Patrick: I realize it's early, but here is quite a good link about Boston restaurants; I agree with most of it, but not the Union Oyster House.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesgu...aurants/boston

So Patrick--it's almost May! Are you still going to Boston?

Just in case Patrick doesn't see this, he is , I believe going to NYC for the month of June instead,......
we have lost him once again to the Big Apple.... :)

we'll keep pushing for another time - he replied on his NYC thread that the rental didn't pan out I believe.

But, I am sure at some point Patrick you can chime in !

Well, you didn't lose me to NYC -- I was already going there anyway -- this deal was hopefull a week or two in advance of going to NYC. I really didn't want to spend more money for a couple more weeks of "housing", but when this "free exchange" idea came up I jumped. It's odd, but the guy responded right away and said that he would be in Naples in January and contact me then and see my place, etc. He seemed anxious to proceed with this. But January came and went, I emailed him several times, and have never heard anything back from him. So the whole idea fizzled.

And for the record, I really do like Boston -- but Manhattan it AIN'T!

Okay, okay, we know it ain't Manhattan, but I think you should change it to

And for the record, I really do LOVE Boston -- but Manhattan it AIN'T!

:)

can't wait for your June report of the eating, theater critiques.... etc.... you have to surpass your last one!

As they say, I love New York, but we were there last June and let's just say I now know what the title of the Broadway play Urine Town was referring to! At its hottest, I have never experienced that "aroma" in Boston. So some of the Manhattan it AIN'T is not necessarily a bad thing. :)

The Staniford St./Causeway St. corner is right by North Station and shouldn't present safety issues. You might have a homeless person ask you for money around there, but that can happen most anywhere in Boston or Cambridge. There's no neighborhood "feel" there, but it's a perfectly good base location for exploring Boston.

the OP is sadly, skipping Boston this trip !