New England - BOS Must do's?

Mrs. Galt and I will be staying on the waterfront 11/4-11/9 (I'm on business...have F-Su for touristing...). She's a financial planner, so thinking about looking at the Fidelity office tower in the financial district...

I've looked at the other two threads, both of which involve kids. We don't have the kids with us.

--Thinking the Cheers bar and the Independence walking tour. What else?

--Probably having a meal in Little Italy and (Island Creek Oyster Bar or B&G Oyster Bar or East Coast Grill).

--Is there a breakfast place for Johnnycakes?

--Is Filene's Basement still an awesome place to go?

--Is Blue Man Group pretty cool and worth an evening?

--How far is Hahvahd and is it worth walking around? I guess none of the pre-game excitement as they are at Columbia that weekend (how big a deal is Harvard football anyway....She and I both went to big State schools in the South, so you can guess what we're used to). What is the name of the bar from "Good Will Hunting"?

It's almost as if you're trying to hit all of the overrated tourist crap. You only left Legal's off your list. :)

Cheers is a joke and not worth your time.

The Freedom Trail, not Independence Walk, is enjoyable if it is a nice day.

It's not Little Italy it's the North End and most of the places there are garbage. Go to B&G or East Coast, etc. instead.

Mike's City Diner makes a good breakfast. Some people like Paramount in Beacon Hill. I don't.

Filene's Basement never was an awesome place to go.

Ditto Blue Man Group.

Harvard is worth walking around, as is a lot of Cambridge. It's across the River. Football is not a big deal.

Filene's Basement in Downtown is a big hole in the ground at the moment. The rest are no different than a TJ Maxx.

The bar in Good Will Hunting (how you like them apples?) was the The Bow & Arrow Pub, but it's now closed and has been replaced by the Grafton Street Restaurant and Bar. The location is 1 Bow St, Cambridge.

Where should I go, then?

Where should I go, then?I like the North End because it's a real neighborhood especially compared with Little Italy in Manhattan. Now that the Big Dig is done, it gets more tourists unfortunately. It was almost better while the Big Dig was in full force. :p Walk down Hanover St and look at menus. You really can't go wrong.

If you were to go to Cheers, you'd see a different interior at a bar geared toward tourists. Not worth your time.

Grab lunch at Faneuil Hall. There are so many stalls from which to choose.

I wish Boston had more neighborhood coffee shops (what you may call "diners") so you could enjoy an inexpensive breakfast with the locals. Maybe they have them in the peripheries.

Boston is a walking town. Walk the Freedom Trail. It's really following a red brick line. It goes right into the North End too. Walk around the Public Garden and Boston Common.

Filene's, as said already, is gone.

The following two museums are a must for your trip...The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

The bar in Good Will Hunting (how you like them apples?) was the The Bow & Arrow Pub, but it's now closed and has been replaced by the Grafton Street Restaurant and Bar. The location is 1 Bow St, Cambridge.

Umm...wasn't that the L St. Tavern, which is still there...on L St. (and 8th) in Southie, where Will lived?

I wish Boston had more neighborhood coffee shops (what you may call "diners") so you could enjoy an inexpensive breakfast with the locals. Maybe they have them in the peripheries.

Not really. Boston's not a big diner town, I guess.



Filene's, as said already, is gone.

There's one on Boylston, but not the same as it used to be. Not cheap and more like a slightly more upscale TJMaxx or Marshalls (which is right across the st.) as noted above.

Not really. Boston's not a big diner town, I guess.


There aren't many anymore, but the ones that have survived are pretty good.

Where should I go, then?

USS Constitution - take the $2.00 water shuttle by the Marriott and back. While over there, check out the Bunker Hill monument.

Walk along Charles Street and up to louisburg Square on Beacon Hill and then the Public Garden to the 4 Seasons and have a drink or burger at the Bristol Lounge. could walk down Newbury St after to do some shopping/people watching.

Take the T to Harvard Square and go to Charlie's Kitchen for a dive bar beer and greasy burger.

Go to the ICA in the seaport district.

