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Boston's Complete Visitor's
Guide!
Our
Freedom Trail tour guide, Sam Jones, in front of an historic tavern.
With the roots of American history as
its heritage, Boston marches ahead as one of America's great cities.
This guide provides information on Boston's history, it's people and
places, the neighborhoods, hotel recommendations, transportation information,
major city events, the weather and why all those Bostonians always seem
to be wearing shirts, jerseys and ballcaps of the Red Sox. Links provide
details to more about the city – it's restaurants, historic
and other sightseeing activites and the taverns and nightlife.
Arrival and Orientation
Faneuil Hall is
a distinctive landmark in the original part of Boston.
Boston's Logan International airport serves all major airlines. It
is located on a man-made island across Boston Harbor. It's about 15-20
minutes by car from downtown. Taxis to downtown are approximately
$25; the T subway (Blue line; requires catching a bus to the
train station) is just $1.25. Limos and shuttle vans are also
available outside baggage claim. There are even water shuttles and
taxis to/from Long Wharf at Faneuil Hall. Logan Airport Information:
(800) 23-LOGAN.Logan
Web Site/Transportation Information.
By car, Boston is served by I-95 and I-93 N/S, and I-90 (also known
as the Massachusetts Turnpike) E/W.
Once in the city, the centerpiece is Boston Common. This 50-acre
park is a place to relax, enjoy summer concerts, ice skate in Frog Pond
in winter and sit on a bench and read this PubClub guide to the city.
Established in 1634 to be a public, or common, ground for the people,
it is where the British troops camped prior to the Revolutionary War.
It is framed by five streets: Beacon, Charles, Tremont, Boylston and
Park. One of the main T stops is here (Park Street) and the corner of
Park and Tremont is an open-expression area somewhat similar to London's
Speaker's Corner. The big domed building at the peak of Beacon
Street is the former home of John Hancock known as the State House.
Across busy Charles Street is the Boston Public Garden, another
open space which has a statue of George Washington at the Arlington
Street entrance and soothing swan boat rides on the pond for $2.
From what we'll call Boston's Speaker's Corner, walk north along Tremont
(toward the Omni Parker House hotel and past the Granary Burying
Ground where Hancock, Paul Revere and Samuel Adams are entombed),
through the expansive Government Center (a convenient airport T location)
and across car-crazed Congress Street. That dominant three-story brick
building is famous Faneuil Hall.
This is where town meetings in old Boston were held is the center
of the original city where settlers gathered and the British came ashore.
Tourists, taverns and restaurants – including famous Quincy
Market – comprise this largely pedestrian area of brick and
cobblestone streets. Facing the water, the Italian North End
is a 5-minute walk to the left.
Back across the Common and past the Public Garden is fashionable Newberry
Street (and what is known as the Back Bay) with its high-end
shops and outdoor cafes; use the high-rise Prudential building as a
landmark. Fenway Park is past the end of Newberry, at roughly
at the intersection of Commonwealth and Brookline.(See
our article on enjoying a game at Fenway.)
The lovely little town of Cambridge is across the Charles
River – walking is possible over the bridges – and it's
the Charles where boats and rowers can be seen. The Esplanade park
runs along the Charles and is full of runners, walkers, rollerbladers
and summer concerts. The Battle of Bunker Hill and the USS
Constitution are also across the Charles on the North End side in
the town of Charleston.
An entertaining way to get a quick (and quacky) orientation to the
city aboard the Duck Tour, a festive 90-minute ride through the
main parts of the city aboard a WWII amphibious vehicle. For more on
the Duck Tour, see our
Boston Sightseeing Guide.
Where to Stay
The legendary Omni
Parker House has history and an ideal location.
Many of Boston's hotels are located around the Common. This is the
most central location and is where most people stay when in the city.
Other areas to consider are by the Fleet Center and just across the
Charles River in Cambridge.
For historical perspective – as well as its ideal location just
steps from Boston Common – is the Omni Parker House (60
School Street, 617-227-8600, www.omniparkerhouse.com).
