Boston is one of those cities that strikes a pleasing balance between size, manageability and richness of metropolitan pleasures. Founded by the Puritans in 1630, today it seems a relaxed place. Many people are being drawn back to the center by the town’s livability, which ranks very high; I particularly enjoy its walkability and easy-to-use public transportation. Boston is also a city of lovely neighborhoods — areas such as Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the gentrifying South End and the emerging Fenway — all of which have a wealth of enviable townhouses comparable to those in neighborhoods such as Georgetown and Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. or Greenwich Village and the Upper East Side in Manhattan.