Old next to new, tradition next to modern, historical sights next to imposing skyscrapers. The Athens of America, as Boston in the state of Massachusetts is also called, is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most interesting cities in the USA and has so much more to offer than the world-famous Harvard University and MIT.
We took a closer look at the city on the northeast coast of the USA for you.
Numbers, dates, facts about Boston
- State: Massachusetts
- County: Suffolk County
- Population: 692,600 (estimated 2019), metropolitan area: 4,875,390 (estimated 2018)
- Area: 232.1 square kilometers, of which 125.4 square kilometers are land
- Population density: 5,538 / km2
- Founding year: 1630
- Altitude difference: 43 meters
- Time zone: Eastern (UTC -5 / -4)
- Postcodes: 02101-02117
- Area code: +1 617, 857
- Mayor: Marty Walsh (Democrats)
- Nicknames: Beantown, The Cradle of Liberty, The Hub of the Universe, City on a Hill, Athens of America
- Official Website: https://www.boston.gov
Capital of Massachusetts on the northeast coast
The city on the hill is the capital of the state of Massachusetts and is located in Suffolk County in New England. It lies on the Atlantic Ocean, is surrounded by water and also has many lakes in the hinterland. New York City is around three and a half hours from Boston. Montreal is five hours from Montréal. City on a Hill is located near the 42nd parallel and 71st longitude. “The Cradle of Liberty” ranks 23rd among the largest cities in the USA.
Boston ranks 23rd among the largest cities in the United States. The city is divided into the following neighborhoods: Allston / Brighton, Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown / Leather District, Dorchester, Downtown / Financial District, East Boston, Fenway / Kenmore, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, North End, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South End, West End and West Roxbury.
Beacon Hill and Back Bay are Historic Districts.
Tip: Acorn Street is very nice in Beacon Hill!
The Boston-Cambridge-Quincy (Greater Boston) region and Boston Metro are divided into the Boston region. The name Metro Boston is reserved for the inner core around the city.
Weather and Climate in Boston
The climate in the “cradle of freedom” is typical for port cities in the northern hemisphere. Especially in summer it is quite warm in Boston with average temperatures of around 23 degrees Celsius. In winter, temperatures can easily drop below freezing. The humidity is relatively high, which can make it very humid in summer. The months from June to August have the most hours of sunshine with over nine, with July having the most hours of sunshine. Most of the rainy days are in December, in general there is significantly more rainfall in winter than in summer.
The months of May and June or September and October, when it rains less and is not quite as hot, are considered the best time to travel. Especially in autumn you can also enjoy the Indian Summer in New England, which is worth the trip in and of itself.
Population of Boston
Slightly over half of the city’s population are whites (52.6%), and African-Americans make up about a quarter of Beantown’s population. People of Asian descent are represented at around ten percent, while American and Alaskan natives only make up a negligible percentage (0.3%). The largest ethnic group are people of Irish descent at 16 percent, followed by those of Italian ancestry at 8 percent. Six percent of Boston’s population is native to the West Indies. Almost 20 percent are Hispanics.
With the many universities of Harvard, MIT and Tufts, the Boston population is relatively young and educated, averaging 32 years. In addition, slightly more women than men live there.
Among the religious communities, Christians in the greater Boston area make up the largest proportion with 57 percent. Catholics account for almost 30 percent. People of the Jewish faith are represented with around 10 percent in the village, 4 percent are Muslims. 33 percent of the population does not belong to any religious community.
The Democrats dominate Boston
The state of Massachusetts is firmly in democratic hands and in Boston itself the Democrats dominate. In Boston’s last five presidential elections, the Democrats have always been in the lead, with 70 percent of the city center and the seaside neighborhoods north of it voting Democrats and 60 percent of the western neighborhoods. In the southern districts of the city on the hill, the democratic government accounted for an average of only 57 percent.
Wealthy city with good medical care
Boston is the cultural, economic and political center of the region. The Boston metropolitan area is one of the top performing economic regions in the world, with the largest employers in the health sector (18.4 percent), education (13.4 percent), science and technology (11.7 percent) and commerce (8.4 percent) Percent) are. Well-known companies headquartered in the capital of Massachusetts are Gilette and Teradyne. In addition, many other companies have their headquarters in the city or in the surrounding area.
The residents of the city in New England earn on average significantly more than the national average and the unemployment rate is also relatively low at 3.1 percent. Nonetheless, 20 percent of the population live in poverty. This is considered to be one of the most luxurious residences in the city Heritage on the Garden. The Heritage Boston is in close proximity to Back Bay, Beacon Hill and downtown.
In the city itself there are 32 hospitals with different orientations.
Boston also has one of the best tap water in the country. There are only five cities in the US where the water does not have to be filtered to meet the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency correspond to. Boston is one of them. The water comes from two reservoirs in the west of the city.
Of particular importance and excellent reputation: the universities in Boston
University education in the Boston and Cambridge area received $ 1.77 million in grants in 2013, more than any other metropolis in the United States. The greater Boston area is home to more than 100 colleges and universities – 250,000 students are enrolled in Boston and Cambridge (Harvard University) alone. However, Boston only has one public university (University of Massachusetts Boston), everyone else is private. Well known among the educational institutions is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT for short, which is not far from Harvard.
International airport and good public transport
Boston owns with the Logan International Airport an international airport which, like the port, belongs to the Massachusetts Port Authority. Local public transport is well developed thanks to a system of S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines as well as a trolleybus, local bus lines and regional express buses. In addition, Boston has two major train stations, South Station and North Station. The South Station is served by Amtrak. The route connects the place with Washington DC and New York City, so that trips from Boston by train are also possible.
You can also get from A to B by car in Boston. Interstate 90 connects Boston with the US state of New York, and Interstate 95 enables you to travel to Portland in Maine, New York City or Washington. You can travel north to New Hampshire via Interstate 93. The city highways that cut through the city center run through underground tunnels.
The Port of Boston is located in Boston Harbor, a natural harbor basin. The port is now a major cargo port in the northeastern United States. The harbor basin is also of great historical importance. After all, it is the venue and center of the famous Boston Tea Party organized by Samuel Adams.
