11 Apr 2021

Boston, MA

by | posted in: City Docs | 0

BOSTON, MA

Boston is my hometown! The enthusiastic sports fans, rich history and gorgeous water views make Boston special. While I have favorite spots from growing up, my friends Alyssa, Eliza, KJ and Liz have lived in the city for 4 years and were better suited to share the true local spots. This guide will help you make the most out of your trip. Happy traveling!

Travel Tip:
  • Boston is a walking city. Before you call your Uber, I’d recommend checking the walk. Most destinations should be within a 2-mile walk, and it is the best way to get to see the city.
  • Boston’s a neighborhood city. Neighborhoods mentioned in this guide are North End, Financial District, Fenway, Chinatown, Back Bay, the Seaport, the South End and South Boston (a.k.a. Southie). Yes, the South End and Southie are different.
One fun thing:
  • When visiting the city of Boston, it is easy to get out of the city and experience nature. There are public beaches outside the city, or you can go to South Boston’s Carson’s Beach. There are beautiful, long hikes within 45 minutes away in New Hampshire, or right outside the city at Blue Hills Reservation. 
  • Envoy Hotel: a hotel that has an iconic roof deck. It overlooks the water, and is beautiful in the nice weather. It is also a hot spot in the winter, as you can rent private igloos for your party. 
  • AirBnB: AirBnb’s are great, just make sure they are in Boston proper. A good guide for that is if you are within walking distance (2 miles) of Newbury Street.
  • The Revolution Hotel: a hotel in the South End that is not as pricey.
Igloos at the Envoy Hotel
  • SoWa Markets: an open-air arts market and farmer’s market. Still growing, SoWa is open in the winter or spring but not all year round, so check the schedule. In the winter get in line right as it opens so you can be let right in versus waiting in the cold. In the spring, check out the nearby Underground at Ink Block exhibit for innovative street art   
  • Barking Crab: an outdoor bar/restaurant to hangout in on the water if the weather is right. It looks a bit like a beer hall tent, and there is often live music. It’s close to the Seaport breweries (Cisco and Trillium). This is also a great spot to have a classic Lobster Roll. 
  • Sports: Boston is the city of champions and experiencing the loyalty, dedication and passion every Boston sports fan feels is essential to your experience. Go see the Bruins or Celtics play at the TD Garden, close to the North End. Or go to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park! Grab last-minute tickets you can sometimes find for under $20. Pro-tip for a Sox game: leave the game with 1 or 2 innings left to avoid the lines, grab a sausage outside of the park.
  • Lawn on D: an outdoor space in South Boston near the Seaport. You can grab a drink, swing in the funky swings and participate in other outdoor activities.
  • Boston Breweries Tour: always an entertaining option. Three favorites are Cisco Brewers, Trillium Brewing Company and Harpoon Brewery. At Cisco in the summer, it’s a prime location to hang out and people watch. In the winter, they set it up for ice skating. Trillium has two locations, one in the Seaport with a great outdoor setup and another in Fenway also outside and has endless food options. Harpoon is perfect for the summer or winter. It’s most fun when they have events around holidays such as St. Paddy’s Day. They have great beer cheese and pretzels.
  • Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: a beautiful museum a bit outside of the downtown area. Besides its notable and extensive art collection, the museum is famous for being the spot of the biggest art heist in modern history. The case is still unsolved to this day and the art has not been recovered.  

Walk the city: the perfect way to experience it all. Part of Boston’s charm is its classic brownstone buildings and landmarks. Put on your walking shoes, and hit these spots:

