Boston - driving downtown or historic sites on a Sunday?
 

Is driving in Boston on a Sunday to the historic section okay or would it be better to take the metro/train into Boston from the suburbs?

Is the historic area of Boston safe to walk around. I have been told different stories and just wondered what Fodorite's opinions are

Which suburb will this be? Generally speaking, driving into town on Sunday is fairly easy, unless there's a Red Sox game in town and you're coming from that direction (eg, via Storrow Drive). But if where you're coming in from is on the subway line, then it's probably better to take the T. There are lots of one-way streets in the city, so even if there's not much traffic, you may get lost easily.

I can't imagine anyone saying that the historic area of Boston is NOT safe... unless you're talking about decades ago near the "combat zone". It's very, very safe in Boston.

Boston is safe, no worries. Taking the "T" is always better than driving, but again depends on what suburb you will be coming from as yk stated. Parking is hard to find, Sunday would be better of course, but is such a hassle.

Easy to drive in and most garages charge weekend rates. As noted, check to see if the Red Sox are playing and avoid that area from 2 hours before game time and keep in mind the probable time the game will end. Metered parking is free on Sundays, and for garage locations and prices check www.boston.bestparking.com.

The other issue may be the benefit "walks" that seem to occur many Sundays in May and June. They often start from the Boston Common. If you were coming into town from the North or South, neither the Red Sox game or the walks would be problems.

Access into Boston via the subway, bus, and commuter rail is available to many, though not all, Boston suburbs. Would recommend checking the MBTA's website to find the closest option nearby, and if it's bus or commuter rail, the running schedules for Sunday.

Will second yk that driving into Boston should be okay on Sunday. But driving in Boston itself can be a pain even on Sunday. Note that parking lots there are often expensive. Plus streets are not laid out logically, are often not clearly marked, and have been known to head one way and not in the direction you'd like to go. Traffic shouldn't be that bad, though as yk noted all bets are off when there's a Red Sox game (and baseball season just started up again).

Will echo everyone else above that safety won't be a problem anyplace a tourist would want to go during the day and after dark for the most part as well. You'll be far away from areas that can pose a problem (Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, some areas of Jamaica Plain).

We would be coming in from the western area - Needham - our grandson is at Olin there. It sounds like we would be better off on public transportation. Think the advice you all gave is great and we will follow it Thanks!!!

Thanks for the info. Needham is well served by commuter rail directly into South Station.

The commuter rail doesn't run that often on weekends. I'd hate to be tied to that. On the other hand, you are not far from the T station at Riverside, which is easy to park at on a Sunday.

Of course, I would just drive in, and park in the lot under Boston common. but i don't find it as big of a pain as many seem to.

I second china_cat's comment - the commuter rail runs very INfrequently on weekends, so double check the schedule to see if that's acceptable to you.

Riverside is an option, and the Green Line runs frequently (every 5-10 mins); however, it takes at least 45 minutes to get into the city.

In addition, if the Sunday you're coming is a game day with the Red Sox in town, the parking @ Riverside lot can get full.

I don't think the drive would be bad at all from Needham into town. You can park in the city for $8-10 all day on a Sunday at a lot/garage.

[Riverside charges $6 for parking; then add in $2pp each way for subway, and you're spending more $ on that option than driving into the city.]

I also want to re-stress what cw said... there are many benefit walks/runs in the city on Sundays.

Did a little sleuthing at the MBTA website on the Needham Commuter Rail Line, and I will stand corrected -- it appears there is no Sunday service on that particular commuter rail line. There is service every 2 hours on Saturday, and more frequent service on weekdays.

That's not the case with several commuter rail lines, as I've ridden the ones to Rockport/Newburyport and Kingston/Plymouth on Sundays, but apparently the one to Needham is different.

Will echo yk's suggestion to take the Green Line out from Riverside as your best public transportation option here.

Drive. Get good directions to a parking location and use MBTA or walk for everythiing else. Unless you have grown up and never left a farm town with population of 10 you have driven in far worse. Boston as many east coast cities is old and streets are in pattern of old paths - so not always logical.

The Green line from Riverside takes forever.

Absolutely safe. Whoever told you stories either lied or grew up in the same farm town metnioned above.

I just looked at MBTA's website, and confirmed what bachslunch wrote - the NEEDHAM commuter line does not operate on Sunday.

If you still want to take the Green Line D (Riverside), actually it may be a shorter drive to Eliot station than to Riverside. There is a small lot @ Eliot which doesn't tend to fill up on Sundays, and I think it's $3.50 or $4. Plus, from Eliot station, you cut down the travel time on the T by about 10 minutes.

