Quincy, MA

Situated in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Quincy is bordered by the Neponset River, which forms a border with Boston. Quincy is the most populous community along the South Shore. The city derives its name from Col. John Quincy but is perhaps more famous as the residence of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

• Quincy Center has maintained the original commercial bustle of the 18th and 19th centuries. Both the second U.S. president, John Adams, and the sixth, John Quincy Adams, established their family residences here. The first transportation routes were established here, and the area became the major retail center for the city. Today Hancock Street is the hub of commercial activity and features a number of popular restaurants and the President's Plaza shopping center. Quincy Center is also the home to City Hall and Quincy College.
• Southwest Quincy also attracted immigrant laborers in its heyday as the primary site of the granite industry. It remains sparsely populated due to its relative isolation.
• Adams Shore was originally designed as a resort center and has gradually developed into a residential district.
• Germantown's ideal location on a peninsula, surrounded by Town River Bay, established it as the center of the shipbuilding industry in the 19th century. Germantown is now largely a residential community and encompasses the seven-story O'Brien Towers and a handful of primary schools.
• Hough's Neck, also called The Neck, is a small peninsula enveloped by Quincy Bay, Hingham Bay, and Rock Island Cove. Once used mainly as farmland, Hough's Neck has now become a tightly settled community.
• Merrymount was once the prime territory of a Native American population and the original site of Colonel John Quincy's settlement. Merrymount was not significantly developed until the mid-twentieth century, when it was converted into a residential district. Its hilly topography provides some of the prettiest views of the Quincy Bay area.
• North Quincy also developed its residential character in the twentieth century after functioning throughout the nineteenth century as a site for horse racing and military parades. The North Quincy Red Line subway station was constructed here in the 1970s to serve employees of the State Street Bank complex.
• Wollaston was settled in the early 17th century and is the oldest community in Quincy. Wollaston gained prominence in the early 19th century as an important hub for the railway system. Today the area is characterized by dense residential housing, with apartment buildings, an energetic commercial district, and a popular golf course. The first Howard Johnson's was established in Wollaston in 1925.
• Quincy Point, once the site of the Fore River Shipyard and a hub for Italian immigrants, has become a prominent commercial and residential district.
• Squantum was traditionally the seat of Native American power in Quincy. Today it is a popular summer resort area.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Quincy's largely residential character derives from its long history of homegrown industries, including stonecutting and shipbuilding. The stonecutting legacy was firmly established with the construction of the Granite Railway in 1826, the first commercial railroad in the country. The city was immortalized in the numerous buildings constructed with Quincy granite throughout the United States. The Fore River Shipyard thrived through the first half of the twentieth century, but shipbuilding could not compete with other industries due to steep labor and production costs, and the shipyard shut down in 1985.

Quincy's contemporary economy is dominated by service sector industries, including educational services, health care, and real estate. Quincy has been called the City of Presidents and the Birthplace of the American Dream. A thriving tourism industry accentuates Quincy's historic properties.

Major Quincy employers include State Street Corp., Boston Data Financial Services, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Arbella Mutual Insurance Company, and The Patriot Ledger.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Historic sites are the focus for many of Quincy's cultural activities. Popular destinations include the Josiah Quincy House and the Adams National Historical Park, which commemorates the legacy of Adams families. Hancock Cemetery houses the graves of both the Adams and Quincy families, and the Thomas Crane Public Library is considered a national architectural landmark.
• The Quincy Historical Society, established in 1893 by Charles Francis Adams Jr., is the main vehicle for tourism and the promotion of local history. The QHS offers tours and publications, including the books Quincy's Legacy and Squantum.
• Historic tours wend through Quincy and the Boston area, notably the popular Revolutionary Tour, which travels from Boston's Old North Church to President John Adams' farm in Quincy.
• Annual events include a summer Sidewalk Sale, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas parades, and a Flag Day parade.

EDUCATION

Quincy's two major secondary institutions are Eastern Nazarene College, a liberal arts college in Wollaston, and Quincy College, a community college located in Quincy Center.

LOCAL MEDIA

Quincy has one radio station, WJDA 1300 AM, and one newspaper, the Quincy Patriot Ledger.