Boston Vacation Question (Hotels, Subway, etc.) (bus, airport, shuttle)

[chemteacher]

I would pick the Brookline hotel over the Newton hotel because the Newton hotel is far from the action and your T ride will be really long.
When I was interviewing for jobs and house hunting in Boston I "pricelined" a hotel (bid on the hotel) and ended up paying $60/night for the Hyatt in downtown crossing twice (2 separate trips). That hotel is a nice hotel that is right downtown close to the T as well as tourist places. When my hubby and I had to stay for a week in Boston the cheapest hotel we were able to get from bidding on Priceline was $80/night at the Holiday Inn near Mass General hospital. That hotel was also near the red line and close to places to visit.
I would do the freedom trail on your visit because it gives you a chance to walk around Boston.

[ogre]

Lots of good suggestions here. Assuming similar costs, I'll add my voice to those recommending the hotel in Brookline. It's the most convenient to downtown of the three, with more in the way of eateries you can walk to nearby. Newton is nice and safe, but that hotel is in an area that would offer little in the way of food nearby, except what might be in the hotel itself.

What you'll want to do for activities depends on what you enjoy, but a couple of other suggestions I would add would be the Boston Children's Museum

Welcome to Boston Children's Museum

and the Museum of Fine Arts

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Home.

The MFA has a restaurant. I haven't eaten there in a long time, so I'm not sure about the cost, but if it's not too steep it makes it convenient to visit the museum and have a meal right on site. Check the website to be sure, but I think the MFA has low-cost, or maybe even free, admission at certain times as well. What recommends the MFA is that it can be a good trip for both adults and children. Obviously, many adults will find an interest in the many works of art, and I know that my young nieces enjoy going to the MFA and checking out the mummies.

So . . . a couple of more suggestions. Enjoy your visit!

[professorsenator]

I would suggest using hotwire.com to get a hotel deal in the Back Bay or Theater District. Copley is a great place to base a visit and there are lots of hotels in that area.

[lrfox]

The Museum of Fine Art is free after 4pm on Wednesdays (though they do appreciate donations). The restaurant there is reasonably priced at between $10-20. The food is fine (better than cafeteria food) for the price.

[nate14ri]

stay in copley, prudential, or cambridge

[redpanda]

Stick with the Brookline Holiday Inn! Everyone's advice here is right on track.

[litlux]

Originally Posted by professorsenator

I would suggest using hotwire.com to get a hotel deal in the Back Bay or Theater District. Copley is a great place to base a visit and there are lots of hotels in that area.

I agree with this choice. I use Priceline a lot and have gotten great hotels in the Copley-Theatre District area including Park Plaza, Marriott Copley Place and another one whose name escapes me which was pretty new. Copley Place is on the Green and Orange Lines. I once got the Holiday Inn on Cambridge Street near Government Center which I was not as happy with. It is a bit of a crap shoot.

[maggiekate]

Frakly the other post did say it all, and I do agree with them. on the out towns is Braintree, sheraton
hotel, or someone here did state at a hotel in braintree near a t stop. I just have stayed at he sheraton. Staying down town is nice, but costly, so do skip If you could the parker house is old but history!

[CityGirl52]

Just reading thru the various posts on this one and have to say that the Brookline Holiday Inn definitely would be a good choice if that's where you end up goiing. Newton would be a little hike on the "T". You know there's other directions that are convenient too! Did you check out the Hyatt Place in Medford at all? They have a free shuttle service to the MBTA orange line (Wellington Station). If you miss the shuttle there's an MBTA bus that will take you right in front of the hotel. How convenient is that? It'll be good on the way home from town, so think of that when you're making your decision on this choice! There's a Pizzeria Regina at Station Landing near the Wellington train station as well as a Kelly's Roast Beef and a Not Your Average Joe's restaurant. The orange line stops would be convenient, you could get off at either North Station & just walk over the foot bridge OR if you're a real walker? Get off at Bunker Hill Community for the Bunker Hill Monument & the Bunker Hill Museum, the Warren Tavern restaurant/pub as well as Old Ironside/USS Constitution and the Museum situated in the marina. Charlestown is one square mile and you would only need to be on Warren Street, to get to these desitinations, this Warren Tavern is located at 2 Pleasant Street, which is along Warren Street, so remember that and from there the Monument & USS Constitution are only a few minutes away:

