Boston travel tips

[house]

Yea yea, search function. I did, for like 8 seconds. I don't need a fodor's guide typed up for me, just give me your best boston ideas. I'll be there next week from the 5th-8th. Hoping to catch a red sox game while I'm there. Should I lock some down through ticketevil before I go, or is there some alley where a quick HJ will score box seats?

I'm going to check out BU and the city in general, and haven't booked a hotel yet.

Thanks in advance

[MMP]

Hotel Marlowe in cambridge is a cool, funky, and conveniently located for Cambridge. They have bikes and Kayaks they'll loan you, and they carry and launch the kayaks for you, cool to paddle around by the museum of science and through the marina.

Drinking with Advres,....Sox Game.....thats about it.

[dumpy]

Asshole drivers, annoying accents, even more annoying sports fans, Advres, Irish mobsters... are there any other Boston stereotypes I'm forgetting?

Actually, I love Boston, but it's been a few years since I was last there and am blanking on shit to do. Driving there seriously does suck, there is a reason they are called Massholes.

[boltonoutlaw]

The Sevens

Typical shit:
Red Sox game (w/o HJ-incentive plan).
Walking Back Bay, Boston Commons & Public Gardens.
New England Aquarium on Sunday. Nice cool, dark place to manage a hangover.

[cat in january]

I would avoid the Aquarium especially with a hangover. My experiences there are of screaming children.

Are you coming to look at BU?

The freedom trail in the North End is a nice place to go and some of the best restaurants are in that area. Old Ironsides is docked near there and is free and for me is a definite must see.

Walking around boston common and the public garden as mentioned is nice.

Harvard in Cambridge across the Charles River is cool.

[iceman]

Driving in Boston is great if you remember the only rule: GO! If you hesitate or try to be polite you are fucked. Unlike most places in the country there is a system. Fucking GO! You might want to practice with a rental car with full coverage.

Aside from Fenway, which is a good idea - just scalp outside on Yawkey Way in the bottom of the first if saving cash is your priority and go to the Cask if you flail (it's right across the street) - it all depends what you are into. The Science Museum is great if crowded, the Museum of Fine Arts is one of the very best in the world, the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum is a gem and one of a kind in the world... there's all kinds of shit. What are you interested in?

[boltonoutlaw]

Second on driving in Boston. So much fun. In a car that is, not so much in the RV.

Catinjan: must have been a weekday school group for you. Spacing out to the 200,000 gallon Giant Ocean Tank cures my fat head on Sunday AM's. Check to see if it's open though, 5 May they found a crack in the main tank. Probably is repaired by now.

[bern43]

Driving is not so bad. The "just go" technique is key. My wife is from the area and she scares the hell out of me every time she drives. The usual tourist stuff is actually fun. I'd do a duck tour, they give you a pretty good overview of the city. For museums the ICA is pretty fun. The MFA has a new Art of the Americas wing, which is worth a visit. South end has a bunch of good (but expensive) restaurants. Aquarium is fun, but will be packed with kids. Really depends on what your looking for.

[Big Snowballs]

For food you may want to checkout The Phantom Gourmet. http://www.phantomgourmet.com/ShowPage.aspx This program features the Boston area for Restaurants. I've watch many a program on the Telly by way of Satellite TV. Always made me hungry !

[iceman]

Oh yeah, Mr. Barley's in Harvard Square is a must. Best. Burgers. Ever.

[Big Snowballs]

Oh yeah, Mr. Barley's in Harvard Square is a must. Best. Burgers. Ever.

Just scoped out the Burger Menu ! WOW !
Which one did you have ?

[Obstruction]

Be sure to check out Allston and Brighton. If you go to BU you're sure to be waking up on a sidewalk there at some point. Same with Cambridge and Somerville.

The South Boston waterfront is starting to hop after many years of trying to get off of the ground. The North end is still kind of a hoot in an touristy kind of way. Faneuill Hall sort of blows unless you want to meet a lot of people from somewhere else or if you want to drink at one of 5 irish bars owned by the same guy.

[yooper]

Be sure to check out Allston and Brighton. If you go to BU you're sure to be waking up on a sidewalk there at some point. Same with Cambridge and Somerville.

The South Boston waterfront is starting to hop after many years of trying to get off of the ground. The North end is still kind of a hoot in an touristy kind of way. Faneuill Hall sort of blows unless you want to meet a lot of people from somewhere else or if you want to drink at one of 5 irish bars owned by the same guy.

I was actually going to mention South Boston waterfront as well.... I figured everything else would get covered. This area is pretty cool. Very new, which is not what you expect in Boston.

[iceman]

Just scoped out the Burger Menu ! WOW !
Which one did you have ?

I've been there like 50 times, I've had a bunch, they're all kickass.

If you go, say Hi to Mr. Bartley, he's the old guy by the door who seats people.

[MuleSkinner]

Definitely check out the North End. Very cool neighborhood, great restaurants and on the water. I lived in the North End for three years and still miss it.

Have fun.

[boarddad]

Best advice on driving in Boston; DON'T! A car is a major PITA on Boston (second worst only to NYC in my experience). Just get a T pass and/or walk.

If you haven't got Red Sox tickets yet, do it now! I'm taking my family to Boston in August and we had trouble getting tickets a month ago - pricey too! Definitely a highlight experience though so good luck

[Jackie Treehorn]

Most North End restaurants are overpriced tourist traps. If you want good food, South End is the way to go. Giacomo's (the place on Hanover St in the North End that always has a huge line) has a South End location that takes reservations. They also own a place next door called Anchovies that has awesome, cheap red sauce Italian, but just to warn you, it's a little bit of a gay scene. Or go a few blocks further to Shawmut Ave and hit Coppa, Franklin Cafe, or Orinoco.

