Hello Boston people! A couple of tips please

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

Is downtown the best place to get the hotel or is it one of those downtowns that after dark become deserted?
What are the best areas for bars-nightlife in Boston? Still downtown?

Right downtown (i.e. near Downtown Crossing and Post Office Square) can get a little dark and deserted at night in spots. I’d recommend looking for anything near Quincy Market or North Station. If you can find a hotel or Airbnb in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, or the North End, that would also be great!

There’s some proper nightclubs around the Theater District. Around Quincy Market and North Station you will find more bars that have music at night.

You’re probably right that Pride will attract a lot of people this year, especially since the parade didn’t happen last year due to the organizers dissolving themselves.

Hard to tell how hot it will or won’t be in June. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that there isn’t a freak heat wave when you’re here, but you never know.

I second the jazz club suggestions from earlier. Wally’s is the most historic, but I’ve heard good things about Beehive. Scullers is another you could look into, but it’s a bit out of the way.

Allow me to add a quick plug for the Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library and the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. Both are still very touristy, but I think might not show up on classic lists of “things to do in Boston” as much as Fenway Park, the Freedom Trail, or the Museum of Fine Arts.

If you’re looking to explore neighborhoods that are a bit less touristy, my recommendations would be Central Square in Cambridge or Davis or Union Squares in Somerville. All can be accessed via the subway. Each has a fun collection of restaurants and cafes, but maybe not too much in the way of shopping.

Bow Market in Union Square is a cool little collection of shops, restaurants, and a brewery that could be worth visiting. Also in Union Square, there’s a chocolate company called Taza that gives some tours of their factory.

If you go to Central, there’s a popular barcade called A4cade if that appeals to you as a nightlife option. It’s in the back of a grilled cheese restaurant. Looks like they may have renamed themselves to just “arcade”.

In Davis, you could maybe see a show at the Rockwell Theater. There’s also just a great collection of bars and restaurants in Davis.

I’ll add the disclaimer that Somerville and Cambridge are both separate cities from Boston. They have the same housing vernacular and flow seamlessly with Boston, but they are technically not the same.

If it’s important for you to explore neighborhoods in Boston proper, Jamaica Plain could be worth visiting. Particularly if the weather’s nice, you could rent a rowboat on Jamaica Pond, which is a bit of a walk (but doable) from Green Street Station on the Orange Line. It’s easier, though, if you take the 39 bus.

Castle Island is a neat park in South Boston with an old fort, views of the Harbor, and a famous old hot dog stand. It’s a bit difficult to get to, though, by public transportation.

Alternatively, the waterfront in East Boston is very up-and-coming. The Tall Ship is a bougie restaurant type thing on a boat with really great views of downtown. Piers Park is a nice place to stroll through. Downeast is a popular local cider company with a taproom in East Boston that I’ve heard good things about. All these things are walkable from Maverick Square on the blue line.

If you’re willing to go further afield from the city, I’d recommend a day trip to Salem, MA which can be reached via commuter rail from North Station or by ferry from Long Wharf. The history of the witch trials is cool, but the city also has a great museum (Peabody Essex), some great street art, a nice brewery, etc. Not to mention, if the weather’s nice, the ferry ride could be a treat in and of itself.

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by gf2020

If you think Boston is west of the Mississippi, you will be disappointed.

^^^I was beginning to think I was the only one that saw that mistake. No one else who replied to the OP mentioned it.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

If you’re looking to explore neighborhoods that are a bit less touristy, my recommendations would be Central Square in Cambridge or Davis or Union Squares in Somerville. All can be accessed via the subway. Each has a fun collection of restaurants and cafes, but maybe not too much in the way of shopping.
https://www.bostonlaunchcompany.com/
Bow Market in Union Square is a cool little collection of shops, restaurants, and a brewery that could be worth visiting. Also in Union Square, there’s a chocolate company called Taza that gives some tours of their factory.

Love your post! I just wanted to add to this one, that a lot of these squares are fairly walkable from one another and walking is a great way to get a feel for the area. For example, you can go to Harvard Square in Cambridge and walk through the campus, some of Cambridge’s prettiest and quieter residential streets, the American Academy of Sciences grounds, and on to Union Square in Somerville (with a break at Aeronaut Brewing and/or some good Venezuelan food along the way) in about 30 minutes. Less than 20 if you opt for the straight shot without sight seeing. Bow Market is worth it. There are some neat little bars and restaurants in the area too. Use Google Maps and feel free to detour if something looks interesting. There aren’t many areas in Cambridge or Somerville I would be worried about crime or safety,

Alternatively, the waterfront in East Boston is very up-and-coming. The Tall Ship is a bougie restaurant type thing on a boat with really great views of downtown. Piers Park is a nice place to stroll through. Downeast is a popular local cider company with a taproom in East Boston that I’ve heard good things about. All these things are walkable from Maverick Square on the blue line.

Yeah, it’s a good place for a walk and to stop and get a drink or bite to eat. Tall Ship opens for the season next weekend and is a great spot for views, cornhole, and drinks. Reel House has good views (outdoor patio and bar) and a solid brunch. It’s right on the harbor walk. The new waterfront restaurants (Smoke Shop and MIDA) are coming along but I doubt they’ll be open by June based on the construction progress. Apart from the Blue Line to Maverick, there’s a ferry running every 20 minutes from Long Wharf downtown to Lewis Wharf in East Boston, literally right next to tall ship (more info: https://www.mbta.com/schedules/Boat-...ston/timetable). It costs $2.40 (exactly the same as subway fare) and is a much more pleasant experience than the train. Tall Ship, Reel House, and Pier 6 in Charlestown partner to offer a complimentary water shuttle (https://www.bostonlaunchcompany.com/) between the three places. You could do Charlestown and the Bunker Hill Monument, grab lunch at Pier 6, then take the free water shuttle to Tall Ship or Reel House to walk the Harbor Walk and stop into any of the East Boston destinations. Good coffee at Cafe Iterum and the Coffee Cart (by the beginning of the East Boston Greenway) and Seabiscuit has the amazing Aussie pies that KO used to make.

[MoItaly]

Originally Posted by gf2020

If you think Boston is west of the Mississippi, you will be disappointed.

LOL. Thought one thing, typed the opposite. And I can't even and correct. Oh well..

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

LOL. Thought one thing, typed the opposite. And I can't even and correct. Oh well..

City-Data puts a very short time limit on how long users can make corrections to their posts. I do not understand the logic behind it.

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

Thank you all, much appreciated.
masssachoicetts, thanks for taking the time to post all that; I know what I am going to do after dinner in the next weeks

Is downtown the best place to get the hotel or is it one of those downtowns that after dark become deserted?
What are the best areas for bars-nightlife in Boston? Still downtown?

Thanks again to all who helped.

What kind of bars are you looking for?

The North End (Little Italy) has great slightly formal bars and some cool speakeasy stuff.

The Seaport District has the more uppity bar scene.

The South End has new age bars.

Faneuil Hall area also has more younger scene bars and Irish Bars.

To me, Downtown Boston rarely gets dead as the Downtown is surrounded by super lively neighborhoods (Downtown Crossing, The Seaport, North End, Chinatown, Faneuil Hall)