Made for Walking
Park the car and check out Boston’s colonial charm and modern sophistication on foot.
Diane Bair & Pamela Wright
IT’S TOUGH TO BE PERFECT—just ask Tom Brady and his fellow New England Patriots. But Boston comes pretty close. Famous for its Revolutionary-era historical sites and centuries-old architecture, Beantown also boasts world-class museums, a thriving arts community, colorful neighborhoods and revered sporting venues.
Bring comfortable shoes; Dubbed “America’s Walking City,” Boston is compact and should be explored on foot. It is best to avoid driving on the crowded, crooked and hard-to-fi gure city streets. When you tire, you can always hop the T, Boston’s public transportation system.
Institute of Contemporary Art
START OFF WITH A CITY TOUR. “Sammy wasn’t too bright or good at making money, but he sure knew how to rile a crowd,” the costumed guide says. She’s dressed in 18th-century garb—a long dress, apron and bonnet—and stays in character as Sam Adams’ wife. Walk Boston’s famed Freedom Trail and you’ll hear and see costumed Revolutionary heroes everywhere. You can meander the two-and-a-half mile route on your own—just follow the red-bricked road—but better to hop on a tour. One of the best is the “Walk Into History” tour offered by the Freedom Trail Foundation. You’ll visit 11 of the city’s most historic sites—including Park Street Church, the Boston Massacre site, Granary Burying Ground, Kings Chapel and the fi rst public school in the nation (Boston Latin)—and hear funny anecdotes along the way.
Jurys Boston Hotel
Sports fans should be sure to take a behind-the-scenes look at beloved Fenway Park, where the Babe and Yaz made history. All the foodophiles out there will love Michelle Topor’s North End Market Tours, with visits to authentic Italian salumerias (delis), pasticcerias (pastry shops) and macellerias (meat markets.)
NOT EVERYTHING REQUIRES A GUIDE; make sure to reserve a good part of a day to explore on your own. If it’s Friday or Saturday, follow the local crowds to Haymarket near Faneuil Hall, a maze of open-air vendors hawking fresh produce, meats, fi sh, cheeses and more. Then, head over to Boston Common; one of the oldest public parks in the country, it’s a popular gathering spot for both locals and tourists. Check out the Central Burying Ground, one of Boston’s oldest cemeteries, and dip your toes into Frog Pond, a favorite with families.
Fenway Park
Adjacent to the Common is Boston’s Public Garden, where you can take a ride on the city’s iconic Swan Boats. First launched in 1870, the boats, famed in Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings, are one of the city’s best-loved attractions. The 15-minute glide is a sweet little tour of the Public Garden’s Lagoon.
Still have energy? Stroll the streets of fashionable Back Bay, chock-a-block with shops, galleries and sidewalk cafés. Rule of thumb: Back Bay’s east end near the Public Garden has the most upscale shops—think Brooks Brothers, Armani and Cartier. The further you roam west toward Massachusetts Avenue, the less exclusive it becomes. The Kenmore Square area’s funky shops and bookstores attract a mixed crowd of students and young urban dwellers. If you’re still in the area when the sun begins to set, visit Skywalk at the top of the Prudential Center for sweeping views of city lights.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF GREAT THINGS TO DO INDOORS as well. The Museum of Fine Arts, with works spanning 4,000 years, and the stunning Institute of Contemporary Art, at the edge of Boston Harbor, are fi ne choices for art lovers. But Bostonians’ favorite is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, an art-fi lled home styled after a 15th-century Venetian palace.
Families flock to the New England Aquarium, overlooking Boston Harbor, for close-up views of thousands of sea creatures living in the aquarium’s four-story, 200,000-gallon tank. The aquarium also offers whale-watching boat trips to the protected Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary, one of the best whale-feeding grounds in the country. If you have tykes in tow, consider the newly expanded Boston Children’s Museum. Don’t miss the three-story climbing structure and “Boats Afloat,” where kids can sail boats and barges in an 800-gallon tank.
If you are ready to refuel and can’t settle on one cuisine, Boston has the perfect spot. Bustling and tourist-laden, Faneuil Hall is fi lled with food stalls—as well as stores, souvenir shops and bars. It’s also a great place to hang out to watch free concerts and street performers.
For upscale dining, reserve a table at Great Bay, specializing in melt-in-your-mouth seafood dishes. For more casual fare, grab a table at Jasper White’s Summer Shack for platters of lobster and corn dogs. Turner Fisheries at the Westin Hotel is a Hall of Fame member of Chowderfest, winning the coveted Best Chowder award three times in the past.
The Paramount in posh Beacon Hill is nearly an institution. This small, wallet-pleasing eatery has been flip-ping pancakes and eggs since 1937. Go early for breakfast, and then meander the cobbled streets of Beacon Hill, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in America, home to historic red-brick townhouses, pocket gardens and chi-chi shops.
When it is time to rest their heads, families may prefer the Royal Sonesta Boston Hotel. It has one of the best indoor pools in town and is conveniently located next to the Museum of Science, one of the largest science centers in the world. The Jurys Boston Hotel, housed in the former police headquarters, is a contemporary space steps from the Public Garden. The hotel’s combination of old and new exemplifi es the way Boston’s puritan roots have blossomed into a multicultural metropolis.
But while Boston may be a modern city, the best way to explore it is still the old-fashioned way.
MIDWEST AIRLINES offers daily flights to and from Boston. Details can be found at midwestairlines.com.
Ticket Tactics
There is no need to pay high prices for high culture.
The Museum of Fine Arts
Free on Wednesday after 4 p.m.
The Institute of Contemporary Art
Free on Thursday after 5 p.m.
Boston Children’s Museum
Only $1 on Friday, 5-9 p.m.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
If your name is Isabella, get in free anytime!
YOUR GUIDE TO BOSTON
LODGING
Jurys Boston Hotel
617-266-7200 www.jurysdoyle.com
Royal Sonesta Boston Hotel
617-806-4200 www.sonesta.com
DINING
Faneuil Hall
617-523-1300 www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com
The Paramount
617-720-1152 www.paramountboston.com
Jasper White’s Summer Shack
617-867-9955 www.summershackrestaurant.com
Great Bay
Great Bay
617-532-5300 www.greatbayrestaurant.com
Turner Fisheries
617-424-7425 www.turnersboston.com
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Boston Public Garden
www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org
Museum of Science
617-723-2500 www.mos.org
Michelle Topor’s North End Market Tours
617-523-6032 www.northendmarkettours.com
Freedom Trail
617-357-8300 www.thefreedomtrail.org
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
617-566-1401 www.gardnermuseum.org
New England Aquarium
617-973-5200 www.neaq.org
Boston Children’s Museum
617-426-6500 www.bostonkids.org
Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Fine Arts
617-267-9300 www.mfa.org
Institute of Contemporary Art
617-478-3100 www.icaboston.org
Fenway Park
617-226-6666 www.boston.redsox.mlb.com
Institute of
Contemporary
Art
Skywalk Observatory
617-859-0648 www.prudentialcenter.com
Swan Boats
617-522-1966 www.swanboats.com
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART: JURY STAIRS: BRUCE MARTIN; PETER VANDERWALKER; FENWAY: LIPOFSKY.COM
