I think the key with Pike Place in Seattle is that everything stayed local. Quincy Marketplace was the first such locale to be Rouse-ified, with places like Baltimore and South Street Seaport in NYC soon following this mallification.

~~~ 4th of July celebrations on the esplanade !!! Sigh, I had to be satisfied with watching on TV (no longer a New England resident) --- where else do you get a great pops orchestra and opportunity to sing along with 'Sound of Music' songs.<BR><BR>

Thanks Betsy...i love it here too, that's why I won't ever move anywhere else.<BR><BR>Glad you discovered Modern Pastry--they're the best bakery in the North end. Most tourists are suckered into Mike's pastry because it's a bigger place, but the locals go to Modern.

FINALLY ! A post that escaped any arguments, bickering, and name calling! Thank you for a wonderful post on Boston and for such nice responses.

I grew up in Brookline and went to school in Boston.<BR><BR>It's a great city and fabulous soports town.<BR><BR>I miss it.

Boston IS my favorite city. And I really can't pinpoint why, except I always have a blast there. <BR><BR>I love December in Boston. I did the Paul Revere house in the winter. It was so quiet! The guide was so excited to have guests that she told us all kind of fascinating things about the house. We got to take a closer look at the furniture, especially the bed, and learn things we would never have had we visited the house in the summer. The nice lady said in the winter they only get a few dozen guests a day...in the summer, it could be 1700 a day!! We probably would have never been able to speak to her. So there's something to be said for visiting in the off season...I'm going to be there in 3 weeks, and will be taking a friend to the house. Not looking forward to the crowds...<BR><BR>I'll do a search on North End restaurants here closer to my visit, but if anyone has some good ones to mention on this thread, I'd love to hear it. I know one was already mentioned. The last Italian restaurant I visited in the North End was interesting, to say the least.

Boston is THE gem of the Northeast(well NYC is probably the top) My grandfather was a merchant in Quincy Market in the 30's. His daily breakfast included a raw egg followed very quickly by a shot of red wine!!

Thanks for liking my city<BR>. but let me suggest to take a walk along thee banks of the Charles river, where you will see excursion boats, gondola boats which you can ride in<BR>watch the rowers, the yachts,<BR>scull boats, sail boats, on land the skaters, the picnicers, the nannys,<BR>and then you have , runners like me, the microcosm of Boston