Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the capital and the largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city is also the county seat of Suffolk County. It is the unofficial capital of the region known as New England as well as one of the oldest and wealthiest cities in the United States, with an economy based on education, health care, finance, and high technology.

Infrastructure

Health and medicine

As the home to some of the world's most respected research hospitals, Boston enjoys an international reputation in the medical field. One such hospital is the Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General), which is affiliated with the Harvard Medical School. Rated as one of the best in the world, Mass General is the third oldest general hospital in the U.S., and the oldest and largest in New England. Another hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical is Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Related Topics:
Hospital - Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Medical School - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

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Other medical institutions include Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Lahey Clinic, and Children's Hospital Boston. The New England Medical Center is affiliated with Tufts University while the Boston Medical Center is the primary teaching facility for the Boston University School of Medicine.

Related Topics:
Brigham and Women's Hospital - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - Lahey Clinic - Children's Hospital Boston - New England Medical Center - Tufts University - Boston Medical Center - Boston University

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Transportation

Logan International Airport, located in the East Boston neighborhood of the city, is the major airport serving Boston. Another airport serving the city and surrounding areas is Hanscom Field in Lexington and Bedford. Two airports outside Massachusetts serve as secondary facilities. They include T. F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island, and Manchester Airport in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Related Topics:
Logan International Airport - East Boston - Hanscom Field - Lexington - Bedford - T. F. Green Airport - Providence, Rhode Island - Manchester Airport - Manchester, New Hampshire

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Boston's streets appear as though they were not planned?a common fiction is that they evolved from old cowpaths. Except for the Back Bay and part of South Boston, the city has no street grid. Roads change names and lose and add lanes seemingly at random. The city also has a number of rotaries, which have confused many drivers.

Related Topics:
Back Bay - South Boston - Street grid - Rotaries

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Boston is the eastern terminus of I-90, also known as the Mass Pike. I-95, which surrounds the city, is also known as Route 128. US 1 and I-93 runs north to south through the city. The most infamous portion, the Central Artery, runs through downtown Boston. The old elevated highway was constantly prone to heavy traffic. Through the Big Dig, the elevated highway was replaced with a tunnel.

Related Topics:
I-90 - Mass Pike - I-95 - Route 128 - US 1 - I-93 - Central Artery - Traffic - Big Dig

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Intercity trains operate from two stations. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and Chicago lines originate at South Station and stop at Back Bay. Fast Northeast Corridor trains, which service New York City, Washington, D.C., and points in between, also stop at Route 128 Station in the southwestern suburbs of Boston. Meanwhile, Amtrak's Downeaster service to Maine originates at North Station. Public transportation, branded as the "T", is operated by the MBTA. The MBTA operates subway lines, BRT, commuter rail, bus lines, and water shuttles.

Related Topics:
Amtrak - Northeast Corridor - Chicago - South Station - Back Bay - New York City - Washington, D.C. - Route 128 Station - Downeaster - Maine - North Station - MBTA - Subway lines - BRT - Commuter rail - Bus lines

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Utilities

Water supply and sewage-disposal services are provided by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). Established as a public authority in 1984, the MWRA pipes water from the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs in Western and Central Massachusetts for several communities within Greater Boston. The agency operates several facilities for sewage treatment, notably the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant {{ref|MWRA}}.

Related Topics:
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority - 1984

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NSTAR distributes electric power{{ref|NStar}} to the city. Gas is provided by KeySpan (which purchased Boston Gas) {{ref|KeySpan}}. Verizon, successor to New England Telephone, NYNEX, and Bell Atlantic, is the primary telephone service provider for the area. Cable television and cable braodband internet are provided by Comcast and RCN in select communities.

Related Topics:
Electric power - Gas - Verizon - Telephone - Comcast - RCN

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