The main things that aren’t on the Trail that people like to visit -
Fenway Park - the Red Sox have a couple of games during the first week of October. They suck this year so tickets will be easy to get. They do stadium tours, but I’m not sure if they do them on a game day.
Museums - MFA, Isabella Stuart Gardener (both art museums) are near Fenway. Museum of Science is near North Station.
Charles River - the Boston side is a park for quite a way, the Cambridge side is just sidewalk next to the road, but of course has the views of Boston
Harvard University - it’s old, but it’s not big. 10/15 minutes on the Red Line from South Station.
Castle Island and Fort Independence - it’s not an island, you can walk to “new” Boston, the redeveloped Seaport district, and through South Boston to the beach and the Fort.
Organized tourist stuff - Harbor tours, Whale Watching boats (make sure there are whales in the area and wrap up warm, it gets chilly out there), and Duck Tours (amphibious landing craft).
If you’re a craft beer drinker, I can put up some other suggestions.
It looks like you’re arriving just as we head the other way for a wedding.
I've been to Boston three times in the last 5 years. It's a very nice city to wander about. There's a good bar/restaurant area around the South Boston Waterfront (near the Renaissance Hotel). Fenway is a great night out (I always catch a baseball game in the US if I can). If you've got time, a trip up to Rockport is nice. It used to be a dry town, but you can get drinks in several places now.
The main things that aren’t on the Trail that people like to visit -
Fenway Park - the Red Sox have a couple of games during the first week of October. They suck this year so tickets will be easy to get. They do stadium tours, but I’m not sure if they do them on a game day.
Museums - MFA, Isabella Stuart Gardener (both art museums) are near Fenway. Museum of Science is near North Station.
Charles River - the Boston side is a park for quite a way, the Cambridge side is just sidewalk next to the road, but of course has the views of Boston
Harvard University - it’s old, but it’s not big. 10/15 minutes on the Red Line from South Station.
Castle Island and Fort Independence - it’s not an island, you can walk to “new” Boston, the redeveloped Seaport district, and through South Boston to the beach and the Fort.
Organized tourist stuff - Harbor tours, Whale Watching boats (make sure there are whales in the area and wrap up warm, it gets chilly out there), and Duck Tours (amphibious landing craft).
If you’re a craft beer drinker, I can put up some other suggestions.
It looks like you’re arriving just as we head the other way for a wedding.
what craft beer suggestions do you have. I'm off to boston this Saturday for 6 days
Top of the list is Trillium - they have three locations in the city. Biggest is in the Seaport District. Can get busy, but you can sit outside. They have a smaller location just down the road from Fenway Park. Quiet during the day. Never been there in the evening, and wouldn’t even think about it if the Sox are at home. They also have a beer garden on the Greenway, which runs from South Station to North Station. It closes when it rains, selection is a bit more limited, but it a decent place to sit on a nice day. It can get busy, only open mid/late afternoon, and I think only Wednesday thru Sunday.
Night Shift have a taproom near North Station - beer is OK, but they’ve just announced they’re contact brewing elsewhere, so I’m not expecting the beer to improve. Sad, because in their early days they were very innovative.
Best bar for craft is Tip Tap Room, on Cambridge Street near Government Center. Good food as well, although pricey, which is a constant them around here.
Across the river, we have Aeronaut in Somerville and Lamplighter in Cambridge. Both very good, with a diverse range. Both about a 15 minute walk from Red Line Stations (Central & Porter). Cambridge Brewing (also on the Red Line - Kendall) is also good, but their regular beer can be a bit bland. Their specials can be excellent. There’s also a decent bar, Lord Hobo, just down the road.
The other breweries are a bit further out, and can be a bit tricky to get to, especially now with half the subway closed for repairs.
If you’re not into brewery hunting, most bars will have some craft beers, but the best ones a rare. Not a lot of places have Trillium, it hard to find in the wild because the have such a hard focus on quality control.
So, if you see these, you’re OK
- Trillium - Lamplighter - Aeronaut - Brato ( great taproom, great sausages but a pain to get to) - Vitamin Sea - Idle Hands (especially 4 & 6 seam) - Bissell Brothers (Substance is appearing more) - Other Half (rare) - Mighty Squirrel - Lone Pine
Your emergency beer is Harpoon IPA - harmless, available just about anywhere.
