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I will be making my first trip to Boston next week for the Brewers vs. Red Sox game on Friday. I have read repeatedly that one should avoid driving downtown Boston and should use public transportation as much as possible. I'm flying into Logan on Tuesday, renting a car, and then driving all over the New England area before making it back into Boston on Friday morning.
I am having a little bit of trouble making heads and tails out of the MBTAs website. I have never rode on a subway, so I apologize for my ignorance. I am looking for some suggestions and clarifications.
1.) Friday morning I will be arriving in Boston after visiting friends in Reading. I will get into Boston around 10am. The first stop on the trip is the Freedom Trail. What subway station should I use if I am coming from Reading? I was thinking Wellington due to plenty of parking. The MBTA website advises to take the Orange Line to Downtown Crossing and then walk to Boston Common.
2.) After walking the Freedom Trail and grabbing some lunch in the area, I will be heading to Fenway Park. I'll ride the Green Line to the park. Not worried about getting there, but I have some questions about the best route to get back to Wellington Station after the game. The MBTAs trip planner states I should take the Green C Line to Park Street Station and then take the Orange Line at Downtown Crossing back to Wellington Station.
Is the trip planner missing a step? It shows my total fare as $2, but don't I have to leave Park Street Station and walk to Downtown Crossing? Wouldn't that make my fare $4?
3.) How is traffic in the Fenway Park area around midnight on Friday night? My flight leaves Logan at 6:00am on Saturday morning, so I am not going to bother getting a hotel. I am planning on picking up my car from Wellington and driving to the Fenway Park area. I'd be hopefully celebrating a victory with other Brewers fans. Are there any bars where the out of town fans gather? Is parking cheaper that late at night?
4.) Finally, I've heard that as long as you are not a Yankees fan, Red Sox Nation is very friendly towards out of towners. Is that accurate? The Brewers were in Boston in 2008 and I have heard that Red Sox fans were very accommodating and impressed on how many Brewers fans made the trip.
I will be making my first trip to Boston next week for the Brewers vs. Red Sox game on Friday. I have read repeatedly that one should avoid driving downtown Boston and should use public transportation as much as possible. I'm flying into Logan on Tuesday, renting a car, and then driving all over the New England area before making it back into Boston on Friday morning.
I am having a little bit of trouble making heads and tails out of the MBTAs website. I have never rode on a subway, so I apologize for my ignorance. I am looking for some suggestions and clarifications.
1.) Friday morning I will be arriving in Boston after visiting friends in Reading. I will get into Boston around 10am. The first stop on the trip is the Freedom Trail. What subway station should I use if I am coming from Reading? I was thinking Wellington due to plenty of parking. The MBTA website advises to take the Orange Line to Downtown Crossing and then walk to Boston Common.
2.) After walking the Freedom Trail and grabbing some lunch in the area, I will be heading to Fenway Park. I'll ride the Green Line to the park. Not worried about getting there, but I have some questions about the best route to get back to Wellington Station after the game. The MBTAs trip planner states I should take the Green C Line to Park Street Station and then take the Orange Line at Downtown Crossing back to Wellington Station.
Is the trip planner missing a step? It shows my total fare as $2, but don't I have to leave Park Street Station and walk to Downtown Crossing? Wouldn't that make my fare $4?
3.) How is traffic in the Fenway Park area around midnight on Friday night? My flight leaves Logan at 6:00am on Saturday morning, so I am not going to bother getting a hotel. I am planning on picking up my car from Wellington and driving to the Fenway Park area. I'd be hopefully celebrating a victory with other Brewers fans. Are there any bars where the out of town fans gather? Is parking cheaper that late at night?
4.) Finally, I've heard that as long as you are not a Yankees fan, Red Sox Nation is very friendly towards out of towners. Is that accurate? The Brewers were in Boston in 2008 and I have heard that Red Sox fans were very accommodating and impressed on how many Brewers fans made the trip.
Thanks for all the help everyone.
You could take the commuter rail in from Reading, then at North Station (the end of the line) walk east a short block from the station and pick up the Freedom Trail there. By turning left you'd cross the North Washington St bridge into Charlestown and the USS Constitution - definitely a must-see. By turning right you'd be in the North End and soon at Old North Church of "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" fame, then continuing on from there to Quincy Market + the Old State House + so forth. The commuter lines don't run all that frequently during off-peak hours, but do include at least one outbound trip after 10 PM. Both the Green (C and E) and Orange Lines stop at North Station BTW.
