I have had quite a few friends say that Quincy is a boring city because the fun is elsewhere. I respectfully disagree with them. There is so much in the area of 26.9 square miles that makes it a wonderful place to visit or reside in. The following are some of the reasons why I am happy to be from the city of presidents.

1. Wollaston Beach is the place to be on a nice day.

Wollaston Beach is not exactly a popular place for a beach day. However, it is where many people come to enjoy the warm weather.

Located on Quincy Shore Drive, Wollaston Beach is the perfect place in Quincy for several possible activities. You can swim, play frisbee, go for a walk or jog, eat seafood at Tony's Clam Shop or The Clam Box, and just relax on the sand or in your car. Not to mention that you can get a beautiful view of sunrises and sunsets right here.

2. There are so many Dunkin' Donuts in the city.

Quincy is where the first Dunkin' Donuts ever opened in 1950. The photo above shows the original store today, as it was renovated about four years ago to look similar to the way it did on the outside back then.

Yet, Dunkin' Donuts stores are everywhere in Quincy. They are even inside Stop and Shop and the Home Depot. If you are out in the city and you decide that you want a coffee, you will probably have to travel no further than a mile to find a store.

3. The high school rivalry never gets old.

In Quincy, there is not one public high school, but rather two. Because of this, there is an infamous sports rivalry between them.

This is Quincy High School, which is one of the high schools and where you can catch a basketball game between the two schools.

Here is North Quincy High School, the other high school where a basketball game could also be held.

The annual Thanksgiving Day football game between the two high schools is held here at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

They play each other in hockey two or three times a season at the Quincy Youth Hockey Arena.

A couple of baseball match-ups per season are at Adams Field.

Finally, Mitchell/McCoy field is where the two high school softball teams square off.

If you attend/attended either one of these high schools, you probably know how competitive this rivalry gets. If there is one team your high school has to beat, it's the one on the other side of the city.

4. "It's pronounced Quin-zee, not Quin-cee."

When I meet people from places far away from Quincy, I find that many of them pronounce the name of the city wrong. This is most likely because there are other states in the country that also have a town or city named Quincy, but they pronounce it "Quin-cee." I love correcting these people and telling them that the Quincy in Massachusetts is actually pronounced "Quin-zee."

5. The MBTA is accessible just about everywhere in the city.

With four red line train stations (North Quincy, Wollaston, Quincy Center and Quincy Adams) and 17 bus routes, commuting in or from Quincy is easier than other cities and towns.

6. Quincy is the home of several historical attractions.

Quincy is called the "City of Presidents" because the birthplace of two U.S. presidents -- John Adams and John Quincy Adams -- is in the city. Pictured above is the house where both Adams presidents were born and where they lived along with generations of their descendants.

The Dorothy Quincy Homestead was home to generations of the Quincy family, whose descendants included John Quincy Adams and Dorothy Quincy. The house also served as a meeting place for patriots during the years before the Revolutionary War.

The Josiah Quincy House is believed to have been a place where patriots could observe British ships traveling in and out of the Boston Harbor.

The USS Salem was the former flagship of the U.S. Sixth Fleet. Today, it serves as the U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Museum on the site of the former Quincy shipyard.

7. You can rock climb, hike, enjoy the view, and play golf at the Quincy Quarries.

Although the rocks at Quarry Hills are covered in graffiti, you can still climb them and enjoy the views from above.

You can simply look at the grass below.

You can also look above I-93.

How about a nice game of golf at the Granite Links Golf Club?

8. There are some amazing restaurants found only in Quincy.

Below are three of my personal favorites.

Here is Coop's Bar and Grille in Quincy Point. This is the place to be for a sports game while you glance at the menu that has just about any American food you could think of.

Grumpy White's is a wonderful choice for the whole family. This restaurant is known for its burgers, where you can get a "Grumpy" double, triple, quad, or any number of patties you want.

If you're also looking for ice cream, head on over to Dairy Freeze. Along with their delicious grill, they have an endless selection soft and hard serve ice cream, sundaes, razzles, and frappes.

9. Quincy holds an annual Flag Day parade.

This is the perfect way to kick off the summer season.

On the Saturday closest to Flag Day, Quincy holds an annual Flag Day parade. Following the parade is a celebration at Pageant Field that consists of a flag raising of a 30' x 60' version of Old Glory, a fly-over, a patriotic medley, a presentation of awards to the grand marshal of the parade and the recipient of the Richard J. Koch Youth Service award, and a gorgeous display of fireworks over Black's Creek.

10. The festivities held during Thanksgiving weekend are so delightful.

For many students like myself, Thanksgiving weekend is the time to eat lots of turkey, go shopping, relax and enjoy time off from school. But in Quincy, it is also a four day period full of festivities.

First, the annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Quincy High School and North Quincy High School is held at Veterans Memorial Stadium, as previously mentioned.

The next day, the Christmas lights in Quincy Center are turned on to mark the beginning of the holiday season in the city.

On Saturday, Santa and his elves parachute onto Pageant Field.

Finally, on Sunday, the annual Quincy Christmas parade is held, where Santa is at the end.

I got just a little bit excited when I found Darth Vader in the parade.

Yes, I am (nine)teen years old and I am getting a picture with the Grinch.

I have been from Quincy for my entire life, and I could not imagine calling any other city or town home. It is far from what my friends have considered it; while it may not be full of fun attractions, it is a very convenient, historic, and patriotic place to be.