Connecticut

Another area where precision manufacture led to industrial dominance for Connecticut was in the manufacture of clocks, watches, and other timepieces, by Eli Terry and his apprentice Seth Thomas, the Forestville Manufacturing Company (which became the E. Many of the Boston Harbor Islands are part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area that is run by the National Park Service. Christopher Spencer designed the Spencer repeating rifle which played an important role for union troops at the Battle of Gettysburg. There are also two self-guided walking tours: Harbor Walk (http://www.bostonharborwalk.com/), which is designed to allow people the walk the entire shore of Boston Harbor, and the Black Heritage Trail. Christian Sharps designed the Sharps breech-loading rifle which in 1854 began to be manufactured in Hartford by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. Other sites of interest include Castle Island and Kenmore Square. Wesson designed the first repeating rifle in Norwich in the early 1850s, which went into production by the New Haven Arms Company (which later became the Winchester Repeating Arms Company), and, just across the border in Massachusetts, the Springfield Armory. Smith also patented a metallic rifle cartridge in 1854. The New England Aquarium as well as the Franklin Park Zoo are located within the city.

Horace Smith and Daniel B. The University of Massachusetts campus at Columbia Point houses the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library. Root to modernize production, making Colt weapons the first in the world with truly interchangeable parts. Boston is home to several world-renowned museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Museum of Science. Colt's Manufacturing Company hired Elisha K. It is also the site of the Esplanade where the Boston Pops Orchestra play their annual Fourth of July concerts to large crowds. In 1836, Samuel Colt invented the revolver design which continues to be used to this day. The Charles River, with long stretches of parks along its banks, is a major recreation site for many Bostonians.

The Savage Revolving Fire Arm Company manufactured pistols between 1859 and 1866, and the Sage Ammunition Works manufactured ammunition between 1864 and 1867. Other notable districts/neighborhoods include Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown, Downtown Crossing, North End, and South Boston. After this period, firearm manufacturing declined in Middletown, but briefly revived during the Civil War. Back Bay is also the home of two of New England's tallest buildings: the John Hancock Tower and the Prudential Center. Johnson built a factory, also on the Pameacha River, which was to sell rifles to the government until 1825. Once a shallow lagoon, the Back Bay district now includes many prominent landmarks and sites of interests such as the Christian Science Center, Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Newbury Street, and Trinity Church. D. Such sites include:.

Johnson and J. Many are found along the Freedom Trail, which is marked by a red line or bricks embedded in the ground. In 1812, John R. Due to the city's prominent role in the American Revolution, several historic sites relating to that period are preserved as part of the Boston National Historical Park. The factory later manufactured muskets and rifles until 1845, after which the United States government started government armories in Massachusetts and West Virginia partially modeled after Starr's. See also: Sites of interest in Boston. Starr initially manufactured swords, about 5,000 a year; including presentation swords for the state of Tennessee and War of 1812 heroes, colonel Richard M. Johnson, General Edmond P. Gaines, and General andrew Jackson. Other television stations broadcasting in the Boston market are:.

Even more successful was Colonel Nathan Starr Jr., whose factory (built of stone quarried from the river) was about the same size as North's, and located across the river half a mile northeast. Most Boston television stations have their transmitters in nearby Needham and Newton. Also in 1810, Colonel Simeon North built a pistol factory in Middletown on the West River, now the Coginchaug River, also winning a contract from the secretary of war, which led to enlarging his factory to 8,500 square feet (790 m²); he built about 10,000 pistols a year, up until just before the [Civil War]], designing America's first milling machine. The city is also served by several Spanish-language television stations including those of Univision (WUNI channel 27, licensed to Worcester), TeleFutura (WUTF channel 66), and Telemundo (WNEU channel 60, licensed to Merrimack, New Hampshire, and simulcast on WTMU-LP channel 32). In 1810, Oliver Bidwell built the first pistol factory in the United States on the Pameacha River in Middletown, winning a contract with the United States war department for handmade pistols. The city is served by stations representing every major American network including:. Middletown, Connecticut was the major supplier of pistols to the United States government during the War of 1812, with numerous gun manufacturers in the area. The Boston television DMA, which also includes Manchester, New Hampshire, is the fifth largest in the United States [1] (http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html).

