I've got 29 hours in Boston. where should I stay, what should I do?

zootown wrote:

If the BoSox are home, a game at Fenway is a great experience!!!

Thats what i'd do if I were there...

You said in an earlier post that you're staying at the Red Roof in Mansfield. If that's true, you definitely don't want to take the Franklin Line train, as someone suggested (I don't think there's a Franklin stop within 10 miles of there). The Mansfield stop on the Providence/Stoughton Line (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=PROVSTOU) is less than a mile down 106 (Chauncy St) from the Red Roof. If you're going into Boston on Sunday you should know that trains only run every 2 hours, with the last train from Boston leaving at about 11 p.m. And be careful on Monday because not all trains stop at Mansfield. Get off at either Back Bay or South Station, the last two stops.

Only a Yankees fan would suggest Cheesecake Factory or Cheers. Those are two of the only places you can walk into wearing a Yanks hat and not expect to get punched in the face by some guy named Sully (because nobody there will actually be from Boston).

The Black Rose is a decent Irish Pub, but the whole Fanueil Hall area is going to be swarmed with tourists. I'm a big fan of the Warren Tavern (est. 1780) in Charlestown (http://www.warrentavern.com) if you want to stray from downtown. You have to take the subway (orange line) up there, but the food is good, the view is amazing and there are some cool historical sites in the area. The Institute of Contemporary Art (http://www.icaboston.org) on the waterfront is pretty cool if you're into art.

Providence has some great restaurants, too (must be all those Johnson & Wales grads) and it's a shorter train ride. Also, their strip clubs are much better than Boston's. I'm just sayin'.

I_Got_Shit wrote:

You said in an earlier post that you're staying at the Red Roof in Mansfield. If that's true, you definitely don't want to take the Franklin Line train, as someone suggested (I don't think there's a Franklin stop within 10 miles of there). The Mansfield stop on the Providence/Stoughton Line (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=PROVSTOU) is less than a mile down 106 (Chauncy St) from the Red Roof. If you're going into Boston on Sunday you should know that trains only run every 2 hours, with the last train from Boston leaving at about 11 p.m. And be careful on Monday because not all trains stop at Mansfield. Get off at either Back Bay or South Station, the last two stops.

Only a Yankees fan would suggest Cheesecake Factory or Cheers. Those are two of the only places you can walk into wearing a Yanks hat and not expect to get punched in the face by some guy named Sully (because nobody there will actually be from Boston).

The Black Rose is a decent Irish Pub, but the whole Fanueil Hall area is going to be swarmed with tourists. I'm a big fan of the Warren Tavern (est. 1780) in Charlestown (http://www.warrentavern.com) if you want to stray from downtown. You have to take the subway (orange line) up there, but the food is good, the view is amazing and there are some cool historical sites in the area. The Institute of Contemporary Art (http://www.icaboston.org) on the waterfront is pretty cool if you're into art.

Providence has some great restaurants, too (must be all those Johnson & Wales grads) and it's a shorter train ride. Also, their strip clubs are much better than Boston's. I'm just sayin'.

Good post. Especially about the train. I said "Franklin" but I was just winging it. I didn't check into the stops on the Prov. line.

You should get in contact with me because I'm in the same situation! (Short time in town, traveling alone (essentially), never been there before, no car, no idea what to do...blah blah blah)

stupidcorporatewhore wrote:

Like some of you, I am staying in Mansfield saturday and monday. I am looking forward to spending an evening in Boston on Sunday and monday afternoon.

My questions are these: What train do I take into the city from Mansfield, what stop do I get off at to find the most fun things to do without a car?

Also If anyone has a suggesstion as to a place to stay I would appreciate any help! Also, I'll have an Irishman in tow, so I'll need a good Irish pub!

Thanks all

It really depends what your interests are. there is pretty much something for everyone, like any large city.

taking the train from mansfield will be simple. it's called the Commuter Rail and is depicted in purple on train and subway maps. I know that the train from mansfield pulls into south station, which is right downtown. I'm not sure if it stops at other commuter rail stations in the city. However the subway (the T) is EXTREMELY user friendly. You can do anything in and around boston without a car. Also keep in mind that Boston "proper" is pretty small and a lot of city stuff is located in Cambridge (across the river where harvard and MIT are) and even parts of Somerville. This is all a relatively small area. One area that is slightly more difficult to get to by T but is still totally walkable from the nearest stop is Inman Square in Cambridge. It's a really funky little area with some good restaurants, bars, shops. I think it's often overlooked. It's definitely a slightly "grittier" experience than the usual touristy places in boston, and I'm not sure if that's what I'd do if I had *1* day here, but if you're into like dive bars and coffee shops, it could be an option. Most of Cambridge is more like that.

