So, last spring my work sent me to LA for three or four days - it wasn’t so great. Mostly, the conference lasted the entire time and our one free day was eaten up in flight time and layovers after we missed a flight in Minnesota. This year, I am going to a conference in Boston. It is next month. I planned on trying to get out of it, but from the 1st to the 4th, I will be out there. I need to know what to do. I’m going alone because (of all things) once I return on the 4th I am leaving for family vacation on the 5th, so my wife didn’t want to take more PTO than necessary. Since it is a work trip for me, PTO isn’t part of the deal. I scheduled my flights today, have my room booked, and have looked at what is nearby. I will only have two evenings to go do something (which will probably involve walking and taking pictures) but would like to make the most of it. Help me Dopers! What do I do in Boston?
That’s the tough part - I am really into all kinds of stuff, but a lot of them don’t travel well. For example, if I was going on my own, I’d take a bicycle and ride a good bit of the time I was there, but for work I can’t. I like history, especially just walking around checking out historical places, and I’m a food junkie - I at least want to eat at some decent places while I am there (since work would be covering the bill)…
Where are you staying and where is work? That would help inform a lot of recommendations.
The Freedom Trail is an extremely popular way to see historic sites in Boston. It’s an easy walking tour of the city and hits all the highlights.
Lots of food options. Great Italian food in the North End (pretty much any restaurant will do, they’re all pretty good) followed by pastries and coffee at Mikes, Modern, or Cafe Vittoria, all on Hanover St. Seafood is easy to find, with classics like Legal, something a bit more modern at Kingfisher Hall, or old school like Durgan Park. Those are all downtown, but where you are staying will help find more places.
A Duck Tour is corny, silly, and a lot of fun. You can probably head over to Fenway and pick up a single seat from a scalper on the way in if you want to watch the Sox play.
I’m staying at the Marriott - Courtyard Downtown/Tremont. The conference is there in the conference rooms as far as I know, but sometimes they send us out on a site visit or something. I do like the Sox, but I don’t know for sure what times I can leave the conference - in general it is about 9-4 every day - so that wouldn’t be too bad…
Also, it looks like they are playing the Indians - that wouldn’t be a bad plan. I’d consider it, but I hate to eat up a huge chunk of time on a game when my time there is so limited - if I lived there, I might follow the Sox a little more than I do now, but I probably only go to 2 pro games a year (all sports inclusive)…I honestly may try to check out a library also. I like libraries and big ones are always pretty awesome…
I definitely would want to try some seafood while I’m around. It’s my favorite food and I figure that a coastal town is a good place to pick up some food. I’m a big beer fan, but probably won’t drink too much. Are there local drinks that I should try? Micro-brews or just regional drinks? When I was in Philadelphia last I tried (and loved) Yuengling, and I can’t get it at home, so when I can get it, I do. Luckily, I will be in Florida the next week, so I’m okay with putting off buying the Yuengling, but is there something awesome I should try?
If you’re even only a little bit of a baseball fan and you haven’t been to Fenway, you must go.
The Freedom Trail, mentioned above, was the other thing I was going to suggest. That was really cool. You could also drop by Cheers (I believe it’s called Bull and Finch) for a meal. It’s within walking distance from Fenway.
The Freedom Trail looks cool - I want to check out the Boston Massacre site along it. The start of it seems to be within walking distance, and I’m not too concerned about being out walking late or anything - I’ve done that in plenty of cities before and it is never too bad of an idea.
The freedom trail was well worth it. Go to the Boston Common and see if you can find a guy (or gal) in Revolutionary war period clothes in front of the visitor center. I think it was like $5 to take a guided tour and I got so much more out of it then if I had walked it myself.
We ate at the Green Dragon Tavern. Food was good and it’s a historic place.
Everyone pretty much covered the good suggestions based on your interest. I think if you do the freedom trail that includes the USS Constitution along the path.
While one could walk from Cheers to Fenway Park, it isn’t exactly close. It’s kind of a hike actually. I would leave that to your level of fitness/willingness to walk personal choice. I’ve never been to Cheers so I can’t comment on its worthiness.
Since you like libraries, you very much should go to the Boston Public Library.
