newlywed

Going for a long weekend to Boston from NY metro area. Visting a friend in Beacon Hill. Haven't been since I was a kid. Not sure how BIG the town is. Can we walk from the downtown area to Beacon Hill? Is parking a problem? Any suggestions on accomodation?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

leslie

Yes, you can walk from the downtown area to Beacon Hill (assuming you mean Downtown Crossing or Faneuil Hall). Even if you decide to stay in the Copley Square area, it would be a nice walk to Beacon Hill. Parking on a weekend isn't that difficult, but you should probably look for a parking lot instead of on-street metered parking. On-street parking in the Beacon Hill area is primarily for residents, and you'd need a parking sticker for a non-metered spot. The streets are well marked, saying "Resident Only". There is an underground garage underneath Boston Common that should meet your needs if you want to park near Beacon Hill. Otherwise, many of the hotels have parking, but the daily prices are not cheap. Expect to pay $30+ per day.

Bo

I just read some reviews of Boston hotels at www.BetterBidding.com

It's a message board for Priceline and Hotwire, so they may be able to help save you some money on a hotel too, if you're interested in going that route.

gail

1) Give it a rest with the betterbidding ads

2) Boston is a very walkable city. In fact, you are better off parking the car someplace and walking or taking the MBTA. If you get really lucky, you might snare a street space, but I would plan on having to park in a garage, especially since "long weekend" to me means part of Friday or Monday when legal street spaces are impossible to find. And if your long weekend is over Easter (Patriots Day here) weekend, don't even try to find a street space.

JungleCat

One thing to remember is that Beacon Hill is indeed a "hill" so if you have any significant luggage, at least cab it to your destination first. From there, you can walk anywhere, even as far as Fenway.