Hints for visiting Boston

[cementhands]

We live outside Boston and visit often. A couple of our kids went to school in the city. So I'd like to share some places with you if you're scheduled to stop in Boston.

A cab ride to the aquarium is a great starting point for walking around many areas. Right there are Duck boat, trolley tours etc. But if you're healthy and can walk the North End is right around the corner. Fantastic Italian food. On Hanover st is Galleria Umberto opens at 11 am cash only but great food and cheap. Maria's, Mikes and Modern Pastry shop are all in the area. Great cannoli and pastry called lobster claw. Cash is king in the North End.

Short walk to the original Regina original pizza. Great pizza. Massiminos Italian restaurant on Endicott St. Amazing pasta and antipasto.

Paul Revere house and first church in north end.

Harbor walk. Rowes warf.

Boston harbor island ferry out to old civil war fort and other islands. Great view of city from water.

Boston common is a bit of a hike. Original Cheers bar in that area. Swan boats on common pond. Flowers and rare trees.

Fanuel hall and Quincy market across street from aquarium.

Harpoon brewery has a beer hall and tours.

ICA modern museum of art on harbor walk.

No Name restaurant has the best seafood chowder.

J Hooks seafood has great lobster rolls. $19.95 for the big one.

TripAdvisor and yelp for information.

Across street from Massachusetts general Hospital is Antonios Italian restaurant across street very reasonable veal parmigiana for under $10 lunch time.

Fenway park has tours. Cab ride to and from. Right on corner is Tasty burger and for $10 you get a cheese burger fries or onion rings and a 16 ounce pabst blue ribbon beer. Great food cheap.

Boston is a great place to visit. If you're healthy walking around is fantastic. Smart phones and a map.

Enjoy. And I know many others have favorites.

I love cruise critic for information and it's how I found the best crab cakes in Baltimore. That was at Timbuktu restaurant.

[olya1972]

Another great place to visit is Boston Central( I believe) library. Built in the style of Italian piazza with beautiful inner yard. Inside there are sculptures and painting including those of the ceiling. It's gorgeous ( and free).

[alex_drew]

Thanks you, Cementhands and Olya1972. We aren't visiting until fall of 2018 when we are on a Canada/NE cruise, but I am already starting to look at the ports and what they have to offer and am very excited about Boston. I actually have suggested to my husband that we should just take a train to Boston for a couple of days because there is so much to see/do and a few hours in port is just not going to be enough time. :) Thanks again for all of the great info.

[ladybugpug]

We did a long weekend is Salem a few times for a road trip from PA. On our second visit we did a whale watching tour in Boston. Truly magical! I highly recommend to anyone visiting Boston. Also Salem is so much fun in October and just an hour away is the Lizzie Borden B and B for true crime buffs (like me) or ghost hunters (also like me).

[hunan6]

Fun to do in Boston...sit down in Beantown Pub overlooking Granary Burial Ground. Drink a Sam Adams while looking at Sam Adams.

[CruisinCons]

Cementhands; Any suggestions for someone leaving from Boston? We're doing a repo in 2018 from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale. Coming from NJ; was thinking coming up the day before, spending the night, then off to the ship the next day. Probably taking an Amtrak up. Is it better to stay near the port, or near where the train will come in? I still have a year so haven't made any decisions up to this point. Have never been to Boston, and we're thinking of going up as early as we can so we can spend the day. So the hotel should be near stuff to do, like some of those places you mentioned in your OP.

[138east]

Cementhands; Any suggestions for someone leaving from Boston? We're doing a repo in 2018 from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale. Coming from NJ; was thinking coming up the day before, spending the night, then off to the ship the next day. Probably taking an Amtrak up. Is it better to stay near the port, or near where the train will come in? I still have a year so haven't made any decisions up to this point. Have never been to Boston, and we're thinking of going up as early as we can so we can spend the day. So the hotel should be near stuff to do, like some of those places you mentioned in your OP.

 

Come to the East Coast Board. It's not too soon to be researching hotels. Be prepared for major sticker shock!

You should be booking some sort of cancellable hotel as soon as Oct 2018 reservations open up. Everything is relatively close in downtown Boston so I don't think it matters if you stay in the Seaport area, downtown, Back Bay, or the Quincy Market area.

 

Take a look at hotel prices for your Oct 28, 2017 to get a feel for prices and ask questions. Hotwire can be your friend. There are now a number of hotels in the Seaport District between South Station and the Black Falcon Terminal. They are all new hotels within the last 20 years and are all 3* and up with high recommendation levels. The one currently on Hotwire for 10/28/17 is $220 + taxes and fees with a 90% recommendation and is highly likely to be the Aloft. This is the cheapest downtown hotel out there for your Sat date this year.

[SeeZee]

May I suggest two museums in Boston, one famous, and the other not so famous: the Museum of Fine Arts, one of the best in the world, and the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum. They are both on the Museum of Fine Arts subway stop (above ground at that point). The Gardner Museum is a copy of an Italian villa, so the building itself is beautiful, even before you start looking at the art collection amassed by Mr. and Mrs. Gardner.