Between 1800 and 1860, Connecticut manufacturers applied the system to the manufacture of economically priced high quality firearms, leading to Connecticut's nickname "the arsenal of democracy". A variety of FM radio formats serve the area as well as NPR stations WBUR and WGBH. This development changed "made in the United States" from a phrase connoting shoddy workmanship and expensive maintenance, into a world standard for high quality, and the entire system became known as the American system of manufacturing. Several major AM stations include talk radio WRKO 680 AM, sports/talk station WEEI 850 AM, and news radio WBZ 1030 AM. The development by Eli Whitney of the system of precision manufacturing of interchangeable parts and the assembly line in the late 1700s, however made Connecticut into a major center of manufacturing. Boston has the largest broadcasting market in New England, with the Boston radio market being the ninth largest in the United States. While manual labor was valued, learning and study was also prized and many schools were founded, with Yale the most significant. The Improper Bostonian (http://www.improper.com/) is a biweekly "what's happening" guide to the Boston area.

As in most of New England, the residents believed that industry, in all senses of the word, not only strengthened individual moral fiber, but also served to make the colony independent and free to pursue its own religious and philosophical beliefs. Just Rentals and Just Property are exclusive to Real Estate and are bi-weekly. Manufacturing was aided by a plenitude of resources, including water power, wood for fires and building material, and iron ore, while transportation benefited from several excellent natural harbors, and navigable rivers leading all the way to Massachusetts. The Boston Independent Media Center (http://boston.indymedia.org/) provides alternative views. It rapidly developed trade and manufacturing as the farmers, and then the merchants and manufacturers themselves, became affluent enough to start buying things. Spare Change is a bi-weekly paper. Connecticut began, as most communities at the time, as a farming economy. As of October 2004, the Weekly Dig is owned by Boston Magazine.

Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment (especially helicopters, aircraft parts, and nuclear submarines), heavy industrial machinery and electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, chemical and pharmaceutical products, and scientific instruments. The Boston Phoenix, The Improper Bostonian, and the Weekly Dig are weekly newspapers. The agricultural output for the state is nursery stock, eggs, dairy products, cattle, and tobacco. A local edition of The Metro, a free paper, is also available. The recent establishment of two very large and lucrative Indian casinos in the southeastern region of the state has led to a large influx of money in that area, as well as statewide in general. The Boston Globe, owned by the New York Times Company, and The Boston Herald are Boston's two major daily newspapers. Connecticut is an important center of the insurance and financial industries, largely in Hartford and in Fairfield county. See also: Media in Boston..

Exacerbating this problem, the state has a high cost of living, due to a combination of expensive real estate, expensive heating for the winters, the need to import much food from warmer states, and the dependence on private automobiles for mobility. The New England Medical Center is affiliated with Tufts University while the Boston Medical Center is the primary teaching facility for the Boston University School of Medicine. As evident from the dichotomy in income figures described above, this problem has yet to be successfully solved. Other medical institutions include Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Lahey Clinic, and Children's Hospital. As a result, the middle class largely fled the urban areas for the suburbs, taking stores and other tax-paying businesses with them, and leaving only the urban poor in the now impoverished Connecticut cities. Another hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical is Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The state did not have an income tax until 1991, making it an attractive haven for high earners fleeing the heavy taxes of New York State, but putting an enormous burden on Connecticut property tax payers, particularly in the cities with their more extensive municipal services. Rated as one of the best in the world, Mass General is the third oldest general hospital in the U.S., and the oldest and largest in New England.

This is due to Fairfield County having become a bedroom community for higher paid New York City workers seeking a less urban lifestyle, as well as the spread of businesses outwards from New York City having reached into southwestern Connecticut. One such hospital is the Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General), which is affiliated with the Harvard Medical School. [2] (http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/regional/statelocal.htm) There is, however, a great disparity in incomes through the state; although New Canaan has the highest per capita income in America, Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven are three of the ten cities with the lowest per capita incomes in America. As the home to some of the world's most respected research hospitals, Boston enjoys an international reputation in the medical field. The per capita income for 2003 was $42,972, 2^nd in the United States. It is also a major seaport along the United States east coast. The total gross state product for 2003 was $172 billion. The Port of Boston is the largest and busiest seaport in Massachusetts.

