Beantown, The Hub of the Universe, The Cradle of Liberty, and The Unofficial Capital of New England are just a few names that Boston is known by. The city is the capital of Massachusetts, and along with being one of the nation's oldest cities, it's also one of the largest. Boston boasts the sixth-largest economy in the U.S., with technology, financial services, publishing, and tourism being the city's leading industries.
Boston was founded in 1630 and has played a part in some of America's most significant events, most notably the American Revolution. That deep rooted history is a major draw for tourism, with popular attractions being the Boston Massacre site, the Massachusetts State House, Freedom Trail, Beacon Hill, Boston Common, and the Paul Revere House. There are also a number of tours offered that showcase other important historic sites and even reenactments of renowned events like the Boston Tea Party.
Although the city's impressive history is a magnet for tourism, it isn't the only reason people visit Boston. The cultural scene in and around this city is a vibrant one with many entertainment venues, live performance theaters, museums, historic churches, and famous universities like Harvard and MIT. Beantown is also home to world-famous sports teams, including the NBA Boston Celtics, the NHL Boston Bruins, and the MLB Boston Red Sox. The city also supports the New England Patriots of the NFL.
The history, economy, culture, and environment of Boston all work together to make the city one of America's finest. These contributing factors have earned the city a ranking on Mercer's 2011 Quality of Living survey; the survey named Boston the third most-livable city in the United States and the 36th globally – that's something to brag about.
