Boston, here I come
 

Hi,

We are going to Boston from Monday night through Thursday night.

We will be arriving in Boston on Monday night from NYC via bus (greyhound).

While at Boston we would like to do some sightseeing, and will also like to be accessible by public transport or a reasonable cab ride to Harvard College (Cambridge campus) and Harvard Business School.

We have never been to Boston before, and are looking for suggestions on the best area to stay, whether it is downtown, cambridge, airport, etc.

We will most likely need to bid through priceline for our hotel rooms.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks
RJ

Boston is always nice in the autumn- I'm jealous!

To get around, don't rent a car (Boston literally has crazed maniacs for drivers!) -the T is very easy to use. www.mbta.com

When I lived there, I always took visitors to the Fogg Art Museum (by Harvard), Toscanini's, the North End (track down Mike's Pastries), the Gardener Museum, Quincy Market, Newbury St, and Boston Public Gardens.

The Red Sox look to be playing the Yankees for the AL Championship, I don't know when the games at Fenway will be, but that could be interesting, too. My sister and I attended a few September Sox-Yankees games, in the cheap bleacher seats, wearing our Yankees hats, and the only reason we're still alive today is pure luck. :D

The games in Boston will be the 15th, 16th, and 17th, so looks like you may be missing them (if they need all them)

Most everything in Boston is easy to get to by public transportation, including Harvard.

I lived in Cambridge, MA until this August, and I concur with wck4. Almost everything is accessible by the T; driving in Cambridge and Boston is simply an exercise in masochism, and it is one reason I left Boston.

Harvard College is located right at the Harvard Square stop on the T Red Line. Can't miss it! The Business School is across the river, a short walk along JFK Street (from Harvard Square). Check out the Harvard web pages to see when tours are offered.

All of the suggestions about places to visit in Boston are great; The Public Garden, Boston Common, and Newbury Street are absolutely a must! If you are interested in American colonial history, follow the Freedom Trail (which will also lead you to Quincy Market and the North End).

I believe the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum is not too far from the Museum of Fine Arts which itself may be of interest (and is on the Museum stop of the E branch of the T Green Line). The Fogg is relatively small but worth a visit since you'll be at Harvard anyway.

In terms of places to stay, ideally you should stay near a T stop. Friends previously stayed at the Mariott (?) at MIT (right on the Kendall Square stop of the Red Line); there are a few hotels around Harvard Square, but those tend to be more expensive.

Enjoy Boston! I am visiting some friends there later in October...

Alex

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies. I am having a great difficulty finding reasonably priced rooms in Boston.

I will be in Boston for three nights, i.e. Monday night (Oct 11), Tue Night, Wed night.

I am trying to get accomodation for less than USD100/- per night, but all the hotels seems sold out or at much higher rates. I also tried several different bids on priceline (after visiting the various forums related to bidding) and have had no luck.

I would like to be in a location which is safe, offers convenient access by public transport to Harvard University, and also downtown Boston.

Any suggestions would be well appreciated.

Thanks

Look for places right outside of Boston, like Brookline. The Courtyard Marriott in Coolidge Corner often has rooms around $100, for example.

There's also a Holiday Inn in Brookline on Beacon Street. Both are T accessible.

OMG! I hadn't thought about that. I'm flying into BOS on the 16th. I can't think of anything more death-defying than getting drunk on Bourbon, putting on a Yankees jersey and scamming my way into Fenway. :D

Anyone want to have a Flyertalk DO?

On PL, you can get the Hyatt for about $40-45/night. It is 2 blocks from the T.

How much lobster can you eat in a single seating? Lobster in Boston is beyond wonderful. Enjoy!!

As is the chowder at the No Name restaurant. And the Clam rolls. Damn, I'm getting hungry.

I've traveled to Boston three times this year. It's a fun place to be. On my last trip I took the, "Outward Bound" ferry to one of the Boston Harbor Islands (Thompson Island, I believe). It might be a bit chilly at this time of year, however.

For whatever reason, Boston hotels seem very tight right now--I had two trips planned and had a lot of trouble finding anything decent at reasonable rates, including on PL, Expedia, Quikbook, etc. One other possibility if you're not going to need to go back and forth to the room all day would be to try Priceline for the airport zone (the trip inbound on the T is quite quick and cheap enough at $1.25); when they have inventory, the 4-stars there can generally be had for $50. The Hyatt is very nice; I haven't stayed at the Hilton.

It's college preview time and the Red Sox are in the playoffs. Both will cause hotels to be full.

I suggest you contact the departments at Harvard you will be visiting. Universities often have negotiated rates with local hotels you can use. They also have guest rooms on campus that may be available.