Boston: A Taste of Europe in the US

Hey guys and welcome to CoolVision. In this video, we'll travel to Boston. Welcome to Boston, guys. Let's talk about Boston. Boston is the capital of the state of Massachusetts with a population of 675,000 people and 4.8 million people living in the greater Boston metropolitan area. Boston is best known for its rich history, seafood, top universities, baseball, the Boston Marathon, and is probably one of the most European-looking cities in America. Let's start with its history. The city was founded in 1630 by the Puritan colonists who came here escaping religious persecution and it quickly became the political and commercial center of the New England region. In the 1760s the British Parliament passed a succession of acts aimed at taxing the colonists, but American colonists objected to being taxed by the British Parliament in which they had no direct representation, which led to events like the Boston Massacre when the killed five people while they were protesting the Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party when a group of angry Boston citizens threw a shipment of tea by the British East India Company and to Boston Harbor as a response to the Tea Act, which was just another form of taxation. The British retaliated harshly and the American Revolution began. The Patriots fought back, eventually forcing the British to evacuate Boston on March 17, 1776. Today the greater Boston metropolitan area has the sixth largest economy in the country with a gross regional product of $363 billion. The city's economy is centered on education, finance, medicine, and high technology. Boston has a thriving jobs market. Top-notch universities and access to venture capital make it a global player in innovation and entrepreneurship. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and other big names have offices here. General Electric, Fidelity Investments, Liberty Mutual, Gillette, New Balance, Puma, and Reebok all have headquarters here. Did you know that Dunkin' Donuts was founded in Boston in 1950? Well, technically 20 minutes away from Boston, in Quincy, Massachusetts. The city is a major seaport along the East Coast and the oldest continually operated industrial and fishing port in the Western Hemisphere. Boston is a world leader in higher education, with more than 50 colleges and universities, including Harvard and MIT. Harvard is a private Ivy League research university located across the Charles River in Cambridge. There are 30,000 students currently and only about 5% of applicants are accepted into the school. It was founded in 1636 which makes it the oldest institution of higher education in the US. On its alumni list, you will find eight American presidents, 75 Nobel Prize winners, and also 29 billionaires according to the Forbes list. Isn't that impressive? The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is another private research university established in 1861. It originated in Boston and was first known as Boston Tech. It's known for its programs in engineering and the physical sciences. Right across the road from downtown Boston, UCMIT over the years played a key role in the development of modern sciences and technology. For every 100 people applying, only 7.3 will be accepted, which makes it a very competitive place. Some of the world's greatest inventions have been created by their graduates like Spacewar!, the first computer game, the first portable fax machine, GPS, and voice recognition technology. The MIT alumni have founded many notable companies like Boston Dynamics, a robotics design company that makes robots that can run, jump, and do a lot of useful tasks. Oh, excuse me, how can you afford a car like that? Let me make it simple for you. I graduated from Harvard. You can do it too. It's right around the corner. They say Boston is a city of neighborhoods, so let's take a look at different parts of the city. Let's start with downtown. It's the location of many corporate headquarters, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. A lot of new condos and lofts have been constructed recently, which brought new residents and businesses. But the biggest transformation was the project known as the Big Dig. Look, we're entering a tunnel and we're going to be driving under the city. This project removed the elevated highways, put them underground and replaced them with green spaces. This is what it used to be, and this is what it is now. So much better. This was one of the nation's most expensive highway projects with a price tag of $14.80. Billion dollars. Downtown is nice and clean and it doesn't have a lot of homeless people. There's some, but not as many as I've seen in other American cities. Now let's take a look at Beacon Hill. It's one of the oldest historic districts in America. Federal-style row houses and cobblestone streets that are illuminated with gas street lights. And it's within walking distance of the city's financial district and government center. It's one of the most prestigious districts and apartments here. If you're looking at a three-bedroom apartment in that building, it would start around $3 million. Can you believe that? You know, all the street lights are still running on natural gas. This is what people mean when they say, Boston gives you a taste of Europe in the United States. Walking along these narrow cobblestone streets of Beacon Hill, you sometimes have to remind yourself that Boston is no longer an English colony. Now let's take a look at Bag Bay. It's another European-like city neighborhood. It's home to 50,000 people. Elegant boulevards and Victorian brownstones, numerous parks, shops, and restaurants. It has a reputation of being one of the most affluent neighborhoods. This is where you find Church of the Covenant, Trinity Church, and Boston Public Library. Some of the most significant buildings in the country. Boston