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I am traveling through North America in August (the entire month) with a friend of mine that lives in the United States. It will be just two of us and we have a very simple plan for our trip; just to have fun.
I've already made a thread in the Toronto forum back in February where I was inquiring on things to experience in the city this time around. Just to make it clear, we will be going to ALL of these cities, so this thread isn't about people suggesting which ones to go to. We're going to them all and several dozens more that aren't listed in this thread.
Just looking to weed out some activities and events that we can participate in or experience when we're in these places. Also trying to get a good perspective on things to do in these cities by posters that live in them or have extensive experience in them.
So here is some stuff I have questions on;
- Events: what events are there available to the general public in August?
- Food: What to recommend, where to eat (neighborhood), what to try before leaving, how would you rate the culinary experience of the city?
- Nightlife: What type of scene and where in the city to go?
- Views: Exactly as it reads, the best place to get views of the city (possibly panoramic views) from some vista or higher elevation or some building or something?
- Infrastructure: Well you people are the ones living there. What roads to avoid driving on due to traffic, congestion, construction, or just outright inferior aesthetic quality and severe damage? How reliable is public transit while getting around the city? Can I go to every relevant area in the city via public transit?
- Parks and people: I like to see what people are like in cities I visit, you know, how they sound, what their values and beliefs are, so on and so forth. So active areas to just "people watch" would be great suggestions. Good and active public parks also interest me, especially when they have a lot of amenities to offer (views, diversity in plants, pretty landscaping, castles, zoos, architecture, history, stuff like that).
- Scenic areas nearby: Scenic areas nearby that are worth seeing. We definitely want to do this in every city we step foot in, it gives us the ultimate perspective of what life has to offer in each place, we're outdoorsy people and like being out in nature and wildlife. So big plus for us. Mountains? Ocean? Cool stuff?
- Suburbs: Like I mentioned already, we have a knack for seeing what people live in everywhere we go. We also like to get in the car, drive around a bit in every city we visit, especially looking at homes and very nice/cutesie suburbs to get an idea of what people live like in the area.
- Neighborhoods: Similar to "suburbs" mentioned above. We'd like to see some special urban neighborhoods that resonate culturally and socially with what the city is all about. We absolutely prefer these neighborhoods to be urban, walkable, amenity rich, vibrant, interesting, and finally transit accessible but should they lack in one or more categories, that's also fine. You can still list it, just don't name a dump, please.
- College campuses: No trip is complete for me until I see the architecture, surroundings, or get a feel of the premier colleges and/or universities in a city or metropolitan area. Which ones in these cities are the absolute most joyous to visit with regards to architecture, history, vibrancy, and overall fun and neat things to do around them (August is when school students start moving back in as it is, so we will use the opportunity presented to us in this trip).
- Best waterfront area: Best area to experience the city's most prominent stretch of waterfront, if the city has one.
I have been to every single city in this thread, my friend however has not. He's left me in charge of putting together an itinerary of sites and places to go and experience in each city. We're still several months out from our trip but might as well get started with the inquiries sooner than later.
Thanks in advance for the suggestions. Feel free to add in other stuff you think we should do in these cities on our trip. Stuff like that helps. Like I mentioned earlier, we are going to every single one of these cities and several dozen more, we're seeing majority of the urban centers over a million in the entire Eastern half of the North American continent. I just didn't feel it necessary to include New York in this thread, even though we are going there as well, we will completely wing that one and look forward to doing that. Places like Chicago, Miami, and Washington D.C. I will not ask about because either myself or my friend already have living experience in them, so its not necessary for us to ask about what we already know about.
Just as an aside, we're not completely sure of the viability of total "fun" that we can have on this trip. That's essentially all we're looking for this August. Like I mentioned, most of these cities will be a first time experience for my friend but I've seen all of them before multiple times. So it is nothing new for me.
We also have a Plan B in the works as well, where we just disband this eastern half of North America trip in favor of doing a trip to South Korea instead. However, we are still not sure and our plans are still very much in developmental stages. We'll be going to Toronto regardless of which plan we settle with (as we'll fly to Seoul from Toronto itself) but the other cities are not a definite yet. We're still brainstorming.