See [1] (http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/index.html) for a very complete and in-depth discussion of Connecticut roadways, current, past, and future. Teradyne, one of the world's leading manufacturer of semiconductors and other electronic equipment, has its corporate headquarters located in Boston. Funds to relieve the situation, either by enhancing commuter rail, increasing highway capacity, or both, are lacking, and the problem is noted as one hindering further economic development for the state. Boston Scientific is located in Natick, and Gillette is headquartered in Boston. As a result, commuter rail is also heavily crowded, along with parking facilities and traffic at the stations. Raytheon has its global headquarters in nearby Waltham while Novell also has its corporate headquarters there. At rush hours, multiple backups tens of miles long are common, and the daily radio broadcasts of where crashes have completely blocked traffic are a fact of life for commuters in the area. Shoe and athletic apparel maker Reebok is headquartered in nearby Canton.

I-95 from south of New Haven to the New York border is one of the most congested highways in the United States due to increasing population density, increasing business in the New York area, and a general increase in American driving, and the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway. Boston headquartered Fidelity Investments helped popularize the mutual fund in the 1980s, and has made Boston one of the top financial cities in the United States. Other major arteries in the state include State Routes 8 and 25 (http://www.nycroads.com/roads/CT-8/|) and US Route 7. Other important industries include financial services, especially mutual funds and insurance. A series of terrible crashes at these plazas eventually led to abandonment of the whole toll system in 1988. Boston's colleges and universities have drawn high-tech industries to the city, including computer hardware and software companies like EMC Corporation (headquartered in Hopkinton) and Akamai (headquartered in nearby Cambridge), as well as biotechnology companies like Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Biogen Idec. This road and I-95 were originally toll roads; they relied on a system of toll plazas at which all traffic would stop and pay an incremental fare, rather than the alternative system of providing drivers a ticket where they entered the highway and charging them when they exited. See also: An annotated bibliography of fiction set in Boston (http://www.cas.suffolk.edu/richman/Boston/bosbib.htm) (external weblink).

The other major interstate traffic arteries in Connecticut are the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway, which together form Connecticut State Route 15, running from the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York State parallel to I-95 before turning north of New Haven and running parallel to I-91, finally becoming a surface road in Berlin, Connecticut. See also: List of television shows set in Boston. The Interstate highways in the state are I-95 (the Connecticut Turnpike) running southwest to northeast along the coast, I-84 running southwest to northeast in the center of the state, I-91 running north to south in the center of the state, and I-395 running north to south near the eastern border of the state. Boston is also home to a wide array of musical talent from bands like Boston, Godsmack, and Aerosmith, to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, the Boston Philharmonic, the Boston Lyric Opera Company, and the Handel and Hayden Society (the oldest choral company in the U.S.) among many others. The glaciers carved valleys in Connecticut running north to south; as a result, many more roadways in the state run north to south than do east to west, mimicking the previous use of the many north-south rivers as transportation. The weekend following Labor Day, the boutiques on Newbury Street close as over thirty art galleries spill out onto the street, providing unlimited access to their contents during Art Newbury Street. In practice, most Connecticut residents find public transportation not fully adequate for all their needs and either own a private vehicle or have access to one. The Boston Film Festival is held annually in early September.

(In an episode of the American television show Miracles, the protagonist took a train from Boston directly to Hartford, causing Connecticut residents to joke that that would really have been a miracle.) Bus service is supplied by Connecticut Transit, owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The Boston Globe Jazz and Blues Festival takes place each June; the Boston Early Music Festival takes place every odd-numbered year. There is railway service along the coastline from New York City to Boston, including commuter rail service between New Haven and New York and a new commuter service along the coastline north of New Haven, with spur service running northwards to cities such as Hartford. The Boston Ballet is a world-renowned classical dance company. Transportation in Connecticut is predominantly via highway. Avant garde theatres are scattered throughout the city, especially along Huntington Avenue. The eight regions of Connecticut are:. The Theater District, south of Boston Common, contains a number of ornate theatres, including the Cutler Majestic Theatre and The Wang Center for the Performing Arts.

