Being the impulsive sort that I am, I jumped at the chance to score two Fenway tickets for a mere $40. Not thinking ahead, I realized immediately after that I then had to pay to drive down there, and also should get someone to go with me, since I could use the company and I could guilt them into paying for half the gas. As it turns out, no sooner after I had bought them and then lamented this fact at work, that a cute coworker said she’d love to go with me. Well, hey, double-bonus! (And apparently she is actually a Yankees fan…this actually gets my hopes up a little, since a typical Yankees fan doesn’t have a lot of interest in seeing a Boston-Detroit game, so therefore she must have some other reason she’s going…)
Anyway, the long ans short of it is this: I asked my brother-in-law (who lives in that area with my sister,) the best way to get into Boston, and since we would be arriving pretty much at the peak of “rush hour” (I put it in quotes since it lasts much longer than an hour,) he suggested a T stop north of Boson, since that’s where I’m ocming from. He said the Wellington station is good, cheap to park, and cheap to ride in on. I looked at a map of the T, and it seems I just take the orange line to North Station, hop over to the green line, and take that to the Fenway stop/station. I assume that after I get off there it will be easy enough to get there? Either signs or I just follow the mass parade of people wearing Sox shirts and hats.
So I’m looking for a few things here.
An approximate time to get from Wellington to Fenway. We should be getting there between 4 and 5, and the game is at 7. Obviously, this is more than enough time…but how much more? Is it enough time to…(see next item)
Get something to eat? Any nice local place between where we start and where we stop? Nothing pricey or fancy, (though I understand merely being in a city makes it more likely to be pricier than here, but you know what I mean.)
When does the T stop running? The game will be over and done with between 10 and 11 (assuming no extra innings.) I assume they will still be going then, but how much time would we have to go out someplace afterwards to maybe get a drink or two? And speaking of…
Recommendations for a place to go afterwards for a drink or two is also appreciated.
You’ll get there in plenty of time. Figure 45 minutes at the outside from Wellington to Fenway, and yeah, all you have to do is follow the crowds. There are plenty of places to eat and drink in and around Kenmore, both before the game and after. There’s the Cask and Flagon, for example, if you want the proper atmosphere. Don’t worry about the T after the game. They put on extra trains on the Green Line, and they go till at least midnight.
I should be better than this, since I go to Fenway often… so I’ll leave the Wellington travel time question to someone else.
You should have no problem getting to Fenway on the Green Line. Kenmore Square is your stop. But you could get off anyplace within a few stops. Green Line stops are fairly close together. Fenway is impossible to miss due to the people and the size. And of course the Citgo sign.
There’s a newish mall south from Fenway with a Longhorn Steakhouse or something… it’s busy even when the Sox don’t play. I recommend getting a Fenway frank, or a slice of pizza, or an Italian sausage. Anywhere around Fenway will be crowded as all get out before and after the game.
I think the T runs until 1 am or so, you shouldn’t have a problem getting a drink and getting the T back… but you are taking the commuter rail, right? Not sure how much that will affect your trip.
It needs to be re-emphasized to get off at the Kenmore stop.
The Fenway stop is further away from Fenway Park than Kenmore is (Fenway is the name of the area in addition to the name of the ballpark), and you won’t waste time waiting for a D line car if you just go to Kenmore. B, C and D all go to Kenmore from where you’re coming from.
Kenmore is right in the midst of BU, so there are a million places to eat and drink.
I must respectfully disagree. The top part of the orange line is really really slow. And experience shows me that the green line is nearly impossible on game days. I would double Sal’s estimate.
I would also suggest that instead of parking at Wellington, you go in one stop to Malden. I don’t think the orange line always goes as far as Wellington.
Wellington is inbound of Malden. Are you thinking of Oak Grove?
To the OP: when you leave, one thing I’d suggest thinking about - instead of getting on the green line at Kenmore, take a walk up to the Mass Ave station. It’s not terribly far (20-25 minute walk from Fenway), it won’t be crowded, and it’s on the Orange Line, so you won’t have to change trains. I always found it easier than trying to fight my way onto the Green Line back when I lived in Melrose.
Ugh, crappy weather. We’re having doubts about going…I mean, yeah, I’d love to go to a Red Sox game and all, but being there soaking wet isn’t a lot of fun.
One other thing – bring plenty of one dollar bills for the trains. There are no more token booths, and any odd amount of dollars you spend on Charlie tickets is money thrown away. But I think you can get a Charlie ticket with a credit card. Plan on 2 dollars per person any time you get on a train.
Nope. “Standing room” according to the tickets (had I known when I bought them that they were not actual “seats,” I might not have gotten them. Of course, too late now.)
We just talked and we canceled. We figured one of two things owuld happen:
We drive four hours to get soaked, and would barely be able to enjoy the game (and for me, since Tavarez is pitching, I might not even get that much enjoyment.) And then drive four hours back…still soaked.
or…
We drive four hours to found out the game is canceled, and have to drive four hours back having accomplished nothing.
Now, had we had a little more time to plan this (like, more than half a week,) then she could have gotten Thursday off from her other job, and we would have planned to go down, and then spend the night at my sister’s place. If that were the case ,we’d still go, since there are tons of things we could have done if we had the whole night and most of the next day, but as it stands, it’s not really worth it to go down there.
