Boston is perhaps the most classic, stereotypical east coast city in the US. With its cobblestone streets and historic sights at every turn, the home to approximately 600K Bostonians is the largest city in New England. Notably, not all residents in the Greater Boston Metro Area (roughly 4.5 million people) speak with that distinctive Boston accent. Over the years Boston has grown in land size and now it occupies nearly 90 square miles. In terms of culture, sophistication and events Boston is a leading city in the US. It has a cosmopolitan energy owing to many of the universities and ethnic groups based in the area. Considered a preeminent city since revolutionary times, in 1630 English colonists founded the city on the shores of the Shawmut Peninsula. In the late 1700s, Boston sparked the American Revolution with the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Now a thoroughly modern city, Boston remains an important shipping port, technology hub and tourist center. The economy is re-enforced heavily by academic research, finance, and technology, especially biotech. All this business activity combined with its glorious past attracts over 15M visitors annually. Important neighborhoods in the Boston metro area include: Dorchester, Mckinley, Mission Hill, Allston/Brighton, Back Bay, Chinatown, Downtown Crossing, Burbank, Fenway/Kenmore, Financial District, Fort Point, Charlestown Government Center, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Longwood, Mattapan, North End, Roslindale, Beacon Hill, Roxbury (includes Dudley Square), Leather District Bay Village (also known as South Cove), South Boston, Theatre District, West End, West Roxbury. East Boston, and the South End