Fairfield County's "Gold Coast", for example, is often derided by residents of the rest of the state as being more similar to New York than to New England, and many of the residents go for years or even decades without ever traveling to other regions of the state, considering themselves more attached to New York City and its suburbs in eastern New York State. Mark Twain once wrote of it, In New York they ask "how much money does he have?" In Philadelphia, they ask, "who were his parents?" In Boston they ask, "how much does he know?" It is also considered one of the most culturally impressive cities in the world. Each region boasts varied qualities which distinguish it within the state, and at times there are minor cultural frictions between the regions and their major cultural centers as each competes for tourists, new residents, and internal state pride. Boston is considered to be a highly intellectual city. The state of Connecticut can be said to be sub-divided into eight general regions which generally correspond with the eight counties of the state, though there are differences in the boundaries. Surrounding cities host Babson College, Bentley College, Brandeis University, Hellenic College, Lesley University, the Longy School of Music, Merrimack College, Pine Manor College, Regis College, Tufts University and Wellesley College, among others.
. Other schools in Boston proper include Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory, the Boston Architectural Center, Boston University, Emerson College, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, the Massachusetts College of Art, the New England Conservatory of Music, Northeastern University, Simmons College, and Suffolk University.

See also: Geology of Connecticut. The greater Boston area is home to over 100 colleges. Forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a sandy shore add to the state's beauty. Cambridge is also the home of the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Near the green may stand a small white church, a town meeting hall, a tavern and several colonial houses. Harvard University, the nation's oldest university, was founded in Cambridge, where it maintains its main campus, though the bulk of its current land holdings lie in Boston. Many towns center around a small park, known as a "green", e.g. New Haven Green. However, it moved from the city's South End to then-rural Chestnut Hill to escape Boston's rapid urbanization in the late nineteenth century.

Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities, located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New Haven, then northwards to Hartford, as well as further up the coast near New London. Boston College was the first institution of higher education to be founded in Boston. The state, although small, has regional variations in its landscape and culture from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County's "Gold Coast" to the rolling mountains and farms of the Litchfield Hills and the casinos of Southeastern Connecticut. The Boston area is well-known for its colleges and universities. See: List of Connecticut rivers. See also: List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts.. The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. The city also serves as the home of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit as well as the headquarters of the 1st District of the Federal Reserve Bank.

There is an ongoing civic pride and economic competition between Hartford and New Haven, which stems back to the days when the two cities shared the state's capital, and even back to when New Haven and Hartford were two separate colonies. The National Archives has a regional center in nearby Waltham. In all, there are a total of 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut. O'Neil Federal Building. The state capital is Hartford, and the other major cities include New Haven, New London, Norwich, Stamford, Waterbury, Torrington and Bridgeport. Kennedy Federal Office Building and the Thomas P. Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York State, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. Properties include the John F.

Connecticut currently has five representatives in the House. Boston is also the United States federal government center for New England. Lieberman (Democrat). The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) operates Boston's Logan International Airport. Dodd (Democrat) and Joseph I. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority runs the "T", Boston's public transport system. senators are Christopher J. In addition to city government, numerous state authorities and commissions play a role in the life of Bostonians, including the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (water and sewer) and the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation, formerly known as the Metropolitan District Commission (some parks and most beaches).

Jodi Rell (Republican) and the two U.S. The School Committee is appointed by the mayor, as are city department heads. The current governor of Connecticut is M. The President of the City Council is elected by the Councilors from within themselves. One, Naugatuck, is a merged town-borough. The top four vote-getters are elected. There are also 9 incorporated boroughs, eight of which provide additional services to a section of town. Each voter casts up to four votes for at-large councilors; no more than one vote per candidate.

The sole exception is the City of Groton, which is a subsection of the Town of Groton. There are four at-large seats. Most cities are coterminal with their namesake towns and have a merged city-town government. There are nine wards or neighborhood seats, each elected by plurality voting by the residents of that ward. There are 169 incorporated cities and towns across the state. The City Council is elected every two years. The state judicial system and the associated state marshal system, however, are still divided by county, and the eight counties are still widely used for purely geographical purposes, e.g. in weather reports. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by plurality voting (see List of Mayors of Boston, Massachusetts).