Go to east coast grill for dinner and then chrisina's ice cream next door.

Rent a car on Sat and tool up to Cape Ann. Quite picturesque, nautical, & salty (not to mention the seafood). 50 -60 mins to Gloucester (pronounced glah-stah). Keep going all the way up to Portsmouth if you feel like it (you're still only 90 mins out) wj

Umm...wasn't that the L St. Tavern, which is still there...on L St. (and 8th) in Southie, where Will lived?

IIRC, that scene took place in Harvard Sq, that's how he met the female lead.

Where should I go, then?

Legal Seafood.........................clam chowder & any seafood you like.

IIRC, that scene took place in Harvard Sq, that's how he met the female lead.
Yeah, the scenes take place all over the place, but the majority of the bar scenes are in the L St. Tavern. It's the bar they sit in when Will introduces the gal to his friends for the first time.

Legal Seafood.........................clam chowder & any seafood you like.
Advice given by the man with CLT in his profile. ;)

Locals do NOT eat there. I had a bowl of chowder there only once in almost 20 years. It was pretty good, but there's better.

You should go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. If you want to leave Boston and head towards Cape Cod, I can give more suggestions.

Yeah, the scenes take place all over the place, but the majority of the bar scenes are in the L St. Tavern. It's the bar they sit in when Will introduces the gal to his friends for the first time.

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/goodwillhunting.html

I'm just talking about the scene where he meets Skylar and later has the "How you like them apples" quote which I assumed the OP was referring to as he mentioned Harvard Sq earlier in the question.

script says Bow & Arrow pub.

You should go to the Elizabeth Stuart Gardner Museum.I believe you mean the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum....I recommended this great museum upthread. :)

Yikes, thanks for the correction. Silly mistake on my part. But it is still a wonderful museum.

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/goodwillhunting.html

I'm just talking about the scene where he meets Skylar and later has the "How you like them apples" quote which I assumed the OP was referring to as he mentioned Harvard Sq earlier in the question.

script says Bow & Arrow pub.
Gotcha. I didn't know about that one. Maybe I'm just nostalgic for the Southie bar (despite my not really liking the movie) because I drive by it often.

Despite the mostly bad restaurants, the North End is rather fun to walk around. And there are some good dining options, the most reasonably priced of which is the original Regina's pizza.

Walking round the Common/Public Garden/Beacon Hill is rather nice, regardless of the weather.

Legal's is a chain, and there are several better options (some of which are mentioned upthread), but it is by no means bad.

I personally love the Holocaust memorial, very close to Faneuil Hall and the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum near Fenway. Count me as one who doesn't think Harvard Yard is that amazing to look at: but I wouldn't dream of coming to Boston and not making my own judgement.

tb

You should go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. If you want to leave Boston and head towards Cape Cod, I can give more suggestions.How about Plimouth Plantation? Is that worth the trip for a couple of adults? How ugly is driving from the Rennaissance Waterfront to Plimouth? How much time should I allow?

If it were just me, I'd go see the USS Massachusetts (BB-59) but not sure she'll be into that. I've been to the USS Constitution and LOVED it, but she is not as nerdy as I am.

How long a walk is the Freedom Trail? Is it realistic to do that in 4 hours followed by dinner in the North end? We land at Logan at 2:30. I see that Boston is only abut 3 degrees further North than Denver, so assuming sunset is around 5:00 PM after the daylight savings change.

Personally I really enjoyed Plimoth Plantation. Mr. halfcape grew up in the Boston area so he had been there on school trips and wasn't as interested as I was. If you enjoy places like this, i.e. Old Sturbridge Village etc. then you would enjoy Plimoth. We arrived in the morning and it was quiet and we were enjoying ourselves until the buses arrived with the school children. There were kids everywhere and that was not a positive for us. I doubt there are school kids every day? But I would go back if we had guests that were interested.

I see that Boston is only abut 3 degrees further North than Denver, so assuming sunset is around 5:00 PM after the daylight savings change.

You're correct, about 5:30 at the latest it will be very dark.