Founded in 1855, it has been a home-away-from-home to scholars and legends
for 150+ years. Its Parker House restaurant created the scrod fish dish
now found throughout Boston, Boston Cream Pie and the legendary Parker
House rolls. Its bar, The Last Hurrah, was the gathering place
for Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne Ralph Waldo Emerson and other
top 19th century writers for their self-proclaimed "Saturday Club."
Today, the bar commonly hosts many Boston's political figures and even
presidential candidate John Kerry when he's in town (Kerry lives just
steps away on Beacon Hill). The hotel's lobby feels like walking into
a history book and the well-appointed rooms include a couple of welcome
modern conveniences: Free high-speed Internet service and in-room CD
players.
 The
Onyx Hotel (pronounced On-ix) is a hidden gem also conveniently
located to many of Boston's top locations (155 Portland St., 617-557-9955,
www.onyxhotel.com).
Tucked into a side street next the Fleet Center, the Onyx is two minutes
from Quincy Market and the Faneuil Hall area, five from the Common and
is a neighbor to the North End. It's mild luxury, meaning it is beautifully
appointed with a casual attitude. The entire building is wired for wireless
and the hotel even has power outlets in its elegant restaurant/bar.
That bar, the Ruby Room, features a free wine tasting daily from
5-6 for hotel guests. Many of Boston's sports bars are one block over
and a few pubs such as the friendly Porter's and McGannis
are just a few doors down (the latter is busiest on Friday nights).
The Onyx's location is ideal for sporting events, concerts and conventions
at the Fleet Center, as it's right across the street. The hotel also
features a Britney Spears Foundation Room room, designed by the singer's
mother to resemble her Louisiana bedroom, for $349 per night, 10% of
which goes to Spears' charities.
One does not have to stay directly in Boston to be in a good location.
Just over the Longfellow Bridge in Cambridge is a sister hotel to the
Onyx, the Hotel Marlowe (25 Edwin H. Lane Blvd., 800-825-7140,
www.hotelmarlowe.com).
Like the Onyx, it's loaded with amenities: Free high-speed Internet
(local calls $1), continental breakfast, complimentary New York Times,
in-room CD player, plenty of outlets (eliminating a PubClub complaint
about many hotels), big plush beds and pillows and the daily wine tasting.
Yet the Marlowe's and Onxy's biggest attribute is the friendly staff.
Walking in the door is almost like walking into one's own living room;
they make you feel that much at home. The Marlowe's lobby is stunning,
with cozy couches and a soft fireplace, which also makes it an ideal
reading or working spot. The Marlowe is a 15-minute walk or 5-minute
cab ride from Quincy Market; it's about a 20-minute walk to the Boston
Common. This is a beautiful walk coming into the city over the "salt
and pepper" bridge.
Guests enjoy daily
wine tastings in the Marlowe's inviting lobby.
Transportation
Boston is known as "America's Walking City." And for good
reason. It's fairly compact, easy to navigate and safe day and night.
While there's not exactly history at every step, there are a plethora
of sights to see along the way: Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere's house, Beacon
Hill, even cemeteries where many of America's founders are buried. Follow
the red brick road and visit Boston's historical sites along the Freedom
Trail (see below).
A few walking tips: First, get a map and keep it handy at all times.
They are readily available at most hotels and major tourist sites (Quincy
Market and Boston Common, for example). Second, keep a careful eye out
for cars. Third, jaywalking is part of walking among Bostonians. If
you cut off a car, do what Bostonians do while driving – keep going
but wave "thank you."
Walking is such a no-brainer in Boston that the convenient T (public
transportation subway system) hardly comes into play. Still, it's
there if you need it. It's easy to navigate by following these simple
instructions ($1.25 one-way fare; multi-day passes available):
• Incoming is INTO downtown Boston; Outgoing is leaving the city's
center.
• Green Line: Goes to the suburbs (get it, green means
more grass and trees). Goes to Fenway Park; take any train except "E"
to Kenmore, but NOT to the "B" line's Fenway stop. The Fleet
Center stop is North Station.
• Red Line: Goes to Cambridge (the school colors of Harvard)
and South Boston.
