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Boston Last Minute Deal
A Sky Full of Fireworks: Twice during Independence Day festivities and again as the New Year begins, the firmament flashes in celebration. The Fourth of July fireworks are over the Charles River; the Harborfest display (in early July) and the First Night show explode above the Inner Harbor.
A Meal at Durgin-Park: Dinner at this Boston institution (it opened in 1827) might start with oysters. It might also start with a waitress slinging a handful of napkins over your shoulder, dropping a pile of cutlery in front of you, and saying, "Here, give these out." The surly service usually seems to be an act, but it's so much a part of the legend that some people are disappointed when the waitresses are nice (as they often are).
A Lunch Break with a Water View: Head for the harbor or the river, perch on a park bench or a patch of grass, put away your watch, relax, and enjoy the spectacular scene. Whether it's sailboats or ocean liners, seagulls or scullers, there's always something worth watching. My favorite spot is the end of Long Wharf, not far from Faneuil Hall Marketplace, but it's just one of thousands of pleasant spots.
A Ride on a Duck: A Duck Tour, that is. Board a reconditioned amphibious World War II landing craft (on Huntington Ave near the Prudential Center) for a sightseeing ride that includes a dip in the river -- for the Duck, not you.
A "Ride" Indoors: The Mugar Omni Theater (at the Museum of Science) and the 3-D Simons IMAX Theatre (at the New England Aquarium) offer intrepid visitors hair-raising experiences in the safety of a comfortable auditorium. Most of the large-format films concentrate on the natural world.
A Few Hours (at Least) at the Museum of Fine Arts: Whether you're into Egyptian art or contemporary photography, furniture and decorative arts or the Impressionists, you're sure to find something at the MFA that tickles your interest.
A Trip Back in Time at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: In an extremely unscientific poll conducted by me, this idiosyncratic museum tied for third-most-popular thing to do. Now you can't say that you've never heard of it -- and it would be a shame to have to say that you missed your chance to visit it.
An Afternoon Red Sox Game: Since 1912, baseball fans have made pilgrimages to Fenway Park, the "lyric little bandbox of a ball park" (in John Updike's words) off Kenmore Square. The seats are uncomfortable and expensive, the Red Sox last won the World Series in 1918, and you won't care a whit as you soak up the atmosphere and bask in the sun.
A Vicarious Thrill: Without so much as lacing up a sneaker, you can participate in the world-famous Boston Marathon. Stretch a little. Drink plenty of fluids. Stake out a slice of sidewalk on Commonwealth Avenue and cheer as the runners thunder past. Then put your feet up -- you must be exhausted.
A Walk Around the North End: Boston's Little Italy (but don't call it that!) has an old-world flavor you won't want to miss. Explore the shops on Salem Street, wander the narrow side streets, enjoy some pasta, and be sure to stop for coffee and a pastry at a Hanover Street caffè.
A Spring Fling in the Public Garden: Eight square blocks of paradise await you, filled with flowers, ornamental greenery, and flowering trees and shrubs. Pass through for a quick pick-me-up, take to the lagoon for a swan boat ride, or just enjoy the ducklings. They're on view in the flesh seasonally and in bronze year-round.
A Newbury Street Safari: From the genteel Arlington Street end to the cutting-edge Mass. Ave. end, Newbury Street -- Boston's legendary shopping destination -- is 8 blocks of pure temptation: galleries, boutiques, jewelry and gift shops, bookstores, and more.
A Visit to Faneuil Hall Marketplace: Specialty shops, an enormous food court, street performers, bars, restaurants, and crowds from all over the world make Faneuil Hall Marketplace (you'll also hear it called Quincy Market) Boston's most popular destination.
A Free Friday Flick: Families, film buffs, and impoverished culture hounds flock to the lawn in front of the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade for free movies (The Wizard of Oz or Tarzan, for example) on Friday nights in the summer. Bring something to sit on, and maybe a sweater.
A Concert Alfresco: Summer nights swing to the beat of outdoor music by amateurs and professionals. A great spot for free jazz is Christopher Columbus Park, on the waterfront, where performances take place Fridays at 7pm.
A Concert Indoors: The lights go down, the crowd falls silent -- you get a little thrill even if you're waiting for an Adam Sandler movie. If you're waiting for the Boston Symphony Orchestra (or another of the area's internationally renowned ensembles), the thrill is as big as the group's string section.
An Off-Season Day Trip: Destinations that abound with out-of-towners in the summer and fall become more manageable when the weather turns cold. Don't let the CLOSED FOR THE SEASON signs put you off: Under a cloudless sky, against the indigo Atlantic, an all-but-deserted suburban town has a unique appeal.
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Boston is one of the best-looking 375-year-olds around. It attracted the attention of the world in 2004 with a World Series victory, a huge new convention center, a national political convention, and (of all things) a revolutionary new highway that incorporates a landmark bridge. In 2005, the city is ready to show off its new face.
Like Samuel Johnson's fabled noose, the impending Democratic convention focused the minds of city planners in 2004. The improvements introduced in time for the convention in late July, from street signs to landscaping, will enhance every visitor's Boston experience. The most prominent example of an improvement is the demolition of the elevated expressway that used to slash through downtown, separating the waterfront from the rest of the city and offending the sensibilities of those who had to pass over, under, or near it. That 15-year, $14.6 billion project, known as the Big Dig, will be wrapping up when you visit, mending the scar left when traffic on Interstate 93 moved into an underground tunnel and the old highway came down.
The new highway runs beneath a modern metropolis that's also a relentlessly historic destination. An ongoing building boom may overshadow the famous 18th- and 19th-century architecture, but even rampant development can't change the colonial character of the central city.
It's not perfect, of course. Nightmarish traffic, daredevil drivers, and grating accents don't help any city's reputation. Although Boston is the biggest college town in the world, there isn't much of a late-night scene. And far from gone is the inferiority complex epitomized by the description "like New York, but smaller." Still, as it has for 375 years, Boston offers cosmopolitan sophistication on a comfortable scale, balancing celebration of the past with pursuit of the future.
Here's hoping your experience is memorable and delightful.
The Real Inside Scoop -- Just for fun, I asked a cross-section of the Boston hospitality community -- hotel managers, restaurant owners, attraction publicity managers, merchants, and other travel experts -- to tell me their two favorite things to do with out-of-towners who are new to the Boston area. (I asked for two to keep them from just naming their own establishments, but most of them were good sports about sharing the wealth.)
I received 160 responses, and I'm thrilled to report that no single activity or place drew more than 13 votes, or just over 8%. To me, that means that Boston is such a multifaceted destination that you can always find something wonderful to see or do.
The most popular answer was a Boston Duck Tour. Next came the North End (11 votes); Newbury Street (9); Beacon Hill/Charles Street, Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market, a Red Sox game/Fenway Park, Harvard Square, and a trolley tour (7 each); the Freedom Trail (6); and the Museum of Fine Arts (5). The dark horse was the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, which isn't nearly as well known as most of the other top vote-getters but tied for third place with 9 votes.
The experts were gratifyingly miscellaneous -- they listed nine museums and attractions, eight neighborhoods, seven restaurants, four walks, four drives, two cemeteries, and an astonishing 42 activities (from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to scorpion bowls) that got one vote each.