Personally I really enjoyed Plimoth Plantation. Mr. halfcape grew up in the Boston area so he had been there on school trips and wasn't as interested as I was. If you enjoy places like this, i.e. Old Sturbridge Village etc. then you would enjoy Plimoth. We arrived in the morning and it was quiet and we were enjoying ourselves until the buses arrived with the school children. There were kids everywhere and that was not a positive for us. I doubt there are school kids every day? But I would go back if we had guests that were interested.

Agreed on Plimouth. It's a great place to go, but it's a bit hit-or-miss. If you happen to hit a less kid-busy day, I think you'll have a great time, but I think those are few and far between, unfortunately.

I like to go to Boston Beer Works on Canal St. Try the steak tips, they're awesome. Afterwards, I stop in at The Black Rose for a pint and some live music.

Try Neptune Oyster bar in the North End. They do not take reservations...go early and give your name and cell phone #. You should take a stroll around that area. Pizzaria Regina still has great lunch. Dumpy,but original. I also love B&G. A walk down Charles Street is nice...end up at Scampo,Lydia Shire's restaurant at the Liberty Hotel (refurbished Charles street jail). Not sure what's going on culturally,but BLUE MAN GROUP is fun if there is nothing else. I have never been disappointed at East coast grill, and the burgers are great at the Bristol lounge. Have fun

http://www.bostonducktours.com/

We just returned from a fabulous long weekend in Boston! It was really very much beer themed. :) We toured the Sam Adams Brewery (well, the bottling takes place elsewhere) and part of the fun was taking the trolley to Doyle's during our long wait. What a fun place! They had the newest cider on tap and enjoyed that IMMENSELY. The Sam Adams tour is very generous regarding the tasting. A really fun tour and fun group.

Had a blast in Cambridge too. Met friends at Grafton Street. Drank a lot of Sam Adams this weekend.

Also, we FINALLY found a coffee shop in Boston for breakfast. My husband did the research and found Thornton's. Since there is no other coffee shop (others might use the term 'diner'), it has quite the monopoly and thus has slow service. That was annoying. But the food was delicious and made up for the bad service. Enjoyed the pancakes with fresh strawberries. :)

The main streets of Havard Square are mainly commercial now--a lot of the quirky stores that were there years ago are now gone. And if you are looking for pre-gaming a la big state universities, Harvard's not the place to go unless you are there for H-Y game.

And while the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is nice, that wouldn't be my choice if I could go to just ONE museum. Go check out the Museum of Fine Arts.

If you're into classical music, check out the BSO.

I personally think food in the North End (except for Giacomo's, which is impossible to get into) is over-rated. It's a cool place to walk around, but there are other places where you can have some fabulous dinner. If you are near Cambridge. go to Chez Henri, Craigie on Main or Hungry Mother. Menton and L'Espalier are my favorites in Boston, although both are expesniv.e

Thought I'd post up a few comments. We weren't as intense as we might have been...it was the first time the missus and I had been away sans kids since June 2009. We just spent some time enjoying each other's company. I was amazed at how civil Bostonians are.

--We took a day and rode the T to Harvard Square and walked around - walked around the campus (about like any other leafy, green college campus you've been to). Walked up Burdick street past the Longfellow park and ogled the huge houses. It was a really nice, cool and sunny NE day. Stopped at Burdick's Chocolates - YOU MUST DO THIS! My wife has cocoa running through her veins...and the sinful chocolate tart she had was too much for her..I don't know how they did it, but the fudgy base layer was somehow more chocolatey than a piece of pure chocolate. And the aftertaste goes through about 3 stages that all have aspects of chocolate, but are different. Then we walked back through the Back Bay thorough the Commons, across the world's smallest suspension bridge, and the gardens for a slice of life (buy something to eat from a street vendor, and watch the world go by as you munch), then walked through the burial ground. We saw John Kerry's house in Beacon hill and window shopped at the antique stores on (I think) Charles Street and the tiny, quaint alley called Cedar Lane Way. We ate at Durgin Park (1827), the 2nd oldest restaurant in Boston. I've had way better food, but we enjoyed ourselves.

