Visitors to Boston in 2004 will find a city that's hitting its stride. Boston has always responded to uncertain times with great resolve, and the early 21st century is no different. Rerouting an interstate highway, opening a dramatic bridge and a gargantuan convention center, asking sailors from around the world and Democrats from around the country to stop by for a visit -- Bostonians are getting on with their lives and inviting millions of out-of-towners to watch.

The $14.6 billion "Big Dig" will be near completion when you visit. The largest construction project in the world, which is moving an elevated expressway underground, has dominated the downtown waterfront for much of a decade. A breathtaking white bridge over the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge opened to traffic in 2003. And the end is near, with the entire project hurtling toward completion in early 2005.

The new highway will run beneath a modern metropolis that's also a relentlessly historic destination. An ongoing building boom may overshadow the famous 18th- and 19th-century architecture, but even rampant development can't change the colonial character of the central city.

It's not perfect, of course. Nightmarish traffic, daredevil drivers, and grating accents don't help any city's reputation. Although Boston is the biggest college town in the world, there isn't much of a late-night scene. And far from gone is the inferiority complex epitomized by the description "like New York, but smaller." Still, as it has for centuries, Boston offers cosmopolitan sophistication on a comfortable scale, balancing celebration of the past with pursuit of the future.

Here's hoping your experience is memorable and delightful.