We're looking to see if we can find enough exciting/fun/interesting things to do in our trip total to where we junk our South Korea plans in favor of keeping the North America trip alive.
So the suggestions and stuff like that can potentially go a long way. Again, we're still in the brainstorming phase right now but looking to wrap that up soon, we have to start booking things as soon as possible.
I am traveling through North America in August (the entire month) with a friend of mine that lives in the United States. It will be just two of us and we have a very simple plan for our trip; just to have fun.
I've already made a thread in the Toronto forum back in February where I was inquiring on things to experience in the city this time around. Just to make it clear, we will be going to ALL of these cities, so this thread isn't about people suggesting which ones to go to. We're going to them all and several dozens more that aren't listed in this thread.
Just looking to weed out some activities and events that we can participate in or experience when we're in these places. Also trying to get a good perspective on things to do in these cities by posters that live in them or have extensive experience in them.
So here is some stuff I have questions on;
- Events: what events are there available to the general public in August?
Without looking at a calendar- plenty. Boston, Detroit, Toronto and Montreal are northern cities and tend to cram as much as possible into their short summer months. There's bound to be plenty going on in/around both cities. I know there are dozens of seafood festivals in metro Boston area in August. I'm sure Atlanta has plenty going on too. I always google ______ events calendar before I travel.
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- Food: What to recommend, where to eat (neighborhood), what to try before leaving, how would you rate the culinary experience of the city?
Montreal is my favorite of the bunch for food. The Quebecois tend to do a lot well and a lot of it is rich and heavy. I had a venison tartare in Montreal that was out of this world. Obviously there's poutine, but on an 85/90 degree day you'll have the gravy sweats like nobody's business.
Toronto has the best ethnic mix of any city on your list. I'm not the right person to tell you where to look though. Compare Portuguese in Toronto to the Portuguese in the Boston area for me though. I think the primary difference is that Toronto has more mainland places whereas Massachusetts specializes in Azorean cuisine.
Boston's strength is seafood. Yes, do the cliche clam shack and lobster roll. Also make it a point to find a waterfront venue with a patio or deck and try fresh local catch like New Bedford scallops, Roasted Skate Wing, Local Oysters, Littlenecks on the half shell, etc. In town, check out Neptune Oyster. Drive a little ways out of town and try the Red Dory in Tiverton RI for waterfront (well, across the street from the water) and excellent local produce and seafood.
Detroit has great middle eastern food. Again, I'm not knowledgeable enough to recommend locations, but someone else may be able to.
Atlanta wins in the soul food department. And BBQ.
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- Nightlife: What type of scene and where in the city to go?
Montreal is probably the wildest of the bunch. St. Catherine's is the haven for the u-21 crowd. There are plenty of places worth going all over the center of town. Just explore on your own.
In the summer in Boston, I'd consider focusing on the Seaport district and its roof decks and patios overlooking the water. Drinks at the Envoy, Legal Harborside, Terrace at Tamo, Remy's, 75 on Liberty Wharf, etc. all have good outdoor spaces. Maybe kick it off with a brewery tour at nearby Harpoon. American Fresh Brewhouse at Assembly Row is nice too (in Somerville).
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- Views: Exactly as it reads, the best place to get views of the city (possibly panoramic views) from some vista or higher elevation or some building or something?
Tough to beat Mont Royal, but the view from The Montreal Tower is pretty awesome too.
Boston has good views from the Top of the Hub at Prudential Center. Grab a drink and enjoy the view. Blue Hills in Milton/Quincy have excellent views of Boston too and give you a little taste of the woods close to the city. I'd suggest the Boston Harbor Islands for the most unique perspective though. Even a water taxi between Logan and Rowe's Wharf is nice.
Toronto has the CN Tower which is one of the highest observatories in the world.
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- Infrastructure: Well you people are the ones living there. What roads to avoid driving on due to traffic, congestion, construction, or just outright inferior aesthetic quality and severe damage? How reliable is public transit while getting around the city? Can I go to every relevant area in the city via public transit?
In Boston, Montreal, and Toronto, transit is good enough to get around the city and see most of the sites. The others? Eh. A car would be better. Skip the major highways and thoroughfares at rush hour in all of them.