Unlike most other states, Connecticut does not have county governments or county seats; rather, there is only the state government and the governments of the local municipalities. Boston has a "strong mayor" system in which the mayor, Thomas Menino, is is vested with extensive executive powers. Prior to that, New Haven and Hartford alternated as capital. Boston is notable for having one of the most attractive and livable urban cores in the country; rents and housing prices are correspondingly high. Hartford has been the sole capital of Connecticut since 1875. Dorchester is probably the most diverse Boston neighborhood being populated with every ethnic group. The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn.". Roxbury and Mattapan, located south of downtown, are populated largely by African Americans and Hispanics, as well as middle-class families priced out of more expensive neighborhoods.

Its first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders", was adopted on January 14, 1639, while its current constitution, the fourth for Connecticut, was adopted in 1965. The South End, south of the Back Bay, is populated by gays, artists, yuppies, African Americans, and Hispanics—it is noted for its restaurant scene and bohemian atmosphere. The first Europeans to settle permanently in Connecticut were English Puritans from Massachusetts in 1633. The Back Bay, west of the Public Garden, is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the United States—it includes the shops and restaurants on Newbury Street and the two tallest skyscrapers in Boston. Connecticut is one of the original 13 states. Allston/Brighton, for example, is populated mostly by students from nearby Boston University and recent graduates. The name "Connecticut" comes from an Algonquin Indian word meaning "on the long tidal river". Each of the neighborhoods has a distinct character.

Main article: History of Connecticut. The city is divided into many neighborhoods (http://www.cityofboston.gov/neighborhoods/), including: Allston, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Fenway/Kenmore, the North End, Hyde Park, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, the South End, Chinatown, Bay Village and West Roxbury. USS Connecticut was named in honor of this state. Out of the total population, 25.6% of those under the age of 18 and 18.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. Connecticut was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. 19.5% of the population and 15.3% of families are below the poverty line. Connecticut is a state of the United States, part of the New England region, as well as the southernmost state in New England and one of the wealthiest states in the country. The per capita income for the city is $23,353.

New Britain Rock Cats. Males have a median income of $37,435 versus $32,421 for females. Norwich Navigators. The median income for a household in the city is $39,629, and the median income for a family is $44,151. Bridgeport Bluefish. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.2 males. Their departure to North Carolina caused great controversy and resentment. For every 100 females there are 92.8 males.

Until 1997, the National Hockey League had a franchise in Hartford, the Hartford Whalers. The median age is 31 years. Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. In the city the population is spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 16.2% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association. The average household size is 2.31 and the average family size is 3.17. Old Lyme, Connecticut $41,386. 37.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older.

Madison Center, Connecticut $42,046. There are 239,528 households out of which 22.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.4% are married couples living together, 16.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 51.9% are non-families. Cornwall, Connecticut $42,484. Census data does not account for this significant segment of the community because of confusing terminology, as Brazilians speak Portuguese and often do not consider themselves Hispanic or Latino. Bridgewater, Connecticut $42,505. These figures become less reliable due to the large undocumented Brazilian population, estimated by some studies to approach 250,000 in Massachusetts. Essex, Connecticut $42,806. 14.44% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Lyme, Connecticut $43,347. The racial makeup of the city is 54.48% White, 25.33% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 7.52% Asian American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 7.83% from other races, and 4.39% from two or more races. Fairfield, Connecticut $43,670. Boston is the capital of "Irish America". Sharon, Connecticut $45,418. There are 251,935 housing units at an average density of 2,008.5/km² (5,202.5/mi²). The Irish are the largest ethnic group in the city of Boston. Woodbridge, Connecticut $49,049. The population density is 4,696.9/km² (12,165.8/mi²).

Redding, Connecticut $50,687. As of the census² of 2000, there are 589,141 people, 239,528 households, and 115,212 families residing in the city. Groton Long Point, Connecticut $51,066. In the winter, the Frog Pond at Boston Common doubles as a popular ice-skating rink. Avon, Connecticut $51,706. The outer suburbs of Boston, which tend to be forested, have vibrantly-colored foliage every autumn that attracts many tourtists. Ridgefield, Connecticut $51,795. Mark Twain is quoted as saying If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes. Boston is no exception to this rule.

