Hi all,
My husband and I are looking to visit Boston for 5-7 days in September. We have never been before, and are not sure what area of the city is best for us to stay in. We are young (mid 20's) but not much into nightlife. We prefer to spend our days out walking around, sightseeing and taking pictures. Like to do some tourist-y things, but mostly we just like to explore on our own. If you have any q's that would help answer, feel free to ask.
Thanks!
Lucy

Depending on your budget, you probably want to stay in Back Bay or downtown or on the waterfront. Cambridge is a viable option also.

Hi Lucy,

If you can afford it, Back Bay (which would include areas such as Copley Square and Boston Common) is great to stay in. It's centrally located, so easy access to all tourist things either by walking or subway, and its a really fun area to walk around in (for instance, Newbury Street will be right there).

However, the hotels in Back Bay are likely to be pricey for these very reasons. If you're looking for something slightly cheaper, you might want to look in Brookline. The Green Line of the T runs through Brookline, so you would be able to still get around town. Plus, if you stay near Beacon Street, for instance, odds are that you will have restaurants nearby.

Hotels near Government Center or downtown will also make it easy for you to get around the city. Government Center has restaurants and clubs and is right by the North End. Downtown may shut down at night, but Boston is such a compact place that it wouldn't be too hard for you to walk, public transport, or cab to a different neighborhood for food/fun.

For a first-time visitor who is really interested in sightseeing and exploring the city, I would recommend against areas such as Somerville, Everett, or Medford. They are suburbs with far more limited public transportation options, and getting to the city and back everyday would be a hassle (especially if you wanted to stay out later at night, since the T shuts down at 12:30).

The Chandler hotel is ok.We stayed there in 2004.The best way to visit a new city is ,in my opinion, to take the Old town trolley the first day. You see all the interesting sites with a good driver/guide and you can get on/off the whole day.The next days you can then use to visit the things you like more in depth.You can order it on the net and after credit card payment you print your ticket and when in Boston you just give it to the driver.Paul

Here is a recent thread that might interest you: it lists many options for B & B's, rental studios/apts and hotels/motels - in it I give another link to a post that mentions in particular, a very reasonable B & B in Somerville, which is on the outskirts but easily on the T you can hop into Boston which has rec'd excellent reviews from a frequent and knowledgeable poster here -

If you can find the price works for you, it is always nice to stay right in Boston at a hotel in the Back Bay/Copley area, but you should not delay, Setptember is a BUSY month -

good luck !

I always do this.......forgot to attach the link

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=35004813