Long known for its "old world" charm, Boston has come a long way towards staking its claim in the 21st century. With the recent completion of the "Big Dig," which buried Boston's vast network of highways underground, Boston has hit the new century running. With a collection of parks set to take the place of the ungainly elevated highways, the years to come promise to see Boston only get more beautiful.

The City
Boston has a tradition unlike any other city in America. It was here in 1773, when America was still a colony of the British Empire, that residents, angered over a heavy tax on tea imposed by King George III, launched a bold nighttime in which they dumped 342 chests of English tea into the Boston Harbor. The "Boston Tea Party," as the raid was called, was the first major salvo into what would become the American Revolution. But while proud of its history, Boston has adjusted well to modernity. In 2004, Boston finally completed its decades long "Big Dig" project. The stunning Leonard P. Zakim Bridge, which with a width of 180 feet is the widest cable stayed bridge in the world, is the crowning achievement in the single most expensive feat of civil engineering in human history. The completion of the project has made a city already laced with stunning parks and colonial era architecture, even more beautiful. But despite its traditions and its idyllic façade, Boston has more than its fair share of excitement. With more than 20 universities, including world famous Harvard University, and over 100,000 students, Boston is the quintessential college town. From its outstanding live music venues to the bass bumping clubs of Lansdowne Street, Boston pulses with the energy of youth.