There are cities that, by nature, get under your skin and into your blood. They inspire art, entice migrations, spark wars. Spending time in them isn't so much a way of living as a way of being, and being a resident isn't about geographic identity—it's like a race, an ethnicity.

Boston, to me, has always been that sort of city. Its natural beauty has moved artists from Henry David Thoreau to Winslow Homer. Its most storied immigrants are, of course, the Irish, but lately, the influx of hip young foreigners to the city's universities has approached migration proportions. And Boston certainly claims responsibility for sparking a war, this country's first, in a righteous fit of tea-wasting rage.

As much as Boston is notoriously insular—you could live in certain neighborhoods for decades and still be considered a newcomer because you weren't born here—Boston is famous for its accessibility. It is a very walkable city. This is a particularly good thing, because the traffic and pattern of one-way streets can be circuitous, but the real bonus is that its terrain makes for a terrific stroll. The brownstone-lined streets of the Back Bay and Beacon Hill roll toward the manicured parks of the Public Garden and Boston Common, then uphill and down toward downtown and the seaport. Across the parks and toward the west is the shopping mecca of Newbury Street. Beside that is the trendy restaurant and shopping scene of the South End; go a bit further west, and you hit Fenway Park, which is, in the words of John Updike, a "lyric little bandbox of a ballpark."

Parks are an important part of Boston, a city with 3,180 acres of public and private open space. The Emerald Necklace, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (of New York's Central Park fame), is the oldest park system in the country, a nine-mile network leading into Boston. Much of the city is sandwiched between the active harbor and the Charles River (questionably immortalized in the Standells hit song, "Dirty Water"), and the river is edged by a wide swath of parkland known as The Esplanade, a favorite spot for exercising or sunning.

Beyond Boston, there are hills and water everywhere. For those who love nature's variety, it feels like a city that won the environmental lottery. To the north are the White Mountains, and to the west, the Berkshires. Ski season brings a conga line of cars heading toward both, and summer turns those cars toward Cape Cod and the islands (Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket).

The city's character
The Yankee character is a combination of propriety and stoic good sense, jazzed up with a vivacious intellectual curiosity. Bostonians are avid consumers of public television and public radio, and the recent death of esteemed local radio personality David Brudnoy was marked with a memorializing on par with that of a national politician. And, of course, politics are such a hallmark of the city—from John Kennedy to John Kerry—that at times, it feels like the city's main export.

While politics may feel like Boston's prime industry, there are actually plenty of fields fighting for that mantle, from biotechnology to financial services to healthcare. Many esteemed international businesses call Boston home, including Fidelity, Staples, Gillette, Ahold and Raytheon. Exercise giants Reebok and New Balance are based here, as are retailers Talbots, TJX and Timberland. If higher education were considered an industry, Boston might well be its headquarters, with universities including Harvard and Radcliffe, Boston College and Boston University, MIT, Tufts, Wellesley, Brandeis, Northeastern and Babson.

Bostonians don't take things at face value—they want proof, especially when it comes to getting a good deal. The famously frugal town was the birthplace of Filene's Basement, and, if you happen to visit during the infamous wedding dress sale (which makes the morning news each year), you will find just how far local brides are willing to go for a bargain. Bostonians are at once fiercely loyal and notoriously ruthless (listen to Bostonians heckle a sporting event, and you'll see what I mean). They are also passionately dedicated to their traditions and institutions, such as the Boston Marathon, run to much fanfare on Patriot's Day (the third Monday in April), April), or the July 4th Boston Pops performances at the Hatchshell, culminating in the 1812 Overture and the firing of a real cannon.

Hope springs eternal in Boston, along with the inevitable complaint of waiting—endlessly waiting for the Red Sox to win (which finally, incredibly, came to pass last year); waiting for the arrival of spring; and, lately, waiting for the completion of the Big Dig. Don't be fooled by the folksy name: The Big Dig is among the most ambitious transportation projects ever undertaken in the U.S. The $14.6 billion project is rerouting traffic through new tunnels and over a new suspension bridge. It is now in its final cleanup stages, and visitors who use cars to get around the city no longer need to consult daily radio information for updates on changing roadways.

What to see
Start by getting a sense of history and a bit of exercise: The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile-long walking trail through downtown Boston, the North End and Charlestown that winds among 16 historic sites, including the Old State House and King's Chapel. While you're downtown, be sure to visit Faneuil Hall, the cobblestone marketplace of shops and restaurants anchored by three restored 19th-century buildings. Stop for lunch at Rustic Kitchen or Kingfish, both new hotspots of local celebrity chef Todd English, or pop inside Quincy Market for a casual bite to eat from the stall-like vendors.

From there, the Boston Aquarium is just across Atlantic Avenue; the new jellyfish installation joins the signature four-story shark tank and the open-air penguin enclosure in the soaring central atrium. If weather permits, whale-watching excursions depart just outside the aquarium. Cruise staff are so confident of their ability to deliver you a whale sighting that you'll get a free pass to the aquarium if they don't.