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- Parks and people: I like to see what people are like in cities I visit, you know, how they sound, what their values and beliefs are, so on and so forth. So active areas to just "people watch" would be great suggestions. Good and active public parks also interest me, especially when they have a lot of amenities to offer (views, diversity in plants, pretty landscaping, castles, zoos, architecture, history, stuff like that).
In Boston, Columbus Park, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, Faneuil Hall (though not technically a park), the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Charles River Esplanade all fit the bill.
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- Scenic areas nearby: Scenic areas nearby that are worth seeing. We definitely want to do this in every city we step foot in, it gives us the ultimate perspective of what life has to offer in each place, we're outdoorsy people and like being out in nature and wildlife. So big plus for us. Mountains? Ocean? Cool stuff?
In Boston, the Harbor Islands, Blue Hills, Cape Cod (Provincetown Ferry from Boston), Rockport, Newburyport, Salem, etc. are all beautiful and can all be accessed without a car. If you're there for a few days, my suggestion would be to take an AM ferry to Provincetown and a PM ferry back. While there rent a bike (or get a cab) and head to Race Point Beach. One of the few places in the East where there's a good chance you'll see a whale from shore. Either that or just walk around Provincetown. Renting a car and doing a day trip to Franconia Notch is worth it too.
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- Suburbs: Like I mentioned already, we have a knack for seeing what people live in everywhere we go. We also like to get in the car, drive around a bit in every city we visit, especially looking at homes and very nice/cutesie suburbs to get an idea of what people live like in the area.
Check out Newburyport, Lexington/Concord, Salem, Marblehead, Hingham, Newton, etc. There are plenty of cutesy suburbs in the Boston area.
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- Neighborhoods: Similar to "suburbs" mentioned above. We'd like to see some special urban neighborhoods that resonate culturally and socially with what the city is all about. We absolutely prefer these neighborhoods to be urban, walkable, amenity rich, vibrant, interesting, and finally transit accessible but should they lack in one or more categories, that's also fine. You can still list it, just don't name a dump, please.
Easy in Boston. North End, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, South End, Chinatown, and Fenway are all within walking distance of downtown Boston and have plenty to see and do. I'd also suggest taking the T to Harvard Square, Davis Square, Teele Square (walk from Davis or find a bus), Inman Square (uber/cab/bus), Charlestown (Orange Line), Broadway/South Boston, Centre Street (at Burroughs) in Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Coolidge Corner, Cleveland Circle, Newton Center, Central Square, Brookline Village, and plenty of others.
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- College campuses: No trip is complete for me until I see the architecture, surroundings, or get a feel of the premier colleges and/or universities in a city or metropolitan area. Which ones in these cities are the absolute most joyous to visit with regards to architecture, history, vibrancy, and overall fun and neat things to do around them (August is when school students start moving back in as it is, so we will use the opportunity presented to us in this trip).
There are plenty, Harvard is the obvious one. MIT is worth it. Boston College has a more traditional NewEngland Campus. UMass Boston isn't great but it's waterfront and has the JFK and Ted Kennedy Libraries. Pass on BU or Northeastern unless you're already in the area.
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- Best waterfront area: Best area to experience the city's most prominent stretch of waterfront, if the city has one.
Harborwalk throughout Boston is nice. I like the Seaport District for waterfront areas. The Fort Point Channel is nice as is the Charles River Esplanade. You'll find that Boston could do a better job with its waterfront. Long Wharf next to the Aquarium is nice for relaxing.
Food: As you know I posted in your other thread about where to find inexpensive eats around the city. Focusing on the mid range now, if I had to pick my Top 10 must eat places in Boston now:
As mentioned in the earlier food thread I hit on the more mom and pop "ethnic" places and also cheaper more traditional Boston food places. This is more a top 10 of newer school places that are creating great food in the area.
The Woodward Dream Cruise is August 15th so if you want to be in a traffic jam of classic American cars, be sure to drive up Woodward from Detroit that day. That would be about the biggest event for the month. Even if you don't drive up Woodward Avenue, you're sure to see classic cars all over the place. There's usually spin-off events that occur throughout the month centered around classic cars.
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