Boston & Cambridge

Divided by the Charles River, these twinned cities complement and enrich one another. Boston, a major port since it was first settled, was home to some of the earliest conflicts of the American Revolution and its landscape is sprinkled with associations. Faneuil Hall, Beacon Hill, and the Commons, now prime downtown areas, are steeped in this rich past. Cambridge is more spread out, and its famed universities bring a more bookish intensity to Harvard Square and environs than the more boisterous schools of Boston do in Kenmore Square. Both are very walkable cities, allowing visitors to take in architecture, neighborhood life, and pockets of ...

Divided by the Charles River, these twinned cities complement and enrich one another. Boston, a major port since it was first settled, was home to some of the earliest conflicts of the American Revolution and its landscape is sprinkled with associations. Faneuil Hall, Beacon Hill, and the Commons, now prime downtown areas, are steeped in this rich past. Cambridge is more spread out, and its famed universities bring a more bookish intensity to Harvard Square and environs than the more boisterous schools of Boston do in Kenmore Square. Both are very walkable cities, allowing visitors to take in architecture, neighborhood life, and pockets of appealing shops — go to Boston's Newbury Street for the ritziest stores, Charles Street for antiques, and poke around college neighborhoods for more eclectic offerings. Several fine art museums, in-town national sports venues, and a chain of parks vie for residents' leisure time.

About the Expert

Juliette Rogers is coauthor of the guidebooks Eating New England: A Food Lovers Guide to Eating Locally, Secret Providence and Newport, and two Thomas Cook guides on France.