Visiting Boston in Sept...what to do? (Cambridge, New Bedford: hotel, house)

[quiltinqueen]

Hello,

We will be visiting Boston on Sept. 13th, 14th, & 15th.

What are the "must see, must do" things while there?

What are cool restaurants, seafood, thai, indian, mexican, japanese, etc? Pubs?

Also, on one of those days we want to visit Martha's Vineyard, or Nantucket.

If we can only vist one place....which is better? Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket?

Thanks in advance for all of your info!

Connie

[chaxey]

A day trip to MV or Nantucket is doable, but a bit of a pain unless you are flying from Logan. If you are going to drive and take a ferry over, really Martha's Vineyard is probably your better bet as the ride is shorter on the boat so you'll have more time to explore. If you are going to take the ferry, take the earliest ferry you can and get there with plenty of time. If it's a busy weekend, you may have to take a shuttle from an off site lot back to the Woodshole Terminal. You can also take ferries from Hyannis, but WH is cheaper and quicker to get to from Boston.

How long will you be in Boston. Depending on time you have in town would probably dictate the things you'll want to go see. I mean, if you are only here for a few days, I'd skip most of the freedom trail and just hit up a few highlights.

A few things to consider adding to your list:

Bleacher Bar at Fenway Park - Free Access to the ball park's interior. Game day or not, it's still kind of cool and free minus the cost of a beer or a sandwich. Whether you like baseball or not, Fenway park is a Boston cultural icon, and the #1 tourist attraction in Boston.

Top of the Hub - Top of the hub is a tourist trap for diners, but is still worth a trip for a DRINK. Head up at sunset and sit at the bar and order a cocktail and watch the sun set. Don't stay for dinner, you're paying for the view, not the food, so you might as well just pay for a drink. The view is spectacular.

Boston Public Garden - The public garden is really quite beautiful and reminicent of some of the lovely parks you'd find in cities like London or Paris, but on a smaller scale.

Newbury Street - Back Bay's commercial hub that used to be saturdated with private high end boutiques is now more or less populated by more common national retailers, but it's still great people watching and a great street to walk, shop, and perhaps grab a drink at Sonsie or Stephanie's.

Copley Square - Copley Square offers several attractions worth stopping into. The Trinity Church is beautiful, as is the Boston Public library's old wing. I'd recommend visiting these 2 spots in the afternoon, and then heading up to the top of the hub at the Prudential Tower at sunset.

Beacon Hill's Charles Street - Beacon Hill's Charles St is a great walk that features lots of shops and beatiful architecture. Take a stroll to the end and stop in at the Liberty Hotel, which was a victorian age prison that has been converted into a luxurious hotel. Stop in and check out the lobby or even grab a drink or dinner at one of the restaurants.

The North End - The Italian Neighborhood is a notorious boston landmark and dining destination. Some would argue that it's a tourist trap, but there are several good restaurants despite the fact that some really are just for tourists. I like Monica's Vinoteca, Taranta, and Prezza. Il Panino Tratoria is also pretty good, but is not very fancy. The veal chop at Lucia is to die for. After dinner, skip Mike's Pastry (it really is a tourist trap) and check out Modern Pastry. It's quainter, and the deserts in my opinion are better (plus the line is shorter).

There's a ton more to do, I didnt' even get into the South End, Waterfront, Chinatown, or Charlestown much less Cambridge, or the museums but those are a few tips.

[Ronnie555]

nantucket is better.


In boston, go to newbury street. go to the waterfront area and eat at legal seafoods near faneuil hall. Go to faneuil hall too there are cool street performers, shows, acrobats, etc. lots of food inside. literally like 50 food places lined up next to each other. And shops.

Bars are all over the place, shouldn't be hard to find any.


Sept 14th is my birthday. i'll probably be in Boston getting plastered =)


If you go to Prudential center, right across the street in boylston street is a GREAT thai restaurant called Chili Duck. 1 block to the left of that (facing the restaurant) are a couple of good bars too. One is called Lir, and the other one is called pour house i think.

[Newdaawn]

My favorite place is to spend a couple hours at the Museum of Fine Art. Newbury Street is fun if you like small very expensive shops, but men might be bored. The restaurants in the North end are legendary. A walk through the public Gardens is very pretty in the fall. Go over the river to Cambridge and check out the Harvard Campus and book shops. Harvard also has a museum. I would skip the trip out to Marthas Vinyard or Nantucket. You would need to drive to Hyannis or New Bedford to catch a ferry. Depends what is more important for you to do.

[DawnMTL]

I'm not even a shopper but I love walking up and down Newbury Street. There's something about it, with all the people around, that makes it very vibrant.

[Ronnie555]

Originally Posted by DandJ

I'm not even a shopper but I love walking up and down Newbury Street. There's something about it, with all the people around, that makes it very vibrant.

agreed. i don't think i've ever bought anything on newbury street aside from a drink or a burrito at boloco. still a fun place to hangout.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by Ronnie555

agreed. i don't think i've ever bought anything on newbury street aside from a drink or a burrito at boloco. still a fun place to hangout.

We keep meaning to try Boloco -- is it good?

[Ronnie555]

Originally Posted by DandJ

We keep meaning to try Boloco -- is it good?

boloco is okay. chipotle is better if you're a regular burrito fan.

boloco is cool because you can get brown or white rice, wheat or white tortilla, and lots more menu options like a memphis BBQ burrito w/ coleslaw in it, or an asian teriyaki burrito w/ broccoli and carmelized onions, etc. you won't find that stuff at chipotle.

They also have tofu and more vegetables i think, like broccoli. I still prefer chipotle, they have everything i need.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by Ronnie555

boloco is okay. chipotle is better if you're a regular burrito fan.

boloco is cool because you can get brown or white rice, wheat or white tortilla, and lots more menu options like a memphis BBQ burrito w/ coleslaw in it, or an asian teriyaki burrito w/ broccoli and carmelized onions, etc. you won't find that stuff at chipotle.

They also have tofu and more vegetables i think, like broccoli. I still prefer chipotle, they have everything i need.

Thanks! Great to know since Chipotle is near us and Biloco isn't.

[Northern-Mike]

Definitely do the Freedom Trail, which goes through the North End.

Do go to one of the Museums in the area as well.

And oh, do not forget to eat something at one of the restaurants, but especially in the North End either!