My partner found an excellent deal for us to travel to Boston from Washington (Reagan). We leave on Saturday morning and arrive in Boston at noon. We’re staying at the Radison on Stuart Street. We will depart Boston early Monday morning.
Now, we’ve got some questions. We decided to skip the rental car. Is this a mistake? We were planning on not leaving the city and we assume that Boston has a decent public transportation system. Is there a way to get from Logan to our hotel via public transport? If so, details.
What’s there to do in Boston? This trip was purely last minute and we were going to go somewhere this weekend no matter what. Boston had the best fares. I’m aware of all the history and I’m sure we’ll see some of that. We would also like to visit the gay area of town, if there is one. Maybe a gay club on Sat night.
The whole purpose of this trip is to celebrate our one year anniversary (March 5). I’d like to go to a nice restaurant on Saturday night and do something memorable. I just don’t know what yet. Is there anything particularly romantic that we can do this weekend?
Public transportation from the airport is easy. Just hop a shuttle to get to the T (subway). There should be signs pointing it out. Take the blue line inbound to Government Center, where you will change to the Green Line. You can get on any Green line train that says B, C, D, E, or E with a line through it in the window. Get off at Boylston, the very first stop. That’ll get you a block or so away from the hotel. You will never need a car if you stay in the City. MBTA.com has the subway map.
I don;t know much about gay clubs or anything. The stereotypical gay neighborhood is the South End, but ask others about it. There is a pretty bad neighborhood abutting it, and I wouldn’t want to send you astray. There is at least one gay club near Fenway Park, but I don’t even know the name. There are probably some in Cambridge, too.
The Top of the Hub restaurant is supposed to be quite memorable. I wouldn’t know, nobody has ever taken me there on an anniversary. :: pout :: It’s the top pf one of the tallest buildings in Boston, so it has a great view! Alternatively, There is the theater district, which I understand is home to quite fancy restaurants.
I’m afraid I don’t know anything about gay clubs, but I highly recommend Quincy Market for shopping & street theatre, & the Aquarium which is the best and most entertaining one I’ve ever been to.
Enjoy! I’ve got a shirt that totally expresses my feelings on Boston: it’s got a bunch of cute-looking lobsters stuck in a crate, and it says
Have a great time! Don’t rent a car, it’s awful driving in Boston.
Here’s the subway map (they call it the “T”). Here’s the subway in the vicinity of the hotel
The blue line stops at the airport. Basically, from the airport, take the blue line to Government Center, change to the Green Line, get off at Arlington.
This is the web site for your hotel, it has a map. Also maybe they have a hotel bus, ask the hotel .
Assuming it’s the one in Boston. There’s a shuttle bus from the airport terminals to the blue line subway (the platform should be labeled “inbound”), so it’s easy to get into the city. Checking the hotel’s website, you should probably transfer to the green line (at Government Center) and ride to Boylston. It looks like one block west and one block south from there.
(Make sure you get the right train when you get on the green line. You’ll be right at the center of the system, so “inbound” and “outbound” don’t help. The green line branches, but you’ll be getting off before then, so any B (“Boston College”), C (“Cleveland Circle”), D (“Riverside”) or E (“Heath St.”) train will work. If you find yourself at Haymarket station, you went the wrong way. Maps and info at http://www.mbta.com)
Seeing Mithril’s post, Boylston is the second stop from Government Center. And nobody’s ever taken me to the Top of the Hub, either.
How is it that a Wellesleyan has never been to the Top of the Hub? You’re all rolling in cash there! (I interned with the town several years ago, so I realize that’s not necessarily true. Just bringing up the stereotype is all.)
Rostfrei: Pick up a guidebook at B&N or BAM for the latest dope. I’ve spent no time there since moving away in '80 so I’ll let the current locals guide you. Used to work one floor below the Top of the Hub. On a clear day you can see forevva, or at most, New Hampshuh. I’ll let the current natives guide you but for local vernacular/humor, I received the following just 20 minutes ago (plus my edits). Enjoy your trip.
Subject: Good Old Boston
For those of you who have never been to “Bahstin”, this is a good guideline.
For those who call New England home, this is just plain great!
Information on Boston and the surrounding area:
There’s no school on School Street, no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square, no water on Water Street.
Back Bay streets are in alphabetical “oddah”: Arlington, Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, Exeter, Fairfield, Gloucester, (see below on pronunciation of that). and Hereford. So are South Boston streets: A, B, C, D, etc. If the streets are named after trees (e.g. Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you’re on Beacon Hill.
If they’re named after poets, you’re in Wellesley.
Massachusetts Ave is Mass Ave; Commonwealth Ave is Comm Ave;
South Boston is Southie. The South End is the South End. East Boston is Eastie. The North End is east of the former West End. The West End and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named Rappaport got rid of them one night.
Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.
Definitions: Frappes (pronounced fraps) have ice cream, milkshakes don’t. If it is fizzy and flavored, it’s tonic. Soda is CLUB SODA. “Pop” is Dad. When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for Tonic WATER. The smallest beer is a pint.
Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish. If you paid more than $6/pound, you got scrod.
It’s not a water fountain; it’s a bubblah. It’s not a trashcan; it’s a barrel.
It’s not a shopping cart; it’s a carriage. It’s not a purse; it’s a pock-a-book.
They’re not franks; they’re haht dahgs. Franks are money in France.
Police don’t drive patrol units or black and whites they drive a “crooza”. If you take the bus, your on the “looza crooza”. (no offense-great transportation).
