Boston Visit Oct 27-29
 

My husband and I are going to Boston this weekend. I have two questions. Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced restaurant? By reasonable, I mean we're paying what we consider to be a lot for a hotel (though I'm told at this time of year $175/nt is a good deal for any downtown hotel), and we can't afford a lot for our dinner Friday night. We we're thinking something that's about $20 per person, and we were leaning toward seafood unless $20 is unrealistic. Second, as my husband is getting to see a Bruins game on Saturday night, Saturday afternoon has been declared 'mine' and I want to go shopping. I'll only have about two hours, so can anyone suggest a concentrated shopping area downtown? We're in the Back Bay area, if that helps you to guide us. <BR>Thank you!

You're going to find Boston pricey, but leaving Back Bay will help. I suggest heading over to Cambridge for both shopping and restaurants. <BR> <BR>Harvard Sq. has some nice shops and some good restaurants, although $20 is slim for dinner and it'll be hard to do seafood. Go ethnic -- Iruna on JFK is nice for Spanish tapas, Border Cafe on Church st. is popular Mexican (go early), stay away from Chinese except in Chinatown; one of my favorites is Pho Pasteur chain of Vietnamese, and there's one in "the Garage" in Harvard Sq. If you are bent on getting seafood, I'd recommend doing appetizers at Legal Seafoods (also a chain, but one is in Prudential Ctr., not far from "Back Bay"). <BR> <BR>For less college-town shopping, try the mall near Lechmere T stop -- it's a lovely mall, although the name slips my mind at the moment, has a little of everything. But it _is_ a mall. <BR> <BR>If you want to shop but not buy, Newbury St. is the place to walk and gawk -- again, not far from you. Most unique shopping might be in the Museum store at Museum of Fine Arts. Nice place to have lunch, too, but still not cheap unless you are in the little cafe by the store. <BR> <BR>For the full tourist experience, of course, you can go to Quincy Market -- lots of shops and various kinds of restaurants, often deli-type. Very touristy, but you can probably manage to find what you want at not too much money. The stores, however, are not particularly unique -- most are in any city.

For seafood within your price range, go to the No Name Restaraunt. It is located on the Fish Pier next to the World Trade Center on Northern Ave. It's cash only and very casual. The mall PCM is talking about is the Cambridgeside Galleria. It's your typical mall with the Gap, Filene's, J. Crew etc. Downtown Crossing is fun for shopping--especially Filene's Basement. <BR>Harvard Sq is another good choice. <BR>Have fun and Go Bruins!

There are good reasonably priced restaurants in Boston (having loved in Boston on a budget!). I agree with a previous poster about Pho Pasteur-- excellent Vietnamese cuisine and reasonably priced. There is a Pho Pasteur on Newbury Street, the one in Harvard Square and also one in Allston. If you have your heart set on seafood (New England-style), another option would be to go to one of the many Irish pubs in Boston (either The Black Rose or Purple Shamrock near Fanuiel Hall for example) and you can get a lobster dinner there for much less than you would pay at Legal's. Another great seafood place is the Barking Crab on Sleeper St. across the Ft. Point Channel. It is very casual, but excellent seafood (lobster clam strips, lobster rools, etc) at excellent prices. <BR> <BR>As for a only in Boston shopping experience, I would recommend walking down Newbury Street starting at the Tower Records on Mass. Ave. Walk all of Newbury Street (stop at Roasters for excellent espresso) through the Public Gardens and Boston Common and you will come to Downtown Crossing where the original Filene's Basement is. Yes, Newbury Street does have expensive shops, but it has reasonable ones, too. Youll see everything from the Gap (in a beautiful brownstone) to Versace, but also some local stores as well. Downtown Crossing has Filene's, Filene's Basement, Macy's, and a few other stores. Cambridgeside Galleria is just your typical mall, nothing special to offer. Harvard Sq. has lots of bookstores, a Gap, great restaurants, the Coop, and some other things. It all depends on what you're looking for. Have a great trip!

I think that when considering where to eat you should also take into consideration the distances you will be traveling. Will it be by car, "T" or other means? Sometimes for some of us here in Boston, it's very easy to suggest to others to go to Chinatown or here or there like it's nothing. For those who visit here and don't know how to navigate around it can be a very big and confusing trek. Ask your concierge or front office at hotel closest of the places you ultimately come down to in your selection.

Go to the Copley Square Shopping Mall to shop. It is much closer to where you will be staying and easier to find than the Cambridge Galleria. It has a nice mix of fun stores to browse in (aka, expensive) and stores with reasonable prices and sales for real shopping. For lunch there is food court in the Prudential shopping center that is very pretty inside (a few blocks away down Boylston St.). As far as not-expensive seafood meals go, forget it.

i just got back from boston this past weekend and I agree, the hotels are expensive!! I paid $179 and it was an INN, yuk, nothing fancy, just plain old inn -- tight squeeze in the rooms and no leg room on the couches. <BR> <BR>anyway, i'd stick to the mall at copley or walk newbury street. <BR> <BR>also, i realized after a full day of being there that the T line is so walkable... walking 4 stops on the t line is nothign.. it took us 20 minutes to walk 4 stops. Meanwhile, it had taken us 1 hour to go 5 stops the night before cuz the subway cars are tiny.. only 3 cars and they are always packed. <BR> <BR>newyorker here, so i'm used to huge subways......... <BR> <BR>boston was awesome though!!!!!! <BR>Take the cruise at Boston Harbor, $8, 45 minutes long, takes you to the USS constitution and picks you up later.. <BR>worth it. <BR> <BR>next time i'll splurge and stay at the Marriott long wharf, even though it's $400 plus per night, but it's on the water.... <BR> <BR>okay, enough of my venting and raving <BR>i loved boston, just didn't like the inn where i stayed ....... <BR>

ANything under $200 a night qualifies as a bargain in Boston. And it's a bargain in all senses of the word - ie it will usually not be luxury in any sense but location, which is what you are paying for. <BR> <BR>But it's a great city to visit, and you will save money by avoiding a rental car and associated charges. <BR> <BR>Jennifer - Back Bay is a great concentrated shopping area, and what kind of food are you looking for? To my way of thinking $20 a person gets you a reasonable, non-luxury meal, btw.

Skipjacks Restaurant on the corner or Clarendon and St. James is in the Back Bay -- check with your hotel concierge, it's probably a couple of blocks from where you're staying. It's not cheap, but you might be able to get by for about $20. Fish & Chips is about $16. Haddock is $17. Swordfish is $21. For cheap seafood, go to Chinatown. Twin lobsters for $12-$15. I think it's quite safe but for a tourist not used to it, it might not look inviting. <BR> <BR>Shopping at the Copley Place and Prudential Center Shopping Mall is your best bet. You could spend a couple of hours there easily. They're also connected so you don't even have to venture outside. (It's supposed to rain this weekend.) If you're staying at the Westin or Marriot, they're connected to the mall. Newbury Street is fun to walk down, though, if you have the time. Safe any time of the day.

for terrific seafood cheap try the No Name restaurant on the waterfront. No reservations so you may have to wait for a table. Big Tables, so you may sit next to strangers. Fantastic fish chowder. <BR> <BR>Try Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market area for your saturday afternoon shopping. Get on the Green Line at Back Bay and get off at Government Center.