  • Beacon Hill: an area of gorgeous homes and classic Bostonian streets. Acorn Street still has its original cobblestone and is a very “Instagrammable” spot.
  • Boston Common/The Boston Garden: two different sections of the same park. It is a beautiful walk, and a nice place to sit and relax when the weather is agreeable. You’ll see the Swan Boats and Make Way For Ducklings statues. In the winter, Frog Pond has ice skating.
  • Newbury Street: Boston’s shopping street. It consists of 1 mile of shops, restaurants, and classic Boston brownstones. Keep walking west to get to Fenway. 
  • The Esplanade: the walkway around the historic Charles River that divides Boston Proper with Cambridge. There are plenty of places to stop and sit on a dock or in the grass. If you’re feeling more active, rent a Blue Bike and go for a ride.
Fenway Park
Acorn Street
Barking Crab
Trillium
Public Gardens
Underground at Ink Block
Esplanade
  • The Friendly Toast: a sit-down restaurant with a massive menu and fun atmosphere. They are vegan friendly (great vegan bacon), have a delicious mimosa flight, and source locally where they can. Try any of their benedicts or the chicken and waffles.
  • Mike & Patties: a to-go or delivery spot with fantastic breakfast sandwiches. As you approach the shop, you’ll probably see a bunch of people on the stoop outside the Boston brownstone restaurant enjoying their breakfasts. It’s a hole in the wall and the breakfast sandwiches are worth the wait. A favorite is The Fancy.
  • Lincoln Tavern and Restaurant: a big sit-down restaurant with great outdoor space. On Fridays from 10am-3pm they have Brunch Test Kitchen where they test out new and fun dishes. Try the sliders; they are excellent. 
  • Burro Bar South End: a brunch spot in the South End with unlimited tapas & tacos. They also have tasty margaritas, especially the hibiscus margarita. They have a bottomless brunch deal of $21 per person for all you can eat.
  • Cocobeet: a quick grab and go choice with delicious acai bowls. It’s not a sit-down restaurant or scenic spot, but is next to the Government Center T stop (green and blue lines) and is not far from Boston Common, so you can enjoy your acai bowl picnic style. Try adding almond butter to your bowl.
Lincoln Test Kitchen
Lincoln Test Kitchen
  • Sally’s Sandwiches: a South End staple. Sally’s Sandwiches offers a variety of sandwiches, but their crispy chicken caesar wrap is among the favorites. They are located inside the iconic Blackbird Doughnuts, which makes gourmet donuts and ice cream donut sandwiches.
  • Flour: your go-to spot for pastries, coffees, sandwiches and salads. They also make a great homemade raspberry seltzer that’s rumored to cure any hangover you may have. There are many locations in Boston and Cambridge.
  • Mother Juice: for a light lunch or smoothie. While their menu primarily consists of smoothies, they have delicious vegan bowls including Alyssa’s personal favorite, the Taco Bowl. When ordering the Taco Bowl, ask for “light on the lettuce” and you’ll get more of the good stuff.
  • Time Out Market: where you can find something for everyone. Near Fenway Park, it’s a marketplace with loads of different stalls with featured chefs and restaurants. From sandwiches to pizzas to tacos to gelato, there’s plenty of options. In the winter, there’s a skating rink. It’s temporarily closed right now, but should be reopening soon! 
Halloween Doughnuts at Blackbird
Blackbird ice cream donut sandwiches
  • Toro: a Spanish restaurant with tasty tapas. Get the street corn, but order it off the cob for perfect corn to toppings ratio. It’s dimly lit and has an industrial feel. 
  • Pier 6: how to enjoy an oceanfront dinner with a view. Located across the harbor, you can add the experience of taking a quick water taxi (from downtown) when the weather permits. You can also take a free water taxi from Pier 6 to Reel House, their sister restaurant. They both have fresh and delicious seafood.
  • Banyan Bar + Refuge: where you can get dollar dumplings (2 dumplings per order) from 3-6pm every day. It’s an Asian gastropub restaurant. When the weather is nice, sit on their beautiful patio with twinkly lights and fun drinks. Try the Bao Buns, their Avocado Bao Bun, in particular, is very good.
  • Gourmet Dumpling House: a hole-in-the-wall spot in Chinatown. Their soup dumplings are fantastic. It’s a hidden gem, but popular with the locals. They don’t split the check so be prepared to pay with one card or cash. They also have a great dim sum bunch.

North End: the Italian neighborhood in Boston with endless restaurant options. You can’t go wrong with any spot on Hanover Street or Salem Street, but three favorites are:

  • Panza: for when you’re balling on a budget. This North End Italian spot has homemade pasta as good as the rest of Boston’s “Little Italy” neighborhood, but more affordable.
  • Il Panino: mine and my family’s personal favorite. I think it has the best pasta, cooked to perfection. The pasta dishes are served in skillets, which is a fun twist. Favorite dishes include the Spaghetti Carbonara and Cacio o Pepe. The buffalo mozzarella is to die for.
  • Table: a family style prix fixe 8 course meal. It comes with a hefty price tag ($65 per person on Sunday, $95 per person other days), but the experience and food is fantastic. Pre-pandemic, you would get seated with other parties on long tables and be served a family style meal. By the end of the meal, you’ll walk out with new friends.
Snow in the North End
  • Fomu: a vegan ice cream shop in Boston’s South End neighborhood. Even if you’re not vegan, it’s a scoop worth your while. Their chocolate flavors are very rich. Try the Chocolate Cookie Crumble.
  • Bova’s Bakery: where the locals go for their North End pastries. Their selection and quality can be better than Mike’s Pastry and Modern Pastry, the tourist traps. However, I’m still partial to the cannolis at Mike’s. After 2 am, Bova’s menu changes and you’ll find yourself in the perfect spot for a late-night snack — think chicken parm croissant.
  • Kane’s Donuts: fluffy donuts in the Financial District. Try their famous honey dip glazed donut that “tastes like a cloud” or their cake donut. Kane’s offers a good selection of gluten-free donuts as well. The GF favorite is the lemon poppyseed.
  • Scoop N Scootery: everything you could want in an ice cream sundae. It’s a bit out of the way, but if you’re craving an ice cream sundae, it’s your spot. The peanut butter mudslide is outstanding, and you’ve got to try their fun whipped cream flavors like Nutella whipped cream.  
Mike’s Pastry
  • Capo: an Italian restaurant in Southie with a basement lounge bar that often has a live band. The line gets long here, so a trick is to ask to have dinner in the basement and then already be downstairs when the nightlife scene starts to appear.
  • Loco: amazing margaritas in Southie. It always turns into a spot with great nightlife. Sometimes there is live music, but always will be a great time.
  • Publico: providing the ultimate ambiance, also in Southie. Their patio is in the middle of the restaurant/bar, and on nice days, the ceiling retracts and you’re left with an outdoor patio. Even in the winter, it is often cracked open with personal fire pits with TVs for each personal couch area. I recommend requesting one of these couches for up to 6 people.
  • Coppersmith: a huge spot in Southie with outdoor patio seating and a great roof deck. It has a very open inside area with almost a warehouse vibe.
  • Loretta’s Last Call: a country-themed bar in Fenway. They always have great live country music, with talent sometimes shipped up from Nashville. Also in the area is Lansdowne, another great live band spot, but tends to be full of a college-aged crowd.
  • Lolita Fort Point: a casual, lower-key option. It’s a Mexican bar and restaurant with a great outdoor patio and lounge interior.