Essex Village, Connecticut $51,928. (1,100 mm) of snowfall a year, though this increases dramatically as one goes inland away from the city. Easton, Connecticut $53,885. It also coincidentally averages 42 in. Georgetown, Connecticut $55,029. (1,100 mm) of rainfall a year. Roxbury, Connecticut $56,769. The city averages 42 in.

Fenwick, Connecticut $60,625. The coldest month is January with an average high of 35.6 °F (2 °C) and a low of 21.5 °F (−6 °C). Wilton, Connecticut $65,806. The hottest month is August, with an average high of 80 °F (27 °C) and a low of 64 °F (18 °C). Deep River Center, Connecticut $72,261. It has been known to snow in October and get quite warm in February. Westport, Connecticut $73,664. The summers are usually warm and humid, while the winters are cold and windy.

Greenwich, Connecticut $74,346. The weather in Boston, like much of New England, changes rapidly. Weston, Connecticut $74,817. The Neponset River forms the boundary between the city and its southeast neighbors, Quincy and Milton. Darien, Connecticut $77,519. To the east lies Boston Harbor and the Boston Harbor Islands, many of which are open to the public. New Canaan, Connecticut $82,049. The Charles River separates Boston from Cambridge, and Charlestown.

Non-Religious – 6%. Boston is bordered by the cities of Revere, Chelsea, Everett, Somerville, Cambridge, Watertown, Newton, and Quincy, and the towns of Winthrop, Brookline, Needham, Dedham, Canton, and Milton. Other Religions – 3%. Only Beacon Hill, the smallest of the three original hills, remains partially intact. Other Christian – 1%. Much of the Back Bay, and South End are built on reclaimed land—two and a half of Boston's three original hills were used as a source of material for the landfill. Protestant – 34%. The total area is 45.98% water.

Roman Catholic – 50%. 125.4 km² (48.4 mi²) of it is land and 106.7 km² (41.2 mi²) of it is water. 2.2% Mixed race. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 232.1 km² (89.6 mi²). 0.3% American Indian. Related articles. 2.4% Asian. Despite these losses, Boston's ambiance has improved in recent years — city streets bustle with a vitality not seen since the 1920s, crime and poverty remain low for an American city, and once again Boston has become a hub of intellectual, technological, and political ideas.

9.1% Black. Recently, Boston has experienced a loss of regional institutions and traditions, which once gave it a very distinct social character, as it has become part of the more homogenized BosWash megalopolis. 9.4% Hispanic. Their execution sparked riots in London, Paris and Germany, and helped to reinforce the image of Boston as a hotbed of intolerance. 77.5% White non-Hispanic. On August 23, 1927, Italian anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti were sent to the electric chair after a seven-year trial in Boston. Southeastern Connecticut. Today it is known as "The T" and is run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

The Quiet Corner. Also, on September 1, 1897, the Tremont Street Subway opened as the first underground streetcar subway in North America. Lower Connecticut River Valley. During the 1800s, the first medical school for women, The Boston Female Medical School (which later merged with the Boston University School of Medicine), opened in Boston on November 1, 1848. Greater Hartford. The city has several notable "firsts." Both the first school in America, Boston Latin School (1635), and the first college in America, Harvard College (1636), were founded in the early days of Boston. Greater New Haven. It was chartered as a city in 1822, and by the mid-1800s it was one of the largest manufacturing centers in the nation, noted for its garment production, leather goods, and machinery industries.

Naugatuck River Valley. After the revolutionary war, the city became one of the world's wealthiest international trading ports, exporting products such as rum, fish, salt and tobacco. Litchfield Hills. During this period, Paul Revere made his famous midnight ride. Gold Coast. The Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and several of the early battles of the Revolution (such as the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston) occurred in or near the city. Boston played a key role in sparking both the American Revolution and the ensuing American Revolutionary War.

Indeed, Puritan values of hard work, moral uprightness, and education remain a part of Boston's culture. These values molded an extremely stable and well-structured society in Boston. Winthrop's sermon, "a City upon a Hill," captured this idea. Early colonists believed that Boston was a community with a special covenant with God.

Founded on September 17, 1630, on a peninsula called Shawmut by the Native Americans who lived there, Boston is named after Boston, England, a town in Lincolnshire from which several prominent colonists originated. Its history is inherently intertwined with the history of the United States. Boston has an illustrious history that spans nearly four centuries. Main article: History of Boston.

