In short
Boston was founded in 1630 and its plan predates the car: narrow streets, dense neighbourhoods, everything on foot. The Freedom Trail, a red line set into the ground over four kilometres, links sixteen sites of the American Revolution.
Harvard and MIT are across the river in Cambridge, one metro stop away.
What it really costs
Housing is among the most expensive in the United States, driven by the student population and the biomedical sector.
The "T", America's oldest subway, covers the city. It is slow and ageing but sufficient: a car is a handicap in these streets.
What nobody tells you
1 September is the near-universal student moving day. The city is gridlocked, trucks fill the streets, and it is the worst moment to arrive.
New England autumn, late September to mid-October, is the real season: the forests of Vermont and New Hampshire are two hours away.
Winter brings snowstorms that paralyse the city in episodes, with transport suspended and parking banned.