The Warren Tavern | Bar and Restaurant

Also, there's a new restaurant kitchen bar that every one loves now called "Max & Dylan's, located right before you go in to the Marina where the USS Constitution is. There used to be this restaurant called Copia's there, but that closed and now this one is the new hot spot place to be in. Look for Max & Dylan's Kitchen & Bar. It's quite the place I'm being told by my nieces. It just opened in December and it's been doing great from what we're also being told by our townie friends & relatives. The guys that own Tavern on the Water and the Scolley Square restaurant own this and it's doing fabulous since it opened, I bet you will really like it here a lot with your family. If you google Max & Dylan's, Charlestown you'll see the various write ups & reviews on it so far. I hope they do well there myself....oh and Max & Dylan are there sons names, cute or what!!

There's a lot to enjoy right in the Marina too, there's this place called the Navy Yard Bistro, but I think it opens around 5PM, it's GREAT though especially there grilled salmon! There's the Tavern on the Water that would be neat to check out. The Marriott has outdoor seating where you'd really like the view. ALSO there's the Water Taxi right near the Marriott along the waterfront that would take you in to downtown Boston in no time. It's a fun way for the kids to see the harbor. Or you could walk from Charlestown over the foot bridge in to the North End in seconds OR if you walk by the Marriott along the harbor in the marina? There's a park that is called believe it or not, the Paul Revere Park along the marinai that you could walk thru and get yourself right over to the Fleet Center/Boston Garden and head toward town that way in seconds along the locks of the harbor instead, that way you'd be able to see the Boston Garden, Canal Street & Causeway Street, walk from here up to Faneuil Hall OR take a left on Causeway Street and head over to the North End whatever you prefer. It's going to be pretty convenient for you especially as the weather gets nicer and it IS starting to be! OR better yet, IF it rains? Just stay on that orange line train for the North Station's stop where you could go to the North End, or to the Christopher Columbus park at the waterfront, it's pretty through there. Check out the many restaurants in the North End as well as Paul Revere's house ALSO you could stay on the orange line all together for the Back Bay stop to check out Copley Place, the Pru shops & Newbury Street, so remember that, it's going to be ideal for you:

http://www.prudentialcenter.com
www.simon.com
http://www.newbury-st.com

The North End - Boston's Little Italy

Also from here you could walk up to Faneuil Hall Marketplace in no time:

Faneuil Hall Market Place

If you wanted to get to the Museum of Science you could very easily get off along the orange line from Wellington station to North Station again & switch over to the green line for the Museum of Science in seconds from here.

www.mos.org

I think it's more convenient myself to stay along the orange line some where and the Hyatt Place in Medford is only about a 10 to 15 minute train ride if that, there's some good deals to stay there too by the way, so it's up to you. Enjoy your time with your family, it'll be a great trip for them, one that they'll always remember, so take a lot of pictures AND do NOT leave Boston until you have done a BOSTON Duck Tour, just a little tip for you! There's competition with them and this one is the one you want to be on, so remember that!

http://www.bostonducktours.com/

IF you can NOT get reservations at the Hyatt Place in Medford? There's a Holiday Inn in Somerville that has a shuttle service to Sullivan Square train stop which is along the Orange line, so remember that, they might have a good deal to stay there too & they recently renovated the rooms, so that might be a plus for you guys...try for the Hyatt Place though first...then this one...if you end up wanted to be right in downtown Boston? Yet you want a good deal on a place to stay? Check out the John Jeffries House, it's at the bottom of Cambridge Street near the Mass General Hospital. They have some good deals to stay a night. The Holiday Inn on Blossom Street/Cambridge Street has been recently renovated and the rooms are MUCH better than they were before, so that might work out for you guys too. You have a lot more choices than you think!

[pineappleheart]

My boyfriend and I are headed to Boston next month to catch some Red Sox games. We're staying at a hotel next to Fenway Park. What's the best way to get to the hotel from Logan airport? Have any of you used an airport shuttle service? It seems like a taxi from Logan to Fenway would be expensive, and a rental car would be pointless. Is the T feasible with luggage? (We wouldn't have a lot of luggage-- just one small suitcase each.) Thanks for any input!