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Take two parts of history, an immense measure of national pride, a whole slew of high-powered financial institutions and an exuberant student population – that’s Boston, capital of Massachusetts. One of America’s oldest cities, Boston is where the American Independence struggle began and the city is replete with monuments and memorials.

But history is not all there is to Boston, home to many universities and colleges, the most prominent being Harvard University. Sample youth culture at its best here and the offerings associated –good bookshops, cheap eating joints, alternative music, and plenty of joie de vivre!

The famed Boston Tea Party is not a party at all – the story goes that three ships stacked with tea came into the port of Boston. Before unloading, there was a tax to be paid which they refused to pay. The then British governor insisted that unless the tax was paid, the tea would remain on board and not be unloaded. So some of the colonists dressed as American Indians raided the ship on Dec 16,1773 and dumped the tea over board. If there was no tea no tax was due they said! This event came to be known as The Boston Tea party. Even today you can visit the site at Seaport Port Blvd.

If you are using public transport, be sure to get back where ever you are staying by midnight. At the Cinderella hour Boston shuts down its transportation system only to resume next morning.

Bostonians sure have strange vocabulary and pronunciation.

If you are looking for the subway it would be the Big T, if you are driving the look for Mass. Ave or Comm. Ave. At a coffee shop ask for frappe because if you asked for milkshake, the person behind the counter would think you were ‘wee-id’ as its not normally called that!

Oh and yes, if you are looking to drink water at a fountain ask directions to the nearest ‘bubblah’!

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Historically Speaking

In the seventeenth century, Boston was the leading port of colonial America. Till the mid eighteenth century, it was the biggest city of America. As the struggle for freedom from England intensified, Boston became the center-stage for the revolutionary War. However, freedom brought with it the decline of this great city. The loss of trade with England meant that it was no longer the premier city of America and other cities like New York and Washington began eclipsing it. The Depression of the 1950s saw further decline but the twentieth century has seen a rejuvenation of this great city.