| The site of many major events of the American Revolution in the late eighteenth century, Boston is a city steeped in American history and tradition. With over fifteen million visitors annually, Boston travelers enjoy cobblestone streets lined with exquisitely preserved row homes, once home to 19th century artisans and tradespeople. Often referred to as the "Walking City" Boston is a remarkably compact city, all centered around the country’s oldest public park, Boston Common, and offering visitors various self-guided walking tours marked throughout the city including the Freedom Trail, which shows the city's revolutionary past, and the Black Heritage Trail, which highlights Boston's significant role in African-American history. Boasting over one hundred colleges and universities in the greater Boston area with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University and Harvard, one of the nation's oldest, being among the most notable. Modern-day Boston offers a variety of cultural performances and attractions, as well, including the Boston Lyric Opera, the Boston Pops Orchestra, Alpha Gallery, which specializes in 20th-century and contemporary American and European painting, sculpture, and master prints and the Boston Children's Museum. The city offers many popular shopping areas including historical Faneuil Hall, as well as the Beacon Hill, Back Bay and Downtown Crossing areas. Though an array of international cuisine is widely available in Boston, visitors enjoy local favorites such as baked beans, cod, and clam chowder in the city's many cafes, restaurants and historic pubs.
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