Boston: A perfect city break

Park Street ChurchThe latest guest post on 501 Places is from good friend and fellow St Albans resident Veronica Cooper. Recently home from a trip to the East Coast, Veronica makes her debut in the world of blogging by sharing some of the highlights of her time in one of my favourite US cities: Boston. Over to you, Veronica!

Boston is a small city and you can walk from one end to the other in 30 to 40 minutes.  The parks are beautiful and the old buildings look like some of the historic ones in London.  It made me feel homesick! Here are some of our highlights.

Activities:

1. Walking Tour. On our first day we spent 6 hours walking. I think we had the best introduction to Boston by joining a guided photographic walking tour with Photo Walks on the Freedom Trail.  Our guide Saba was a colourful local with a great photographic eye.  As well as showing us the historic sites, she shared photographic tips that meant our photos were that much more special. Our guided walk finished in the Italian quarter with its lovely cafés and delis.  Way too many places tempting you with lovely things to eat!
Boston massacre memorial
Prior to our walking tour, we met a nice local chap in Starbucks on Newbury Street (who knew London quite well) and gave us some “must sees”.  It is a University town (73 colleges) so lots of young people – very lively.  It happened to be Halloween, which is taken quite seriously in Boston, and loads of people were dressed up in all sorts of costumes; the Beatles, bumble bees and of course witches and devils!

Later we decided we would also follow one of the walks featured in our guidebook around the Beacon Hill area, the oldest part of Boston.  The Museum of African American History is in Beacon Hill, as are a number of historically important sites linked to the Underground Railroad, which was key in aiding slaves to freedom before the civil war.

Fenway Park Press Box2. Fenway Park. On our second day I felt quite jet lagged still so we took it easy.  We had breakfast at Starbucks on Newbury Street and then went off to Fenway Park, the oldest active baseball park in the USA and home of the Boston Red Socks.  It was built in 1912 and as fate would have it, was overlooked as it was the same week the Titanic sank.  You could really feel the history, especially when you sat in the tiny original wooden seats.

3. Basketball. Sunday night we headed to the TD Garden to see the Boston Celtics play the New Orleans Hornets. They won – what a great atmosphere!  The Americans really join in on the fun and it was very lively.  They even had a presentation to a local hero during the game… a little boy who had saved his family in a fire.  I had to hold back the tears.

Boston Skyline from Fenway Park4. Harbor Cruise and Charestown Navy Yard. We took the Constitution Cruise with Boston Habor Cruises. This scenic cruise is about 45 minutes round trip and gives you views of Boston’s skyline as it heads out to the historic Charlestown Navy Yard, home to “Old Ironside” the USS Constitution, Naval Museum and WWII destroyer the USS Cassin Young and Bunker Hill. We disembarked at the naval yard and joined a free tour of the USS Cassin Young, led by a very knowledgeable park ranger.  It was a real eye-opener to see the cramped conditions so many men had to live in during WWII and beyond.  Picking up the next cruise an hour later, we continued around the harbour taking in views of the East Boston Piers and the Inner Harbor.

5. Harvard. We spent a whole afternoon at Harvard, and it really exceeded my expectations, especially the Business School campus. We joined the official student led free walking tour, providing an insight into life on the world-famous campus, while sharing some of the key sites and historic background. Anecdotes included the Robinson Gate (circa 1908) which students believe is unlucky to walk through except upon their arrival and on graduation, and “the statue of three lies”.  Apparently the bronze statue of John Harvard is in fact someone else, it refers to him as the founder when in fact he was the first major benefactor not founder and the date referred to as Harvard’s founding is also wrong! Doesn’t bode well if the best university in the world can’t get its own start date right!!! It seems they do have a good sense of humour!

The Business School campus was out of this world.  The buildings and landscaping are perfectly maintained with many aged trees, their leaves on fire with autumn colours.  There wasn’t a soul around, it was silent and still.  It was surreal – I felt like I had walked onto the set of an epic period movie.

