Here are all of my suggestions for having a wicked fun time in Beantown.
For those of you who know me, know that I am not originally from Boston. However, Boston is my home and I love that dirty water. In the five years that I have been living in this city I have had many friends and family from home come visit. Since I have had so many visitors, I have basically perfected two things: the art of being a tour guide and prioritization so that my guests have the opportunity to see all of the main highlights during their weekend stay with me. Here is a breakdown of what a typical weekend with my guests looks like!
If the weather is nice, we walk! Boston is a super walkable city and I'm fortunate enough to live in the Fenway/Brookline area so we can hit all of the main spots while we walk down Boylston Street.
Day One | Fenway
First stop, Fenway Park and Landsdowne Street. If it's baseball season, be sure to catch a game at Fenway. For those of you like me who don't care for baseball, go anyway. Watching a game at Fenway is an experience in and of itself, plus for many people it's a bucket list item! Right next to Fenway, you'll find Landsdowne Street which is home to the concert venue House of Blues, and plenty of pubs. If you would rather catch any Boston sports games on the TV, head to one of these pubs! Also, if you're looking for good food near Fenway, be sure to check out a hidden gem, Audubon Bar on Beacon Street. I affectionately refer to it as Audi, and the food and the people there are amazing. Make sure to tell them I sent you :)
The Pru
Next, go to the Prudential Center for some shopping, food, and views! The Prudential Center is affectionately known as the North Star of Boston, rightfully so because no matter where you are in the city if you can locate the Pru, you can find your way home. Also, the Pru happens to be the second tallest building in Boston and is home to the SkyWalk Observatory and Top of the Hub restaurant. The sprawling views of the city are unparalleled and the dessert at the Top of the Hub is to die for!
From the Pru, continue walking down Boylston Street to admire the Boston Public Library, the Boston Marathon finish line, the Boston Marathon Bombing Memorial, and Copley Square.
Copley
At Copley Square, take a left and head toward Newbury Street! Newbury Street boasts some of the best shopping and is a famous street for tourists and taking instagram pictures.
Public Garden
Newbury Street ends and leads you right into the Boston Public Garden. The Boston Public Garden is stunning no matter what season it is. The Public Garden is where you will find the famous Swan Boats and the bench that Robin Williams and Matt Damon sat on while filming a scene in Good Will Hunting. What I love to do is grab a delicious cupcake from Georgetown Cupcakes on Newbury and find a bench in the Garden to people watch, admire the flowers, and enjoy a still moment. It's perfect for taking selfies with your significant other too :)
Beacon Hill
After walking through the Public Gardens, I then take my visitors to Beacon Hill or to the Boston Commons. When I take my guests to Beacon Hill we typically go to see the original TV series 'Cheers' filming location/restaurant and pop in and out of shops while we make our way to Acorn Street, the most photographed street in Boston! Acorn Street is beautiful in the fall, so make sure you visit then. Gotta get a good IG pic, am I right?
The Commons
If we skip Beacon Hill and go straight to the Boston Commons, we typically walk around and check out what is happening. Oftentimes, there is some sort of festival or historic reenactment occurring. Here, you can also find the Frog Pond and make way for ducklings statues.
After walking through the Boston Commons, you will have a lot of options for where to head next! I usually leave this part up to my guests. You can head toward Chinatown for some yummy food, you can go to Downtown Crossing for more shopping, you can head to one of the many theaters right there in the Theater District to catch a show, or you can head toward the State House and the Freedom Trail to walk through history.
The Freedom Trail
One of the charms Boston has besides for its sports culture is its history! If you remember from your high school history class, Boston was one of the main stages for the Revolutionary War in the late 1700s. Because of this, Boston is home to many historic sites that you can visit by following the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a red line found on the pavement for tourists to follow in order to walk the footsteps of history. For example, if you are walking from the Commons you can easily walk through Kings Chapel Burying Ground and Granary Burying Ground which is the final resting place of Samuel Adams. From there, you can continue following the Freedom Trail and walk through Government Center to State Street and the North End.
Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market
On State Street you will find the Old State House, site of the Boston Massacre. Just a hop and skip away is Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market where you will find lots more food and shopping. From there you can walk toward the water, check out the New England Aquarium, and the Greenway Carousel in the Rose Kennedy Greenway Park. I especially love the area near the Holocaust Memorial where you can find the oldest tavern, the Bell in Hand, among others with live music, great seafood, and drinks on tap!
