Headed to Boston

[GrantD]

My wife and I are heading to Boston in a few weeks for out 5th anniversary. We have never been there and are looking for some recommendations. We are flying in on late on a Thursday night and heading out after lunch on a Sunday. We are staying in the Back Bay area. Here are some of the the things we have on our list so far.

- Go over to MIT and Harvard campuses.
- Eat a dinner in little Italy. (Restaurant recommendations are welcome.)
- Maybe go to the Museum of Science
- Check out North Church
- Tour Fenway park. (Not much of a baseball fan, but I have heard it is awesome)
- Maybe check out some of the Freedom trail.

If you have any restaurants or things that you recommend that would be awesome. We like to do about whatever and want to stay busy, but relax too. Can that be done?

The date is going to be at Veteran's day. So I know it will be busy around there.

 

[Wicked Cool Bearded Man]

My wife and I are heading to Boston in a few weeks for out 5th anniversary. We have never been there and are looking for some recommendations. We are flying in on late on a Thursday night and heading out after lunch on a Sunday. We are staying in the Back Bay area. Here are some of the the things we have on our list so far.

- Go over to MIT and Harvard campuses.
- Eat a dinner in little Italy. (Restaurant recommendations are welcome.)
- Maybe go to the Museum of Science
- Check out North Church
- Tour Fenway park. (Not much of a baseball fan, but I have heard it is awesome)
- Maybe check out some of the Freedom trail.

If you have any restaurants or things that you recommend that would be awesome. We like to do about whatever and want to stay busy, but relax too. Can that be done?

The date is going to be at Veteran's day. So I know it will be busy around there.

Try to catch a Bruins game if you like hockey. The TD Garden is a great place to see a game. Faneuil Hall is pretty cool to walk around. I really like walking around the Boston Common or the Charles River too just to people watch. The food at Tresca is pretty good in the North End and not super expensive. It is owned by Ray Bourque and he is often in there eating or having a beer. Really really great guy too. A really pretty golf course that you might want to at least drive up to with some really beautiful views of the city is Granite Links in Quincy. Really pretty links style course over looking the city.

 

[ddxu]

If you will have a car, take a drive to Hopkinton. Hopkinton is the small town where the Boston Marathon course begins. The Boston Marathon is probably the most famous marathon in the world and the town that hosts the start is very small. I'd also check out the Charles river, there will likely be dozens of crew teams rowing the river. Both are cool to see for any sports fan.

 

[GrantD]

Try to catch a Bruins game if you like hockey. The TD Garden is a great place to see a game. Faneuil Hall is pretty cool to walk around. I really like walking around the Boston Common or the Charles River too just to people watch. The food at Tresca is pretty good in the North End and not super expensive. It is owned by Ray Bourque and he is often in there eating or having a beer. Really really great guy too. A really pretty golf course that you might want to at least drive up to with some really beautiful views of the city is Granite Links in Quincy. Really pretty links style course over looking the city.

My wife is not much of hockey fan. I will definitely check out that that restaurant. Sounds good. I am not sure if I will get to the course. We are relying on public transportation. I think that will be a bit far for us to taxi too. Thanks for the recommendations.

If you will have a car, take a drive to Hopkinton. Hopkinton is the small town where the Boston Marathon course begins. The Boston Marathon is probably the most famous marathon in the world and the town that hosts the start is very small. I'd also check out the Charles river, there will likely be dozens of crew teams rowing the river. Both are cool to see for any sports fan.

We are relying on public transportation. So I don't think we can make it up there. Sounds really cool though. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Wicked Cool Bearded Man]

OOOhh - they have harbor cruises too which are really pretty at night. They might have the holiday lights up by then too (not sure). If they are, it is really nice evening for two.

 

[GrantD]

OOOhh - they have harbor cruises too which are really pretty at night. They might have the holiday lights up by then too (not sure). If they are, it is really nice evening for two.

Thanks man I will check those out. That could be good for me!

 

[Wicked Cool Bearded Man]

Thanks man I will check those out. That could be good for me!

Have a great time! And brownie points are always good!

 

[MaryC]

I lived in Boston for 15 yrs. Here's what I would recommend

Duck Tour - best of the city Duck Tours in country.

North End: Dinner at Cantina Italiano on Hanover. Old school restaurant right down to neon Chianti bottle sign. It's where the Bruins & Celtics go after a game. Make reservations or you will wait. Don't have dessert there. Walk down the street to Mike's Pastry. Old school Italian bakery, tie the pastry boxes with string. Order cannoli & a rum cassatta. Walk down street to Christopher Columbus park sit on a bench and have dessert.

Have a Sam Adams beer in the Beantown pub on Tremont St across from the Old Grainary Cemetary and look out the window at Sam Adam's grave. Really, you can. Front window to right of front door.

