Guide to Boston | USIT work and travel

Friends enjoy drink in the sun with skyscrapers

Girls take their seats at ball game for Red Sox

Happy as a clam

Your guide to Boston

There ain’t no party like a Boston tea party. Samuel Adams, the Celtics, Harvard (Elle Woods says hello...), the bloomin’ Red Sox – Boston is an all-American slice of college, sporting and political history.

And Bostonians know it. It's one of the proudest cities in America, and for good reason. A big city with a small-town heart, just like the seafood chowder, you’ll be happy as a clam living and working in Boston on your Summer or Grad USA visa.

Global city with local studenty feel

Weekend trips to New York and Cape Cod

Non-stop live music and sporting events

Strong Irish community spirit

Small town feel, easy to navigate

Busy summers with strong tipping culture

4 girls stand in the rain at sunset in Boston

Why Boston?

Boston is the birthplace of America, where Paul Revere made his famous ride, patriots threw tea into the harbour and the Red Sox finally broke the curse of the Bambino. It has all the trappings of a major city, with the bonus of friendly – and sometimes fairly blunt - locals, beautiful beaches in summer and ski slopes just a stone’s throw away during the winter months. Follow the Freedom Trail around Boston's colonial landmarks, drop into Harvard for some intellectual inspiration, or enjoy views of the Charles River and surrounding New England countryside.

That’s before you mention catching a game at the legendary Fenway Park, spotting humpback, fin and sei whales (and maybe even gulp great whites) just offshore or grabbing a tipple or two in some of the best bars and pubs in North America. Don’t believe us? Well, make yourself to ‘Beantown’ and find out for your damn self. ‘Rippah’.

Where to live in Boston

From the Back Bay to the North End, the most appealing Boston neighbourhoods have excellent public transportation links, great foodie spots, public parks and pretty-as-a-picture streets. Consider the Allston/Brighton area for a student crowd or trendy Jamaica Plain, an area well known for its diversity.

Across the river, Cambridge is home to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and historic brick buildings. Beacon Hill and the West End are also very central and full to the brim of young professionals – Fenway and Kenmore are also great. Especially if you love your baseball of course.

Where to work or intern

If you’re heading to the USA on one of our Grad USA, Internship USA or Trainee USA visas, then Boston is famous for being a hub of technology, engineering, medicine, scientific research, and higher education – making it a top choice for life-changing career training in the USA. You'll find nearly 60 colleges within the greater Boston area, including the prestigious Harvard University and MIT. Boston is also the location of several world-renowned hospitals, major banks, investment firms like Fidelity and insurance companies like John Hancock Financial Services.

This is a great city in which to gain professional experience in high tech research and development, financial services, law (ahem hello Harvard), publishing and marketing. Culture and the arts are everywhere in Boston and it’s also home to countless museums, public libraries and world-class art galleries – making it an inspiring US city to live in.

What about the climate?

Summers can get hot and sticky – reaching peaks of around 82.4°F (28 °C) in July and August – which is a good excuse to escape to the whale and yacht-filled waters of nearby Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard at the weekends. Meanwhile, you’ll need to bundle up in scarves and bobble hats during the city’s famous snowy winters – when temperatures often reach sub-zero. What better time to hit the ski slopes of Vermont et. al then?

Spring is alternatively bright and rainy. Massachusetts truly puts on a show come autumn, when trees explode into a riot of rust, red and golden hues. The most rainfall arrives in November, when it averages almost four inches.

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Ice Cream Scooper

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So cool our teeth hurt. Spend your summer working for this legen-dairy (sorry not sorry) international chain of ice cream stores in historic Boston.

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Best things to do in Boston

Fenway Park

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Any sports fan worth their salt must have heard of Fenway Park. Home of the Red Sox, it’s the stuff of absolute legend and has been attracting droves of fans since it first opened up its doors well over a century ago. It’s the oldest active ballpark in the MLB (um Major League Baseball for those living under a rock), and they also host big music events here too. Lady GaGa, Greenday, Aerosmith… the list goes on and on. Just waiting for you Taylor.

Row 34

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Boston is famed the world over for its lip-smackingly good lobster rolls – and there’s nowhere better in town to tuck into one of these bad boys than at Row 34. Situated in Boston's historic Fort Point neighbourhood, this renovated Boston Wharf Company textile warehouse was first built in 1908 and became the namesake venue in 2013. Now over a decade in, expect lively crowds, fantastic oysters, drinks aplenty, waterfront views and those melt-in-the-mouth lobster rolls. What’s not to love?!

Cityscape with a large old ship in the foreground on the ocean

USS Constitution

Ok, so everyone who’s ever been to Boston has probably paid this place a visit. But we’d argue for good reason. Built in Boston and launched all the way back in 1797, she’s one of the most historic vessels located within the United States, and doubles as a museum too. A visit here is a great insight into the history of America, and she also makes for a ruddy good piccie too.

The Garment District

If you’re short of threads and are looking to increase your wardrobe while in Boston – at a bargain, might we add – then you really need to make your way to The Garment District. Located in The Port region of the city, you can bag yourself some real Wavey Garms here – all for two dollars per pound at the weekend! A steal if you ask us.