Boston, the "cradle of liberty," juxtaposes sleek skyscrapers and Colonial churches, beautifully manicured parks and pulsating urban bustle, and genteel college campuses and diverse, blue-collar neighborhoods. The always-proud city is riding high these days, thanks to recent landscaping and beautification, the completed highway upgrade known as the Big Dig, and, most importantly, the long-awaited World Series victory of the beloved Red Sox. Civic pride is abundant, and, fortunately for visitors, citizens and officials are taking great pains to ensure that modern growth and change do not squelch the city's colorful past.

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