For this post I’ve selected a short video driving tour of Boston, Massachusetts to share with you.  Boston is New England’s largest city.  This video will give you a nice glimpse* into what there is to do and see in this city.  I have highlighted the different landmarks shown in the video and given you some background about these places in the narration below.  Enjoy!

The video opens with a car driving across the iconic Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge (or Zakim Bridge), which is a cable style bridge that crosses the Charles River.  The bridge is new in this historic city.  It was completed in 2003.

3 seconds into the video you see the TD Garden on the right-hand side.  This is New England’s premier** sports center.  It is the home of the Boston Bruins (a hockey team) and Boston Celtics (a basketball team).

12 seconds into the video you see Fenway Park.  This is home of the Boston Red Sox (a baseball team).  Fenway Park opened in 1912 and is now the oldest Major League Baseball Park currently in use in the United States.

Around 23 seconds into the video the camera focuses on the Prudential Tower.  This is one of the tallest buildings in the city.  The building has the highest observation deck in New England, which is located on the 50th floor.

32 seconds into the video we are now traveling down a busy street in Downtown Boston.  You can see a bus stop on the right as well as brick sidewalks.  There are many brick sidewalks in Boston and New England.

40 seconds into the video we are now traveling through the tourist central of Harvard Square.  This area is no longer technically the city of Boston; Harvard University is located in the city of Cambridge across the river from Boston.  The red brick buildings you see in the background are part of Harvard University’s campus.  Harvard University is a private university that was established in 1636.  It is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.

49 seconds into the video you see old Brownstone buildings.  Brownstone building were a common architectural style for urban row houses in 19th century in the United States. After passing these buildings the car enters Soldiers Field Road.  This is one of two major roads that parallel the Charles River.  This river separates the city of Boston from the city of Cambridge (and other surrounding towns).

1:06 into the video the car is now driving through a large tunnel that takes you beneath the heart of the city and back out onto the Zakim Bridge (at night) where the video started.

The song that is playing in the background while this video is playing sounds to me like an Irish drinking song (with a modern twist).  Irish and Italian immigrants made a large impact on the city of Boston in the 1800s and early 1900s.  Both ethnic groups still have a strong presence in the city.  Boston’s North End neighborhood is primarily Italian, while the South End neighborhood is known as the Irish part of the city.

Fun facts about Boston:

• Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States.
• The greater Boston area is home to around 5 million people.
• There are over 50 universities and colleges in the Boston area.
• Boston had the first subway system in the United States in 1897.

*a partial view
**first in importance