Waterfront is a series of walkway-lined wharfs on Boston Harborway. Marinas, seafood spots, and hotels. It has a lot of modern high-rises. It's a nice park town, especially in the summer months. Law and Wharf is a historic pier. Built in 1721. Today it functions as a dock for passenger ferries and sightseeing boats. You can choose embark on sightseeing cruise from here or visit the New England Aquarium. Four Point is a former industrial district, but now it's filled with historic lofts, house and art studios, and galleries. The Boston Children's Museum on the Harbor Walk, marked by a giant milk bottle in front, draws families to its interactive exhibits. Nearby, the floating Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum commemorates the 1773 protest. I'm proud to say that this high-rise building on the left is called Russia Wharf. I had no idea about Boston had a lot of trade with Russia in the 19th century. Russia was supplying raw materials like iron that the locals used to build ships. And did you know that the founding fathers used Russian goose quills to sign the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights in? 1809 Boston had a Russian embassy and 39 ships from Russia docked at Russia Wharf. Sadly, they renamed the building to Atlantic Wharf now. Shame on them. Nearby this seaport district once it was an industrial wasteland filled with parking lots today. It's a modern area of the South Boston waterfront lined with high-rise condominiums, restaurants, bars, and hotels. It's rapidly becoming one of the city's hotspots to live, especially for those who don't mind the high-rise apartment living. Boston has a Chinatown. It's the only surviving historic ethnic Chinese enclave in New England, where you find a lot of Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants. And finally North End. It's the oldest part of Boston and it's one of the last remaining Little Italy neighborhoods in. It's been the traditional home to Italian Americans since the early 1900s. You're gonna find yourself in a maze of narrow streets with some of the city's oldest buildings. It's home to the Old North Church and Paul Revere's historic home. Not surprisingly, you're gonna find a lot of Italian-American restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores. Make sure you try some cannoli at Mike's Pastry where they come in more than a dozen varieties. I'm gonna be trying some cannolis now. This is deep chocolate. I like it. What's it like living in this part of Boston? Well, I think the North End is the best place to live in all of Boston because this part of Boston is the most walkable and the most accessible to public transportation. Do you own a car? I do own a car. That is the downfall of living here. It is a huge downfall because if you look at the signs, we have street cleaning. So, you need to move your car every two weeks and if you don't, you're ticketed in tow. But even with a permit, it still takes you some time to find the parking spot. Is that correct? It can take you an hour and a half driving around. Are you serious? It is horrible. Boston has one of the highest costs of living in the US. For example, the average rent for a two-bedroom place in Back Bay is $3,500 per month and $3,000 in Beacon Hill. The overall cost of living in Boston is 47% higher than it is across the country. It is more expensive than Chicago, Miami, or Los Angeles. A lot of people choose to live in the suburbs. Of course, our friend Tom lives 40 minutes away from the city in a lovely neighborhood. It's got a nice house with a pool and even though it's raining, we were having a blast staying with our friend Tom. It's about an hour outside of Boston. It's raining outside. What can you do? You go swimming, right? A visit to Boston is not complete without seeing the Fenway Park. It's the oldest professional baseball stadium still in use today. It has been home to the Red Sox since 1912. The Boston Red Sox sell out almost every game since winning the World Series in 2018. For the nighttime, let me tell you, the party starts way before the game. So before the game it's a good idea to hit the bar and grab a few drinks. It's always good to get one or two beers here because it's going to be twice as much once you go past those gates and go inside. Boston Red Sox is also known as Red Sox Nation because there's so many of us. Woohoo! This baseball park is located in Fenway. It's an urban community with a lot of students and colleges around. When the Red Sox are playing in town, the traffic becomes a nightmare before and after the game. I was shocked that nearby gas stations stopped selling gas and turned into parking lots for the duration of the game. I was shocked. So he parked here at the gas station and it cost him $50. Elena was saying, why are they having us park here, right? Because then no one can get gas. And I said, it's better for them to actually rent out the parking spaces then too. More money that way. They'll make more money than than doing the gas. It's very expensive to have a car in Boston. Yes and I don't recommend driving a truck in Boston. You know that's a Texas car not a Boston car. Parking is already a challenge in the downtown area because of how compressed the city is. Many neighborhoods do not offer off-street parking and require a residential parking permit. Boston's rich history attracts 21 million visitors a year. Being one of the oldest municipalities in the U.S., it's a city of many firsts. The first public park, the first public school, the first subway system in the nation. And in the 21st century this is the location where the first social media network was created. You may have heard of it. It's called Facebook. One of the biggest attractions is the Freedom Trail which is a three-mile trail. All you have to do is follow the red brick line and it will take you to They include the burial sites of Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams, the Old State House, and the Faneuil Hall. A renowned meeting place for revolutionaries and abolitionists. One of the city's fine offerings is the Boston Dog Tours. That combines a street tour with a splash in the Charles River. We had a lot of fun. Swimming in the Charles is prohibited but there's a lot of other things you can do here. You can rent a kayak or join a sailing school and or ride an electric surfboard. