Boston is a cosmopolitan city of contrasts: neat rows of red brick town houses and some of the nation's most revered landmark buildings stand side by side with high-tech towers. More than 70 universities and colleges make their home office and their influence is felt throughout the area. These institutions have extensive libraries, museums and special events. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops and the Boston Ballet are mainstays of the performing arts. Bostonians have four major-league sports teams: the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Bruins and the Patriots. Fenway Park, one of America's oldest baseball parks, is located in the heart of the city and is only a mile from Brigham and Women's Hospital.

On Newbury Street, elegant boutiques, art galleries and coffee houses are located in 19th century town houses. Nearby, Copley Place and The Shops at the Prudential Center offers more than 200 enclosed shops and restaurants. The city has many other attractions. The New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science and its four-story Omnimax Theater, for example, are just the tip of the iceberg.

Cape Cod, only 60 miles from Boston, offers 27,000 acres of beaches. There are warm-water beaches, an abundance of seafood, summer theater and challenging golf courses. The Cape Cod National Seashore offers miles of bicycle and nature trails, long stretches of sandy beaches and desert-like sand dunes. The near-by islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard offer their own brand of sandy beaches, pine forests, rolling hills and moors and delightful towns. Each can be reached by air and by passenger and car ferries. Martha's Vineyard is a picturesque turn-of-the-century community and a year-round ferry port. Nantucket, where whaling ships made their home, is 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. It has elegant restaurants and antiques, crafts and specialty stores in addition to its relaxing beaches.

A quick drive West or North provides access to the Berkshires and the White Mountains. Abundant natural beauty is the setting for downhill skiing, cross county skiing, hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. To many, Massachusetts is one of the most exciting places to live in America.