A sea change from here: Hop the blue line of the T (Boston's subway system), transfer to the green line at Government Center and head for the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA). Spare a few moments, if possible, to hop off at the Symphony station to see the dramatic, 14-acre Christian Science Plaza, with its huge reflecting pool and austere concrete surroundings.

At the MFA, the commanding marble edifice hints at the high-profile works contained inside—among other things, one of the best Egyptian collections in the world, with 95 percent of its 40,000 objects coming straight from excavations in Egypt and the Sudan. The MFA is also renowned for its Degas collection—set on its course 100 years ago, when the museum became the first to purchase one of his pieces—and works by Monet, of which it owns more than any museum outside Paris.

If time allows, stroll across the Fens—a lesser-known gem of the Emerald Necklace—and allow yourself a few stolen moments in the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. This mansion turned museum has inspired a cult following with its peaceful corridors, lined with masterpieces by artists ranging from Dante to Rembrandt.

Many business travelers try to tack a weekend onto Boston jaunts because there are so many great side-trips just beyond the city. If you have only a day, take a drive to Concord along Route 126 and stroll around Walden Pond, where Thoreau wrote his treatise from his handmade cabin. Or, for a culinary pilgrimage, head north to the seaside resort town of Ogunquit, Maine, for the simple pleasure of a lobster at Barnacle Billy's (it's only an hour up Route 95). For an overnight trip, venture southeast to the grassy dunes of Cape Cod; Chatham is an artsy enclave with wonderful inns, beaches, galleries and restaurants. Ferries depart from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Entertaining clients
Boston's restaurants have become exceptionally well-regarded in recent years, with chefs rising to celebrity status for their ethnic and eclectic American cuisine. Michael Schlow's Radius is a chic spot downtown, turning out contemporary French dishes in a sophisticated, energetic room. No. 9 Park, adjacent to the State House on the edge of Boston Common, has the bonus of a generously sized cocktail area and delicious bar menu. L'Espalier is an elegant townhouse just off Newbury Street, showcasing authentic French cuisine in rooms with fireplaces, and Grill 23 is renowned as much for its cigar-club atmosphere as for its thick steaks. At the Four Seasons hotel, Aujourd'hui is a regal dinner spot with a dramatic second-floor view of the Public Garden.

Harbor cruises are one of the city's most popular activities for a group; the Odyssey is a luxury dining yacht, and sailing ships are also available. For views of the city from above, dinners at the Top of the Hub, on the 52nd floor of the Prudential Center, offer twinkling glimpses of Copley Square below. The Fogg Museum, Harvard's oldest art museum, has an Italianate courtyard based on a 16th-century facade in Montepulciano and can be rented for functions.

The Wang Center hosts some of the best performances traveling the eastern seaboard. For sports fans, a chance to see a baseball game at historic Fenway Park—and see a home run sail over the Green Monster—is a rare treat. Downtown, the Fleet Center has luxury boxes available for Celtics and Bruins games. One of the best golf courses open to the general public can be found at Shaker Hills in the town of Harvard, about 35 miles northwest of the city.

Getting there
Logan International Airport is undergoing a $4.4 billion modernization project to address structural enhancements and airside efficiency. Phase one, now complete, included a new two-tier roadway for separate arrivals and departures, and several elevated walkways between terminals and parking garages. Ongoing improvements to Terminal E include linking the ground and second floors, enlarging the lobby and ticketing areas to reduce processing times, and constructing a new second-level departures roadway to lessen congestion. A brand-spanking-new Terminal A is currently under construction and expected to open in 2005.

Logan has five runways, but they are often beset by winds and inclement weather, resulting in the airport's status as the sixth most delay-prone airport in the U.S. It has five passenger terminals, A through E, each with its own ticketing, baggage claim and ground transportation. Each terminal has a selection of restaurants, shops and newsstands.

A taxi from the airport to the downtown Long Wharf area costs about $15—including the meter rate, the $1.50 Logan departure fee and $4.50 tunnel fee. A ride to Copley Square costs about $20. There is complimentary shuttle service between airline terminals and the blue line of the T (local nickname for the subway), as well as a water taxi that runs to Long Wharf for $10.

Restaurants
Aujourd'hui
200 Boylston Street
617/351-2071

Grill 23 & Bar
161 Berkeley Street
617/542-2255

L'Espalier
30 Gloucester Street
617/262-3023

No. 9 Park
9 Park Street
617/742-9991

Radius
8 High Street
617/426-1234

Hotels
XV Beacon
15 Beacon Street
617/670-1500
Close to the State House; a stylish and modern, small boutique hotel with high-tech amenities

The Four Seasons Hotel
200 Boylston Street
617/338-4400
Across from the Public Garden, luxury in a large brick package; often a bivouac for visiting celebrities

Nine Zero Hotel
90 Tremont Street
617/772-5800
Hip and sleek, a new option for business travelers in the burgeoning restaurant neighborhood located between Boston Common and the Financial District

Nichole Bernier is a freelance writer who called Boston home for eight years. She now lives outside Washington, D.C.