Boston: Ranked A Best City For Running

Although the nicer weather is here, it doesn't appear that New Englanders need warm temperatures to be enjoying the outdoors. Lawn Love just published their report on best cities for running, and Boston landed in the top 10.

In order to determine this list, Lawn Love closely examined 200 of the biggest cities in the country. They then compared data, such as access to high-quality trails, pedestrian fatality rates, and overall climate.  Lawn Love explains that they, "assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into seven categories: Running Access, Running Quality, Foot Care, Affordability, Community, Safety, and Climate."

Boston was ranked as the 8th best city for running in the country. Community and running quality were the areas that obtained the best marks. Furthermore, Boston was at the top of the list among areas that had the highest share of residents within a 10-minute walk of a park.

Seattle, WA finished at #7 and Salt Lake City, UT was just below Boston at #9. In fact, the only other city on the east coast to have top 10 ranking was New York City. It was the second-best city for runners. All of the other areas were on the west coast. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that major sneaker brands are based in the area. New Balance, Converse, and Reebok all have their headquarters in or around Boston.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Boston being one of the best running cities is the Boston Marathon. It is one of the most prestigious marathons in the country. Moreover, "Boston is a beacon for running enthusiasts," Lawn Love states. There's the Freedom Trail, The Charles River Paths, and numerous lanes along the harbor to head out on. In addition, along the Esplanade, there are two bridges that can form a scenic 2.5 mile loop.

What do Porto, Portugal, Crete, Greece, and Scituate, Massachusetts have in common? They all have historic lighthouses. In fact, in Trips To Discover's recent guide, they named Old Scituate Light, along Massachusetts' south shore one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world.

This landmark dates back to the year 1810. "Congress voted to build a lighthouse at the harbor, and the light made of split granite blocks with a house attached and was activated the following year (1811)," Trips To Discover explains. It was the 11th lighthouse in the United States upon completion. It cost $4,000. Shortly after, Captain Simeon Bates, his wife and nine children lived at the house. Bates was the first keep of this lighthouse.

"Because mariners complained that the light could not be seen from far enough away to make proper heading adjustments, the U.S. Government added fifteen feet in height to the tower in 1827, mortaring red brick on top of the granite blocks," Scituate's Historical Society explains.

The town of Scituate acquired the lighthouse from the government in 1916 for $1,000. Fourteen years later, a new lantern room was built at the top. 1994 marked one of the most memorable events in Old Scituate Light's history as it was relit, making it visible from the sea for the first time in 134 years. Three years prior, it had been relit to be seen on land only.

Old Scituate Light is a very popular south shore attraction. Every day people can be seen taking pictures of this lighthouse. Select dates are released each year that detail when it will be open to the public. Walkways along the water's edge surround it for guests to explore the area. One of this destination's most notable elements is the attached cottage. That remains a private residence that is the lightkeeper's cottage.

While many tourists travel to the south shore of Massachusetts for the beaches and boating, stopping by one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world is also a site worth seeing.