DOSSIER - Boston: New England, a new deal

Is Boston chic and puritanical? No doubt, because it is proud of its culture and its 300-year history. But it's also youth-oriented, because it's home to some 200,000 souls who are almost never counted among the city's inhabitants: students at major universities such as Harvard, Northeastern and MIT. The presence of this creative and enterprising elite has led to the emergence of a host of start-ups. At the same time, new districts are gradually becoming high-tech clusters. In just a few years, Seaport, a former disused port area, has become a business district with 21st century working methods, shared between incubators and coworking spaces. Nestling between the sea and the countryside, Boston attracts a dynamic and increasingly affluent population. To get the full flavour of its attractions, you also need to explore the surrounding area, heading north to the Rockport peninsula, an artists' paradise. Report by Cécile Balavoine - Photos by Ludovic Maisant