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest museums in America and boasts one of the most comprehensive collections on the continent. 450,000 works of art. Come here for a first Friday to enjoy music, cocktails, and tapas with your dose of fine art. Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum takes you on a tour of what life was like in 1773. It's a fun and interactive experience and some tea tasting on top of that. Visit the Old State House, seen at the Boston Massacre. On July 18, 1776, from its balcony the Declaration of Independence was read for the first time. Kids of all ages will get a kick out of the Museum of Science and the Boston Children's Museum. Boston is one of the healthiest cities in the country. Green space accounts for 20% of the city and you'll never need to look far for some nature. Boston Common, the oldest public park in the U.S. and public garden are a treat in all seasons and they host different events all the time. And the Boston Harbor Walk which is a continuous 43-mile long walkway along the shoreline is perfect for walking, running, or cycling. Food seen in Boston is great whether you prefer oysters, lobster rolls, or clam chowder. The city is located directly on the Atlantic coast and the seafood is fresher here than almost anywhere else in the country. Yeah, so this is New England clam chowder. Really famous here in Boston because we're actually at Legal Seafoods. New England clam chowder actually has a cream to it. There's a Manhattan-style clam chowder that has a red sauce and then there's a Rhode Island clam chowder which has like a brothy clear sauce to it. But this is the best. And don't forget about the historic Quincy Market. I know it's a little bit touristy but it offers a lot of good food options. And the Boston Public Market in the North End for some regional wine and foodstuffs every day of the week. If you love beer, there are a lot of local brewers but the most famous local beer is Samuel Adams. Boston Margar. Boston Beer Company is the fourth largest brewer in the nation and you can visit their taproom in downtown to sample a few beers from a great selection. Cheers guys! Not a lot of people think of Boston as a beach destination but it has some nice seedy beaches like Revere Beach, Pleasure Bay Beach and Carson Beach just south of the Castle Island. Speaking of Castle Island, it's a great place for a day trip. You can stroll around on Harbor Walk, swim and relax at the beach and watch airplanes land and take off from the nearby Logan Airport. Here you can also visit Fort Independence built in 1634 by the British and enjoy some delicious food at Sullivan's Restaurant. Boston might seem large from the outside but you will quickly discover that it's surprisingly small. That's why 13% of the population commutes by foot. In 2016, 33.8% of the households did not have a car and used public transit for their commute to work. Boston has the oldest underground rapid transit system in the US and it's also the fourth busiest with 65.5 miles of tracks on four lines. The subway system uses some of the oldest tunnels in the nation and some argue that the system is not as clean or as efficient as it could be. Red, orange and blue lines are heavy rail lines and a green line is a light rail system. There's also buses, commuter rail networks and even water shuttles. Driving in Boston is not the best option because traffic is slow and parking is extremely hard to find and it's pricey. Is Boston a safe city? The whole time I was there I felt completely safe but numbers don't lie and according to numbers Boston has a higher crime rate compared to the national average although it doesn't feel that way. It's a lot safer than Chicago and Detroit of course and crime rate varies greatly depending on the neighborhood. Boston is one of the most liberal cities in the Sometimes people are so liberal it catches you off guard. Just listen to this conversation and you'll get a pretty good understanding of what. They're certainly not without our problems. We have a lot of, you know, a lot of diversity issues. The politics here is old world politics, you know. It's very white. So we now have our mayor. She's actually an African-American which is the first time they've ever had a woman, you know, of any kind of color or diversity. This elections are going to be really interesting because they have four women and one man and not one white male. There's a lot to do outside the city. Boston is well positioned to provide you with fantastic day trips and weekend getaways too. Some great spots along the Atlantic coast. You can reach the coast of Maine, see the Hudson Valley, explore Rhode Island or relax in Cape Cod or even visit New York City. Driving time is around five hours. So let's sum it up. Boston offers everything you can want in a big city, great universities, plenty outdoor activities, good public transportation and a diversified economy. And the downsides are relatively cold winters, high cost of living, slow traffic and expensive parking. So what you think about Boston guys? What are some other facts you know about Boston that are worth sharing? Please share them in the comment section and I'll see you in my next video. Thanks for watching and hit that bell button so you'll be notified about my future. Thanks. And we have Tom with us today. How's it going? Hi. How are you? Good. And you? Good too. Yeah.