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American Airlines Flights from New York (JFK) to Boston (BOS)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on American Airlines, which operates 6 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from New York (JFK) to Boston (BOS), departing between 8:20am and 10:30pm, and one additional non-stop flight regularly scheduled to depart at 3:20pm and arrive at 4:35pm, Saturdays. Usually an Embraer RJ135 or Embraer RJ140 is flown for this route. The average travel time from New York, NY to Boston, MA is 1 hour and 13 minutes.
During your Boston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Commonwealth Museum/Massachusetts Archives
The nearby Kennedy Library explores the history of one of Boston's most famous families; here, you might find your own clan's history. The Commonwealth Museum has videos, slide shows, and interactive exhibits on the state's people, places, and politics. Topics covered recently in the regularly changing exhibits include the archaeology of the Big Dig, the Civil War, and state history. In the same building, the state archives contain passenger lists for ships that arrived in Boston from 1848 to 1891; state census schedules that date to 1790; and documents, maps, and military and court records starting with the Massachusetts Bay Company (1628-29). Knowledgeable staff members are on hand to answer researchers' questions in person, by mail, or by phone. This is a worthwhile detour on the way to or from the Kennedy Library.
Museum of Fine Arts
One of the world's great art museums, the MFA works nonstop to become even more accessible and interesting. You're sure to find something entrancing in these magnificent collections. Every installation reflects a curatorial attitude that makes even those who go in with a feeling of obligation leave with a sense of discovery and wonder. That includes children, who can participate in a scavenger hunt, admire the mummies, or participate in family-friendly programs scheduled year-round (there are extra offerings during school vacations). The MFA is especially famous for its Impressionist paintings (including 43 Monets -- one of the largest collections outside of Paris), Asian and Old Kingdom Egyptian collections, classical art, Buddhist temple, and medieval sculpture and tapestries. There are also magnificent holdings of prints, photographs, furnishings, and decorative arts, including the finest collection of Paul Revere silver in the world. The museum is currently expanding its modern and contemporary art collections and rearranging some galleries in engaging groupings that display paintings and sculpture along with related decorative objects and furniture.The works that you might find most familiar are paintings and sculpture by Americans and Europeans. Some favorites: Renoir's Dance at Bougival, van Gogh's Postman Joseph Roulin, Childe Hassam's Boston Common at Twilight, Gilbert Stuart's 1796 portrait of George Washington, John Singleton Copley's 1768 portrait of Paul Revere, a bronze casting of Edgar Degas's sculpture Little Dancer, John Singer Sargent's The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, and Fitz Hugh Lane's Luminist masterpieces.None of this comes cheap: The MFA's adult admission fee (which covers two visits within 30 days) is among the highest in the country. A Boston CityPass is a great deal if you plan to visit enough of the other included attractions.To begin your visit at the museum, pick up a floor plan at the information desk, or take a free guided tour (weekdays except Mon holidays at 10:30am and 1:30pm, with an additional tour on Wed at 6:15pm, and Sat at 10:30am and 1pm). The I. M. Pei-designed West Wing (1981) contains the main entrance, an auditorium, and an atrium with a tree-lined "sidewalk" cafe. There is also a restaurant and a cafeteria. The excellent Museum Shop carries abundant souvenirs and a huge book selection.Special exhibitions during the lifespan of this book include Art Deco 1910-1939 (Aug 22, 2004-Jan 9, 2005); Speed, Style and Beauty: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection (Mar 6-July 3, 2005); The Quilts of Gee's Bend (June 1-Aug 21, 2005); and Tiffany Jewels (Sept 18-Dec 31, 2005).The museum is currently expanding: construction of the new East Wing, designed by Norman Foster, began in early 2004. While work proceeds, the museum is rearranging some collections and closing some exhibition spaces, so check ahead before visiting if you have your heart set on seeing a particular piece of art.MFA FYI--The Huntington Avenue entrance to the Museum of Fine Arts is usually much less busy than the West Wing lobby. Walk back along Huntington Avenue when you leave the T, enter from the curved driveway, and stop to take in the John Singer Sargent murals.
