Boston, Massachusetts is the largest city in New England, with a population just over half a million in the city proper, and nearly 4.5 million in the Greater Boston Area. The city is surrounded by pastoral countryside, with the Charles River running through it and the Boston Harbor on the edge of town. 
The real estate market continues to be strong in the Boston area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the average value of a house/condo in 2000 was $191,000. By 2005 the value had more than doubled to $420,400. Median property taxes were $2,500 in 2005 (6%). Wood is the most commonly used material in housing in the Boston area, with two-story wood frame colonial style houses being the most popular. Front porches and hardwood floors are common in older homes. Condominiums are popular in and near downtown.
Boston’s economy is solidly based in education, tourism, manufacturing and fishing, and the last 20 years have seen a sharp rise in high technology, bio technology, and the defense industry. There is plenty of employment opportunity in both academia and medicine. There are several excellent hospitals and research facilities, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Children's Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Boston ranks in the top 10 vacation destinations in the country. It is chalk full of 
historic sites (62 of them), plus the Greater Boston Metro area has hundreds of hotels and close to 2,000 restaurants. Tourism generated almost $8 billion in 2004 via 16 million visitors. Boston also sees its share of movie industry action, with the 2006 Academy Award Winning Movie, “The Departed”, being just one film that was shot here recently.
Boston is a culturally rich, yet down to earth city with a lively mix of people. Everything from “blue blood” to “blue collar” can be found in abundance. Roots run deep in Beantown, and family and friend loyalties are greatly valued. The Kennedy Family comes from the Boston area, and Harvard, one of the country’s top Ivy League schools, is in Cambridge—a suburb so close to Boston, it is basically a neighborhood.
Higher education is of paramount importance in Boston. There are ten colleges and universities within the city limits, as well as, four music and art schools, six technical 
schools, and six junior colleges. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is world-renowned, as are Boston University, University of Massachusetts Boston, New England School of Law, Tufts University, Northeastern University, Emerson College, Berklee College of Music, Wellesley College, and many more.
Culturally, the city is literally at the hub of four major metropolitan areas and resort centers. Cape Cod is only 90 minutes away, New York City is an easy 4 hour drive, Philadelphia is 5 ½ hours away, and Washington, DC, is about 8 hours. Boston has been ranked the fifth best city for walking by the American Podiatry Society, and the ninth best city for runners according to Runners World Magazine. The Boston Marathon is world-renowned.
TRANSPORTATION
I-90, known locally as the “Mass Pike”, is the main east and west artery, while the “Northeast Expressway” (the I-93) runs north and south. Route 128 encircles the city 
and I-495 is also a heavily traveled road. More than 700 high tech firms have located along 128 and 495, making them very popular access routes. Roads can sometimes be narrow or winding (originating from much-used colonial trails, rather than laid out on a grid like later cities).
Logan International Airport is just two miles from downtown, and is served by almost 40 different airlines. An additional perk is that it’s 200 miles closer to Europe than New York.
Fortunately, Boston has an excellent public transportation system operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, known as the “T”. Trolleys, streetcars and ferries, as well as Amtrak trains also play a part. The average commute time for a Bostonian is a half an hour.
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
