College students in Boston don’t have to worry about feeling older, with Boston labeled as the seventh best city for staying young, according to a recent study.
Boston ranked among 25 other cities, according to RealAge, which offers information about health and aging.
RealAge analyzed data from major cities and examined factors such as cholesterol, smoking, marital status, diet, employment and alcohol, according to the study.
Boston is considered young for a number of reasons. It has the best health insurance coverage and the “number-two spot for healthiest cholesterol,” according to the study.
The study also credits Boston, Worcester and Lawrence’s combination of “brains and brawn,” with Harvard University and the Boston Marathon.
An estimated 69.2 percent of residents in Boston are younger than 45 years old, according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau.
Professor Augustus Richard Norton, of Boston University’s anthropology department, said Boston’s youthful spirit comes from various qualities.
“Boston is blessed with many wonderful young minds,” Norton said. “Being around smart, energetic, young people keeps older spirits flowing.”
Barak Caine, a lecturer from BU’s psychology department, said Boston has a lot of nightlife and is full of young adults. Being around young people makes others feel young, he said.
“You could say there’s a direct correlation between bars and the feeling of being young,” Caine said.
Professor Merry White, also of BU’s anthropology department, said although Boston’s students might make some residents feel young, they make others feel old.
“If a student doesn’t know when the Korean War happened, that’s one thing,” White said, “but if they don’t know who Joe DiMaggio was or Ted Williams or what a typewriter sounds like, it’s quite another.”
BU professors also said they believe Boston is great for physical activity, another factor that keeps people young.
“Breath the air,” Norton said. “We may not be living in a pristine wilderness, but we have plenty to places to get off the beaten path and keep bodies young.”
Caine also said there are plenty of physical activities and gyms in about every neighborhood.
“Coming to Boston, I always thought people would be all holed up in their houses during the winter,” Caine said. “But every day there are people down by Memorial Drive running or walking or rollerblading.”
Jenny White, an associate professor in BU’s anthropology department, said it is easy to stay in shape in Boston.
“There are so many lovely areas to walk, starting with the Esplanade right next to BU’s campus,” White said. “You just put your sneakers on and run out to join the crowd moving along the riverfront.”
Caine said Boston’s sports teams also contribute to the feeling of being young.
“Boston is home to the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Bruins and of course the Patriots,” Caine said. “Going to those games and cheering is a way of feeling young.”
But Boston is most exciting, one student said, because of the constant activity.
“Boston’s really alive and exciting, and there’s always something going on or somewhere in the city to explore,” said Carly Rubin, a BU College of Arts and Sciences freshman. “It’s just so much fun. You almost have to be young to keep up with it all.”
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