Old South Meeting House
Look for the clock tower that tops this religious and political gathering place, best known as the site of an important event leading to the Revolution. On December 16, 1773, a restive crowd of several thousand, too big to fit into Faneuil Hall, gathered here. They were waiting for word from the governor about whether three ships full of tea -- priced to undercut the cost of smuggled tea and force the colonists to trade with merchants approved by the Crown -- would be sent back to England from Boston. The ships were not, and revolutionaries poorly disguised as Mohawks cast the tea into the harbor. The meeting house commemorates that uprising, the Boston Tea Party. You can even see a vial of the tea. An interactive multimedia exhibit, Voices of Protest, tells the story of the events that took place here.Originally built in 1670 and replaced by the current structure in 1729, the building underwent extensive renovations in the 1990s. In 1872, the devastating fire that destroyed most of downtown stopped at Old South, a phenomenon considered evidence of the building's power.The meeting house frequently schedules speeches, readings, panel discussions, and children's activities, often with a colonial theme. Each December, it stages a reenactment of the debate that led to the tea party. Call ahead or check the website for schedules.Exit through the gift shop and look across Milk Street to see Benjamin Franklin's birthplace. Franklin, the 15th child of Josiah Franklin, was born in 1706 in a little house at 17 Milk St. The house is long gone, but look across at the second floor of what's now 1 Milk St. When the building went up after the fire of 1872, the architect guaranteed that the Founding Father wouldn't be forgotten: A bust and the words BIRTHPLACE OF FRANKLIN adorn the facade.To continue on the Freedom Trail: Backtrack on Washington Street (passing Spring Lane, one of the first streets in Boston and originally the site of a real spring) to State Street.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Boston area, including:
The MidTown Hotel
Even without free parking and an outdoor pool, this centrally located two-story hotel would be a good deal for families, budget-conscious businesspeople, and tour groups. The boxy white building is on a busy street within walking distance of Symphony Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts. The well-maintained rooms are large, bright, and attractively outfitted in no-frills contemporary style, although bathrooms are on the small side. Some units have connecting doors that allow families to spread out. The best rooms are at the back of the building, away from Huntington Avenue. Many rooms have two-line phones and high-speed Internet access; photocopying and fax services are available at the front desk.
Radisson Hotel Cambridge
This former Howard Johnson hotel is an attractive, modern 16-story tower across the street from the Charles River. It has an indoor swimming pool, and Radisson replaced all the furniture when it took over in 2000. Each room has a picture window, and some have private balconies. Prices vary with the size of the room, the floor, and the view; the panorama of the Boston skyline from higher floors on the river side of the building is worth the extra money. The hotel is near the major college campuses and the Mass. Pike. It's 10 minutes by car from downtown Boston but not near public transit -- leave time for the hotel shuttle.Facilities: 2 restaurants (Japanese, Greek); indoor pool; exercise room; concierge; shuttle to Harvard, Central, and Kendall squares and Massachusetts General Hospital; business center; room service until 10pm; laundry service; same-day dry cleaning. Rooms for travelers with disabilities are available.
The Charles Hotel
This nine-story brick hotel, located a block away from Harvard Square, has been the place for business and leisure travelers to Cambridge since it opened in 1985. Much of its fame derives from its excellent restaurants, jazz bar, and day spa; the service is equally impeccable. In the recently refurbished guest rooms, the style is contemporary country, with custom adaptations of early American Shaker furniture. The austere design contrasts with the indulgent amenities, which include down quilts and Bose Wave radios; bathrooms contain telephones and TVs. And it wouldn't be Cambridge if your intellectual needs went unfulfilled -- there's a library in the lobby.Facilities: 2 restaurants (Rialto, one of Boston's best, and Henrietta's Table, with a lavish Sun brunch); bar; Regattabar jazz club; free access to adjacent health club with glass-enclosed pool, Jacuzzi, and exercise room; adjacent spa and salon; concierge; car-rental desk; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; same-day dry cleaning. Rooms for travelers with disabilities are available.
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