Definitely check out the new places on the waterfront in the Seaport area. They're new, so they're a little pricey and can get crowded, but Boston doesn't have a lot of places to eat/drink on the water. Jerry Remy's is a decent place to watch sports (lots of TVs), Temezcal has pretty good mexican food, and they both have open windows and patio seating right on the water. I haven't been up on the new Legal Seafoods roofdeck yet but it's supposed to be pretty nice. Oh and if you feel like dropping 50 bucks on a steak, they just opened a DelFrisco's there as well. All of those places are right next to each other.

[BigLeagueBrian]

the whole south end is a gay scene, jackie. he might as well go to saint on a thurs night.

if you go to Jerry Remy's on the waterfront, definitely check out The Whisky Priest. It's right next door.

[yooper]

the whole south end is a gay scene, jackie. he might as well go to saint on a thurs night.

if you go to Jerry Remy's on the waterfront, definitely check out The Whisky Priest. It's right next door.

2nd the Whiskey Priest. Lots of cool places down there, but that one was kind of my style. I ended up there every night I was there (a few days for work)

[irul&ublo]

If you go to Fenway, wash very well after

[Mazderati]

Lots of good advice here. Most of my information pertains to food and drink.

If you'll be with a BU affiliate (student, faculty, or staff), the BU Pub is a great place to get a sandwich and beer. Tight ass wainscoting on the inside and nice patio overlooking the river on the outside. Plus, it's in the bottom of The Castle and on one of the best streets in Boston, in my opinion. The summer hours are short, so go early. If you like Thai, Brown Sugar is a good option on the opposite, west end of BU. If you're talking med campus, you'll have to walk a bit to find something worthwhile. Most of the area surrounding the hospital caters to breakfast and lunch. Mike's Diner and Flour are both strong choices a few blocks up on Washington.

In the South End, Aquitaine and Masa have $10 prix fixe brunches that can't be beat. The Blue Room in Cambridge has a ridiculous brunch buffet for around $25 and the Charles Hotel probably has the best brunch in the area but it's around $45 a head.

Even if you don't eat there, Top of the Hub is an awesome experience. The bar area is huge and provides excellent views. Live music on the weekends. Drinks are no more expensive than the rest of Back Bay and it's not so stuffy you need a suit. In fact, I've seen shorts and one guy in a Hawaiian shirt. He was either a sugar daddy or a tourist. Hard to tell. Anyway, $12 for the best mojito I've had in Boston.

Giacomo's is a strong North End choice but the line is usually out the door. Pomodoro is another good choice. Around 10 tables so make a reservation.

Haven't been to Legal's new waterfront roof deck but the pictures look money.

If you want to see a game, get a ticket before game day. If you do decide to scalp and come up short handed, Baseball Tavern has lots of TVs and a great roof deck looking over at the ballpark. Machine is a few doors down if you're into that sort of thing.

[house]

Good stuff people. I'd be taking classes at the medical campus, but will probably only spend a half day there after meeting an admissions dude. The rest of my trip will be spent eating/boozing and just general tourist crap. I'll be with a girl who doesn't drink much, but doesn't mind me getting tanked. So we'll find a balance of her taking pictures of old stuff and me tasting beers foreign to me.

Ive heard good things about Harpoon brewery. Worth a look? Any other beer related hot spots? (yea I know, that question could probably spawn a whole new thread)

Thanks for all the other advice. Definitely buying a sox ticket in advance, I don't mind spending a bit more to make sure I get in.

Going to shoot shit in the woods now... Hope to hear some more good stuff when I get back.

[Diamond Joe]

The Harpoon brewery is definitely worth a visit. Unfortunately, you're a month late for Harpoonfest which is IMO one of the better parties there is to be found in Boston. Also, I'm pretty sure you can only get a tour during the weekend...

I'd highly recommend Legal Seafood if you can. There are a few locations in Boston but the one you want to hit is either the one on Long Wharf (right next to the Aquarium) or Legal Harborside on Liberty Wharf. Legal has some of the best seafood in Boston, and the 2nd best clam chower I've ever eaten. (theres a little place in Yarmouth, with patches all over the walls...)

Any chance you could come one day earlier? The 4th of July celebration in Boston is the best there is. It is something you'd never forget...

[Mazderati]

Regardless of what school you're speaking with on the med campus, the Talbot building is worth checking out if your ladyfriend likes architecture. Talbot was the original hospital and first medical school to allow women. Most of the other building are relatively new and unexciting.

A walk from the med campus up through the South End and toward Back Bay en route to downtown or the waterfront might be worth considering. Lots of picture taking opportunities.

[advres]

if you have the means, stay at Hotel Buckminster.

you can just get tickets for under face down near gametime from a scalper or the "scalp free zone" located near the bleacher bar. Or if you're concerned, use Aceticket or stubhub but seriously, just go. I went during the first for the Cubs vs Sox throwback day which was a muct see and I paid 40 for a 55 seat. just don't let them sucker you.

if you're not renting a car take the free shuttle from Logan to orange line to government center to greenline B to get to BU. depending on the train schedule it can take you anywhere from 30-60 minutes but only costs you $1.70. if you're staying anywhere around there the B line will get you into the city any a where you need to go. I live on Comm Ave less than a mile from BU and take the B line all the time.

go to Eastern Standard while down there for awesome drinks and great food for about 25 a plate. sit out on the patio.

go to baseball tavern roof deck.

obviously check out Boston beer works?

harpoon brewery is fun and all but it's a brewery tour. you've seen one, you've seen them all and there is way cooler stuff to do in Boston.

I'll be home from vacation on Wednesday afternoon, PM me if you want a tour guide, drinking buddy, etc. I won't be working so I'm available.

have fun.