Boston, MA

Hi all,

I have a day off from work next week and I decided it would be nice to visit somewhere new, so I booked a one day round trip on the Acela (using my new Amtrak card with double days, if I'm doing the math right, I'll get 4,000 points out of the Acela vs ~500 for the NER). I do intend to go back for longer than just seven hours sometime, but for the purposes of spending a single day day off on the rails, I had a few questions.

Biggest question: Does anyone have some good ideas for what to do in such a short time span? I have seven hours, from 10am (if we arrive on schedule) until 5pm. I'm really open to anything, I'm just looking for tips on the best way to fit the most into such a short time period. I love museums, history, or just visiting landmarks. Whatever works!

Secondly: Is the Boston subway safe for the most part? Any areas to avoid on it? That's how I intend to get around for the most part. I've lived in NYC for 20 years so I'm not someone who gets scared of Subway systems without cause, but I also know there are some mass transit systems in this country to avoid.

I also noticed there isn't one of these threads for Boston either, so if anyone has any general info they want to share for someone in the future that may be taking a longer trip, feel free to!

Thanks a lot!

My suggestion is go to the "T" Ticket office and buy a One Day Pass. I do it once a year and ride the subway/trolley system. Which is very safe. I will take train 66 then buy a one day pass and ride as much of the system as I can. I've managed to get all four major routes ridden in a day. Not acing the system in a day. But last time I did it I was on the 430 Acela. Which at the time was the last Acela set that would go south of NYP. What I did that day was a lot of riding.. I ended up riding the Green Lines "C" line to Cleveland Circle and walked the half mile or so to the Reservoir Station on the "D" line and rode that back into the city. Their is plenty to do!

Acela150 said:

My suggestion is go to the "T" Ticket office and buy a One Day Pass. I do it once a year and ride the subway/trolley system. Which is very safe. I will take train 66 then buy a one day pass and ride as much of the system as I can. I've managed to get all four major routes ridden in a day. Not acing the system in a day. But last time I did it I was on the 430 Acela. Which at the time was the last Acela set that would go south of NYP. What I did that day was a lot of riding.. I ended up riding the Green Lines "C" line to Cleveland Circle and walked the half mile or so to the Reservoir Station on the "D" line and rode that back into the city. Their is plenty to do!

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Thanks! I'm sure I'll be spending lots of time on the subway.

If you only have a day and want to see the historic sites, I would suggest walking the Freedom Trail.

It's about 2.5 miles from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument and goes by all of the places you read about in the history books. From South Station, take the Red Line to Park St., and head up the hill on Boston Common to the State House and the Robert Gould Shaw/54th Regiment Memorial where the trail starts, marked by a red brick line in the sidewalk. Just follow the red brick lines, you'll pass by or near the Old State House, Fanueil Hall, Quincy Market, the Holocaust Memorial, the North End, Old North Church (of Paul Revere fame), the USS Constitution, ending at he Bunker Hill Monument in Charleston. From there, you can either retrace your steps or walk another 15 minutes to the Community College station on the Orange Line and ride back to downtown. (Get off at Downtown Crossing to get back to South Station. You an either change to the Red Line, or it's so close, you can just go upstairs and walk.) In addition to the historical sites, you get a nice view of the twisty streets and historic architecture of old Boston, so much unlike most other cities in the United States.

Lots of places to eat along the way. Hanover St. in the North End is Boston's Little Italy and has more pasta palaces than you can shake a stick at. The Boston Public Market has a lot of stalls and eateries. If you stop by the Omni Parker House Hotel on Tremont St., you can get the original Boston Cream Pie. Lots of other places, just check your google maps.

1. We're taking the Acela to Boston next week, renting a car, and driving to Manchester, NH to spend the night. (We're picking up someone at the airport the next morning.) Any suggestions for interesting places to stop between Boston and Manchester? Every time I've done the one-hour drive, I just get on I-93 and zip up, but we should have our car by 2 PM at Logan Airport, and it only takes an hour to drive to Manchester, so it might be nice to see some stuff along the way if there's anything to see.

2. Speaking of the rental car center at Logan Airport, my research indicates that we can take the Silver Line bus from South Station to the airport and then catch a Massport shuttle to the rental car center. At what terminal should we get off the Silver Line, and which shuttle route should we take? What I would like to do is minimize riding around the airport in a shuttle bus and get to the rental car center as quickly as possible. Maybe I should just get an Uber.

3. Any recommendations for dinner in the Manchester-Concord, NH area?

In terms of fun things to do in Boston, i would check out the food scene for sure. Nearly all stations on the T are safe. Boston/Cambridge itself is an incredibly safe city, and you really don’t need to worry.

When you arrive in the morning, I recommend checking out Cafe Bonjour at 55 Temple place. Nearby is George Howell coffee which is for sure the best coffee in Boston.

Legal Sea Foods and Summer Shack are both uniquely great chains that showcase some good Boston seafood.

