Travel
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Boston Weekend Getaway
I'm looking for any tips/advice for a weekend in Boston. There will be a group of probably 8 of us and its a first time for all of us.
I'm wondering is it best to stay in the heart of the city? We get a discount at Marriotts and all the ones available seem to be right outside of the city.
Will we need a rental car?
We plan to go to a game at Fenway and basically just
explore the area. Any "must do/see" would be
helpful too! TIA!
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Re: Boston Weekend Getaway
Hi! Boston is a great place to visit. On top of my head, there's the Marriott Copley and Marriott Long Wharf that's both in the city. Both are in great locations-- MC is in Copley Square/Back Bay and is attached to the Prudential Center. It's also about a 10-15 minute walk or so to Fenway. MLW if on waterfront and is super close to faneuil hall and the north end. In general, Boston is known as the "walking city" so a car wouldn't be neccessary if you're staying in the city, especially if your only here for the weekend. I would say that it's probably easier to stay downtown since there's a group of you, but there are rails and stuff that run outside the city too if you had too.
Fenway, dinner in the North End, Faneuil Hall, Boston Common/Public Gardens, walk along Newbury Street are all fun things to do. There's also the Harpoon and Sam Adams brewery tours that are fun, but you would need to go in the morning/early afternoon if you plan on going on the weekend since they get full later on. Enjoy your trip!
I agree, both Marriott's are nice and easy access to the subway.
If the weather is nice, try Legal Harborside near the waterfront and next to the ICA.
A duck tour might be fun for you guys and the departure is right next to the Copley.
Between the two Marriott options I would suggest staying in the Back Bay/Copley one. It's more centrally located than Long Wharf (though, as pp said, Boston is definitely a walking city so it's all relative) and I always recommend Back Bay or the Boston Commons area as the best places to stay.
As for recs, here is my long list of usual suggestions for visitors. And you won't need a car, nor would I recommend one. The T (public transit) will get you around just fine.
THINGS TO DO:
Duck Tour - http://www.bostonducktours.com. Fun tour that provides a good overview of the city and its history via an amphibious vehicle. Book tix in advance via the web site
Freedom Trail - This walking tour will take you through most of the historic sites of Boston. You can do a guided tour or I've heard there's a downloadable iPod tour so you can do a self-guided thing.
Public Gardens/Boston Common ? Not such a great visit in the winter, but otherwise a nice public space to walk through. There's a Make Way for Ducklings bronze statue here that the kiddies might like if you have them. The Swan Boats are also a personal favorite, though not a must do.
Beacon Hill/Charles St. ? Quintessential old New England neighborhood with great architecture and quaint little boutiques to shop in. Just a few minutes walk from the Common.
Newbury Street (shopping) ? Just across the street from the Commons. Great for people watching and grabbing a bite to eat too.
SOWA Open Market ? Outdoor artisan market that runs on weekends in the summer and fall. Check the website for dates.
Sam Adams or Harpoon Brewery tours ? self-explanatory
Faneuil Hall ? Historic area now full of shopping and restaurants. Mostly chain places, but can be fun to walk around, see street performers, etc.
Fenway Park ? game tickets are hard to come by but you can sign up to take a tour of the stadium.
Museum of Science - great exhibits and a domed IMAX theater that's amazing and shows lots of great documentary-style films.
JFK Museum
Art museums ? We have top-notch art museums: Museum of Fine Art, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art
Whale Watch Tour ? You can leave from the Aquarium downtown or, if you have a car or are willing to take the commuter rail, go up to the one in Gloucester and check out the neighboring Rockport area (very quaint seaside town).
Harvard ? Campus is pretty and Harvard Square is fun to walk around
PLACES TO EAT:
$$$$$
No. 9 Park (Boston) ? you must have the prune-stuffed gnocchi appetizer if you go. Trust me.
O Ya Sushi (Boston) ? The omakase is very good, but very pricey.
Salts (Cambridge) ? the honey lavender whole-roasted duck for two is amazing. Reserve it in advance; they only offer a few each night.
Blue Ginger (Wellesley) ? Ming Tsai?s Asian fusion restaurant. The butterfish is my favorite dish.
Mooo (Boston) ? steakhouse
$$$
Atlantic Fish Company (Boston) ? As the name implies, seafood is their specialty. There?s no real need to go to a seafood-specific restaurant in Boston as most good restaurants in the area will have excellent seafood options (see Blue Ginger?s butterfish above), but AFC really does a great job. I?ve tried cod, swordfish, haddock, and sea bass there and all were excellent.
Anything in the North End (Boston) ? It?s our Little Italy, located right near Faneuil Hall. I don?t have a favorite restaurant here, but for the most part you can?t go wrong with anything in the area. Just wander around until something strikes your fancy. Then go to one of the pastry shops afterwards (Mike?s is the most famous especially for their cannolis, but others are equally good, like Modern).
$$
Legal Seafood (various locations) ? Get a bowl of clam chowder here. The rest of the food is pretty forgettable though.
Stella (South End, Boston) ? I?ve only had brunch there but I know others like it for dinner. The brunch offers large portions at reasonable prices. You can also walk over to the SOWA Open Market from there (see the things to do list) and those things together can make for a great summer/fall afternoon.
Geoffrey?s Caf? (Boston) ? I?ve never been but a lot of people have raved about their donut muffins....
Cafe Luna (Cambridge) ? also has an amazing brunch menu. It?s small though so call ahead.
East Ocean City (Chinatown, Boston) ? great place for dinner. Everything on its menu is good, but they?re well-known for their seafood and their salted steamed chicken.
Hei La Moon (Chinatown, Boston) ? good Hong Kong-style dim sum restaurant.
$
Dumpling Caf? (Chinatown, Boston) ? the best xiao long bao (soup dumplings) I?ve had in town. I dare say I like them better than the ones I?ve had in Taiwan.
Chung Shin Yuen (Newton) - We have a ton of great Taiwanese places in Boston and this is one of the best for dim sum. Their spicy beef noodle soup is the best of all the restaurants. Their xiao long bao is our least favorite though.
Jo Jo Taipei (Brighton/Allston) - Another great Taiwanese place. Pretty good xiao long bao along with a lot of other tasty things.
Hong Kong Eatery (Chinatown, Boston) ? wonderful Chinese comfort food (their wonton noodle soup is awesome).
Ho Yuen and Hing Shing (Chinatown, Boston) ? the best bakeries in Chinatown. For egg tarts, though, go to Crown Royal?sooooo good.
Not recommended: Top of the Hub, Fugakyu, Oishii (the first due to multiple experiences with terrible service, the latter two due to poor value, i.e. you get less than what you pay for).