--We took a water taxi to the USS Constitution, looked at the very interesting ropemaking display (it's more interesting than it sounds) and there's a Fletcher-class DD in drydock. Apparently, they ran out of money on the restoration...but I thought it was more interesting to see it in drydock. Puts it into historical context. There is, in general, so little industry left in places like SFO, BOS, and NYC that it's interesting to imagine what it must have been like when people still worked for a living, making things that could be touched and used. The USS Constitution was an interesting tour, but the Navy tour was a little short and general for my tastes...but then, I'm a history and sailing geek. I had a great time telling the missus the difference between cannons and carronades, and looking at the stockpiled live oak timbers left over from the most recent restoration. We walked up to Bunker Hill, then back through the North End. Paul Rever's house was really worth a look, less for teh Paul Revere aspect than for the period furniture and the evidence of serial-restorations. We bought some cannoli's at Mike's pastry (you'll see hundreds of tourists carrying them around. Buy a lot fewer than you want - they are rich, and you'll waste half of them if you let the crowd psychology influence you into buying a dozen. If you split one with your date, it's more than an adequate snack). We wandered around until we saw an Italian restaurant that smelled good and was crowded at 5:30 PM...then we came back at dinnertime.

Next time's:

--Probably take a BOS harbor kayak tour. Possibly do some sailing - we saw some Sunfish (?) on the Charles, but couldn't figure out how to rent one.
--Attend a church service at Old North Church. Hey, George Washington probably slept there!
--Hit the Harvard natural history museum and the architecture college for whatever teh students have on display that week.
--Mottley's Comedy club.
--Catch an afternoon Bosox game. I'm not a sports fan, but it seems like a slice of life thing to do. Sit in the bleachers and buy beers for the 3-4 people around you, if they seem like normal Joes.
--Get a Boston Marathon map, and do parts of the route over several days. Unless you're a serious runner - more power to you!
--There's a "Haunted Boston" tour that seems like some offbeat fun.
--Make a pilgrimmage to the WGBH in Boston studios. Growing up....seems like everything worth watching came out of that studio. Just to say you were there.

The Long Wharf had a small library...I recommend reading "Boston's Back Bay: The Story of America's Greatest Nineteenth-Century Landfill Project" by Newman and Holton - thought it was a fascinating book, and it added a lot to my understanding of the city. Who knew Boston was an island until the 1840s? That explains the arrow-straight Back Bay streets vs. the paved cattle trails in the North end.

I spent a lot of time obsessing about where the "Best" restaurants were. It's like the Olympics, though...the diff between 1st and 15th is 0.2 of a second. The "Best" places are probably impossible to get into, unless you're a local. My "Lesson Learned" is to find a place that smells/looks good to you, seems to be crowded, and that some of the locals recommend. We did eat at Legal Seafoods, which will no doubt make many cringe...but we thought it was good/fresh, and, being from the Gulf Coast, like to think we know our seafood.

We thought about the aquarium...but have been to the one in Galveston and the one in Monterey CA, so we didn't see the need to duplicate...it seemed a little pricey compared to the other two. Also, we thought about the Harpoon brewery tour, but, again, there are a LOT of small brewpubs and distilleries in Colorado, so we didn't feel the need.

Next time's:

--Probably take a BOS harbor kayak tour. Possibly do some sailing - we saw some Sunfish (?) on the Charles, but couldn't figure out how to rent one.


Great to get feedback from a visitor.

Most of the Sunfish you see sailing around on the Charles near the Hatch Shell are part of the Community Boating (http://www.community-boating.org/) organization, I think. Seems you have to join, take lessons, etc.

However, there is a rental company on the Cambridge side called Charles River Canoe & Kayak (http://www.paddleboston.com/kendall.php). It's near Kendall Square although there are several other locations but they don't appear to rent sail boats.

Two things not yet mentined: The JFK Presidential Museum and the Maparium (part of the museum complex of the Christian Science Monitor) were worthwhile, IMHO.

