Boston itinerary
 

I will be in Boston for 4 nights in early January and have been doing a fair amount of research but would appreciate some input from those in the know. Is the following manageable in 3 or so days? In particular, will the weather affect plans or is it a case of wrap up well and it'll be okay?<BR><BR>Freedom trail (2 half days)<BR>Prudential Center (shopping and observatory, half day)<BR>Sam Adams brewery (half day)<BR>Harvard Uni and surrounds (half day)<BR>Boston Common and around (Faneuil Hall, Quincy Mkt etc)(half day)<BR><BR>Is there anything else I should consider and try to fit in (eg Aquarium, JFK Museum, Museum of Science)?<BR><BR>For the evenings I was thinking one evening in each of the following areas: Back Bay, Kenmore Sq, Allston and Harvard Sq for dinner and bars/pubs etc.<BR><BR>We are a group in our 20s and are travelling from the UK, staying in the Back Bay area.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance for your help.

The freedeom trail will take you right past quincy market,so maybe incorporate that into your 2 days,which is alot,on the freedom trail. Think about a night in the North end for italian food. Try Paglucias,which is right off Hanover St. While at the MOS,see if you can see Lewis and Clark at the Omni,I hear it's great. Blow off Kenmore Sq. Try to go to Charlestown and see the USS Constitution and Bunker hill.See where the red coats won their last battle in Boston,and go to the Warren Tavern which is right down the hill. Have fun!

Sorry,Constitution and Bunker hill are on the Freddom trail,my bad.

2 half days for the freedom trail and a half a day at the brewery might be too much time. Kenmore Sq and Alston are really kind of dumpy. If you go to Quincy Market(super touristy but a must if you're visiting Boston)definitely go to the North End which is very close by, A 10 minute walk tops. Its the Italian neighborhood in Boston and there are great restaurants and shops all over. Try to go there for lunch as the prices are a lot cheaper and the food is great.<BR>As far as the bar scene is concerned, maybe someone else will give you some tips. But Kenmore SQ and Alston are nothing special at all. Good luck and have a great time in Boston!!!

As the others have said, Kenmore Square and Allston are nothing special unless you're under 25 and into college-student-ridden bars.<BR><BR>Get out a map when planning your actual itinerary -- the Freedom Trail begins at Boston Common, goes through the Quincy Marketplace area (AKA Faneuil Hall). Plan out each day's worth of activities, but then check the weather each AM and do the Pru on a clear day.<BR><BR>The Aquarium is not far from the Quincy Marketplace area. The JFK Library is quite far out of town, but near a stop on the Red Line of the subway system (as are Boston Common and Harvard). The MOS is on the Green Line, which has stops in the Back Bay (e.g., Pru area) and also near Faneuil Hall. These 3 places are well worth visiting, especially if the weather is better-suited to indoors activities, rather than marching along the Freedom Trail. Wrap up well and you'll be OK in cold weather; it's rain and wind that are hard to defend yourself against. Yesterday, for instance, we had temperatures in the 60s, but pouring rain that really precluded outdoors activities.

Although it will be cold, you should take a tour of the USS Constitution in Charlestown. The easiest way to get there is to go down to the Aquarium and take the ferry over. The ferry costs $1.50 each way (free if you have a T-Pass, or a daily/weekly T-Pass), and on the way, you'll be able to get a great view of Boston's skyline. The tour of the USS Constitution is free and is given by the Navy. <BR><BR>You should definitely go to the JFK Library. <BR><BR>Unless you're planning to drink after you visit the Sam Adams Brewery, the tour won't take more than an hour.<BR><BR>Lastly, you can always do some ice skating on the Frog Pond on the Boston Common. The cost is $3, and you can also rent skates for a nominal fee.

Weather will be COOOOOLD! Make sure that you're well wrapped up; don't forget the hat/gloves/scarf. The beauty of Boston is its' compact size. As long as you're bundled up, many of the major sites are easily within walking distance. Or if needed, certainly when you go to Harvard Sq. you can jump on the &quot;T&quot; (called either the &quot;T&quot; (short for MBTA) or the &quot;subway&quot; ~~ locals may look at you quizzically if you ask for the closest tube or underground station).<BR><BR>In addition to all the very good choices identified for your visit, should you be in the mood for a bargain shopping experience, then check out Filene's Basement. WHICH, if you need to snap up any addl winter garb would be a great place to go.<BR><BR>

I notice no one is mentioning any of Boston's museums, including you, Mark. I know some of the best aspects of Boston are a bit high-culture, but you still might enjoy a little kultchah, esp. since some of the architecture of the museums might interest you. The Museum of Fine Arts is out on Huntington Ave., and its cafe and gift shop are very pleasant -- you might even find some part of the collections interesting or even pretty. <BR><BR>The Isabella Stewart Gardner in Back Bay might be more interesting to you as an example of a Golden Age in-town house, with garden-atrium in the middle, and you can marvel at the horrible skill of the people who stole some of its finest works a few years back (the spaces where the pictures hung are still there, and you can learn the details of the theft there).<BR><BR>At the other extreme, the Computer Museum (is it still there) and the Museum of Science are good fun.<BR><BR>Re:weather, etc. If I were you, I'd remain flexible. You might hit the &quot;January thaw&quot; and all that walking around won't bother you, but bear in mind that Boston is one of the US's windiest cities (more than Chicago). I'd have a couple of strictly indoor activities in mind as well as some of the outdoor stuff you list. You couldn't pay me to do the Freedom Trail most Jan. days, but you might luck out. If you don't then substitute a museum.