As for Irish pubs, there are plenty. However, the really authentic ones are not really located in the most touristy areas. there are a TON of Irish Pubs in the Financial district/Faneuil Hall Area , however these are the touristy/expensive places that financial types/just-21s frequent after work. My *personal* favorite irish pub is located in Cambridge. It's called The Field and is located on Massachusetts ave right by the Central Square T stop. this pub is frequented by a ton of irish expats. another one is the Burren in Davis Square, Somerville, a little bit further out on the redline. There are also a lot in the Allston area of Boston- off the green line by BU. And there is supposedly a great one in Jamaica Plain, though I can't remember the name if anyone else here can fill that in.

otherwise:
"pretty" walking around stuff might include the Back Bay (Newbury Street, Public Gardens), Harvard Sq and Walking by the Charles River
Informative stuff might include: Museum of Science (cambridge, red or green lines), New England Aquarium (waterfront, blueline), Museum of Fine Arts (greenline, Huntington Ave), Fenway Park Tours (greenline, Kenmore Sq- they go like every half hour from the big souvenier shop), Freedom Trail (basically a line painted on the sidewalk that goes past all the historical sites), Duck Tours (I *think* they still come out of Boylston street, back bay. I have heard they are really fun).

Food:
Italian- the North End. Just go there even if you're not hungry.
there's good food pretty much everywhere otherwise.

Rock Clubs:
I think the Middle East on Mass Ave in Cambridge (Central Square) is generally the best bet- there's not a ton of rock clubs left in this city)

Shopping:
Downtown Crossing, Newbury Street

Ok, I think that pretty much exhausts where i've taken visitors in the past. PM me if you need anymore info. I can pretty much answer most questions about the area.

I'm staying in Boston after Mansfield II for four days. I want to avoid driving in Boston (as I've heard it's a pain in the ass) and paying astronomical parking fees, so I plan to park at an overnight parking lot at one of the MBTA stations (Alewife Station) and take the subway in. I was wondering, do MBTA stations tend to fill up? Could I show up mid-day and get a parking spot or do I have to either get there early in the a.m. or wait until the evening?

Thanks.

(By the way, there are some great suggestions in this thread.)

kh65 wrote:

Dude, he said "Irish" bars and for someone from out of town who doesn't know the area and not make them run all over the place I came up with those because they are easy to find. Duh. You have them bouncing all over the fucking place. They only have 1 day and they don't know the area. BTW, Giacaomo's is overrated. Just because they have a huge line outside doesn't make it good.

1) the "irish bars" in faneiul hall are not irish bars. they're bars with irish names that attract tons of tourists. my suggestions were simply based on a good pint and a good time. if you wanted to send him to an irish bar, his only luck would be in southie because all of the "irish bars" in the main downtown area are no longer true irish pubs.

2) everything i listed is either along mass ave (back bay or cambridge) and therefore along the #1 bus route, along the green line (back bay, the north end and fenway), or with walking distance of either (beacon hill). boston's a small city - this person could easily grab lunch in the north end, hang out in beacon hill and the back bay during the afternoon, then head to the last drop or the people's republic for some pints.

3) you hit giacomo's early enough, there is no line. i never waited longer than 20 minutes for a table there. to call giacomo's overrated is simply to hate something because it makes you feel good to reject something that's popular. they have fresh seafood, fresh pasta, great sauces, fantastic appetizers, a great environment and they serve authentic fare. i know there are other great italian joints in the north end, but giacomo's is NOT overrated simply because it gets crowded on the weekend.

giventoflyjbs wrote:

Whoever suggested going to bars in Quincy Market should be shot.

If you want a good bar, go to the Last Drop on Marlborough and Massachusetts or People's Republic on Massachusetts in Cambridge.

oo, yes, hit The Field and then walk down to the People's Republik, then take the T to the Burren .