• Blue Line: Goes to the water (aquarium, airport,
etc.).
• Orange Line: Used to go Orange Street; now to outlying
areas north and south.
Taxis are easy to flag down, especially in the popular areas of the
city. Most fares will be less than $10, as the travelel distance is
not excessive.
Don't even think about driving, except for out-of-town excursions to
the Cape, Martha's Vineyard, to Plymouth Rock or to
Rockport for lobsters.
The Big Dig, Boston's massive transportation project, is scheduled
to be completed in 2005. Or is it 3005? The Big Dig's construction is
marked by blue and yellow boards placed on top of concrete barries.
The location of these can change on a daily basis; be careful when crossing
streets on foot.
Boston History/The Freedom Trail
Follow the red brick
road to the Freedom Trail.
Boston is a city exploding with history but one problem is that unless
you know what you are seeing, then it's hard to know what you are seeing.
That is what the Freedom Trail and the Freedom Trail Foundation
seeks to solve (617-357-8300; www.thefreedomtrail.com).
The three-mile path – marked by red paint and red bricks
– is a self-waking tour that trails through the most historic parts
of the city: Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, The Old North Church, Paul
Revere's House, the Battle of Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution.
And while it's easily explored on foot, PubClub.com recommends taking
a guided tour to fully explain the historical significance of these
landmarks. Costumed character guides lead the way, giving the sense
of actually being back in the 1700s. Group tours are available and the
non-profit Foundation will also set up private tours with groups or
individuals. Public walking tours are $12; private tours for up to 8
people are $100.
 The
Freedom Trail Foundation will even tailor the tour to a specific need.
For instance, our tour guide, Sam Jones, gave PubClub some interesting
facts about how beer and taverns played an integral part in shaping
Boston's history and culture.
Here's a few of examples: At the time of the revolution there were
16 breweries in Boston (what, and these were Puritans!?), John Hancock
used to throw keg parties on the Common and then invite everyone to
his house, and Sam Adams was indeed a brewer but for all his mastery
of whipping people into a frenzy against the British and leading the
Colonial charge to freedom, he was lacking in business acumen and bankrupt
the brewery his father left to him. And, finally, Paul Revere twice
stopped at taverns on the night of his famous Midnight Ride.
Among the things the Freedom Trail tour explains is the significance
of the Old Granary Burial Ground, where Adams, Hancock, Revere and other
important members of the Colonial society are buried; that Paul Revere
was only one of many men on horses that famous night of April 17, 1775
and became famous because of the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, The
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere; that the Old South Meeting House became
the place where the Boston Tea Party was planned because the crowd was
too large to be accommodated at Faneuil Hall; and that a rather obscure
gentleman named James Otis is really the "Father of the Revolution"
because it was he whom declared: "Taxation without representation
is tyranny!"
The Faneuil Hall area, by the way, was where all the ships came to
shore and, like today, it was lined with taverns. Many had colorful
names – The Green Dragon still stands today, but across
the street from its original site – to attract the sailors. Otis,
by the way, met his doom at the Bunch of Grapes (now a bank) when he
was clubbed on the head during an argument and suffered permanent brain
damage.
Where to Go/What to Do
There's a myriad of activities available in Boston. Rather than list
them here, we encourage you to visit other parts our our guide. Take
the opportunity to walk as much as possible. It's a relaxing way to
see the city at your pace and there are plenty of parks, restaurants
and taverns that can take a load off the feet.
• Boston
Sightseeing Activities
• Boston
Dining and Restaurants
• Boston
Bars, Taverns and Nightlife
The Neighborhoods
Like many cities, Boston is best defined by its different areas or
neighborhoods, each with its own personality and distinct character.
Some are located right in the footsteps of this country's forefathers;
the others have been created by filling in water with land. The easiest
way to detect "new Boston" from "old Boston" is
that the flat areas are landfill while the hills are the original land.
Beautiful Beacon Hill, with its cobblestone sidewalks, is historic and
exclusive.
BEACON HILL – Boston's most exclusive residence, dating
back to the city's earliest days when John Hancock settled in a gold
dome mansion at the top of the hill (today called the State House).
