Host City Information

Boston

Boston, first incorporated as a town in 1630, and as a city in 1822, is one of America's oldest cities, with a rich economic and social history. What began as a homesteading community eventually evolved into a center for social and political change. Boston has since become the economic and cultural hub of New England. As the region's hub, Boston is home to nearly 590,000 residents, many institutions of higher education, some of the world's finest inpatient hospitals and numerous cultural and professional sports organizations. Millions of people visit Boston to take in its historic neighborhoods, attend cultural or sporting events and conduct business. For more information, visit www.cityofboston.gov.

Massachusetts State House. Photo by Alexa B. Antopol.

In terms of daily ridership, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) remains the nation's fifth-largest mass transit system. It serves a population of 4,667,555 (2000 census) in 175 cities and towns with an area of 3,244 square miles. To carry out its mission it maintains 183 bus routes, two of which are Bus Rapid Transit lines, three rapid transit lines, five streetcar routes, four trackless trolley lines and 13 commuter rail routes. The "T" subway system is 100 feet from the Hyatt Regency Boston entrance, on the same block as the hotel. It costs $2 to ride anywhere in the city and surrounding suburbs. The Red and Orange lines stop at Downtown Crossing; one block further at Park Place is the Green line. For more information, visit www.mbta.com.

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Cambridge

Just across the river from Boston, Cambridge offers an exciting multicultural setting where visitors from around the world mingle in the shadow of two of the world's premier educational institutions: Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Teeming with cafes, bookstores and boutiques, Cambridge is often referred to as "Boston's Left Bank". Old Cambridge encompasses the original village of Newtowne, established by founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. The customs and institutions of Newtowne's first residents are discernible in the street plan of their settlement, which survives almost intact in Harvard Square. The neighborhood of Old Cambridge remains a residential, commercial and academic center. For more information, visit www.cambridge-usa.org.

Harvard University. Photo by Alexa B. Antopol.

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