Go have Boston Cream pie at the Parker House at tea time.

Walk the Freedom Trail in Charlestown and have a proper Irish breakfast at the Warren tavern then do dinner across the river at The Green Dragon in Fanuiel Hall area. Both played important rolls in Revolution, especially the Dragon where the British officers drank and Paul Revere et al held meetings in the attic. Ask to see the knotholes in the ceiling that came out and the Sons of Liberty pressed their ears to.

Watch sunrise from the Charlestown Naval yard with the Constitution as the backdrop

Do brunch at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Sq then walk through the leaves in Harvard Yard, stopping to rub John Harvard's foot for luck & admire the Weidner Library, built in memory of Harry Weidner, a student of a robber baron and who died on the Titanic. Until 1960's students at Harvard had to swim 50yds to graduate because he couldn't swim and his mother who donated the money said it was her wish. Also, Harvard can't change the building because if they do ownership of the building reverts to the Weidner family.

Go have dim sum in Chinatown at China Pearl

Go look at the John Singer Sargent murals in the Public Library.

If you have a car, go out to Concord and Lexington or up to Salem/Peabody

I could go on and on. Beantown is a fantastic city with something for everyone.

Have a wonderful trip & happy anniversary!!

 

[GrantD]

I lived in Boston for 15 yrs. Here's what I would recommend

Duck Tour - best of the city Duck Tours in country.

North End: Dinner at Cantina Italiano on Hanover. Old school restaurant right down to neon Chianti bottle sign. It's where the Bruins & Celtics go after a game. Make reservations or you will wait. Don't have dessert there. Walk down the street to Mike's Pastry. Old school Italian bakery, tie the pastry boxes with string. Order cannoli & a rum cassatta. Walk down street to Christopher Columbus park sit on a bench and have dessert.

Have a Sam Adams beer in the Beantown pub on Tremont St across from the Old Grainary Cemetary and look out the window at Sam Adam's grave. Really, you can. Front window to right of front door.

Go have Boston Cream pie at the Parker House at tea time.

Walk the Freedom Trail in Charlestown and have a proper Irish breakfast at the Warren tavern then do dinner across the river at The Green Dragon in Fanuiel Hall area. Both played important rolls in Revolution, especially the Dragon where the British officers drank and Paul Revere et al held meetings in the attic. Ask to see the knotholes in the ceiling that came out and the Sons of Liberty pressed their ears to.

Watch sunrise from the Charlestown Naval yard with the Constitution as the backdrop

Do brunch at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Sq then walk through the leaves in Harvard Yard, stopping to rub John Harvard's foot for luck & admire the Weidner Library, built in memory of Harry Weidner, a student of a robber baron and who died on the Titanic. Until 1960's students at Harvard had to swim 50yds to graduate because he couldn't swim and his mother who donated the money said it was her wish. Also, Harvard can't change the building because if they do ownership of the building reverts to the Weidner family.

Go have dim sum in Chinatown at China Pearl

Go look at the John Singer Sargent murals in the Public Library.

If you have a car, go out to Concord and Lexington or up to Salem/Peabody

I could go on and on. Beantown is a fantastic city with something for everyone.

Have a wonderful trip & happy anniversary!!

Thanks for the great advice. I will try to work some of that in. That is a lot to do. Haha.


Tapatalkin

 

[Esox]

My niece and her husband use to live in Boston. We visited them one time about 7 years ago. Halloween weekend. They lived in Beacon Hill, and we took my daughter trick or treating. She got a lot of huge candy bars.

We ate two fantastic meals while we there. One I consider one of the best meals I've ever had. It was an Italian Restaurant in the North End. It's still there. I had a veal chop stuffed with porcini mushrooms and scallop risotto. Oh, man, it was unbelievable. Then we walked to Mike's for Boston Creme Pie.

http://www.ristorantelimoncello.com/dinner.html

We also had a fantastic meal at a place in Cambridge called the East Coast Grill. It is owned by Chris Schlessinger, a famous chef who wrote a terrific cook book called Thrill of the Grill. It is a combination BBQ, Raw Bar, Sefood restaurant, and it was really, really, really good. We ordered a wide array of stuff, from ribs to bluefish, and it was great.

http://eastcoastgrill.net/

We also ate at a Todd English restaurant either in or near Freedom Hall. I found it pretentious, pricey, and I left hungry. We do not screw around when it comes to eating when we travel, and those first two meals stand out for me to this day. We also had fun smashing up a whole lobster with a rock and devouring it at a place on the harbor, and if you're so inclined breaded clams in Boston can be to die for.

