Practical Considerations for a Trip to Massachusetts

Massachusetts tucked away in the northeastern corner of the United States, has long been a popular travel option for Americans and foreign visitors alike. The area is particularly popular with visitors from Europe, due to the short flying times, and communities of immigrants from almost every country on the continent, who have decided to make their home in Boston and the surrounding area. If you’ve always wanted to make a trip to Massachusetts, then congratulations! You’ve made an excellent choice. This article is going to run you through a few practical issues which you should consider before you hop on that plane. Trust us, they’ll make the trip so much easier.

Healthcare and Insurance

Even if you’re not American, you’re probably aware that healthcare in the country has a reputation for being expensive. While the care on offer in generally excellent, you will need to have fully comprehensive insurance before you set off. Make sure that you don’t have any underlying health issues which you don’t know about before you set off. If your doctor isn’t available, then consider using a healthcare app to check them out. Click here for more details about one of them.

Flights and Travel

If you’re flying to Massachusetts, then the odds are that you will arrive at Boston Logan Airport, one of the largest in the area. This gateway is very well served with flights from a vast range of destinations across Europe. Flights across the Atlantic tend to start arriving around lunchtime, and the flow of traffic continues well into the evening. On the return, departures begin in the early evening, (a flight around this time will get you back to Europe at the crack of dawn, or even before that, the following day), and continue late into the evening (for an arrival in the late morning). Which one is right for you will depend on your schedule and how your body handles jet lag.

Those are the two critical practical considerations for a trip to Boston and Massachusetts, but there are other things which you might want to check out. The climate in Boston can be very variable, and you’ll want to check out a detailed weather forecast before you pack your bags, so that you can avoid any nasty surprises. It’s also worth finding out about other small details, such as the public transport system in the area, and tipping etiquette, so that you can avoid any inadvertent embarrassments or problems.

As with most trips, a little bit of planning in advance will take you a long way. Spend a little bit of time preparing now, and we’re sure your trip will go off without a hitch.

About the Massachusetts Bay Colony

 

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was established in the year 1628 and was disbanded in 1692. It was initially founded as a settlement for English voyagers and was located on the East Coast of present-day USA. The settlement was located around the opening of what was known as the Massachusetts Bay. This settlement lay on the northernmost side of what later became recognised as the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The territory known as Massachusetts Bay Colony was located in an area known as New England. This area later came to be known as modern-day Massachusetts.

Learning the History of this Colony

If you want to learn the real history of this colony, you may have to dig deep into historical archives. A lot of these archives have been lost over time, but most of them are available online. There are websites dedicated to preserving the history of the United States, and they are likely to have both digital and physical records of that period. In fact, should you take part in charity auctions, you could buy some of these records. Just be sure to have a professional historian have a look at them for you to ensure you are not duped.

Take a Piece of History Home

Antiques from the era of this colony are available. Granted, most of them have been lost over time with some of them degrading due to the elements. Despite this, you can find antiques at Barnebys from the era of the Massachusetts Bay colony. Do note that you may have to do some restoration on some of these antiques due to their age. The effort is worth it though because you will be restoring and preserving history from an important era of the Unites States East Coast. If you decide not to purchase antiques from Barnebys, be sure they are legitimate as these antiques are quite expensive.

Real Estate in Massachusetts

 

Massachusetts has always been an attractive real estate destination. And 2016 started off on exactly that note. Interests were high in the property market at the beginning of the year. The statistics for home sales in January had skyrocketed to 18 per cent more than just a year ago. The month also marked the best sales period in more than a decade for the industry. The last time so many homes were being sold was way back in 2004.

After The High…

With the year starting on a high, the predictions were for a great year. Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) President Annie Blatz said in a press statement, “The calendSmiling Real Estate Agentar pages keep turning and buyers keep buying.”

But what went up then came down. The concentration of buying activity in the heady, early months of the year faded, pulling down the impressive numbers. The median home price fell to roughly half the price in January. The median condo price too dropped by nearly 3 percent.

And with buyer interest, too, waning after a busy start, the numbers fell even further, leading experts to wonder just how good a year this has been for Massachusetts real estate. By the end of the year the sales activity was strong in only three of the months, reported the MAR.

The truth, however, is that the year has evened out a bit after a very bright start. And there always remains the bright spot of Boston.

Attract More Buyers

One of the best solutions to prop up a sagging market is to entice homebuyers to visit property listings that they might find attractive. Digital platforms like seo hosting connect buyers directly to sellers’ websites, facilitating a faster and more transparent supply chain.

