Boston first timers // end-January

Old Jan 8th, 2009, 04:27 AM
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Boston first timers // end-January

My wife and I are flying into Boston (from Europe) for 48 hours at the end of January for a short hospital visit at Brigham and women's.

We'll be landing at 3pm on the Thursday and leaving at 7pm on the Saturday. We're staying at the Clarendon Square Inn.

As the visit to Brigham and women's will only take up a few hours between noon and 2pm on the friday, we were hoping to make the very most of our first ever visit to Boston (jetlag and snow permitting...)

On the Thursday I thought we could shake off the jetlag with a stroll around Boston Common and then have a quiet dinner not too far from Clarendon Square (any suggestions? japanese, viet or thai being favourites).

On the Friday morning I thought we could have a look through the museum of fine arts and the isabella stewart gardner museum before heading to the hospital. In the afternoon perhpas a walk around back bay for shops and galleries. A suggested Friday night haunt for a romantic (non-wheat based) dinner for two?

On the Saturday morning head out to Cambridge for a look around and maybe a late brunch before heading back to pick up our bags in time for our 7pm flight...

Any thoughts suggestions welcome (this will also be my wife's first time anywhere in the US other than NYC!)

bc

brusselschap is offline  
Old Jan 8th, 2009, 05:08 AM
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I was not familiar with your inn, but the reviews on TripAdvisor are certainly fantastic.

The downside is that it is a bit out of the way for some of the things you want to do.

You will want local directions from your hosts, but in general:

If you are walkers, on Thursday, your first afternoon, you might walk to Newbury Street, down Newbury (to your right) to the Public Garden and Common (bleak at this time of year) then back out Commonwealth Avenue to the cross street you took from your hotel. I would book dinner at Petit Robert on Columbus Avenue, within walking distance from your lodging. You can book in advance on Opentable.com. Others can advise you on Asian in this area.

Friday, you are well served by public transportation. To go to "the Brigham", you can walk to the Prudential Center and take the E Line subway/trolley outbound. It stops at Brigham Circle, just at the end of the street from the main entrance to the hospital.

This same line serves the MFA and nearby Gardner, so you are well served there on your return.

The most interesting way to get to Harvard is the #1 Harvard Dudley bus which runs along Massachusetts Avenue ("Mass Ave") and which will take you through MIT on the way. You can take the Silver Line from Newton Street to Mass Ave or walk about about 7 blocks from your inn.
Returning, you can take the Red Line to Downtown Crossing and transfer to the Silver Line. Or just take a taxi. There is relatively little traffic on Saturday.
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Old Jan 8th, 2009, 05:13 AM
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You won't be able to visit the museums before your noon appointment on Friday, since the MFA opens at 10 and the Gardner at 11. But the MFA is open on Friday evenings, and the Gardner would be a lovely place to decompress after a medical appointment.

You will probably want to stroll around the Public Garden rather than the Common, since it's not only closer to your hotel and the Back Bay, but also more decorative and pleasant to stroll through. It will be getting dark in Boston at about 5 PM.
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Old Jan 8th, 2009, 05:17 AM
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Ackislander's itinerary for Thursday's stroll is excellent, though you'd probably just want to skip the Common altogether. And the #1 bus up Mass Ave is the perfect way to get a quick overview of Cambridge before arriving in Harvard Square.
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Old Jan 8th, 2009, 05:33 AM
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Thanks to both for views/ideas and thanks to anonymous for museum times!!

I'll be looking up the Petit Robert and still keen for ideas on a "suggested Friday night haunt for a romantic (non-wheat based) dinner for two"

I take it form your comments that i'm not missing out on any cannotmiss things i should be looking at (considering the short short stay).

thanks again
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Old Jan 8th, 2009, 06:23 AM
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Thurs eve - Since you'll be at Boston Common, it's a short walk to Chinatown where there are plenty of non-Chinese Asian restaurants, many more choices compared to around your hotel.

Japanese sushi
Ginza
http://www.ginzaboston.com/

Japanese shabu-shabu
Shabu Zen
http://www.shabuzen.com/
Kaze Shabu Shabu
http://www.kazeshabushabu.com/

Thai
Montien
http://www.montien-boston.com/

Malaysian
Penang
http://www.penangusa.com/

Vietnamese (both listed are no-frills)
Xinh Xinh
7 Beach St
Boston, MA 02111

Pho Pasteur
682 Washington St. Boston

For Friday night, there are plenty of places to choose from near your hotel (which is in the South End)

Orinoco is great (Venezuelan) but they don't take reservations. Go at opening to avoid a long wait
http://www.orinocokitchen.com/

Toro (Spanish tapas) - no reservations
http://www.toro-restaurant.com/

B&G Oyster - more expensive
http://www.bandgoysters.com/

On Saturday, a great place for brunch is the Monkey Bar Club of Upstairs on the Square in Harvard Sq
http://www.upstairsonthesquare.com/
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Old Jan 9th, 2009, 05:09 AM
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the Elephant Walk has a gluten free menu. It specializes in French Cambodian food. Very good. Not sure if it fulfills the romantic quotient as we had a Sunday brunch.
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Old Jan 9th, 2009, 07:37 AM
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Elephant Walk isn't perhaps as romantic in feel as some options, but it's more so than many. They're only open for dinner, if memory serves.
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Old Feb 2nd, 2009, 08:20 AM
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So we went and are back! Gee was it cold!!!! But we loved it.. we got three icecold but sunny days and walked and walked until our feet fell off!

Thanks to Ackisladner for the may routing and timing tips. The day we arrived we walked up to the public Grdens and then up through Beacon Hill and then back all the way down NEwbury and across the Prduential centre and back to our hotel. The next day we did the museums, the public library and then off to Cambridge. On the Saturday we went to the ICA and then a bit of shopping...

Thanks to yk for the restaurant tips (we went to B&G oysters) and thanks to Legal Seafood for having a gluten-free menu!!!

Thanks again to all.
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Old Feb 2nd, 2009, 08:28 AM
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brusselschap - Thank you for reporting back! I'm glad you enjoyed your brief visit. Yes, it has been quite cold lately, so I'm very impressed you did lots of walking outdoors.

Come back again for a longer trip when the weather is nicer!
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