The North End
I think my favorite place in Boston is the North End. The North End is essentially "Little Italy" and is home to some of the most amazing pasta I have ever eaten (outside of Italy). Every time my boyfriend comes to visit we make sure to eat out in the North End! Our favorite restaurant is La Famiglia Giorgio on Salem Street. La Famiglia serves up family size portions of homemade goodness! I cannot recommend this place enough. They do not take reservations as they go on a first come first serve basis, so if you want to give them a try make sure to budget your time wisely. What was once my own well kept secret has now turned into a very popular food spot with wait times of an hour or more! Pro tip: try not to fill up completely on pasta, save some room for a cannoli! Head one street over to Hanover Street and Mike's Pastry for the best cannoli of your life! Mike's Pastry is renowned for their cannolis and they have over 20 different flavors to try from. One of my favorite things to do is grab a pastry from Mike's and head three blocks up the street to the Paul Revere Mall. I enjoy grabbing a seat at the fountain, admiring the Paul Revere Statue and Old North Church while devouring my cannoli.
The Nightlife
At this point, it's been a full day so we usually head to the T and go back to my
apartment to get off of our feet and enjoy a glass of wine. However, for those of us who are still rearing to go, no trip to Boston is complete without hitting up one of the clubs. Boston is a college town and has plenty of options when it comes to nightlife so if you feel up for hitting the dance floor, check out some of my personal favorites Tavern in the Square, Howl at the Moon, or Landsdowne.
Day Two | Paris Creperie
When you're well rested and ready for day two, what better way to start your day than with a crepe? Head to the Paris Creperie in Coolidge Corner for a sweet or savory crepe. My go-to order is the strawberry nutella crepe with their nutella hot chocolate. In the words of Donna from the TV show 'Parks & Rec' ... TREAT YO SELF!
Museums
If you're looking to have a more relaxed day, I would suggest checking out the MFA or Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. Both museums have stunning works of art; including my favorite style of art called impressionism. Other lesser well known points of interest you could also check out are the Mapparium, the Atheneum, or the Paul Revere house. If you enjoy geography, culture, and travel the Mapparium is a hidden gem. It only costs $5 and 20 minutes of your time to check out!
Hahvahd
Other fun things to do are take a trip over to Cambridge to check out Harvard Square and walk around Harvard University's campus. Taking a walk around and exploring the area shops and coffee shops is laid back way to see new things.
Breweries
Last but not least, don't leave Boston without checking out Downeast Cider or Samuel Adams Brewery. Take a tour, sit down for a tasting and stay awhile. My personal favorite is Downeast, a local cider company and it is home to my all-time favorite cider, aside from Orchard Thieves Cider from Ireland.
Seasonal Activities | Sports Games
No matter what time of year you come to Boston, you will not be disappointed. Each season has something to offer! Whether it's baseball season, hockey season.... JK. However, heading to one of Boston's sports games is a great way to immerse yourself in Boston's culture! Plus, TD Garden is an awesome venue.
Salem
The most popular time to visit New England is during the fall, but each season is beautiful in its own way. However, fall is a lot of fun because the changing leaves adds an extra beauty to the city, its the end of baseball season, and there are Halloween festivities happening. Most specifically, if you visit in late October, be sure to take the commuter rail train 35 minutes to Salem during spooky season! Salem is known for its history of witches, here the Salem Witch Trials happened among other things. Take a ghost tour, check out the Salem Witch Museum to learn about the history of the witch trials and witches, and see the filming location of Halloween movie classic Hocus Pocus. This day trip will be sure to put you in the spooky Halloween spirit.
The Lawn on D
If you come to Boston during the late spring-summer-early fall be sure to add the Lawn on D to your list of stops. The Lawn on D is essentially a giant lawn party in the city. It has light swings, a fully stocked bar, corn hole, a dance floor, and other lawn games for entertainment. The light swings are very unique and again will help step up your instagram game.
It's hard to narrow down just everything to do during a weekend in Boston, but my guests and I have enjoyed all of the aforementioned activities. Boston has a lot to offer and is great for everyone and for people of all interests. Once you visit, you won't want to go home and you'll begin to understand why Boston is the place to be. I hope you enjoy your time visiting my home!
xx,
The Blue Eyed Bostonian
*Note: This is not an ad or sponsorship. The names of places I chose to mention are from my own personal preference and experience.
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