The Handy Boston Answer Book. Samuel Willard Crompton

low ebb, but the architectural genius of Charles Bulfinch brought Boston to new heights; just a generation later, people began calling Boston the “Athens of America.” The genius of the founding Puritans could still be seen as late as 1880, but it was equaled by their arrogance, as proper Bostonians refused to yield ground to the Irish and Italian newcomers, who, of course, have been followed by the Poles, Lithuanians, African Americans, and others. If there’s one great lesson to learn from the ethnic conflict it is that Boston belongs to no special group: she is always at the beck and call of those willing to serve her.

      Can the story of Boston be told without research in her libraries? Of course not, and equally one can ask if it is possible for Boston to be known without an understanding of the Red Sox and New England Patriots. Even the most diehard sports fan will admit that the crowds are fundamentally different: the thousands who pour into Fenway on a July afternoon are not the same as those who crowd the Garden on a Saturday night. Boston has a thousand dimensions, but she has only four great obsessions: education, sports, architectural beauty, and the pursuit of personal perfection. Whether the last of these is demonstrated in research at the Massachusetts Historical Society, skulling on the Charles, or making the best masonry chimney is entirely up to the individual.

      One can, of course, go the comparative route and ask where Boston stands compared to its many rivals. And though such competitions are necessarily self-limited, we can participate and say that Boston—at her best—is the very best place in the United States for a college-aged person. No other city offers so many opportunities and venues, ranging from the purely academic to the social and cultural. There was a time, perhaps as recent as the 1950s, when critics declared Boston was a great place to go to school, and not a bad one for one’s retirement, but not good for any age in between. If this was once true, it certainly is not so today. The theatre, opera, and Boston Pops are almost unrivaled, and the discriminating middle-aged person can find plenty of fun. The urban renewal that changed Boston in the 1960s brought about far more condos and developments than anyone imagined, and there’s plenty of room for those with deep pockets.

      This, of course, brings up one of the great complaints about Boston: no one can afford to live there and no outsider can find a parking place. If it is true today, it was true in Civil War Boston, as well, except that the competition was for horses and stalls back then, rather than parking for cars. The truth was, and remains, that Boston opens her arms to those who love her unreservedly.

      And so we come to the greatest of all questions concerning modern Boston. Is it the city of John Winthrop, of Paul Revere, or of John Kennedy? Does the ethos of Sam Adams prevail, or is this the land of the countercultural 1960s? The answer can never be final, but the best way to approximate it is to take a three-mile stroll from the Old North End to Fenway Park (watching out for the automobiles!) One passes the brownstones of the high-browed intellectuals, and the apartments of the newcomers. One sees the signs for the latest political election, and observes the many faithful entering the famous churches. And somewhere along that three-mile route, he or she realizes that Boston belongs to those who live in the moment and give it their all. This is the land of Robert Lowell and Isabella Stuart Gardener, but also of Blondie, the rock group Boston, and the latest Red Sox game.

      Will Boston continue to thrive? Her future has always been precariously balanced on New England granite and sliding clay: she has never enjoyed the easy greatness of Manhattan or San Francisco. But the challenge to make something has inspired each generation, right since the time of the Winthrop Fleet. One can bet against Boston, but does so at his or her own peril.

      And so, meander the streets that began as Puritan cow paths. Admire the granite statues on Boston Common, as well as the cloth ones in Chinatown. Walk Longfellow Bridge and photograph Zakim Bridge (from a safe distance). And remember that Boston is a treasure, a difficult lady at times, but one that is well worth your time.

      What is Boston in the simplest and most direct terms?

      Boston is an incorporated city with a charter dating to 1822. It is also the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

      Where is Boston located?

      Boston is located in the eastern United States in the state of Massachusetts. At 42.5 degrees north latitude and 71 degrees west longitude, it is close to the halfway point between the North Pole and the Equator. If one were able to draw a straight line from Boston, right across the North Atlantic, one would end up in northern Spain.

      How many people live in Boston?

      According to the U.S. Census of 2010, there were 617,594 residents of Boston.

      What is Boston’s elevation?

      Most of Boston is at around 130 feet above sea level. This means the city usually has a temperate climate. However, the Boston area experiences a rather steady air movement of about 11.6 miles per hour, making it one of the windiest cities in the United States. One feels this especially in December and January, when “wind tunnels” are felt, especially in the area around Kenmore Square.

      What is Boston’s weather like?

      Longtime residents will answer that Boston has a complete map of the four seasons, meaning its weather varies from fairly warm temperatures to extreme cold. Spring is usually the best of all times for Bostonians with gentle but pervading sunshine, and warm breezes: perhaps it is not a coincidence that opening day of the Red Sox season is such a favorite with the crowds. Summer can be overly warm, and many Bostonians escape either to Maine or Cape Cod on the weekend. Autumn is filled with excitement as college students arrive, and the beauty of the season builds right to Christmastime, as the students head home for break. Then comes winter, which is thoroughly unpredictable. Boston sometimes enjoys mild winters with plenty of warm rain; then again, it can also get pounded by cold temperatures and several feet of snow, as was the case in the record-breaking winter of 2015. But before long, April comes, and the cycle commences again.

      What is the highest point in Boston?

      The land is quite level and low, and one therefore looks to the major buildings to identify the highest landmarks in Boston. The John Hancock Building, completed in 1976, is 790 feet high, and has 62 stories. The Prudential Building, completed in 1964, is 750 feet, and contains 52 stories.

      What are Boston’s geographic characteristics?

      Boston lies at the extreme north-central corner of the famous bay from which Massachusetts gains its name. The original Boston—the location Puritans arrived at in 1630—was a peninsula, about 850 square acres in size. Today, the city of Boston is much larger, but one still finds evidence of its Puritan and Yankee past in the crowded streets, the frequent dead-ends, and the occasional cobblestone.

      Boston lies on the south side of the Charles River, which rises in the little town of Hopkinton and runs to join with the Mystic River: together, the two streams enter Massachusetts Bay, which eventually yields to the North Atlantic Ocean. Boston is best observed from air and today this is possible through helicopter tours and other activities. For example, at the Prudential Building, best known as the “Pru,” one can take an elevator to the fifty-second floor and gaze at the marvel that is the city of Boston.

      How many islands are there in Boston Harbor and the Massachusetts Bay?

      More than twenty, almost all of which have played some part in the history of the city. Deer Island, for example, is where Native Americans were imprisoned during King Philip’s War. Little Brewster Island is the site of Boston Light, the nation’s oldest surviving lighthouse. Georges Island is where many soldiers—from colonial conflicts right down to the Civil War—were quartered. And Hog Island has practically disappeared: it has been taken over by Logan Airport.

      What are the best places to visit in Boston?

There are at least a half-dozen. Anyone interested in exploring Boston and Cambridge’s educational history will do best in Harvard Square, while someone more interested in sports will enjoy visiting Boston Garden and Fenway Park. Admirers of landscape architecture might want to visit Brookline’s