I will be helping a friend get her daughter settled into Berkely School of Music in Boston Jan. 13-20. I grew up 20 min from Boston but that was 35 years ago! Have been back for visits. Any ideas for hotels, shopping, must see museums, art exhibits, historic sights, music etc. are welcome.
ps Has Filenes basement really closed?!?

No, Filene's Basement has not closed.

The upstairs Filene's, a separate business for many years, was bought out by the same company that owns Macy's so all the regular Filene's stores are gone.

There's a new Filene's Basement store in the Back Bay on Boylston Street, I think.

If you've been away since the early 70s you're going to be astonished at the changes, mostly positive.

The Berklee College of Music is at one end of the Back Bay, where it borders on the South End and Fenway areas. The daughter will be right in the middle of a lot of excitement. Be sure to show her around the "T" subways, though there's a new fare card system that nobody understands yet. www.mbta.com

No Filen's basement at downtown crossing has a long lease. They opened a branch on Boylston street in the back bay, great stuff and almost like a department store but no automatic markdowns like the Washington st store.
The ICA has opened a huge new place on the waterfront. The MFA has some great new exhibits. The Eliot Hotel has been upgraded since you lived in the area, has a very good restaurant and sits Almost across from the Berkely auditorium. Barneys has opened a large shop at Copley Place andBloomingdales woman shops has recently opened at the Chestnut hill mall. Wonderful shoppers'heaven. Newbury St is cluttered wit so many new shops, you will be surprised.

LOL, Mimi, if the OP has ben away for 35 years, she doesn't know from Copley Place and the Chestnut Hilll Mall, to begin with. We'll have to go waaaay back, let's see . . . um, Bonwit's has closed, as has the Naked I. Instead of one office tower and one Japanese restaurant, we now have dozens of each . . .

Thanks for reminding me, Anon, if dlp is a shopper, she will love Louis, in the old Bonwit location on Berkely Street. The new restaurant there is very expensive. Waiting for someone to treat me

and Anon, the filene's basement on Boylston has, get this, door men with white gloves. One was thrilled when I gave him copy of the Improper Bostonian mentioning him and the other door men.

Thank you for info regarding Filenes. I loved the 25%/50%/75% mark downs on quality items otherwise I am not that much of a shoppper. Although my friend, her daughter and I love flea markets and thriftstores!!! We also love history and music.I have spent a week here and there in Boston since I moved but would still love some guidance on good eats, etc. Going to check VRBO for our stay.

I'm not sure when the JFK library/museum opened but that may be new to you. We took a Culinary Tour of the North End in 2005. Our guide said many apartments in that area in the early 70s lacked baths/showers so it was still common for people to use the public bath. Haymarket is still there and so is Durgin Park (but the surly waitresses retired).

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I thought it would be foolish to start ANOTHER Boston thread right under this one. ;-)

I have a credit with AirTran and have to use it before June. I was thinking of going to Boston just for a few days (I have THE WORST craving for a Chacarero...AND a smoothie from the guy in the Harvard T!!! - Would I be the only one who would fly somewhere to satisfy a craving? LOL! ) I am thinking April ... when would be the best time to go? Does anyone know of a special event etc. that might be fun? (Theater, concert, opera etc.) Will the college kids still be in town? I like it when they are there.

The college kids will definitely be there in April, but will definitely be gone by June. In April, the third Monday is Patriots Day, which is a state holiday, the day of the Boston Marathon, and the first day of school vacation week for public school kids.

Hotels can be diffficult to book around the big college graduations in May, especially BU and Northeastern. The last two are Harvard and MIT, the first week in June.

A good site for you to check is cityofboston.gov and then click on visitors - that may help you get acquainted with the city after 35 yrs !

also thefreedomtrail.org, and you can walk from Berkely down Newbury/Boylston thru Public Garden, Boston Common, down thru Faneuil Hall area nad even to the waterfront and North End, hitting shops along the way.

There is also a good Marshalls on Boylston St -
if you are willing to venture out of the city to shop, college kids love the Garment District (vintage, decade clothing, even clothes by the pound for a dollar a pound ) it's on 200 Broadway (Kendall sq/MIT area) in Cambridge - you can easily get to this area by MBTA.

In Davis sq in Somerville there used to be a
Poorlittlerichgirlstore.com - I cna't promise it is still there, but college kids and adults sometimes enjoy that store - and Davis sq has lots of restaurants, etc

You could also think of going up to the Skywalk at the Pru and getting a gorgeous view of Boston and beyond either day or night -

You will flip when you see what's happened in Boston in 35 yrs - the Pru Shops and Copley, connected by a walkway - full of stores like Neimans, Saks, etc.

The new ICA on the waterfront is an excellent museum choice mentioned - and of course you have the MFA, Isabella Steward Gardener Museum

There is a great bookstore on Newbury St, walking towards the Gardens, #3388 Newbury, called Trident Booksellers & Cafe, it's open until midnight and college kid enjoy that place for the books and coffee, you might want to stop by there

Eating recs might include: Parish Cafe on Boylston st, Fire and Ice or Cottonwoods on Berkeley St, PF Changs, Sonsie's on Newbury, Stephanie's on Newbury, Jasper Whites Summer Shack on Dalton St for seafood (as well as Legal Seafood), and many upscale choices also - you can check on opentable.com and many restaurants are members there and you can click on their name, see menus, prices and make reservations.

or also menupages.com for boston

The North End for dinner one night is always fun and walk around, get coffee and dessert in one of the dessert cafes

There is also a consignment shop on Newbury - the second time around - soemtimes good luck there.

There is a small guide 'NFT: not for tourists" that a new kid to the city might like to have - it's full of useful info on post offices/where to mail packages/ drugstores/ all the necessity info , maps, T info, etc.

The college might give her lots of this info in her welcome package, but it may be worth stopping by one of the tourist kiosks and grabbing the area maps, T info, etc.

I am assuming you have your hotel b y now, if you do and post it, people could add more restaurants, etc within walkign distance -

will you have a car and if you would venture out a bit, there is Chesnut Hill Mall, Atrium Mall, and a big Container Store out there if she forgets or finds she needs things for her dorm room/apartment.

sorry, I meant to give you this link:
www.garment-district.com

Escargot-You are a wealth of info! The $1/lb sounds incredible. No we do not have a hotel yet but are looking into VRBO which has openings for apts.
dlpiano

For second hand of high quality try "The Closet" on Newbury Street.
Besides dining on Newbury Street, the South end is fabulous. The New Tapas place, "Toros" for one is fun but loud. (as most are in Boston) The new "bistro Boucheé" on Newbury is good.
If you love fashion, shopping,
"Barney's"in Copley Place, "Louis" on Berkeley and the new Woman's Bloomingdale's in the Chestnut Hill Mall.