Nestled on the spot where the Charles River flows into the Massachusetts Bay, Boston is a city of contradictions. One popular image of Boston is the home of tough, hard-working Irish-Americans, a no-nonsense town that takes pride in its heritage and its harsh winters. The other side of Boston is pure upper-crust: Harvard University, the Kennedys and old money. It's exactly this mix of wealth and work, of the contemporary and the historical, that makes up the unique flavor of Boston. Whether browsing the trendy shops on Newbury Street or following the birth of the nation along the Freedom Trail, your discoveries in this one-of-a-kind city will have you agreeing with the author who once called Boston "the hub of the solar system", and this guide can help you get around the city like a local.