In terms of all around great food (but definitely on the more expensive side) the Boston Harbor Hotel restaurant is great. Fire and Ice near Copley is a cool place too.

Chinatown is close to South Station and Back Bay. Gourmet Dumpling House is a must if you like authentic Chinese food. If you like Dim Sum, the best food is Great Tastes Restaurant and Bakery. If you want an authentic experience, Hei La Moon is a must.

If you can make your way over the River to Harvard Sq, which is an easy couple stops on the Red Line out of South Station, it’s a great place to visit: it’s very walkable and there are great restaurants and hangouts.

For non food things, the Museum of Fine Arts is excellent, as well as the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum (maybe even better). The latter was the location of the famous unsolved art heist.

Walking along the Charles River is always great. Theres a cool bar/hangout called the Owls nest that’s open in nice weather.

Just curious but is U-Burger still around?

Tlcooper93 said:

In terms of fun things to do in Boston, i would check out the food scene for sure. Nearly all stations on the T are safe. Boston/Cambridge itself is an incredibly safe city, and you really don’t need to worry.

When you arrive in the morning, I recommend checking out Cafe Bonjour at 55 Temple place. Nearby is George Howell coffee which is for sure the best coffee in Boston.

Legal Sea Foods and Summer Shack are both uniquely great chains that showcase some good Boston seafood.

In terms of all around great food (but definitely on the more expensive side) the Boston Harbor Hotel restaurant is great. Fire and Ice near Copley is a cool place too.

Chinatown is close to South Station and Back Bay. Gourmet Dumpling House is a must if you like authentic Chinese food. If you like Dim Sum, the best food is Great Tastes Restaurant and Bakery. If you want an authentic experience, Hei La Moon is a must.

If you can make your way over the River to Harvard Sq, which is an easy couple stops on the Red Line out of South Station, it’s a great place to visit: it’s very walkable and there are great restaurants and hangouts.

For non food things, the Museum of Fine Arts is excellent, as well as the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum (maybe even better). The latter was the location of the famous unsolved art heist.

Walking along the Charles River is always great. Theres a cool bar/hangout called the Owls nest that’s open in nice weather.

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I've always enjoyed my time in Boston, but it's in serious need of affordable places to stay, the Hotels are way over priced!

Hotel rooms in downtown Boston are ridiculous, so I reserved a room at Courtyard by Marriott South Boston, which is off of Boston St. just south of U.S. 1. I plan on walking across U.S. 1 to the Andrew "T" station. Anyone know whether this a relatively safe area for walking?

The other option was Holiday Inn Express Logan, which is actually in Revere next to Suffolk Downs, but I read that Revere has a high crime rate.

joelkfla said:

Hotel rooms in downtown Boston are ridiculous, so I reserved a room at Courtyard by Marriott South Boston, which is off of Boston St. just south of U.S. 1. I plan on walking across U.S. 1 to the Andrew "T" station. Anyone know whether this a relatively safe area for walking?

The other option was Holiday Inn Express Logan, which is actually in Revere next to Suffolk Downs, but I read that Revere has a high crime rate.

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No one replied? I am curious too.

joelkfla said:

Hotel rooms in downtown Boston are ridiculous, so I reserved a room at Courtyard by Marriott South Boston, which is off of Boston St. just south of U.S. 1. I plan on walking across U.S. 1 to the Andrew "T" station. Anyone know whether this a relatively safe area for walking?

The other option was Holiday Inn Express Logan, which is actually in Revere next to Suffolk Downs, but I read that Revere has a high crime rate.

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Boston is experiencing one of its safest years on record. The city, for the most part, is exceedingly safe - probably the safest or among the safest major cities in the US. 2023 was already a record year, and 2024 is so far better. Last I checked around late May or early June, the city experienced three murders total.

(Edit: 7 total murders year to date in Boston. Compare that with 305 in Chicago, 142 in Philadelphia, 195 in New York, 102 in DC. I realize this metric is only Boston proper, but it’s eye opening to say the least).

As long as you’re not in Mattapan or Dorchester (though even parts of Dorchester are becoming safe and gentrified), you’ll be fine if you abide by the same rules as any major US city: don’t be stupid.

The area in question is mostly well off young people living that vibrant Boston life.

I am looking into a trip to Boston as well. Hotels are eye-popping! I remember so many years ago on a young person's meagre salary the Back Bay Marriott was my go to...very affordable to me then. Now, even though I have the means...wow! I am thinking my best rail alternative is the Courtyard at Route 128 and the T in, and even those rates are high. Near as I can tell the most "reasonable" big city inner city rates along the corridor seem to be in Philadelphia.

The places to look for "less expensive" hotels are in areas just outside the city, and in a number of cases new areas that have developed over the past 7, or so years.

Route 128/Westwood: Another developing edge city has a Fairfield Suites, Courtyard, and is served by Commuter Rail.

