Going to Boston on a Trip (Lowell, Cambridge: city hall, how much, house)

[joe305]

My job is sending me to Boston for a business trip, i've personally have never been and wanted to know what are must go places. This would in include food, (heard neptune oyster was great), museums, or any great place to take pictures. I'm a photographer and videographer, and would love to go places to take pictures. Just so you can see some of my past work heres a glimpse so you can see what kind of stuff i love shooting.

cognizantphotos.com

I'm not into drinking or going out, all i really care about is going to places where i can shoot amazing pictures. Also plan on going to NYC so if you can recommend something there as well that would be great.

[Verseau]

You might want to check out the photo thread at the top of this forum for some ideas.

I'm an avid amateur photographer, so here are some recommendations of things/places to photograph. I've marked spots along the Freedom Trail in red - this is the popular tourist itinerary that is easy to follow by looking for the red line on the sidewalk. As you can see, a lot of the best spots aren't on this path.

• anywhere on Beacon Hill, but especially Acorn Street and Louisburg Square
• the Massachusetts State House
• the Public Garden
• Commonwealth Avenue between Charles Street and Massachusetts Avenue
• Copley Square, including the Trinity Church, Old South Church, and the Boston Public Library (visit the interior and check out the beautiful art and architecture in the courtyard and on the upper levels)
• the Christian Science Plaza, especially at night
• the view from the top of the Prudential building
• the skyline view from Memorial Drive across the river in Cambridge (adjacent to the MIT campus)
• the Longfellow Bridge, namely from the north along the Cambridge side of the river, with the Back Bay skyline in the background
• any of the historic cemeteries: Old Granary, King's Chapel, and Copp's Hill
• any of the historic buildings along the Freedom Trail, especially Old City Hall, the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere House, and the Old North Church
• Marshall Street (Green Dragon Tavern, Union Oyster House, Bell in Hand Tavern, etc.)
• the Holocaust Memorial on Union Street
• Hanover Street in the North End
• any of the old streets in Charlestown (Common Street, Soley Street, Main Street, Harvard Street)
• the view from the top of the Bunker Hill Monument - possibly my favorite view of the city, although unfortunately the foggy/scratched windows make it diffficult to get a perfectly clean shot
• the USS Constitution
• the Zakim Bridge
• George's Island, including shots of Fort Warren, the city skyline, and Boston Light (oldest lighthouse in the US)
• the Harvard campus - I'm partial to the residential architecture along the river, such as the courtyard of the Lowell House, but there are a lot of interesting places spread across the campus - the Sanders Theatre is another great one
• the Mount Auburn Cemetery
• the skyline view from Piers Park in East Boston, especially in early morning

Most of these sights do fall along a relatively short, walkable axis consisting of the Freedom Trail, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay. For places that are a bit farther which would require using public transportation (Harvard, George's Island), I suppose it really depends on how much free time you have. An alternative to George's Island is Castle Island in South Boston, which, despite its name, is actually accessible by bus. There is some nice residential architecture in Southie to photograph as well, such as that along East Broadway or K Street. The Dorchester Heights monument is neat, too.

Boston has a lot of great seafood restaurants, but they are all pricey. If you want lobster without breaking the bank, go to Alive and Kicking Lobsters in Cambridge. It's a hole-in-the-wall place, off the beaten path, but they have the best lobster sandwich in the city. You can walk there from the Central Square stop on the Red Line, and it's also a short walk from the Harvard campus along the river.

Many visitors also seek out Boston's best clam chowder, which is a heated point of debate. I've yet to have a chowder in Boston that was superior to chowder I've had in small towns in New England (especially along the Maine coast), but people still have their favorites. In recent years the annual "Chowderfest" has been dominated by places like Anthem Kitchen + Bar, Ned Devine's Irish Pub, and Atlantic Fish Co.

In the North End, cannolis from Mike's Pastry are a must. Don't let long lines scare you - they move very quickly here (but are cash only). Sure, it's a very typical tourist thing to do, but I think any local who doesn't like Mike's cannolis is just putting on an act. Stick to the flavors with the normal ricotta filling (don't be tempted by chocolate mousse or peanut butter, etc.). The florentine might be one of the best varieties.

Good Italian food in general is abundant in the North End, although choosing a restaurant depends on your budget. The very cheapest decent restaurant (aside from the rosticceria-style Galleria Umberto) is probably Al Dente. On the cheaper end, Saraceno and La Famiglia Giorgio offer very good value (the latter, in particular, provides painfully large portions). Giacomo's is probably the most popular restaurant in the neighborhood for its balance of quality and price, but you'll always have to wait in a long line. If you're willing to pay a little bit more, your options open up... Pomodoro, Maurizio's... and as things get into the higher price range there are some fantastic restaurants that I've never had the pleasure of trying.

Museums also depend largely on how much time you have, but the big ones in art are the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art. Unless you had a different kind of museum in mind.

[xS☺B☺s]

Great Post by Verseau! My take - shorter version is this -

Start just by following the Freedom Trail. Don't miss the burial grounds on Tremont between Park and State. That's a solid day unto itself. Eat at the Union Oyster House and have a beer next door at the Green Dragon. Make sure you look at the front window of the Oyster House. Ask them what stool in the Green Dragon George Washington used to sit at.

Boston is probably the most photogenic city in the USA except NY. Beef up your SIM. Take the commuter rail to Salem if you got the time.

//www.city-data.com/forum/membe...ms-boston.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/membe...ums-salem.html


My Boston Pix.

[NY Annie]

Go to the Union Oyster House - not only for its delicious fish but for the ambiance. The fish isn't the best in the world but it's better than I remembered (went there just a few months ago) but I had forgotten the feel of the place. If you're in/near Faneuil Hall (and you should stop there), it's a short walk.


As for NYC - assuming your time will be limited, take the Staten Island Ferry from Battery Park. It goes right past Lady Liberty, get some pics - be on the right side of the ferry as it leaves Manhattan (right side as you get on it). You MUST exit the boat when it docks in Staten Island even if you intend to head right back to the City. The ride is about 15-20 minutes and there's a boat leaving about every 1/2 hour during the day except during rush hours when it's every 15 or 20 minutes. You can easily do the to and fro in an hour - and it's well worth the time. I still sit with the tourists after 15 years being on Staten Island. While there's a ton more to do and see, that's the one trip most people remember most clearly. PLUS, it's free.

[muffincake]

The Aquariaum will offer a good chance to take pictures of adorable penguins. The Boston Commons, which is a big park with some statutes, will have some scenic stuff to photograph and maybe some interesting characters. I thought the Old State House was stupid, but nearby Quincy Market will have street demonstrations and will be lively, depending when you're there. I honestly saw all these places on a weekend when I took the Old Town Trolley tour with my mom. I usually don't go downtown too much.