BUSINESS
The capitol of Massachusetts, Boston is a thriving business community. With an economy encompassing everything from footwear and technology to pharmaceuticals and asset management, Boston's business climate capitalizes on the city's historic richness while adapting to industry trends. A vibrant financial district is the center of one of the city's largest and oldest industries, but healthcare and biotech companies have seen a recent surge. The city serves as headquarters for such companies as Houghton Mifflin Co., Time Warner Book Group, New Balance Athletic Shoes, John Hancock Financial Services and Filene's Basement.
CULTURE
Founded in 1630, Boston has maintained its European feel for more than 300 years and has more historic buildings than any other city in the U.S. The heart of the city is compact, allowing easy access to its many restaurants, theaters and museums. In fact, residents prefer to use the efficient public transportation as opposed to trying to navigate the city's narrow streets in cars.
Though the city's historical treasures attract the tourists, residents have a wide range of activities and entertainment to keep busy. The nightlife is packed with clubs, coffeehouses and pubs. Bostonians can attend festivals nearly every week, including Harborfest, Chowderfest and the St. Patrick's Day parade.
Boston by the numbers (2000 data)
| Population: |
5,819,100 (metro)
589,141 (city) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
5.6%
(Aug. 2003) |
| Average annual income: |
$39,629 |
| Average house sale price: |
$395,000 |
| Avg.
monthly apartment: |
$1,510 (average)
$1,750 (two-bedroom)
$1,345 (one-bedroom) |
|
 |
"Boston is a fun, young, very metropolitan city. It's an awesome place to be for the post-undergrad, young professional crowd, with so many different things to do and lots of people to meet. One of the reasons I moved to Boston was the career opportunities in the financial industry. Obviously, the economy is still picking up, but the jobs are out there."
- Jodi Olsen, BN'00, sales assistant,
John Hancock Funds
|
 |
"Boston is full of unique shops, restaurants and art and theater events and has numerous professional sporting teams to cheer for. Boston is rich in American history, which greatly intrigues me. It is also an excellent location as we are less than two hours from the mountains and the Cape."
- Susan Batschelet, BN'00, corporate senior sales
representative, Thomson Course Technology
|
|
"Boston is a great city to live in, with several great opportunities, whether they be cultural, educational, social or employment-related. Before going to graduate school, I worked in the financial industry, which some might describe as cutthroat!"
- Meredith Ross, BN'00, global MBA student at
Suffolk University who previously worked at Lehman Brothers
|
Regional
Scoop