Get Attention

The city of Boston has always attracted the attention of homebuyers, no matter the state and condition of the real estate market. As the median prices fell in the state, the city recorded a rise. Market experts claim that the equity gains for the Boston real estate market even outperforms the national average. The foreclosure numbers, too, are dipping in the great city.

Sports in Massachusetts

 

The culture of sport is deeply woven into the social fabric of Massachusetts. How else can you explain a state that hosts multiple champions across various formats? Throw in some globally recognized sporting entities as well, and you have a sport fan’s paradise.

You may support baseball, basketball, or even ice hockey; Massachusetts has a frenzied fan base, no matter the sport.

A Role Call Of Champions

It says something about the sporting culture in a state where the Boston Celtics have won 17 NBA Championships, the New England Patriots have won 4 Super Bowls, the Boston Red Sox have won 8 World Series, and the Boston Bruins have won 6 Stanley Cups. Sport, then, is more than just a casual or a professional event; it is an identity and a cultural commodity that has set deep roots in Massachusetts.

Sport And Security

The Boston Marathon is another signature event that draws the eyes of the world to the city and the state of Massachusetts. Premier marathoners from around the world compete in the event, in addition to casual and semi-professional runners. The bombings that took place during the event were an unfortunate occurrence, but at the least it shone the spotlight on the need for security in sport.

Sporting events can become an easy target for fundamentalists. It is imperative that the lives of the participants and the attending crowd are protected from any kind of violent act on and offline.

Premium security services, such as holmsecurity.com, have the required expertise and tools for providing a safe, yet entertaining, sporting spectacle. They ensure that the passion that people have towards their chosen sport is not sullied by some terrorist act, not even online.

Major And Minor Leagues

Sports in Massachusetts

The culture of sport is deeply woven into the social fabric of Massachusetts. How else can you explain a state that hosts multiple champions across variBasketball going through the hoop at a sports arenaous formats? Throw in some globally recognized sporting entities as well, and you have a sport fan’s paradise.

You may support baseball, basketball, or even ice hockey; Massachusetts has a frenzied fan base, no matter the sport.

A Role Call Of Champions

It says something about the sporting culture in a state where the Boston Celtics have won 17 NBA Championships, the New England Patriots have won 4 Super Bowls, the Boston Red Sox have won 8 World Series, and the Boston Bruins have won 6 Stanley Cups. Sport, then, is more than just a casual or a professional event; it is an identity and a cultural commodity that has set deep roots in Massachusetts.

Sport And Security

The Boston Marathon is another signature event that draws the eyes of the world to the city and the state of Massachusetts. Premier marathoners from around the world compete in the event, in addition to casual and semi-professional runners. The bombings that took place during the event were an unfortunate occurrence, but at the least it shone the spotlight on the need for security in sport.

Sporting events can become an easy target for fundamentalists. It is imperative that the lives of the participants and the attending crowd are protected from any kind of violent act on and offline.

Premium security services, such as holmsecurity.com, have the required expertise and tools for providing a safe, yet entertaining, sporting spectacle. They ensure that the passion that people have towards their chosen sport is not sullied by some terrorist act, not even online.

Major And Minor Leagues

Take a stroll around any one of the major cities in the state and you will find one sport association or another. Here there is a more expansive variety on offer. There is lacrosse, soccer, and even rugby. You will also find indoor soccer as a part of the sporting tapestry. This just goes to show how entrenched the passion and commitment to sport is in the state.

Take a stroll around any one of the major cities in the state and you will find one sport association or another. Here there is a more expansive variety on offer. There is lacrosse, soccer, and even rugby. You will also find indoor soccer as a part of the sporting tapestry. This just goes to show how entrenched the passion and commitment to sport is in the state.

Massachusetts – Mass Value

Massachusetts, or officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is one of the most thickly populated states in the North Eastern part of the United States.

The state also known as the Bay State gets its name from the native population of the area, the tribe known as the Massachusett, which can be roughly translated as “near the great hill”. A piece of writing about the state would go a long way, if hosted on social media sites by seohosting365.com.

It would be fun to spread the word about this state, nestled as it is in the New England area of the USA, and which is at present ably headed by the governor Charlie Baker.