BUT, if I were you, I'd just drive. I suggest taking Rt 128 N to Mass Pike (I-90) and pay the $1.25 toll. Exit at South Station exit and park at the roof-top parking lot @ South Station bus station. It's $8 for the entire day on weekends. From there, it's a 10-15 minute walk to Boston Common or North End. The drive will take you 20-25 minutes; vs 60+ minutes going to Green Line then changing for the T.

P.S. It may look closer to take Rt 9 from Needham into the city; but don't. It'll take forever and you'll most likely get lost when you get closer into town. The Rt 128/MassPike combo which is much, much easier and faster.

I'd just drive and park in the Boston Common garage, which is $11 on weekends. From there you can walk just about anywhere, you'll be able to pick up the Freedom Trail as well. The Park St T stop is right there if you wanted to go to any other part of the city (you could hop the red line if you want to go to Harvard Square, for example).

P.S. The reason I suggested the South Station roof-top parking lot, is because it can be reached directly from MassPike without having to drive on any city streets (exit South Station, then take the R lane that says South Station Parking, and voila! you're there).

There are plenty of other affordable parking options in the city, such as the Boston Common Garage, or the Lafayette Place garage. Just make sure you have exact directions to get to those.

Wow! You guys are great. I will print this out. We have driven in many large cities and have not had any problems so we should be able to handle Boston. People who don't live in Boston and have driven there find it difficult from what I have heard. We have driven in many foreign countries (narrow streets, roundabouts,wrong side of the road etc.) and never gotten lost so I think we should be able to manage Boston.

The parking fees sound quite reasonable. Milwaukee charges more than that in some of their parking lots.

<<Unless you have grown up and never left a farm town with population of 10 you have driven in far worse. >>

Gail, that's hardly a fair - or true - statement!

I did not grow up in the Northeast, and of all the places I've lived, I find Boston to be the most confusing for driving - and I moved to the area from a city with a population of almost 700,000 and a metro area of 1 million. Granted, I live on the North Shore (where traffic is not as bad), not IN Boston, so I don't drive there all that often, but sometimes I still find myself getting lost in Boston, Cambridge, and other "close-in" cities and towns when I do drive down there.

There's no way my mother, who is in her 70s, would attempt to drive in Boston - she says so herself each time she visits up here!

Plus, drivers in the Boston area (not to mention pedestrians!) are much more aggressive than drivers in many other parts of the US, and some of the "rules of the road" that drivers here follow by instinct are unknown to drivers from elsewhere. So how "easy" driving in Boston is really depends on a number of factors.

On a Sunday, I'd recommend driving into Boston. Impatient commuters, double parked delivery trucks, etc., aren't on the street on Sundays.

Cranachin - agree that driving AROUND IN Boston and Cambridge can make one insane quickly - but I suggested that these visitors drive INTO Boston only - park, take MBTA, drive out - not drive from place to place. And I assume visitors to anywhere will, on occasion, get lost. If getting lost were a deal-killer for driving somewhere, then we would all stay home. Since you indicate you are not a recent driver into Boston, you should know that with end of Big Dig, routes are simpler for driving into city and, most importantly, there is actually good signage - something that Boston uniquely seemed optional in the past. I believe that much of the talk about the horrors of Boston driving are relics of a time when routes into the city were more confusing and signs were largely absent. And perpetuated during the almost 20 years of the Big Dig when no sane person could drive into Boston since closures and routes could change weekly.

I have no idea of age or driving experience of visitors - stating they are visiting grandson in college reasonably could mean they are older, but they could be anywhere from 55 up - if they are very elderly and/or nervous drivers any city would likely be a challenge.

Gail--

I did not say I was not a RECENT driver into Boston. I said I am not a FREQUENT driver into Boston! :)

I actually have been into Boston and Cambridge a few times over the last few months, and it seems like each time I have managed to get turned around. And I was not "driving around" - I was simply driving TO my destination, usually with turn-by-turn directions. Even so, the narrow (to me, anyway) streets and the density of buildings, as well as the lack of a grid, make it easy for me to miss turns (and I usually have a good sense of direction).

A GPS might prove helpful, although a co-worker's GPS managed to get us lost going to Logan. It took us down a street that dead-ended - but we could see the airport from there!

As far as signage being "good" - maybe it is compared to the past, but I find signage in New England generally to be some of the worst in the country as far as amount and placement. The lack of clear signage also contributes to the confusing driving conditions.

So it's not just elderly and nervous drivers who find Boston and the immediate vicinity confusing to drive it.

There seems to be a 50-50 split about whether or not to drive - and OP will now have to assess and decide.

And, I apologize for sounding rather snarky in my tone - I have had a horrible toothache for 3 days and am in an evil mood - but I still stand on my opinion of driving in.