I also recall Skipjack, possibly a local seafood chain restaurant, that seemed reasonably good -- a mid-priced place.

Two things not yet mentined: The JFK Presidential Museum and the Maparium (part of the museum complex of the Christian Science Monitor) were worthwhile, IMHO.

I also recall Skipjack, possibly a local seafood chain restaurant, that seemed reasonably good -- a mid-priced place.

Skipjacks is what I call "Solid". Nothing spectacular or particularly inventive, but it's always good, and well located in Copley Square

I also recall Skipjack, possibly a local seafood chain restaurant, that seemed reasonably good -- a mid-priced place.

Skipjacks is what I call "Solid". Nothing spectacular or particularly inventive, but it's always good, and well located in Copley Square

Yeah, while at times passable, I'd hate to see a visitor waste a meal at such a meh place. So many better options close by.

It's almost as if you're trying
It's not Little Italy it's the North End and most of the places there are garbage. Go to B&G or East Coast, etc. instead.

I wouldn't skip the North End. Modern Pastry has the best Canollis in town (skip Mike's Pastry), and Giacomo's has amazing Italian seafood pasta (they don't take reservations so you may need to wait an inordinate amount of time but it's worth it).

Skipjacks is what I call "Solid". Nothing spectacular or particularly inventive, but it's always good, and well located in Copley Square

Atlantic Fish is near Skipjack's and is the better restaurant by far, and prices are similarly reasonable.

I wish Boston had more neighborhood coffee shops (what you may call "diners") so you could enjoy an inexpensive breakfast with the locals. Maybe they have them in the peripheries.


South Street Diner is a great place for breakfast food and steak tips. It's near South Station on Kneeland st.

Advice given by the man with CLT in his profile. ;)

Locals do NOT eat there. I had a bowl of chowder there only once in almost 20 years. It was pretty good, but there's better.

True story about Legal Seafood.. haha.

We toured the Sam Adams Brewery (well, the bottling takes place elsewhere) and part of the fun was taking the trolley to Doyle's during our long wait. What a fun place! They had the newest cider on tap and enjoyed that IMMENSELY. The Sam Adams tour is very generous regarding the tasting. A really fun tour and fun group.


The Sam Adams Brewery tour is fun, though people don't realize that there's an equally good Harpoon Brewery tour! I'd suggest doing both if you are a beer enthusiast.

3 pages in and no one has mentioned catching a sporting event in undoubtedly one of the best sports towns in the world?

I'll put in a vote for any of the museums at Harvard and also for the Longfellow House (for history/lit buffs).

I was in bos last week for the first time. I did not read this thread first and did not do any research before going. Stayed in Kendall Sq. in Cambridge, took the trolley tour for two days and bought a week pass on the T. Had no idea of the history and being July 4 week, wow. I heard the Bos Massacre story three times, toured the USS Constitution, saw all the tall ships come in and toured a couple of them, did some activities from Bos Harborfest, saw MIT and went to Harvard Sq and walked around Harvard, loved walking the North End, ate at cannolis at Modern, toured Paul Reveres house, ate chowder at Union Oyster House, took the water ferry, toured the Old South Mtg house, visited and took crypt tour of Old North Church, and yes wished I had gone to church service as well. Was unaware, as well, of Back Bay and the landfill history. We crammed a lot into 5 days and tons of walking. I wished I lived in a cooler city that requires you to get out!

I had a fabulous week, will go back and the people were so nice! Would love to see a game at Fenway next trip!

If you're there on a Sunday, check out the SoWa open market on Harrison Avenue. Really interesting artwork and crafts, great people watching, and food trucks!

I was in bos last week for the first time...."

I had a fabulous week, will go back and the people were so nice! Would love to see a game at Fenway next trip!

For not doing research, sounds like you did great! Fenway is a must, and would add the whale watch trip from the Aquarium. Maybe a tour of Cape Ann (clam bellies for lunch), Nubble Light (lobster for dinner), an afternoon at the two museums (Fine Arts and Gardner) and you've rounded out the top attractions. But for five days......great job.