Downtown Worcester skyline. Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The city is the second largest city in New England after Boston. A center of commerce, industry, and education, Worcester is also known for its spacious parks and plentiful museums and art galleries

Trivia about Massachusetts:

  • Boston is the largest city and the most populated, too, with greater Boston being a densely populated area.
  • It is ranked as the seventh smallest state in the United States. The state, as the colloquial name goes, abounds in bays along the coast.
  • The small size does not in any way spoil the abundant geographical beauty of this region. The state has a large coastal plain to the east while hilly terrain borders the western part.
  • The state is predominantly forested with over 62% in the state, though some of the forests have been cleared to give way to urban development. The state is also home to several species of birds and animals as well as abundant marine life.
  • The climate is mostly humid, with variations from continental to sub-tropical.
  • Though the official language is English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese are also spoken by the residents of the state.
  • The size of the state has in no way affected the economic situation of the country. The country’s per capita income was pegged at $53,221 during the year 2012, which ranked the state as the third amongst all the states in the USA.
  • The economy shifted from agriculturally based to industrial, and later to a service based economy.

Working for MIT

 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of the most respected and renowned universities in the world. Today MIT is a collection of five schools and one college, with a whopping thirty-four different departments, doing ground-breaking research in fields as different as economics, biology and engineering.

The best for the best

With an introduction like that there should be no surprise that people from all over the world are prepared to fight tooth and nail for a chance at a position within it walls. It should also not be much of a surprise that the university will take only the best, when given so many exceptional candidates to choose from. This means that anyone wanting to work at MIT will have to put in some serious effort and be very goal oriented if they are to achieve that final objective.

Get the right training

In order to become a part of an educational institution of such prestige, your official qualifications and education will obviously be important, no matter what sort of position you are aiming for, be it administration, research, teaching or something else. If you’re unsure where to start, or not entirely sure which route you need to take, it might not be the best idea to jump straight into a full bachelor’s or master’s program.

MIT_SealA better plan might be to check out training courses that could be helpful, for example at findcourses.com. Certain positions might not even require a full degree, and so at least you will improve your chances by having gone through the right training courses, and subsequently getting certification or licensing in your chosen area.

There is also the option of going the full educational route at MIT with the intention of getting a job at the end. For exceptional students this might be an option, but the competition is strong, and it’s not easy clawing your way to the top in this environment. Hard work, perseverance and a good dose of talent and passion will definitely be needed if you are planning to take this route to the top.

Boston

 

Boston is one of the oldest cities in the US, and was founded in 1630. Today it is both the largest city as well as the capital of Massachusetts, and home to a total of 4.7 million people in the Greater Boston area. The city proper has a population of just over 667,000, and stretches over 124 square kilometres or 48 square miles.

Historical Boston

Boston, being as old a city that it is, has a long and rich history, being first settled by Puritans from England, who were responsible for naming it Boston. Earlier European settlers had at the time named the area Trimountaine, meaning three mountains. The city was renamed in 1630 after a Lincolnshire city with the same name, where many of the important colonists came from. The area itself is known to have been inhabited for several thousand years, as far back as 5000 BC.

Boston has also played a major role in aspects of American history, such as being the location of the first public school, first subway system, and first public park in America. During the American Revolution Boston was an important locale in many ways, among other things as the scene for both the Boston Massacre as well as the Boston Tea Party.

Cultural capital

Boston_Collage_4_750pxToday Boston is an international capital of education, with two of the major bastions of higher education, MIT and Harvard, within the Boston area. Boston is also known for its rich literary culture, and is sometimes even referred to as the Athens of America. Among its more famous modern writers are Nathaniel Hawthorne and Margaret Fuller. Alongside the appreciation for the written word, Boston also greatly values its music scene, and is home to one of the five greatest orchestras in the US – The Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Boston is also home to a number of great sport teams and events, with one of the most famous events being the Boston Marathon, which is the world’s oldest annual marathon. Famous teams include The Boston Red Sox, The New England Patriots, The Boston Bruins and The Boston Celtics, all of which means that Boston is well represented in the four major American sports.

Massachusetts Society & Culture

Massachusetts is one of the Northeaster states of the USA, and belongs to the New England region. The population of Massachusetts is coming closer to 7 million people, which of 2014 made it the 3rd most densely populated state. Out of these 7 million citizens, around 1 million, or around 15%, are foreign-born. A large portion of the population resides in Boston, which is the state capital in addition to being the state’s largest city.

Puritans and tea parties
Massachusetts was settled by puritan Christians in the 17th century and is still a predominantly Christian state, although by 2015 32% of the population reported identifying with no specific religion. This is a relatively high number, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that these people feel no religious connection at all, rather that they don’t have a relationship with a specific religious denomination.

Low angle view of a statue in a garden, George Washington statue, Boston Public Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The civil war had a great impact on Massachusetts history, and particularly two horrific events stand out as important. Firstly, the Boston Massacre in 1770 and secondly, the Boston Tea Party 1773. In fact, the Boston Tea Party has been credited with being the single incident that spurred on the American Revolution and a pivoting point of the resistance against British rule.