If you decide to drive to Wellington and take the subway into the city, Downtown Crossing and Park Street are a mere block apart. From the Orange Line you'd follow the well-marked Winter Street Concourse over to the Green Line platforms. That's how you can connect between the two subways without having to tap your card for a transfer. (And even if you did have to use the card, or "ticket," transfers are free anyhow.) What works really well - when the service is being offered - is to stay on the Orange Line all the way to Ruggles St. The "T" operates free shuttle buses straight to Fenway Park to and from there. You'd probably still experience the same "sardine can" effect that's on the Green Line before and after Sox games but not have to sweat changing trains.
Your third bullet point doesn't gibe with the second, because you write about "picking up the car at Wellington and driving to the Fenway Park area" after asking about how to reach the game by MBTA. Am I missing something? If you're planning to party all night, realize that Boston is not Chicago much less NYC. The latest that bars can stay open is 2 AM. You could hang out 'til the last customers are broomed onto the street, but that leaves several hours before flight time. Also - fair warning - you'll be gouged for parking. Ten bucks an hour is the typical low end of the going rate.
As for hospitality towards out-of-towners, they don't call our ballpark Friendly Fenway for nothing! New Englanders have earned a reputation for being "reserved" (to put it nicely.) But part of what makes a Sox game such a great experience is that everyone there is in a good mood. Few are the places where you can strike up a conversation with total strangers so easily. Shake what your mama gave you when they play "Dirty Water," sing along and sway to "Sweet Caroline," and have a blast.
I STEPPED AWAY FOR A WHILE AND THE ALWAYS-INFORMATIVE GOYGUY HIT MOST OF MY POINTS. GoyGuy, I think the plan was to take the T to the game, then go pick the car up and return to Fenway with it to hang out afterward. That round trip will take some time but parking near Fenway DURING the game will be insanely overpriced.
To the OP: You should be just fine. Red Sox fans have no issues with the Brewers and I'm sure a lot of people will make the trip. It really is Yankee fans (and maybe Tampa) that might have issues. Even they're usually left alone except for some "good-natured" ribbing, unless they come looking for trouble. Hard as it may be to believe, some Yankee fans do that.
Wellington is a good idea. You could take the commuter rail from Reading or Anderson-RTC (Woburn) into North Station but given that you want to pick up the car and get back into the city Wellington's better.
You do not have to pay twice to get from Kenmore to Wellington. There's a pedestrian tunnel connecting Park St station and Downtown Crossing so you can transfer free, without walking in the street. You actually could also take the Red Line that one block as it stops at both but it's hardly worth it. BTW, you don't need to take the Green Line C. Just go to Kenmore station and take any of the inbound Green Line trolleys that pass through there (B, C or D). They all go to Park Street.
To get back to the city from Wellington I'd turn onto 16 West and then make a left onto 28 South. Cross a small bridge and a few blocks later merge left onto 93 South (Charlestown-Boston). You will want to stay to the right and quickly take Exit 26 for Storrow Drive. When you cross the bridge into Boston near TD Garden pay close attention. You want Storrow Drive west, but it can be a bit confusing over there. Follow Storrow Drive west to the exit for Fenway/Kenmore Square. I'd stay right for Kenmore Square and, at the end of the exit, turn right onto Beacon Street.
Traffic near Fenway should be very light at midnight. Don't know all the details of post-game parking but it will be easier. You might even find a spot on the street along Beacon or Bay State Rd. I believe (not 100%) that the big lot on Brookline Av across from Yawkey Way is $10 for nightclub events. After the game the parking at the garage by Brookline Av and Boylston is pretty cheap.
There are a ton of bars near Fenway, most of them pretty full right after a game, particularly on a game night. I'm not really aware of any that are specifically patronized by visiting fans but you might want to try Cornwall's pub in Kenmore Square. 654 Beacon St, near where Commonwealth Av (Comm. Av) crosses it. There were a bunch of Cubs fans in there a couple of weeks ago. It's highly unlikely you'll be celebrating any kind of Brewers victory but you should have some compatriots to drown your sorrows with.
