History/overview
Boston is sometimes accused of having an inferiority complex compared to New York City, its larger, louder neighbor to the south. There’s a hint of jealousy in one of Boston’s many nicknames, “the hub of the universe,” but Beantown, a more humble moniker that refers to a dietary staple during colonial times, has several sides to its personality.

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Museums
There’s a reason why Boston was dubbed the “Athens of America.” For a city of its size, it has an unprecedented number of museums with top-notch collections.

Photo courtesy MFA/Lou Jones

Art Galleries
For an art-lover, the best thing about Boston is just how much you can see in a short amount of time—without needing a car or public transit. Most of the city’s galleries are concentrated in two areas: Newbury Street, a chic shopping strip that runs through the Back Bay neighborhood; and the South End, a funkier part of town that’s south of Back Bay.

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Shopping
Boston has its fair share of upscale shopping malls and fashion boutiques but for the real deal—a Boston original—begin your shopping day at LouisBoston, the name in high fashion and bespoke tailoring since the late 1800s.

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Dining
Boston’s chefs have a long history of inventiveness. Beantown invented Boston Baked Beans, the Boston Cream Pie, the Parker House Roll, and coined the term “scrod” for a type of fish.

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Nightlife
Boston was founded by Puritans and some might say that its nightlife retains an echo of this heritage: unlike clubs in New York, the city that never sleeps, Boston establishments close at 2:00 a.m.

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Walking Tour
Begin your tour at the Downtown Crossing stop on the Red and Orange subway lines. At street level in the entry to Filene’s Basement department store, you’ll see a pavement marking that declares this spot to be the Hub of the Universe, one of Boston’s many nicknames.

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