6. New England Aquarium. On our last day we had been told by friends that we had to see the aquarium in Boston so we headed to the New England Aquarium on the harbour front.  The internal structure itself is quite unique – there is a central tank several stories tall with a ramp wrapped around it.  As you ascend or descend there is a great variety of ocean dwelling species to view at the various levels.  Away from the tank there are other exhibits including penguins and seals and of course live animal presentations, seal training sessions and feeding times.

Eating and Drinking

1. Jasper White’s Summer Shack. I had clam chowder (which was lovely) and 2 x 1lb lobsters (that was the portion size…I did not ask for double and to be honest 1lb would have been enough)!  You cannot imagine the mess I made…good job they give you a bib!  It was really good but I wouldn’t want to try it at home!

Boston Ts2. Boston Beer Works. After our tour of Fenway Park, we went to the Boston Beer Works for a late lunch.  They brew a good selection of seasonal beers on site and have a comprehensive menu.  The service was average but the beer was good!

3. Cheers Bar. Of course a visit to Boston would not be complete without the tradition of having a beer at the bar “where everyone knows your name”, Cheers! There are two sites, the original in Beacon Hill upon which the famous TV series was based and a Replica bar at Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market.  We hung out a few times at the Replica bar.  The service, selection of beers and the bar menu was very good (the clam chowder was excellent).

Transport tip

We headed for the airport using the City Water Taxi service from the harbour front.  As well as views of the Boston skyline at night from the harbour, it was a fast and economical way to get the airport (a shuttle bus service runs regularly from the dock takes you to the terminal buildings).

Overall, I loved Boston.  It is a compact, clean, fun city without being claustrophobic.  There is much to see and do for everyone and you can walk pretty much everywhere.  There are many beautiful public spaces and lots of historic walks.  It looks European with its old buildings, avenues and parks but feels vibrant and youthful, making the most of every day!  I look forward to my next visit!

About Veronica

Veronica was born and raised in Canada and has lived in the UK for the last 20 years.  She loves walking, talking, eating, drinking, dancing and travel.

Veronica advises organisations on the retention and development of talented women. You can visit her site at www.boomerangresources.co.uk and follow her on Twitter.

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5 Responses to “Boston: A perfect city break”

  1. So glad you enjoyed Boston. Good old Beantown is one of my most beloved places on the planet! Next time you’re there take the short trek out to Brookline – JFK’s old stomping ground. Just jump on the C-line T, and get off at Coolidge corner. And check out Zaftig’s on Harvard Street while your there. And then the Public House on Washington Square, Beacon Street. And then Giacomo’s in the North End. And then the Barking Crab on the waterfront. Ahhhhhh….. I love Boston too much! :)

    January 15, 2010 at 2:42 pm Reply
  2. Les #

    I think I need to visit Boston after this. Thanks for the info.

    January 15, 2010 at 9:58 pm Reply
  3. Patti Shears #

    You wrote such a great tour report that I feel like I was there. Inspiring for a vist in the future. Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it so much.

    January 17, 2010 at 11:43 pm Reply
  4. Zoe – thank you for you comment and suggestions. I am sure our readers will be brimming with ideas of what to do when they head to Beantown!

    Les & Patti – thank you for your comments. Definitely put it on near the top of your list of places to visit! You will love it!!

    Warm wishes,
    Veronica

    January 19, 2010 at 11:35 am Reply
  5. Mona Furst #

    Veronica, we were in Boston on Halloween 2009 also! It was so warm and beautiful. I loved the park people in costumes, especially the kids running around Boston Common. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood, and were so friendly. I am glad you mentioned Bunker Hill. It gave me a thrill to see the view and image the battle and what those men stood for, and should be a definite stop on any tour.

    An area we really enjoyed was Chinatown, by the hospital. Pho, pho everywhere, and all of it lovely. Ye Old Oyster House had great chowder, oysters, and you can ask to sit in JFK’s regular booth. It is upstairs, and you can just go look at it even if you do not want eat. We also tried the Summer Shack and Barking Crab, but were not as thrilled with them as Zooey. Had horrible service and cold food at the latter. We also went by Giancomo’s, but ended up eating at Mother Anna’s on Hanover Street. It was wonderful…as you can tell, food is important in our family!

    March 15, 2010 at 1:11 am Reply

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