Boston Massachusetts

Also known as The Cradle of Liberty, The Athens of America, and The Hub of the Universe

Boston is the capital of Massachusetts and is one of the most iconic cities in the United States. Founded in 1630 by colonists from England, Boston was the political, commercial, financial, and educational center of the New England region. This still rings true today as many biotech, tech, and finance companies choose to call Boston home. You’ll also find some of the best universities in the nation here, such as Harvard, Tufts, and MIT. Despite it being a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, it stays true to its roots. Historical landmarks, delicious food, and proud residents give Boston a distinct character that feels like the past is embraced by the present. With over 20 neighborhoods in the city, you will quickly get over the cold weather and become a part of the warm community in Boston!

History/Culture

The culture in Boston seems pieced together on paper but is strong in-person. With people coming to Boston from all over the world and living in one of the 23 neighborhoods, you would think that they would be diverse. They might be in terms of their background, but there is an overwhelming unity when it comes to sports and coffee. You’ll see Patriots, Bruins, Red Sox, and Celtics apparel everywhere you go, and if you look a bit closer, you’ll see they all have a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee in their hand!

Boston wonderfully preserves its historical monuments and is the third-most gentrified city in the United States. The past is aptly integrated into the future here. Take a walk around Boston and you’ll immediately feel the blend and the unity. A must-do for everyone moving to Boston is to walk on the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile loop around the most historical monuments of Boston. A fun game people play while walking this trail is to count how many Dunkin’ Donuts stores you see!

Real Estate

Boston is one of the costliest cities to live in the United States, behind the obvious San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. With the cost comes value. Boston is the center of everything in New England. People from all over travel to Boston for its great schools and business opportunities, and this accurately embodies the Spirit of America (also seen on Massachusetts license plates): an entrepreneurial nation of immigrants that come together to make a better future.

With this much going on in the city, the Boston real estate market is expectedly hot. Especially with what is going on in the world at the time of this writing (mid-2020), Boston is seeing a shortage in housing inventory and an abundance of buyers. This communicates what the market believes is in store for Boston’s future. New buildings and homes are constantly being built, as well as new facilities to increase the quality of living, such as mini-parks and bike paths. What does it cost to live in Boston? The median value for a home in Boston is around $650,000, with a listing price of around $750/sq ft, and rental values of around $2,950 per month.

The Government in Boston realizes the high cost of living in the city, and has enacted programs encouraging and assisting people buying their first home there, ranging from mortgage programs to educational courses. The programs change frequently, so contact a local Realtor or Mortgage Lender to learn more.

Neighborhoods

Nicknamed the “City of Neighborhoods”, Boston has almost 700,000 people living in the 23 official neighborhoods of the city. With each one having a distinct characteristic, there is a place for everybody. A guide of the neighborhoods of Boston can be found in the next article.

Education/Work

Home to some of the best universities in the world and many cutting-edge companies, Boston is widely deemed as the knowledge capital of the world. Many people come to Boston for the schools, stay for the jobs, then move to the suburbs to raise their family. This is the quintessential life cycle of Boston. As such, you’ll see a large student/young professional population within the city, and many work commuters driving in from the suburbs. It also gets easier in the summer season as many people take vacations to their beach houses down in Cape Cod.

Universities include: Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Northeastern, Boston University, Boston College, Berklee College of Music, Suffolk University, and more!  Companies include: State Street, Fidelity, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, Amazon, Wayfair, Mass General Hospital, Liberty Mutual, and more!  *Note that Boston and New York City are in the same time zone, making business easy between the two cities, especially now with work-from-home arrangements.  These come together to form a forward-thinking and innovative environment in Boston.

Transportation

With so much going on in the city, Boston has a solid transportation infrastructure to make this possible. You will find an abundance of trains, subway lines, and buses taking you throughout the city, and many Uber and Lyft drivers taking you to the rest of the places you need to get to. There are also ample bike paths and electric scooters, and the city is surprisingly walkable too.  If you choose to walk around during the winter, just know it gets cold, and the Canada Goose store in the Prudential Center will take care of you. If you choose to drive, make sure you bring a GPS! You won’t find the grid system of roads in many areas of Boston as they were built and named long before cars existed. On the flip side, Boston is very picturesque, so it helps to take in the culture if you take a wrong turn!  Last but not least, you have easy access to the Boston Logan Airport (BOS) that has over a thousand domestic and international flights leaving the airport every single day!

Food/Entertainment

The spirit of “work hard play hard” is fully embodied in Boston. After a hard day at work, you have a myriad of options to reward yourself for a good day’s work, and even more options to enjoy your weekend in the nice weather!  For food, you can get a stuffed cannoli at Mike’s Pastry, enjoy some tapas at Toro, and if you feel like treating yourself, be sure to try the Veal Saltimbocca at Sorellina! And of course, don’t forget about the vibrant Chinatown if you want some delicious Asian food!

For entertainment, you can take a leisurely stroll through the Boston Public Garden, walk on the Freedom Trail, or go shopping on Newbury Street! In the evening, you can enjoy a captivating concert at Symphony Hall in Fenway-Kenmore or see a show in the Theater District. If you are in the mood for more, you can go dancing in a club like Bijou or go barhopping in the Faneuil Hall area!

Boston is an amazing city with so much to offer. With great schools & jobs, abundant food & entertainment, and convenient transportation to make it all possible, Boston is a great place to be and to live in! With all diverse yet interconnected neighborhoods in different price-points, there is something for everyone. Thank you for reading this brief guide to Boston, and enjoy your time here!

About the Author – Boston Massachusetts Real Estate Agent Leo Young

My name is Leo. I am a Realtor and Accredited Buyer’s Representative at Coldwell Banker Realty. I have been a local in Boston for ten years now and I absolutely love it! I have a background in technology and finance, and specialize in helping first-time buyers into homes locally and creative marketing to help sell homes. I’d love the opportunity to help you achieve your goals in Real Estate, so connect with me and let’s talk!

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