Boston

Pros: Totally fulfilling
Cons: the train only runs until midnightish

Please tell me the name of another U.S. city where you can find such a lively community filled to the brim with the arts, science, education, history, a great public transportation system, and a safe atmosphere? While, I admit I am not...

Pros: Fascinating historical perspective
Cons: A little bit out of the way

The Kennedy Library is the repository of the papers of President Kennedy, and as such it is an important research facility. The Kennedy Museum, which is part of the Library, is a real gem.

The museum is small, human sized, and can be fully...

Pros: Ummmm... can I get back to you?
Cons: lack of attractions, zero nightlife, weak skyline, and so on...

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Boston, aka the 'Hub of the Universe', (the term comes from the mouth of Oliver Wendell Holmes, a literary master who lived there in the 1850's) with several buddies was how clean the streets were. Eventually...

Pros: rare finds, comfortable atmosphere
Cons: pretty small so it can feel cramped when they're busy

Located on the popular shopping street, Newbury, Trident offers an alternative bookstore/cafe. They specialize in psychology, drama, poetry, mythology, Buddhism, Martial Arts, and much more. In the world of Borders and Barnes & Noble, smaller...

Pros: Lots of restaurants to choose from in a small area.
Cons: Crime and grime.

Do you have a craving for authentic Chinese food? How about Korean, Japanese, Malaysian, or Vietnamese food? If so, why not head to Boston's Chinatown? Chinatown is located between Downtown Crossing and the Theater District. It is easily accessible ...

Pros: beautiful, smart, captivating, historical
Cons: not for the tourist who hates being on their feet!

Boston and its history stuffed surroundings must be like Mecca for American history buffs. It would be very hard to find one location with so densely packed with historical sites and points of interest. Not only does the city have history, but you don't ...

Pros: Clean, Safe & Easy to Get Around
Cons: Expensive

Boston is a city like no other - the only city I have been that combines the pleasantness of a European City with the delight of a US City. I spent three months there last summer and plan to go back as soon as I can. There is so much to do, so many...

Pros: Lots of hands-on, kid pleasing exhibits
Cons: Not too updated, can get crowded, closes early

I’ve spent a LOT of days with my two sons, ages 5 and 2, at the Boston Children’s Museum. If you are visiting Boston with kids, it’s certainly worth a trip---it’s a very enjoyable family place! It’s not perfect, and I’ll tell you more about the pros and...

Pros: Incredible art, fabulous building
Cons: Not much parking

Walking between the stately stone lions into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is like walking into someone else's fantasy, although it will soon become your own. The Gardner Museum is a one-of-a-kind experience, as if you've been invited to stay at...

Pros: Amazing!
Cons: Too small to share properly

I can't believe that I'm writing a piece suggesting that people travel to Boston-- tourists are such a pain in my side. Boston is so small and difficult for the unexperienced to navigate that tourists are a near-constant source of frustration for those...

Pros: Great for tourists.
Cons: The people.

Boston, Massachusetts has been my hometown and heritage for the past 18 years, and has taken part in much of my childhood and youth. Based right in the heart of New England, the city has a small population of only around 500,000 within the city,...

Pros: something for anyone curious about our world!!
Cons: can be expensive..check for library passes,discounts!

We had the good fortune to visit this museum over the Memorial Day holiday when most Bostonians had gone to Cape Cod's beaches. We literally walked right up to the ticket counter (this is UNHEARD of!) and got our tickets (discounted thanks to a...

Pros: cheap to get around, eclectic atmosphere, something for everyone
Cons: hard to get home late at night, not much open after 10pm

I could have split up this review into the sections of Boston, but wanted to deal with the experience of visiting as a whole, and though this is a long review, I hope the reader won’t mind.

When I was at school in Boston, I would often...

Pros: So many famous, historic sites in one small area!
Cons: Expensive hotel lodging in town

HOW'D A MIDWEST GIRL FIND HERSELF IN BEANTOWN ANYWAY?
My employer provided me with a free trip to Boston to attend a Project Management conference in mid-May 2000. My internet flame, Kevin, lives in upstate New York and he and I had been chatting...

Pros: You can hack it if you are single or a couple.
Cons: Even if you live there you are a tourist.

Disclosures. I lived in Boston between 1987 and 1993. Insofar as things may have changed, some conclusions made here could be modified or discarded. But I kinda doubt it. This is for folk who contemplate living in this odd place.

To me Boston...