Kevin

 

[Flooder]

Mary nailed this answer! There are many great restaurants in the North End. I love Tresca which someone else mentioned. Also, Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church, Ben Franklin's birthplace and more are right there in the North End, so you could see those things before/after dinner if you wanted. There's also a walking tour given there which is very interesting Covers some of the above along with some of the cemeteries, etc.

 

[GrantD]

Bump for the morning crowd. Thanks for all the great advice everybody is giving me.

 

[arydolphin]

How did I miss this thread yesterday? dmb, MaryC did a great job in her post, I'm not going to add much more to it. One other place I will add, especially if you and your wife likes the arts, is the Museum of Fine Arts (http://www.mfa.org/), it's easily accessible via public transportation and is a good place to spend a couple of hours, especially if the weather isn't great.

The main reason I'm posting is that my wife and I eat out a lot (probably too much for our own good), so I have a ton of restaurant recommendations. There are way too many to put into a post like this without some context, so drop me a PM with what you like to eat and that sort of thing, and I'll send you some recs based on that. Also let me know if you already have a spot picked out for your anniversary dinner or not. If you're looking to make reservations, most of the better places in the city are on Opentable.com, that will be your friend.

 

[GrantD]

How did I miss this thread yesterday? dmb, MaryC did a great job in her post, I'm not going to add much more to it. One other place I will add, especially if you and your wife likes the arts, is the Museum of Fine Arts (http://www.mfa.org/), it's easily accessible via public transportation and is a good place to spend a couple of hours, especially if the weather isn't great.

The main reason I'm posting is that my wife and I eat out a lot (probably too much for our own good), so I have a ton of restaurant recommendations. There are way too many to put into a post like this without some context, so drop me a PM with what you like to eat and that sort of thing, and I'll send you some recs based on that. Also let me know if you already have a spot picked out for your anniversary dinner or not. If you're looking to make reservations, most of the better places in the city are on Opentable.com, that will be your friend.

Thanks Ary. I will talk to the wife tonight and see what Genre of food she wants for Friday night. I think we are going to head to little Italy on Saturday night at Cantina Italiano. Unless there is some where better. I will PM you later with the details.

 

[One-T]

Dude, you have to go to Cheers...

also...I am surprised not one person said to go to Ye Old Union Oyster House. Its the oldest restaurant in the U.S...( I think). Just walk the red line and you will see a ton.

 

[Ole Gray]

You and your wife have a great trip up there and take us pics of you tourist !

 

[GrantD]

You and your wife have a great trip up there and take us pics of you tourist !

Thanks, I know lots of pics will be taken. We are excited about the trip.

 

[GrantD]

Dude, you have to go to Cheers...

also...I am surprised not one person said to go to Ye Old Union Oyster House. Its the oldest restaurant in the U.S...( I think). Just walk the red line and you will see a ton.

I was planning on going to Cheers. I forgot to put it on the list. Maybe we could do the Oyster House for lunch one day.

 

[arydolphin]

I was planning on going to Cheers. I forgot to put it on the list. Maybe we could do the Oyster House for lunch one day.

If you're going to Cheers, please go to the original one which shouldn't be too far from you if you're staying in the Back Bay. Stay away from the other location in Faneuil Hall.

 

[One-T]

I was planning on going to Cheers. I forgot to put it on the list. Maybe we could do the Oyster House for lunch one day.

the food is awesome. There is a spot at the bar where Sam Adams used to sit and drink beer

 

[GrantD]

If you're going to Cheers, please go to the original one which shouldn't be too far from you if you're staying in the Back Bay. Stay away from the other location in Faneuil Hall.

I will make sure to stay away from the Faneuil Hall one. Thanks

the food is awesome. There is a spot at the bar where Sam Adams used to sit and drink beer

I like Sam. I think I would like to drink where he drank. I tried to get my wife to go on the tour, but she was not down for that. Darn.

 

[scrubs]

Thanks to MaryC for the suggestions. I will definitely check some of those out next time we are in the B.

 

[Hanks]

Get a cup of New England Clam Chowdah at Legal Seafood. Absolute must!


^^^^^^ I Tapped That ^^^^^^

 

[MaryC]

If you're going to Cheers, please go to the original one which shouldn't be too far from you if you're staying in the Back Bay. Stay away from the other location in Faneuil Hall.

DEFINITELY DO NOT do the tourist trap in Faneuil Hall. Do the original, Bull and Finch in Back Bay, but be warned it too is pretty tourist trappy now.

One-T is right about Ye Old Oyster House. Ask to be seated in Nathanial Hawthorne's booth if you do full meal but my favorite place was to sit in the front room at the actual oyster bar, eat oysters on the half shell and have a cup of CHOW-dah ;-)

 

[GrantD]

What is better Legal or Oyster house?