Greater Boston is one of the top-ten largest metropolitan areas in the United States, the fifteenth in the Americas, and the one of the top-fifty largest in the world. The Greater Boston metropolitan area, including nearby cities and towns such as Cambridge, Brookline, and Quincy as well as many suburban communities further from the city, has a population of approximately 5.8 million residents. As of the 2000 census, its population was 589,141. Its nicknames include "Beantown", "The Hub" (shortened from Oliver Wendell Holmes' phrase The Hub of the Universe), "The City of Higher Learning" (due to the plethora of universities and colleges in the Boston area) and The Athens of America, due to its great influence on cultural, intellectual, and political matters.

It is the unofficial capital of the region known as New England as well as one of the oldest and wealthiest cities in the United States, with an economy based on education, health care, finance, and high technology. The city is also the county seat of Suffolk County. Boston is the capital and the largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. MLB.com (http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1903). Accessed June 1, 2005.

1903 World Series - Major League Baseball: World Series History. Accessed May 15, 2005. Skyscrapers.com (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/?id=101045). Boston Skyscrapers.

Portland, Oregon. Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. Taipei, Republic of China. Padua, Italy.

Haifa, Israel. Melbourne, Australia. Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. Barcelona, Spain.

Strasbourg, France. Kyoto, Japan. Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, specifically South Boston. Sharon McKendrick and her mother Maggie from the 1961 version of the Parent Trap.

The characters from the TV sitcom Cheers. Trapper John McIntyre and Major Charles Emerson Winchester III from M*A*S*H. Manchester Airport in Manchester, New Hampshire. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island.

F. T. Hanscom Field in Lexington and Bedford. Boston Celtics (Basketball - National Basketball Association).

Boston Bruins (Ice hockey - National Hockey League). USS Constitution. Paul Revere's House. Old North Church.

Old State House. Massachusetts State House. Granary Burying Ground. Faneuil Hall.

Bunker Hill Monument. Boston Common, with the Boston Public Garden being adjacent. Channel 68 - WBPX (PAX). Channel 62 - WMFP (Shop At Home).

Channel 56 - WLVI (WB). Channel 48 - WYDN (DayStar). Channel 46 - WWDP (ShopNBC). Channel 38 - WSBK (UPN).

PBS - WGBH Channel 2, which also operates WGBX channel 44, is a major producer of PBS programs. FOX - WFXT Channel 25. NBC - WHDH Channel 7. ABC - WCVB Channel 5.

CBS - WBZ Channel 4. Specifically, "12 Prospero Place, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.". Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events movie takes place in Boston, as seen on the envelope at the end of the movie. Zodiac, by Neal Stephenson; an eco-thriller focusing on industrial pollution in the Boston Harbor.

The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner; part of the story finds its setting in Boston. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood; post-nuclear Cambridge and Boston are the setting of this dystopian novel. Looking Backward, utopian novel written in 1887 and set in Boston in 2000. The Bostonians, by Henry James; life in aristocratic Boston during the late nineteenth century.

The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown; Boston is the home of protagonist Robert Langdon. Parker. The Spenser detective novels, by Robert B. Curley.

The Last Hurrah, by Edwin O'Connor; O'Connor's 1956 account of big-city politics, inspired by the career of longtime Boston Mayor James M. Walk East on Beacon!. What's the Worst That Could Happen?. Vig (Money Kings).

The Verdict. Un Ballo in Maschera, Opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Thomas Crown Affair. Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie.

The Paper Chase. Night School. Next Stop Wonderland. Mystic River.

Monument Ave.. Love Story. Legally Blonde. Harvard Man.

Good Will Hunting. The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Fever Pitch. Coma.

The Brink's Job. The Boondock Saints. Blue Hill Avenue. Blown Away.

Blow. Boston LBGT Pride parade and festival (http://www.bostonpride.org/). Boston Marathon, the world-famous 26-mile run. Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

Fourth of July on the Esplanade (fireworks and music on a massive scale). First Night (http://www.firstnight.org/) Boston's major New Year's Eve arts and activity festival, attracting over 1.5m people. Siege of Boston. Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Boston Tea Party. Boston Massacre. American Revolutionary War. American Revolution.