 

If you have done the "required" sightseeing, like the Freedom Trail and Faneuil Hall, these are good options. They are also good ideas for a hot day!

[geomancer]

I live nearby so Boston isn't an exotic destination for me ;p

 

I'm shocked and appalled though that no one has mentioned the USS Constitution. The oldest commissioned warship still afloat in the entire world and is even crewed by active duty Navy sailors. Best of all, visiting it and the nearby museum is 100% free, and next to nothing is even remotely close to free in Boston.

 

Unfortunately for the past two years she's been in dry dock undergoing extensive repairs, but that's nearing completion and is expected to be open to the public again at the end of this summer. (In fact last month she left dry dock and was afloat again!)

 

Since it is an active duty naval vessel, and a national landmark in itself, a government issued photo ID or passport is required to board the ship and you will have to pass through metal detectors.

 

http://www.navy.mil/local/constitution/visitors.asp

 

http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/

[frenchcanrican]

Hello to all visitors and future visitors!

 

I work in Boston specifically in the Seaport area where the ships dock. Please be mindful of Seaport Area Traffic. It's atrocious. It does not matter if you take Uber, Lift, Cab, trolley, or bus. Between 8am-10am and 2pm-7pm expect to be in heavy very delayed traffic in the vicinity.

 

Other than that enjoy your visit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[dani negreanu]

Hello to all visitors and future visitors!

 

I work in Boston specifically in the Seaport area where the ships dock. Please be mindful of Seaport Area Traffic. It's atrocious. It does not matter if you take Uber, Lift, Cab, trolley, or bus. Between 8am-10am and 2pm-7pm expect to be in heavy very delayed traffic in the vicinity.

 

Thank you so much for the heads up. Much appreciated, Dani :D

[39august]

Thanks. How far is it to walk from the cruise pier to the nearest City View HOHO Trolley station, please?

[hollon]

Thanks so much for the information!

[138east]

Thanks. How far is it to walk from the cruise pier to the nearest City View HOHO Trolley station, please?

It's 1.4 miles from Black Falcon Terminal (Ray Flynn Terminal) to South Station estimated at about 30 minutes. IMO it's not a particularly interesting walk.

[138east]

Hello to all visitors and future visitors!

 

I work in Boston specifically in the Seaport area where the ships dock. Please be mindful of Seaport Area Traffic. It's atrocious. It does not matter if you take Uber, Lift, Cab, trolley, or bus. Between 8am-10am and 2pm-7pm expect to be in heavy very delayed traffic in the vicinity.

 

Other than that enjoy your visit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

To be fair traffic delays during these hours are not limited to the Seaport area. They can occur all over downtown Boston. The Silver Line has its own right of way tunnel from the World Trade Center Station to South Station. The Red, Blue, Orange, and Green Lines can run more slowly and be crowded, but they do run to take you between various downtown points underground.

[barbarossa_hoosier]

Don't forget Chelsea as another area to look for accommodations. I stayed at the Residence Inn Chelsea for a year while working on a project. It was well-located, and provided easy access to the commuter train (walking) and the blue line (airport via free hotel shuttle).

 

A few other things to keep in mind (that I wouldn't have thought of before spending time in Boston):

 

1. Draw bridges are... fun. At least, if you're close enough, you can watch some barges sailing in. Slowly.

2. Getting off the Boston Logan peninsula: most of the tunnels are (cashless) toll. I want to say that I used route 1A?

3. If you use the commuter trains, know that the North Terminal and the South Terminal in Boston do not connect via rail.

[geomancer]

2. Getting off the Boston Logan peninsula: most of the tunnels are (cashless) toll. I want to say that I used route 1A?

 

Sumner Tunnel, Ted Williams Tunnel, and Tobin Bridge have tolls (each way), and that is something to watch out for.

 

They've switched to a "Pay by Plate" system which takes a picture of your license plate as you drive through. So there are no toll booths at all and if you're not paying attention to signs, the only way you'll know is when you get a bill in the mail a month later.

[CruisinCons]

Sumner Tunnel, Ted Williams Tunnel, and Tobin Bridge have tolls (each way), and that is something to watch out for.

 

They've switched to a "Pay by Plate" system which takes a picture of your license plate as you drive through. So there are no toll booths at all and if you're not paying attention to signs, the only way you'll know is when you get a bill in the mail a month later.

 

Do they take EZPass?

[138east]

Do they take EZPass?

Yes

[soremekun]

For a breakfast that's both good and reasonably priced, check out:

http://www.mckennascafe.com

 

And for lunch / dinner that's right in the Seaport area:

http://larryjsbbqcafe.com

 

For an excursion / fun activity, try Codzilla:

http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/codzilla/

 

Perhaps a 1 or 2 hour Segway tour would interest you:

https://www.bostonsegwaytoursinc.com

 

Sent from my ASUS_Z01BDC using Forums mobile app

Edited August 3, 2017 by soremekun