It’s not a rubber band, it’s an elastic. It’s not a traffic circle, it’s a rotary. “Going to the islands” means Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket. If something’s good, it’s “pissa”. If something’s really good, it’s “wicked pissa”.
The Pat’s = The Patriots; The Sox = The Red Sox; The C’s = The Celtics; The B’s = The Bruins
Things not to do: Don’t pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd … they’ll tow it to Meffa (Medford) or Slumaville (Somerville).
Don’t sleep in the Common. (Boston Common)
Don’t wear Orange in Southie on St. Patrick’s Day.
Things you should know: There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, two Hancock buildings (one old, one new for each).
The colored lights on top the old Hancock tell the weatha’: “Solid blue, clear view…”; “Flashing blue, clouds due…” “Solid red, rain ahead…”; “Flashing red, snow instead…”(except in summer; flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out)
Route 128 (suburban circumferential-bumper-to-bumper at 70 mph if moving) is also I-95 south. It’s also I-93 north (not true now I believe with the new tunnel under downtown). The underground train is not a subway. It’s the “T”, and it doesn’t run all night (fah chrysakes, this ain’t Noo Yawk).
Order the “cold tea” in China Town after 2:00 you’ll get a kettle full of beer.
Bostonians… think that it’s their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic.
Bostonians…think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R’s).
Bostonians…think that three straight days of 90+temperatures is a heat wave.
Bostonians…refer to six inches of snow as a “dusting.”
Bostonians…always “bang a left” as soon as the light turns green, and oncoming traffic always expects it.
Bostonians…say everything in town is “a five-minute walk.” (pronounced “wok”)
Bostonians…believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.
Bostonians…think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.
Send this one to your friends who don’t live in Boston!!
Bostonians…think Rhode Island accents are annoying.
How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly: Worcester: Wuhsta (or Wistah); Gloucester: Glawsta; Leicester: Lesta; Woburn: Wooban; Dedham: Dedim (like denim); Revere: Re-vee-ah; Quincy: Quinzee; Peabody: Pea-bud’-dee; Waltham: Wahlt-ham; Chatham: Chahttum; Chelmsford: Chemsfud.
Someone else was planning a trip to Boston and a lot of stuff was suggested and discussed.
I think the Top of the Hub is a good suggestion. The food isn’t great…not bad but not especially noteworthy either. You really go for the view, which is worth the price. They also used to do a nice Sunday brunch buffet there, maybe they still do.
The South End (note: do NOT confuse this with South Boston) is probably what most people would think of as the gay section of town but it isn’t anything like, say, the Castro in San Francisco in the opinion of this heterosexual married guy who visited there this summer. Other gay friendly areas would include the Back Bay, and sections of Cambridge (Harvard Square and Inman Square, maybe?).
Laughing Lagomorph, who has been to the Top of the Hub several times.
I personally wouldn’t take the T from the airport to your hotel unless I were hurting for money. It’s a big fat pain in the ass if you are carrying bags. You have to take a shuttle from the airport (the T station called “Airport” isn’t actually at the airport), then get on the actual T, then change at Govt. Center, then get on another train, and then walk a couple of blocks to the Radisson. You can take a taxi for about $25 (at the high end) including tip. It would probably be less.
Sometimes, there’s a huge line waiting for cabs at the airport, though. In that case it might be better to suck it up and take the T. Does the Radisson not have their own shuttle service? If you’re staying in town, you definitely won’t need a car. You can take the T or cabs to anywhere you want to go. If you’re going to clubs, remember that the T stops running very early (last trains leave their starting point at about midnight), so you’ll probably need to plan on cabs home (or walk).
Top of the Hub is kind of a crappy restaurant. You’d be paying for the view. If you don’t care so much about that, I would go somewhere else. There are several good places very near your hotel. McCormack & Schmidts (in the Park Plaza) is very good. There’s a dessert-only place called Finale right there too. Great for late night. Excelsior (very expensive) is also right near you. Hammersley’s Bistro (quite expensive) in the South End has great food and is a great place for an anniversary dinner. Caffè Umbra in the South End is also very good and is only moderately expensive.
I agree with this - if you’re traveling light, it’s not bad, but it’s a pain in the ass to drag your bags all over the place. To get to the Radisson, you’re going to need the bus to the Blue line, then switch to the green line.
As far as late public transportation, there are Night Owl buses, but they don’t go everywhere, and run until around Two. Go here to figure out wether they go where you need to go. Otherwise, cabs won’t run you very much, because you’re staying in a pretty central location. Saturday at Manray in Cambridge is 80’s night, and it is a pretty gay-heavy scene. I believe there are coupons somewhere on that page you can print out, changing the cover from $12 to $5. The drinks are good and the music is fun! It’s also very easy to get to from the Red Line.
I was thinking of you guys on Saturday…I was in downtown Boston that day, one of the rare times these days I find myself there. If you guys were anywhere in the Back Bay near the Prudential Center we might have walked right by each other.
The weekend was great. A little snafu at WAS airport delayed our funfilled weekend by a few hours, but everything was great. We ended up taking the T from the airport to the hotel. Went to Legal Seafood for dinner, then headed out to Club Cafe and The Eagle for a few drinks. Got up early on Sunday morning and did the trolley tour all day long. Saw all the sights, took lots of pictures.
One thing that freaked me out was that the Radison Hotel is on the sight of the former Melody Lounge/Cocoanut Grove nightclub. They had a plaque on the sidewalk behind the hotel commemorating the people that lost their lives.
Our flight was at 5:45am on Monday, it came way too early. I will definitely visit Boston again.