Liberal politics, top universities and a respect for the arts
In the past few decades Massachusetts has been a predominantly democratic state, and it has been called the country’s most liberal state. The state has been on the forefront for the fight for gay rights, and was the first state to make same-sex marriage legal in 2004.

Massachusetts is also known for its high prestige and high quality institutions of higher learning. The state is home to two of the absolute top universities in the country, not to mention in the world; Harvard University and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), both of which are located in Cambridge.

The state has also contributed strongly to arts and culture, and has given us such names as Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath and Nathaniel Hawthorne. In addition to producing several great poets and authors, Massachusetts also heavily supports the performing arts. This is visible through large music venues and festivals, as well as the state’s very vibrant and vivid theatre and ballet scene.

Massachusetts – Quick travel guide

Massachusetts is a state with a lot to offer, especially for aspiring travel writers and bloggers. There is no reason for you to limit yourself to the state capital Boston, although it’s a good place to start. Boston is without a doubt a city where contrasts meet and thrive. The city is vibrant with modern culture, yet steeped in history. You can enjoy the famous Boston pizza, or you can dine on the freshest seafood caught just off the city’s coast. Whatever your fancy, whether you like the big city vibe or tranquil parks, you’ll find it in Boston. If you are in fact looking to start a blog about your travel experiences, starting with a destination that can produce very different experiences is great idea and will set you off in the perfect way. Before you get started though, make sure that you’ve got a support system on hand. You should always make sure you work with companies who can really bring it and a good place to start to build your blog or travel page is a great hosting company. Check out internetvikings.com for a top notch service.

The Cape and the Vineyard
Cape Cod is one of Massachusetts’ most popular tourist destinations. The summers in Cape Cod are extraordinary, and people flock to the beaches and to the seafood restaurants where you’ll be served the choicest lobster and oysters. The Cape is also known for breath-taking nature experiences, and the whale watching in the area is absolutely spectacular.

Martha’s Vineyard is another one of those all-time favourite American destinations. This island, located south of Cape Cod is known for its beautiful summers and beaches. The vineyard is a popular vacation spot for the rich and famous, even President Obama is known to take his vacations here.

Race Point Beach, Provincetown Massachusetts

Historic spots
Massachusetts is a stat steeped in history, and history buffs will hardly be able to find an idle moment. Boston was the pivoting point of the American Revolution with the 1773 Boston Tea Party, and there are museums dedicated to this important piece of history at the Congress Street Bridge. Salem is another popular historical location. It’s gruesome and grotesque history includes the Salem witch trials of 1962, which has turned out to be a rather large part of the city’s pull on tourists.

Massachusetts is also home to a couple of the best universities in the world; Harvard University and MIT. As far as tourism, Harvard is probably the hotter spot of the two, and is most definitely worth a visit, if nothing else but the chance to walk in the footsteps of its numerous famous and influential alumni.

Massachusetts Institute of technology

MIT, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the very best institutions of higher learning in the world. In fact, in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings has placed MIT as number one several years, including for 2015-2016. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2015-2016 MIT was placed as number 5. The university is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was founded in 1861. MIT has since its foundation been heavily focused on applied sciences and engineering, both regarding to research and education.

Impressive alumni
Today the university encompasses one college and five schools, on a campus of a total of 168 acres. There are 32 different departments with a total of over 11,000 students and over 1,000 academic staff members. The university has an impressive list of notable alumni, which includes no less than 85 Nobel laureates, 52 recipients of the National Medal of Science, 45 Rhodes Scholars and 65 Marshall Scholars. In addition to this the school has produced 34 astronauts.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Computer science with a little something extra
Today the most popular major is Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, also known as EECS, followed by Computer Science and Engineering. There’s no doubting computer science skills is highly valued at MIT. The university obviously also caters to students who don’t want to follow the applied sciences or engineering route, and also have several options is the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences or HASS.

Among other programs the university offers a popular marketing program, which is a great place to start for anyone wanting to work in PR, media and marketing positions. Many positions will actually favour applicants that have marketing skills and qualifications as well as the needed qualifications in their specific field. This is especially true for computer sciences and technologies. You only need to check out modern web pages to see that an understanding of marketing strategies, use of graphics and so on is very important when you are selling yourself as an internet professional. A degree from MIT most definitely opens doors, and as a graduate you’ll be in some pretty amazing company. MIT alumni includes such names as Kofi Annan, Buzz Aldrin and Richard Feynman.