For seafood I’d avoid touristy places like Union Oyster House. I found the food there to be quite terrible. Legal Seafood is a franchise now, but the food is still pretty good. My preference is Atlantic Fish Co on Boylston Street (cross street Fairfield). It is reasonably close to the Boston Public Library as well (Boylston and Dartmouth).
I can help you with the beer in Boston. There’s the Sam Adams brewery, worth a tour, but perhaps nothing new and interesting if you’ve tried a lot of Sam Adams varieties previously. There’s also the Harpoon brewery, which is one of the bigger regionals. I’m quite fond of their beer, and just had the fortune of visiting their Vermont brewery.
There are some good microbreweries that might be a good place to get dinner at. I’d recommend Cambridge Brewing Company, which has a good selection of standards, and a really hit-or-miss set of seasonals at any given time. Some of their seasonals have been amazing, but I’ve ordered a few that were literally undrinkable. Good food too. There’s also Boston Beerworks, which has a location right by Fenway. They always have a really large rotating beer selection, all usually good but not outstanding. It comes with pretty standard pub food as well.
Ignore Cheers. The Bull & Finch (now renamed Cheers) is a complete tourist trap and has nothing useful to offer other than to get your photo in front of the sign. The one that was used in the TV show (exteriors only, the interior looks nothing like that) is next to the Boston Common.
Taking a ride on the swan boats in the Public Garden is a nice diversion, but it’s not something I’d do alone. It’s more amusing with other people, especially children.
Faneuil Hall and Quincy Markets are interesting enough for a visit, and a pretty good place to pick up souvenirs. If the weather is nice you should walk along the Esplanade by the Charles River, and maybe there will be a free concert at the Hatch Shell (where the Boston Pops holds the July 4th concert). If you want museums the Museum of Fine Arts on Huntington Ave is tops, as well as the Boston Museum of Science on the Charles River, and a smaller but very interesting one is the Isabella Stewart Gardner near the MFA.
For beer there are lots of options, but my favorite spots aren’t close to your hotel. There are many places near Fenway (like Boston Beer Works or the Cask and Flagon but they’ll be a zoo on game night. My favorite is the Publick House in Brookline, a short T (subway) ride away.
My restaurant, beer and cocktail advice in this thread still stand. Some of those are across the river in Cambridge, but there are plenty in Boston to keep you busy.
Not sure if it’s worth it to join just for a short stay, but if you’re really into biking, try out the new bike share program. You’ll be able to cover a lot of ground between 4pm and full dark. Ride along the Esplanade, check out Cambridge, the Fens, etc
You’re in the Theater district if you like plays and such I’m sure you could find one that fits in your schedule.
Two blocks up Tremont street isBoston Common. Which is nice to wander around, the Public Garden is on the opposite side of Tremont. If you wanted to hop on a guided tour or Duck boat there are little tourist booths around to help you with that.
Opposite the Common off Tremont is the China town area, which is pretty good for food.
Continuing up Tremont(Boston Commons about 4 blocks) another two blocks is the ugliest building in Boston(City Hall) Walk though City Hall Plaza and down the steps in the middle and that puts you across the street from Faneuil Hall. Faneuil Hall Market(Quincy Market) is awesome for food and gifts, If I have a group from out of town it’s a good place to find food to meet every ones demands.
Behind Faneuil Hall Market and to the right is the New England Aquarium. There is a Legal Seafood there I like to eat at, the sadist in me likes to take children to the aquarium then eat there while explaining what we’re eating were the fish they just looked at.
Behind faneuil hall and to the left up a few blocks(kinda diagonal) is the North End, this is the best area to find good Italian food.
All that’s a reasonable walk if you wanted to avoid the walking that route also has 5 or 6 T stops along the way. I find the stops are so close together it’s hardly worth going down the stairs to get on. The closest T stop to your Hotel is probably ‘Tuffs Medical’ that’s behind your hotel on Washington Street. I’d probably go for the Boylston Station which is at the corner of Boston Common on Tremont(easier for you to find and is on the green line, the one you’d use most.)
If you get to the North End, my favorite is Giacomo’s. Great linguini and shellfish (best is the Mussels Giacomo). Don’t make the rookie mistake of avoiding it due to the long line and heading for a nearby dive with no line – there’s a reason for that line!
And then to Cafe Vitorrio for a pastry and cappucino.
