James and Harrison Court Apartments

About Boston

Boston (US: ), officially the City of Boston, is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Settled in 1625 and incorporated in 1630, it is one of the nation's first and most historic cities. The city serves as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It has an area of 48.4 sq mi (125 km2) and a population of 675,647 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-largest city in the Northeast after New York City and Philadelphia. The Greater Boston metropolitan statistical area, including and surrounding the city, is the largest in New England and eleventh-largest in the country.Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers. The city was named after Boston, Lincolnshire, England.During the American Revolution, Boston was home to several events that proved central to the revolution and subsequent Revolutionary War, including the Boston Massacre (1770), the Boston Tea Party (1773), Paul Revere's Midnight Ride (1775), the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775), and the Siege of Boston (1775-1776). Following American independence from Great Britain, the city continued to play an important role as a port, manufacturing hub, and center for education and culture.The city expanded significantly beyond the original peninsula through filling in land and annexing neighboring towns. It now attracts many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing more than 20 million visitors per year. Boston's many firsts include the United States' first public park (Boston Common, 1634), the first public school (Boston Latin School, 1635), and the first subway system (Tremont Street subway, 1897).Since the nation's founding, Boston has been a national leader in higher education and research. Boston University and Northeastern University are both located within the city.