The Computer Museum closed years ago; a few of its exhibits made their way to the Museum of Science.<BR><BR>The Museum of Fine Arts and its neighbor the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are in the Fenway section of Boston, not the Back Bay. They are wonderful places but since the OPs are Brits they have opportunities to see antiquities and Impressionists back home, whereas they don't have a chance to see US historic places. With just 4 nights, IMHO their time would be wasted seeing things that are not unique to Boston. If they wanted to see ONE art museum, though I'd recommend the Gardner -- she was quite a character!

Have have a friend that lives in the Marlborough area. We're going back to visit her in the spring. How far out is Marlborough from Downtown Boston is there good public transportation to get us there and back? Is it better to fly into Boston's airport or Providence or even someone suggested Hartford? Is there a good restaurant in Marlborough so we can take our friend? Thanks for any suggestions from any locals.

Marlborough is about 30 miles west of Boston. There are commuter trains into Boston from that area (Framingham etc.) but a lot depends on how you would travel between the train station and your friend's house. You really should ask your friend about transport options. Yes, flying into Providence would be simpler, though probably not if you're relying on public transit.

If you're going to fly into Boston, and stay at your friend's home, take the red Logan Express bus from the airport to the Logan Express terminal in Framingham, which is located at Shopper's World. You friend shouldn't be more than 25 minutes from there. I think the cost is $10 one way, but less than $20 roundtrip. You can buy the tickets on the bus. The bus leaves about every half hour.<BR><BR>Transportation-wise, if you are staying with your friend, don't fly into Providence unless you're saving a lot of money.<BR><BR>Regarding getting to Boston from Marlborough, at the same Logan Express terminal in Framingham, the Peter Pan and Greyhound buses go into Boston's South Station fairly frequently (about every hour or less). The cost is $6 each way. If you're going into Boston Monday-Friday, you can catch the Peter Pan commuter bus from the commuter lot on Flutie Pass, across from the movie theatre. Gulbankian runs buses from Marlborough on a similar schedule, Monday-Friday.

Many thanks to you all for your advice. One other thing I thought of was whether Chinatown would be worth an evening visit (compared to say the corresponding areas of NY or San Francisco). I appreciate the comments on Allston and Kenmore Sq so I am now thinking of other ideas for evenings.

Boston's Chinatown is small and boring compared to those cities', though it is conveniently located next to the theatre district and the Downtown Crossing shopping district, not far from Boston Common (hope you have a good map!). Many of the museums and other cultural attractions are open one or more evenings each week.<BR><BR>You might want to look into the Boston CityPass combined museum ticket. There's also a $10 ticket that's good at 6 of Harvard's museums.<BR><BR>http://citypass.net/cgi-bin/citypass/city_fly.html?id=e2D4mmvb&amp;mv_arg=boston<BR><BR >http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/information/index.html

Forget Chinatown. The Gardner Museum is a gem and steps away from the MFA which is fun to lunch in.<BR>Prudential has a &quot;Legal seafood&quot;Bostons best seafood resto.<BR>Bar hop on Newbury or fanuil hall area for best people watching tourists and locals.

The only things worthwhile in Chinatown are the restaurants. The best one is the Grand Chau Chau. No ambiance, but the food is excellent, and the prices are extremely reasonable.

When we have guests from overseas, they are always surprised how much time they want to spend shopping. We have been told that many items, especially jeans, running shoes/sneakers, and other clothing are much more inexpensive here. If you end up wanting to do any shopping, early January often has great discounts at stores for winter items. Filenes and Macys are 2 big sotres you will pass in your downtown travels.<BR><BR>I am not suggesting you waste your visit here shopping - just some ideas in case you need a sightseeing break.

Many thanks (especially to Jen) for lots of good advice and taking the time to reply. I leave for the US on Thursday and will post a trip report after I get back to the UK. Any last minute Boston ideas welcome! Regards and Happy Christmas.

<BR>Mark:<BR><BR>For nighttime activities - head to Landsdown Street near Kenmore Square. If you are in your 20's, you'll probably want to go out dancing, etc., and Landsdown St is the place for that. Check out Avalon.<BR><BR>Less velvet-ropey is Jillian's, which is at the far end of Landsdown - it's an enormous pool hall/video arcade/bar and is very popular. It's massive; I think of it as an arcade on steroids. Lots of fun.<BR><BR>Other good nightspots are Felt, near Downtown Crossing and Pravda 116 (on Boylston St).<BR><BR>Pick up a free copies of &quot;The Improper Bostonian&quot; and &quot;Stuff @ Night&quot; for ideas upon your arrival. Both are available for free at sidewalk news boxes.

We are going to be in Boston around the same time--and I lived there many years ago. Don't forget a stroll around Harvard Square in Cambridge when you do Harvard itself. I am seeking out the Harvard Museum of Natural History for its world famous exhibit of glass flowers, if that type of thing interests you. The Fogg Museum of Art is also at Harvard. CityPass gives you admission to 6 museums for about half price. Also get the MBTA Visitor Pass that are sold in increments of 1, 3, and 7 days for bus and T transport. Clam chowder at the Old Union Oyster House is terrific, and if you're there and/or by Quincy Market on a Friday or Saturday, &quot;jostle&quot; you way through Haymarket, the outdoor produce market for the unique brand of humor of the vendors. MFA is a wonderful museum, too. You might also consider a show one night in the small theatre district. Have fun!