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Grandson of Irish-American mayor John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald and son of ambassador Joseph Kennedy, John F. Kennedy represented Boston in both houses of the US Congress before he became the first Roman Catholic elected president of the United States. The presidential library at Columbia Point exhibits his brief, but intense, period in office (see John F. Kennedy Library & Museum).

This nine-story white pyramidal building designed by I. M. Pei in 1977 stands like a billowing sail on Columbia Point, as inspiring as the president it memorializes. Inside, the 1,000 days of the Kennedy presidency are recreated in more than 25 exhibits. Kennedy was the first president to grasp the power of broadcast, and video exhibits include campaign debates and coverage of Kennedy’s assassination and funeral.

Try this novel, rich stout at John Harvard’s Brewhouse (33 Dunster St, Cambridge).

This beautiful waterfront park has fine views of the towering Financial District.

This former nurse’s quarters now serves as a pleasant 46-room inn. Public areas sport the Neo-Federal look; guest rooms are bare but cheerful; and most have kitchenettes.

Acting on a daring plan put together by English Puritans in 1629, Winthrop led approximately 800 settlers to the New World to build a godly civilization in the wilderness. He settled his Puritan charges at Boston in 1630 (see 1630: Boston Founded) and served as the governor of the new Massachusetts Bay Colony until his death.

Dance to live zydeco, East Coast swing, and salsa all in one night. Davis Square’s – and arguably all of Boston’s – home for eclectic live music keeps the beat going seven nights a week. Dinner served Tue–Sat (see Johnny D’s).

World-music aficionados from all over the city have been flocking here for years to hear live funk, zydeco, folk rock, and – in the case of Babalu, Johnny D’s mainstay band – punk mambo hardcore juju.

The New England Conservatory of Music’s 1,013-seat concert hall opened in 1903 and underwent an $8.2 million restoration in 1995. Musicians frequently praise its acoustics, heralding Jordan “the Stradivarius of concert halls.” Hundreds of free classical concerts are performed at this National Historic Landmark hall every year (see New England Conservatory, Jordan Hall).

Intense colors and an emphasis on graphic design distinguish the works of artist-owner Rotenberg and her contemporaries. Most artists represented are New England-based.