Avoid Sam Adams and Goose Island.
I’d recommend getting the Untappd app for your phone. It great for showing you what’s nearby, and their rating system is generally accurate, at least for my tastes. If it’s got a rating 4 and above, it’s OK if you like that style.
Pro tip - if you can get to your hotel on the subway system, it’s free from the airport. I’m not sure they really advertise it, but the Silver Line bus takes you to South Station, and it’s free. When you get to SS you’re inside the subway system, so as long as you don’t go through the exit gates, you can get on the subway system for no charge. It’s a tap in system only, so you don’t need to tap out.
But, if you hotel is on the Orange Line, that’s completely shut down, they’re running shuttle buses, but you may need to show your ticket (although that not normally the case)
I was there in January 94. Had a pint of Boston Beer in a bar near the clippers. It is the only beer I have ever left, it was that undrinkable. And it wasn’t off, the bar man even used another tap from a different barrel when we said we thought there was something wrong with it. 😳
I was there in January 94. Had a pint of Boston Beer in a bar near the clippers. It is the only beer I have ever left, it was that undrinkable. And it wasn’t off, the bar man even used another tap from a different barrel when we said we thought there was something wrong with it. 😳
I had a Boston beer in NY and thought the same as you. 🤢
I was there in January 94. Had a pint of Boston Beer in a bar near the clippers. It is the only beer I have ever left, it was that undrinkable. And it wasn’t off, the bar man even used another tap from a different barrel when we said we thought there was something wrong with it. 😳
I had a Boston beer in NY and thought the same as you. 🤢
Sam Adams Boston Lager is truly dreadful. I remember when I first started coming here regularly, people I knew told me you had to drink this. I think they were excited it was Bud. One bottle was enough to tell me not to do that again. Fortunately Harpoon arrived on the scene, and that got us through to the first big craft beer boom in the mid 90’s.
Pro tip - if you can get to your hotel on the subway system, it’s free from the airport. I’m not sure they really advertise it, but the Silver Line bus takes you to South Station, and it’s free. When you get to SS you’re inside the subway system, so as long as you don’t go through the exit gates, you can get on the subway system for no charge. It’s a tap in system only, so you don’t need to tap out.
But, if you hotel is on the Orange Line, that’s completely shut down, they’re running shuttle buses, but you may need to show your ticket (although that not normally the case)
we are staying at the godfrey hotel near the common on washington street
Pro tip - if you can get to your hotel on the subway system, it’s free from the airport. I’m not sure they really advertise it, but the Silver Line bus takes you to South Station, and it’s free. When you get to SS you’re inside the subway system, so as long as you don’t go through the exit gates, you can get on the subway system for no charge. It’s a tap in system only, so you don’t need to tap out.
But, if you hotel is on the Orange Line, that’s completely shut down, they’re running shuttle buses, but you may need to show your ticket (although that not normally the case)
we are staying at the godfrey hotel near the common on washington street
That’s an easy one if you’re not dragging a ton of luggage. It’s only a couple of blocks off the Red Line between two stations - Downtown Crossing or Park St.
if you do take the subway, you want the Inbound/Alewife platform.
You’re also just around the corner from Democracy Brewing in Temple Place.
Comments
Fenway Park - the Red Sox have a couple of games during the first week of October. They suck this year so tickets will be easy to get. They do stadium tours, but I’m not sure if they do them on a game day.
Harvard University - it’s old, but it’s not big. 10/15 minutes on the Red Line from South Station.
If you’re a craft beer drinker, I can put up some other suggestions.
- Trillium
- Lamplighter
- Aeronaut
- Brato ( great taproom, great sausages but a pain to get to)
- Vitamin Sea
- Idle Hands (especially 4 & 6 seam)
- Bissell Brothers (Substance is appearing more)
- Other Half (rare)
- Mighty Squirrel
- Lone Pine
Your emergency beer is Harpoon IPA - harmless, available just about anywhere.
Had a pint of Boston Beer in a bar near the clippers.
It is the only beer I have ever left, it was that undrinkable.
And it wasn’t off, the bar man even used another tap from a different barrel when we said we thought there was something wrong with it.
😳
if you do take the subway, you want the Inbound/Alewife platform.