Things to do in Boston
 

Can anyone give any advice as to some cool things to do in Boston for 4-night stay? (ie nice places to shop, sights, etc?)

Try doing a search here as there is a great deal of info on Boston.

I'd definitely take the Duck tour but it depends when you're coming... it doesn't run in winter.

Yes do a search as suggested and try to narrow down your preferences - in the search this forum bar type things in like Boston Itineraries, Trip Reports Boston, Visiting Boston, etc.

Also, post back here and tell us what you llike: architecture, museums, shopping, sports, you want a city overview, historical, etc, etc, - otherwise, people make suggestions and someone says but we don't like museums, etc, etc, :)

we'd be looking for nice shopping (ie 1 big mall, and some unique shops therafter) as well as some affordable restaurants and a few sights (granary burial ground and aquarium)probably Harvard too. Never been to Boston before.

This may not be mentioned in the tourist books because one would not expect the Public Library to be a place of interest to the average visitor.
However, it contains a remarkable mural done by John Singer Sargent, famous Americn artist. It is titled 'Triumph of Religion" and I believe this only mural he did. The library is directly across from Trinity Church.
Boston is a great city...

Shopping - Since we will not let you leave Boston without seeing some of the Freedom Trail, towards the end is Faneuil Hall (the historic building) and Quincy Market (the commercial area) that would meet your shopping needs. About 30 years ago they took one old factory/warehouse building and converted it into cute shops. Now there are 3 parallel buildings plus some outlying buildings with, unfortunately, too many chains, but still some unique kiosks and shops. (If you are taking MBTA, get off at Government Center on Blue line or Haymnarket on Orange Line)

Lots of restaurants in area, although not budget. Center building has many food court type places, some with seating - mostly non-chain or small local chains. Large seating area in center rotunda and outside.

This is also entrance to North End (Italian area) with multiple authentic and good restaurants - all have menus posted on window so stroll and stop to eat.

If you will be in this area on a Friday or Saturday, Haymarket is an adjacent area with authentic pushcart produce, fish, meat vendors. While you probably won't be shopping for watermelons on your trip, it is an interesting stroll because locals really do shop there.

There are several other active threads going on Boston at the moment. My list would include Freedom Trail, a museum or 2 (Isabella Stewart Gardner or Institute of Contemporary Art for art, possibly Aquarium, although it is a little tired), some sort of tour - I am also a Duck Tour fan, and then individual interest stops as appropriate - tour of Fenway, Harbor cruise, stroll on Newbury Street, Harvard Square.

The Boston Public LIbrary is an excellent take, free and full of other exhibits besides the murals - but they are not his only murals, Sargent did the murals in the MFA rotunda - which consist of 8 murals, a dozen reliefs, and recently underwent a restoration - they wre in fact the last works he finished before his death -

Shopping "malls" - faneuil hall, copley plaza, prudential s hops, - plenty of stores on newbury st and boylston street and all over harvard square area - for your separate 'free standing' type mall only, you would need to venture out to Natick or Chesnut Hill Mall/Atrium - I don't know where you are coming from (part of country/other country) and if so sometimes this and outlet shopping are important to visitors, otherwise I would skip most of them except the outdoors stores and perhaps the shops at Fanueil Hall, but I am not in general a fan of FH except for a walk through in the evening or on a good weather day, when there might be outdoor street entertainment and lots of people milling about.

The Aquarium is enjoyed if you do not have one near you or have not been to one in a long time, otherwise it is very tired -

Get on the web and start printing out things like the Freedom Trail info, general Boston map , MBTA map, info on the Old Town Trolley and take a look at the GoCard and see if there are enough s ites included in that to make it worht your while OR just to peruse the sites they mention also -

tiem of year: Boston Harbor and the Islandsshouldn't be ignored - George's Island, harbor tour - history, beauty of seeing Boston from the harbor, all the islands - , etc -

www.bostonislands.org

www.bostonharborcruises.com

allt his will give you time to become familiar with the city and look over the walking areas, time your visits to what interests yuo and what does not.

So far I would recommend to you Duck Tour, Boston Public Library, followed by lunch (Parish Cafe on Boylston, Stephanie's on Newbury, PF Changs, and everything from high end lunches to California Pizza and Au Bon Pain and others; once here you won't have a problem finding a lunch spot - then walking along Newbury/Boylston, down to Boston Public Garden and cut thru diagonally to Charles St, a charming street where you will also find some nice cafes (and a great French cafe for coffee, ice cream, etc - short walking tour of Beacon Hill maybe and if not, on to the Charles and then back

www.beaconhillonline.com

Rest, go to North End for dinner

Next day: Freedom trail and whatever else you've decided interests you (shopping, Aquarium, Faneuil Hall, etc) dinner in another neighborhood - maybe the South End or seafood/ steak

Next day: maybe something in the morning and harvard/Cambridge later in the day and for dinner/jazz music or reverse it and Harvard/Cambridge for site seeing and back to Boston for your latter part of day and dinner -

Also search this forum as suggested and look at other peoples itineraries and all these similar questions, make a 'proposed rough itinerary" and then people cna help with narrowing it down, realistic time frames, how to get to certain places, etc.