Assembly Row: Located just north of the city limits, AR has its own Orange Line Station. There is a LaQuinta Hotel, and
several others that have opened up within the AR complex.

An older suburban area with many chain hotels is Braintree, and that area has Red Line Service, with many of the larger properties offering shuttle van service to and from the Braintree, or Quincy Adams T stations. That said the Red Line has a number of construction related busittutions planned so check the meta website for details.

Speaking of gentrification, we live in Eastie (East Boston), which is within the City of Boston, just like South Boston (Southie), in Eastie the waterfront along the harbah is now home to a collection of residential buildings, and Piers Park, a beautiful stretch of green space with incredible views of the city and skyline. You can reach this via the Blue Line at Maverick Station, when you exit the train go to the left, and that exit puts you near the waterfront. One of the larger rental complexes, Portside at East Pier, offers short term rentals.

A great travel video of Boston.



Enjoy !

Interesting video. By coincidence I am arriving from Dublin into Boston airport early September. I have booked a night at the H.I. Boston hostel, fingers crossed, as for all hostels, for snore-free roommates!

Is tea still available in Boston, or was it all dumped in the sea?

Hope I don't get too confused by all those winding non grid streets.

Only there for one night, then onto Amtrak in coach to Chicago, and points north west-ish...

caravanman said:

Interesting video. By coincidence I am arriving from Dublin into Boston airport early September. I have booked a night at the H.I. Boston hostel, fingers crossed, as for all hostels, for snore-free roommates!

Is tea still available in Boston, or was it all dumped in the sea?

Hope I don't get too confused by all those winding non grid streets.

Only there for one night, then onto Amtrak in coach to Chicago, and points north west-ish...

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Here you go.

https://www.thecateredaffair.com/courtyard-tea-room/

Boston has been a favorite city for years, however I've had to rethink a visit in early October as part of a driving trip through Atlantic Canada and New England. As others have noted, hotel prices are literally off the charts, with mid-range hotels going for $500+ and higher end ones are eye-watering - even for those of us who use points as an alternative to high cash rates.

Many "hostels" offer private ensuite rooms as well as dorm beds, might be worth checking?

A couple years ago, my brother and family were visiting and looking for affordable places. There are several hotels along Rt 60 in Revere that have shuttles to the airport and the MBTA Blue Line station Wonderland. That also saved on car rental. "crime" was not a problem.

UhClem said:

A couple years ago, my brother and family were visiting and looking for affordable places. There are several hotels along Rt 60 in Revere that have shuttles to the airport and the MBTA Blue Line station Wonderland. That also saved on car rental. "crime" was not a problem.

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I have stayed at several Revere hotels over the years with no crime related problems.

Indeed Boston hotel rates are astronomical. Just be glad you don’t have to pay rent here….

Some of my colleagues have been put up in local hotels when they come to town for work. I was told one of the rates - breaking $1k for a two night stay is just outrageous.

Greater Boston gets a lot of things right when it comes to what a city can and should be - it’s excellent safety and crime record among them. Unfortunately, most cities in America get those things wrong, so Boston will remain expensive, until more places like Boston start to exist. It’s just plain supply and demand.

caravanman said:

Many "hostels" offer private ensuite rooms as well as dorm beds, might be worth checking?

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When I last suggested a "hostel" to stay at, some in my family were hostile to the idea, unfortunately.

Boston hotel rates are funny and highly seasonal. I've been staying at the Marriott Courtyard by North Station on my last few trips. The rate in the summer was close to $600 a night. I stayed there last March, and when I booked it in the early fall, the rate was closer to $300 a night. Then, I rechecked the rate in February, and it was a little over $200 a night. Of course, I rebooked and saved myself the money. I've also stayed in a Courtyard in the Back Bay. Listed right now at ~$500 a night, I got it last January for ~$200.

Portland, Maine is similar. Infact, the entire Northeast during the summer, even the motels along the highway in pretty rural areas, has very expensive lodging for what you get. Some of this is post pandemic price gouging, but some of this was evident long before the pandemic.

One thing to see in Boston, if medical history interests you, is the Ether Dome, at Massachusetts General Hospital. This is a circa 1820 surgical amphitheater where the first public demonstration of ether anesthesia was held in 1846. The also have a cool museum of medical history located just outside the hospital entrance. Take the Red Line T to Charles/MGH.

MARC Rider said:

One thing to see in Boston, if medical history interests you, is the Ether Dome, at Massachusetts General Hospital. This is a circa 1820 surgical amphitheater where the first public demonstration of ether anesthesia was held in 1846. The also have a cool museum of medical history located just outside the hospital entrance. Take the Red Line T to Charles/MGH.

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Another thing that intrigues me in that area is the 19th century former Charles St. Jail that is now either a hotel or condos I forget which. I wonder if there is any part of it worth going in and seeing. I remember going past it many times when it was still a jail.

The Charles St. Jail is now the Liberty Hotel. Perhaps a bit pricey
https://libertyhotel.com/