1. I'd park at Oak Grove because it's easier to get to from Reading and has a lot of parking. Then take subway to Downtown crossing.
2. As far as coming back to Wellington or Oak Grove or wherever you wanna park on the orange line, get back on a Leechmere bound green line train at Kenmore (which will be absolutely packed) then transfer to the orange line at haymarket or North station. then catch the train back to wherever you've parked.
. The green line will be really packed and slow after the game around that area, so what i would do if i had some time to waste is I'd take a late night stroll down commonwealth ave and catch the train from back bay. Especially if you picked up a chick, commonwealth ave is a nice nightime walk.
note: depending on how late it is, the orange line might have shut down by the time you get to back bay. The last train usually comes through there at about 11:30-12:00, so if the game gets out much later than 11, you probably wouldn't wanna do that.
2nd note: when the trip planner said it was only gonna cost two dollars that's because it assumed you'd take the red line from Park st to downtown crossing, then take the orange line from there. You'd just be transferring subway lines which is free. However anyone who's taken a subway regularly probably knows that you want to have the least amount of transfers, so that's why it makes more sense to take the green line to haymarket and transfer. as long as you stay inside the subway, transfers are free between different lines.
3. I dont really understand why you would go get you're car and then come back to Fenway. After a game it's un-navigatable to outsiders, even locals, just because there's so much traffic and so many people. There are so many places to grab drinks around there, but I'm not familiar with any away team bar for celebrating. Sorry. Red Sox fans are die hards, and I'm not really a baseball fan, but as long as you're not a Yankee's fan, they probably won't kill you. -No just kidding, but I wouldn't go rubbing it their face.
Hopefully someone else can provide insight on the bars.
One other thought, if you're staying in Reading. You could do this:
Once the morning rush is past, take 95/128 South to Exit 21A (Waban/Newton) and follow 16 East. It's about half an hour from Reading w/o major traffic.
On 16 East, pass the set of lights at Beacon Street and the one at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. At the third set of lights, turn right for the Woodland station on the Green Line. If you drive past the townhouse complex you'll see there, there is a parking garage. It's about $6 or $7 for the day. Right next to it is the Green Line (D branch). Take that inbound to Park Street to see the Freedom Trail, etc.
That way, after the game, you can just hang out until the last Green Line (about 12:30), and take the Green Line (D only) outbound back to Woodland. Or you stay till last call and take a cab back to Woodland Station.
From Woodland to Logan Airport is easy. Just go out of the townhouse complex and turn right on 16 East. About a mile up stay left for Mass Pike East-90 East. 90 East will take you straight through the Ted Williams Tunnel directly to Logan. After midnight it's a 15-20 minute drive.
FWIW I think Cask & Flagon and Baseball Tavern are the most fun out of all the bars, and since Game On is part of a national chain that's a strike (pun intended) against it.
^Game On! is a national chain? I always thought it was a Patrick Lyons operation (local chain). Regardless, Cask is better (Though I do love Bleacher Bar... another Lyons operation). Transit advice from Holden and Goyguy is spot on.
Wow, thank you all so much for the quick and informative responses. It truly is appreciated. Just a couple points of clarification.
I plan on taking the subway to the game because of traffic and cost of parking. After the game, I am going to have about 4-5 hours to burn before I have to return my rental car to Logan and fly back to Wisconsin. That's why I suggested picking up my rental where I parked it and driving back to the Fenway Park area for some nightlife. No worries about DUIs because I don't drink. The baseball fan I am traveling with does so on occasion.
Another possibility would be to hit up a famous all-night diner to burn some time off. Downtown Chicago has a bunch of these. Any places like this in Boston?
1. I'd park at Oak Grove because it's easier to get to from Reading and has a lot of parking. Then take subway to Downtown crossing.
Forgot to add that the reason I chose Wellington over Oak Grove is because the MBTA website states that weekday parking availability for Oak Grove is less than 1%. Wellington is estimated at 10%. Since I am arriving well after the morning rush, I figured parking spots at Oak Grive would be slim.
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but you should have some compatriots to drown your sorrows with. 
