Boston skyline (Flickr photo by Nathan Lanier)
Why visit now?
Now that the brutal winter is over, it’s safe to head to the historic Massachusetts capital Boston. There’s so much culture from art to gastronomy indoors, but with good weather, you can take advantage of the harbor, sailing expeditions and outdoor markets. If you can’t visit this summer, fall is the season for leaf-peeping in Boston and beyond.
Where to stay in Boston?
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
For elegance, zen, art and excellent food Mandarin Oriental in the chic heart of Back Bay is peerless. Expansively proportioned rooms exude serenity, there’s even a yoga mat in the walk-in closet and deep, soaking baths are the perfect antidote to long days on your feet in “the Walking City”.
There’s great art in the lobby and public areas from David Hockney to Massachusetts artist Frank Stella. Fresh from its success in New York and London, Bar Boulud has recently opened offering all day Gallic treats including a fantastic charcuterie board and definitive steak tartare, luxuriant lobster roll with horseradish, decadent desserts and superb wines by the glass.
Ideal for small, quirky, smart boutique shops, cafes and brisk early morning walks on neighboring Boston, Common, Beacon Hill Hotel on Charles Street, one of the best Bostonian addresses, has character and ultra-friendly staff besides a great brasserie where they mix a superb Cosmopolitan at the bar. Breakfasts are notably generous for maximizing sight-seeing stamina, I’d particularly recommend the buttermilk pancakes with bacon and maple syrup.
Getting There
Logan International Airport is very close to Downtown Boston so transfers barely cut into a short break. It’s a half hour taxi ride at most. Alternatively, the City’s excellent “T” subway network can be accessed on a free shuttle bus to Airport station for the blue line into Downtown.
Best View in Boston
Put the city into geographical 360 degree perspective from the 50th floor of the Prudential Center where on a clear day you can see right across the harbor and beyond to the mountains of New Hampshire on a really clear day. There’s an exhibition on Boston’s history, too.
Historical Sites in Boston
Old South Meeting House (Flickr photo by ericodeg)
Most first-time visitors to Boston do the “Freedom Trail” marked by a red brick line that takes in 16 historical buildings and sites. The Boston Visitor center at the Prudential Center open 11am-6pm sells a two-day “Go Boston” card costing $75 that that covers most attractions, like Fenway Park and the New England Aquarium. I preferred to pick and choose the stops I wanted to make bearing in mind my limited time and the museum ennui that can fast set in.
I appreciated from its exterior the bling of the gold-domed 200 year-old State House and headed along School Street past the Old South Meeting House (9.30am-5pm) daily) where colonists planned the Boston Tea Party before taking Washington Street to the Old State House Museum (9am-5pm) daily where the Declaration of Independence was read, finishing up at Faneuil Hall where some of the first protests against British Rule were made.
Though most guidebooks recommend the stalls at Quincy Market for clam chowder, oysters and Boston pretzels, I was shocked by how horribly commercial it was and the strong frying smell and beat a hasty retreat from its over-commercialization.
North End: Little Italy for Lunch, Shopping and More History
Neptune Oyster’s is a must-visit for the best seafood in Boston
Instead, when hunger rumbles, Little Italy’s charming warren of small streets is close-by offering everything from family trattoria for filling pasta to sophisticated Italian restaurants with truffles on the menu plus plenty of appealing small eateries for Boston seafood. I tried a lovey, cozy two room restaurant Rabias with a good choice of oysters on an old-fashioned marble and mahogany bar.
Both clam chowder and pasta with plentiful prawns and tomato sauce were good and satisfying on a chilly day. I couldn’t resist popping into Neptune Oyster for an extra course as it came so highly recommended. It is tiny and usually has a long wait, but dining solo at the bar mid afternoon only necessitated lining up for 10 minutes and it was so worth it.
My crisp oysters with Berkshire pork, golden raisin confit and pistachio aioli were sensational. I hungrily eyed up buttermilk Johnnycake with honey butter, smoked trout tartare and Californian sturgeon caviar and octopus with hazelnut romesco, whipped labneh and espelette pepper, too.
There are plenty of independent gift and clothes shops close-by, plus a great old-fashioned Italian deli offering coffee grinding an impressive array of coffee and vintage shops too.
Visit the house of American legend Paul Revere (Flickr photo by Allan Patrick)
On the charming cobbled North Square, I happened on Paul Revere’s house – well-worth the entrance fee to get a feel for how it was to live in Boston during eighteenth-century. Bostonian revolutionary hero, silversmith Paul Revere left his North Square home, slipped out of the city in a rowboat, borrowed a horse in Charlestown, and rode to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington that British troops were marching from Boston to arrest them and seize munitions.
Cambridge Sites
Peabody Museum, one of the oldest museum’s in the world
Take a bus or T line across the Charles River to soak up the intellectual atmosphere around Harvard University and MIT speculating on which of the scruffy students may hold the breakthrough in artificial intelligence that could change the world. Students lead regular classic Harvard tours though I was content to wander and look in at the Peabody Museum devoted to anthropology, one of the oldest museums in the world.
There’s the Harvard Museum of Natural History too. Many of the city’s most interesting cafes are here too, including Flour Bakery perfect for whiling away an hour eavesdropping on a half-understood student hypothesis.
I’d reserved well ahead for dinner at Craigie-on-Maine which more than lived up to expectations. Right on trend, chef-restaurateur Tony Maws’ emphasis is on farm-to-table sourcing and adventurous and creative combinations of flavors. Fellow diners are smart and well-heeled Cantabrigians and no doubt include plenty of academics.
Stylish Shopping Options
Newbury Street with its smart brownstones that epitomize Boston is a pleasure to stroll down. Many of the buildings have shops on both street and basement level. Start at the top of the street for high-end designer stores working down to more affordable shops.
Ultra-desirable,historic neighborhood Beacon Hill with its beautiful architecture is an absolute delight for shopping for more unusual gifts and clothes plus antiques too,especially on Charles Street.
I especially liked The Ruby Door for jewelry, Wish for clothes, Moxie for clothes, Fastachi for artisan nuts and chocolates mostly open 12pm-5pm Sunday too and there are plenty of good eating and drinking options including Beacon Hotel Bistro and Bin 26 Enoteca.
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
I found the Museum’s huge shop a treasure trove for arty presents – calendars, tasteful Monet print socks, recondite novels – plus tasteful Christmas cards. Though the real draw, of course, is the most exceptional and eclectic collection of art from both Europe and America. There is so much to take in, it is well worth dedicating at least a whole afternoon of full immersion wandering from galleries of musical instruments and jewelery to mid-century design.
There are decent cafes strategically placed throughout the museum and it’s great for people and fashion watching, too.
Where to Eat in Boston
Another Boston institution, Stephanie’s on Newbury with its welcoming, comfortable banquette seating and sophisticated home cooking reputation has a highly regarded brunch menu including crab cakes eggs Benedict and Columbian arepa besides sophisticated salads at dinner such as crusted pecan with pears and goat’s cheese, New England heritage cod with horseradish, chicken sage crust pie variations and a good Boston clam chowder.
If you’re in town during baseball season, make sure you catch a game at Fenway Park to see the Boston Red Sox
Two days is more than enough time to soak up history, good food and New England tradition. And now that it’s baseball season, it’s a great time to visit and sneak in a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park.