locations tied to crucial people and events in our nation’s history. Even if you don’t literally follow the trail in a set order, it provides a helpful resource where you can focus your historical sightseeing.
Different Periods of Architecture Blended Together
Often times, if you visit a major American city, you are informed of a particular “historic district” located in a particular section of the city roped off from other parts of the community’s built environment. Well, Boston makes things more interesting than that. Churches and cemeteries (so many beautiful specimens of both those things that I love so much) from the 1630s sit next to lovely Victorian and Art Deco buildings, as well as modern towers of glass and steel and busy urban shopping malls. Somehow, it all comes together very nicely, because that’s just how Boston is. It fits because the city seems to always have a way of paying homage to the past while still being able to redefine itself; that doesn’t have to be a contradiction.
Mix of Cultures and Neighborhoods
As stated earlier, Boston showcases so much of the story of how America came to be. A continuous part of that story centers on the richness of the immigrant experience. Against the backdrop of 17th Century English colonial landmarks, you will also find thriving neighborhoods built on distinct immigrant cultures during the 19th and Early 20th Centuries. My favorite of these turned out to be the North End of Boston and Little Italy, though I also adored the nearby Charlestown area, an important stop on the Freedom Trail and a longtime enclave of Irish American heritage.
Focus on Learning and Culture
Okay, Harvard University may not technically be in the city of Boston, but it’s just across the river in Cambridge. We weren’t quite sure what there would be specifically for tourists, but my other half and I were still dying to visit the campus if only to say that we had walked the hallowed quad. It turns out that we were in luck, as there was a charming and informative student-led afternoon tour available. There are dozens of other prominent higher education institutions in the Boston area, and together they do so much to keep the region on the cutting edge of technology. Another important educational center that I decided to visit by myself while the other half took a day trip to historic Salem is the JFK Presidential Library and Museum.
Getting Around on Foot and Via the T
Boston is one of those areas where the city proper actually seems surprisingly small but anchors a huge metropolitan region. As downtowns go, Boston’s seems relatively compact and walkable. Granted, that doesn’t mean that we didn’t get lost from time to time, but finding our way back was not all that difficult. The locals, for the most part, also seemed to take pity on us and ask us if we needed directions. Boston’s extensive mass transit system offers convenient access to most of the region’s attractions. As my other half discovered when he wanted to check out Salem, there is also a network of regional commuter trains.
Personality
I know that it’s a difficult trait to define concretely, but I still have to say that Boston truly does have personality. It’s a place where the finer aspects of modern life have taken shape but where folks don’t forget to be a bit festive and funky. It seems that everywhere you turn there’s a back story, and the Omni Parker House, the hotel where we stayed, was no exception. The hotel dining room bills itself as the birthplace of Parker House style dinner rolls and Boston Cream Pie. The basement includes a mini-museum devoted to the many famous guests over the decades and also listing two prominent past employees, civil rights leader Malcom X and Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh. Boston holds true to its past, not as a stodgy shrine but as a living and breathing testament to how to keep a city going for close to four-hundred years.
Some Boston Snapshots
Coloring Outside the Lines 