Beacon Hill runs up the hill on Beacon Street parallel to Boston Common.
The major commercial section is Charles Street, has upscale stores revealed
by big windows and wood signs hanging above the door, brick sidewalks
and a couple of refueling stops, a popular lunch spot called Panificio
with Sicilian pizza and sandwiches and our favorite bar in the city,
the Beacon Hill Pub. The Cheers bar, by the way (actually
called the Bull & Finch) is on Beacon Street across from
the Public Garden. (See
our complete Boston Bar Guide).
The young and fun shop –
and play – on and around Newberry Street.
THE BACK BAY/COPLEY SQUARE/NEWBERRY STREET – Home and playground
of the city's young and fashionable. Newberry Street has high-priced
furniture stores, boutiques, restaurants/cafes and the occasional record/CD
store. Newberry runs parallel to Boylston Street with more businesses,
bars and restaurants. Originally, this was the back bay of Boston until
it was filled in to allow the city to expand from the harbor.
CAMBRIDGE – Home to Harvard, it's two main squares
– Harvard Square and Central Square – are full of restaurants,
taverns and art shops.
Tourists gravitate
to Quincy Market like clams to chowder.
FANEUIL HALL/QUINCY MARKET – The main tourist section of
the city where Boston originally thrived. The narrow streets, cobblestone
sidewalks wrapping around old red brick buildings and dozens of taverns
and Irish bars speak to the true history of this city. Faneuil Hall
held many of the original settlers' town meetings, The Old State
House is where the British used to stand on the balcony and read
the rules of the Empire and where now the Declaration of Independence
is read every Fourth of July, the Union Oyster House is the country's
oldest continuous restaurant (sit at the oyster bar) and the Bell
in Hand is the country's oldest continuous tavern. Quincy Market,
the tourism magnet, is here.
The back of the
Green Monster faces club-heavy Lansdowne Street.
FENWAY PARK – Home to America's oldest baseball park,
the Fenway Park area is also lively on weekends as Landsdowne Street
is home to some of the city's most popular nightclubs. During baseball
games, this becomes Boston's busiest little city.
(See
our Fenway "Ballparks and Beer" Guide).
The Italian North
End is where many of Boston's original residents settled.
THE NORTH END – Home of Paul Revere and the Old North Church,
where two lanterns were hung signifying the British were coming by sea,
The North End is now the city's Italian section. The top spot here is
Pizzaria Regina, which may make the country's best pizza. (See
our complete Boston Restaurant Guide).
The People
Friendly Bostonians make visitors feel at home, especially in the bars.
Bostonians are best described as the kind of people who are happy to
buy a stranger a beer in a tavern. They are quick to strike up conversations,
don't hesitate to offer assistance on the subway and are generally quite
friendly folks. In short, they will give you the time of day.
They love the Red Sox (see below) hate the Yankees and spend an ample
amount of time in taverns. And this is truly a tavern town; there are
Irish bars on just about every streetcorner.
Probably the people's only quirk is that, despite living here or even
having grown up in Boston, they rarely know the names of streets. When
giving directions, they will point out landmarks but will have no clue
about a specific street or address. That plus the fact they are notoriously
pessimistic (see Red Sox, below).
And yes, they really do speak with that accent.
The Red Sox
Fabulous Fenway, the house of many broken dreams for Red Sox fans.
The New England Patriots have won two of the last three Super Bowls.
The Boston Celtics are the NBA's most storied franchise with 16 titles
and one the most dominating runs in professional sports history with
eight consecutive championships from the late 50s to the mid-60s. The
Boston Bruins have won five NHL Stanley Cups, the most recent in 1971-72,
and boast one of the game's all-time greats, Bobby Orr.
But make no mistake about it, this is a Red Sox town.
Nothing defines Boston like it's beloved baseball team. Men, women,
children, adults and the elderly are all in this thing together and
their emotions rise and fall like the ocean's tide on the fortunes of
the Red Sox. At any given time, it's possible to spot at least one out
of every five Bostonians wearing some type of Red Sox wardrobe, leading
visitors to speculate that it's some kind of city ordinance.
