Kill time in Boston
 

Never been to Boston, I will have a connection at Boston leave me 4 hours free.
Any suggestion how and where to kill time?

Thanks!

(I don't drive http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif )

You don't need to drive in Boston, and you're better off if you don't!

Take the airport's free shuttle to the subway (the "T"), and take the Blue line to State Street. The fare is 85 cents and the trip takes about 15 minutes, depending on how fast the shuttle bus comes. From there you're less than a block from Fanueil Hall/Quincy Market, and on the Freedom Trail. If you're at all interested in the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods, I strongly recommend walking at least part of the Freedom Trail, which leads to many of the famous places of the period as well as some places that really have no historical importance but are just nice to look at. The Trail is something like 2 1/2 miles long, but most of the sights at the beginning are grouped closely together, and only the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill are too far away for your limited time. Also, Quincy Market has a range of good places to eat, as well as the usual horrible fast food. One of my favorites, which is actually a couple of minutes walk away, is the Old Union Oyster House. The food is merely good, but the restaurant itself, particularly the street-level dining room, is wonderfully atmospheric. I'm pretty sure it's the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the US.

I used to live in Boston, and I still love it, so if you want more ideas, please feel free to email me.

Enjoy.

(edited for egregious typos)

[This message has been edited by Kitty Hawk (edited 10-19-2000).]

I agree with Kitty Hawk but one word of warning, the Blue Line of the T is not exactly high speed rail service. It's not unusual to wait 25 minutes for a train from airport station or from Government Center when heading back to Logan. Just keep an eye on your time. Don't get me wrong, the T is great, but I've been burned too many times on the blue line.

Other alternatives to/from Logan are the Airport Water Shuttle or a cab but with tunnell traffic the cab isn't so efficient either.

Enjoy!

Take the water shuttle -- it's not the fastest way to get into downtown, but it's by far the nicest! The water shuttle takes you across Boston Harbor, and the city's skyline looms closer and closer as you appraoch the Boston Harbor Hotel (where the shuttle arrives). It's a lovely way to approach the city at almost any time of day, unless there's a savage storm brewing.

Just an addendum after seeing that you're from HK ...

While I would never compare Boston's skyline to Hong Kong's, the difference between using the water shuttle and the subway to get to downtown is a bit analogous to the difference between using the Star Ferry and the subway to go from TST to Central.

I amend my previous info to agree with the water shuttle suggestion. Forget the T unless the weather is bad. I think the water shuttle costs about $8, and runs every 15-30 minutes.

Ooops, wrong again...$10.

From the water shuttle page of the Boston Harbor Hotel website:

Destinations & Fares

The Airport Water Shuttle now offers a convenient weekday stop at the United States Courthouse with free pedestrian transportation between the Courthouse and Rowes Wharf.

Convenient Destinations

Financial District
Federal Reserve Bank
One Federal Street
75/101 Federal Street
100 Federal Street
150 Federal Street
175 Federal Street
One Financial Center
225 Franklin Street
125 High Street
99 High Street
International Place
One Post Office Square
50 Rowes Wharf
75 State Street
60 State Street
28 State Street
100 Summer Street

Hotels
Boston Harbor Hotel
Harborside Hyatt
Hilton (Logan)
Hotel Meridien
Marriott Long Wharf
Seaport Hotel

Other
Children's Museum
New England Aquarium
Quincy Market
Faneuil Hall Market Place
South Station

Schedule
Monday thru Friday 6AM - 8PM, Every 15 minutes
Saturday 10AM - 8PM, Every 30 minutes
Sunday 10AM - 8PM, Every 30 minutes

Service is year round except Christmas Day, New Year's Day, 4th of July and Thanksgiving Day.

Fares
Adults $10.00 Seniors $5.00 Children under 12 FREE
Round-trip: Adult $17.00
Purchase tickets on board the Airport Water Shuttle.
Discounts available when 10 or more tickets are purchased in advance. Call 617-439-3131

[This message has been edited by Kitty Hawk (edited 10-19-2000).]

Even people who DO drive should avoid driving in Boston whenever possible. It's a double-edged sword, with TERRIBLE infrastructure combined with a population that considers a red light only a suggestion.

I'm a BIG fan of the Freedom Trail, but I also really like history. Not everyone's cup of tea.

The North End is always good for a good italian meal.

Faneuil Hall is always a fun place for eating. Lots of different types of food.

Boston Common is also nice, although it can get pretty cold with the wind whipping through there during November.

------------------
"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

The T fare is $1.00 now, by the way.
Another thing you can do is view Boston from above; I like to do that when visiting a new city. You can go either to the John Hancock tower (Copley Square T station, on all Green lines) or the Prudential tower (Prudential T station, on the E Green line). Copley Square is nice by itself anyway, with interesting churches - especially Trinity Church - and the shopping Newbury street to stroll nearby.

The T fare has indeed gone up to an even dollar in the past few weeks. And be forewarned about the Blue line. Construction in the Big Dig tunnel at State Street has caused the weekend closure of the Blue Line between Maverick and State. Worst of all, it is often un-announced at Airport station. You have to exit at Maverick and wait for a bus, wait in a bus to traverse the tunnel, and wait as the bus navigates to the State station.

Thank you very much!

Let me post my experience of Boston after the trip http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Whoo hoo, I still have some T tokens which I bought at 85 cents. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

HK-UMICH

Can you advise on your incoming and outgoing flights?

Knowing some more details about those will better help me make some recommendations.