Why such passion for a sports team?
The Red Sox are a perennial American League power, have multiple AL
East pennants, produced baseball's last .400 hitter, can boast of a
scroll of Hall of Fame of superstars and play in the oldest ballpark
in the game. Yet it's what they haven't done that makes the team such
an obsession with its fans. Yet untl the improbable season of 2004,
the Red Sox had not won a World Series since 1918. Yet they had come
so tantalizingly close so many tmes that people become accustomed to
late-season failures, managerial brainfades and just plain bad (or bizarre)
luck.
Want to spook a Bostonian? Walk up behind one and yell out the name:
BUCKY DENT! Or BILL BUCKNER! Or AARON BOONE! Or, worst of all, BABE
RUTH! Ever since the team traded the legendary Ruth to the New York
Yankees – the team Bostonians love to hate – the
Yankees have won 26 World Championships. The Red Sox? Just the one..
This led to some bizarre speculation about a hex Ruth laid upon the
team for trading him, known here as The Curse of the Bambino. This so
prevalent here that a "Reverse Curve" road sign has been spraypainted
to say "Reverse the Curse."
(See our thoughts on the curse.)
So, when traveling to Boston, be prepared to see, observe and listen
to any and everything about the Red Sox. Unless you're a Yankees fan,
lend 'em an sympathetic ear.
• The
Atmosphere of Fenway: "Ballparks and Beer"
• Is
there REALLY a Curse?
The Weather
For comfort, the best time to visit Boston is late spring/early summer
and in the late summer/early fall. The first freezing temperatures typically
begin in November and can last until April. January and February are
the coldest months (average temperature: 29F). July and August average
72 degrees, but 90+ days are not uncommon. The famous "Northeasterns"
(coastal storms) can produce rain one out of every three days and snow
from December thru March. As a result, there is no rainy or dry season.
One thing to remember about Boston's weather. No matter how cold, hot
or wet it might be on any given day, there's a tavern nearby so comfort
is literally right around the corner.
When to Go
Boston is not like a flower which blooms only in good weather. Each
month it has many events to enjoy, as listed below. PubClub will also
post major events with dates, information and links :
• January – Boston Wine Expo (Jan. 29-30, World
Trade Center), features 440 wineries from 18 countries.
• February – Running of the Brides (Feb. 24) the annual
bridal gown sale at Filene's. Gowns are sold for $249, a real shopping
rush for brides-to-be. We suspect the grooms-to-be can be located in
any of the area's taverns.
• March 17 – St. Patrick's Day. The second-biggest
celebration in the country, behind only New York City. The Parade is
in South Boston. The date is also significant in Boston for being the
day the British soldiers and loyalists left town for good, so it's also
called "Evacuation Day."
• April – Boston Marathon (April 18, 2005).
•May – Boston Pops season begins (runs thru July 4).
• May-September – Concerts in the Common, Esplanade
and City Hall Plaza.
• September – Taste of Boston (City Hall Plaza).
Boston Blues Festival (Hatch Memorial Band Shell on the Charles River
Esplanade).
• September-May – Boston Symphony Orchestra season
• October – Oktoberfest (Harvard Square)
• November – Opening of the Boston Common Frog Pond
for ice skating. Quincy Parade (3-mile route along Hancock Street in
North Quincy; the 2004 parade is Nov. 28).
• December – Newberry Street Holiday Stroll (Dec. 1).
Winterlights Festival (Dec. 4-5), a two-day event in the Prudential
Center with carolers and bell ringers, entertainment, etc. Boston Tea
Party anniversary (Dec. 12), a reenactment of one of the most rebellious
acts of the Colonists leading to the American Revolution.
• New Year's Eve – First Night, the country's
oldest and largest New Year's art celebration. Citywide event featuring
entertainment at more than 40 venues.
Details available at the Greater Boston Visitor's Convention &
Visitor's Bureau. 1-888-SEE BOSTON; or www.bostonusa.com.
 Visit
Boston's Bars & Tavens!
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