Marvellously atmospheric ... Boston's Fenway Park.Credit: Getty Images
Heavy with history it may be but this piece of New England has come a long way from tea parties, writes David Whitley.
STAY
Budget
The city has few geniune budget options but the first deal-hunting stop should be bnbboston.com. It lists bed-and-breakfast accommodation that often isn't found on the usual booking sites. Otherwise, the town of Cambridge is in effect a Boston suburb and has a few good guesthouse options. These include Cambridge Bed and Muffin (267 Putnam Avenue, 576 3166, bedandmuffin.com), which offers rooms with shared bathrooms priced from $US75 — prepare for cutesy overload, though. In Boston itself, the well-located 40 Berkeley (40 Berkeley Street, 375 2524, 40berkeley.com) is a rebranded YWCA and offers doubles with shared bathrooms priced from $US50 a night. The institutional feel remains, however.
Mid-range
The townhouse-style Charlesmark (655 Boylston Street, 247 1212, charlesmarkhotel.com, from $US139) is hugely likeable. Free bottled water, cheery staff and guidebooks for guest use push the right buttons. The nearby Inn at St Botolph (99 St Botolph Street, 236 8099, innatstbotolph.com, from $US129) offers a smart, stylish take on a bed-and-breakfast; think suites with full-size fridges, free Wi-Fi and sleek chocolate decor. Bargain-hunters should take a look at the posh Omni Parker House (pictured, 60 School Street, 227 8600, omnihotels.com). It opened in 1855 and counts Ho Chi Minh and Malcolm X as former employees. Rooms are on the small side but can be grabbed for about $US119 if it's not busy.
Luxe
The recent revamp at the Colonnade (120 Huntington Avenue, 424 7000, colonnadehotel.com, from $US259) has worked wonders: the spacious rooms have ultra-comfy beds, gadgetry and cute touches such as the rubber duck by the bath. It also has a rooftop pool. The trendy Nine Zero (90 Tremont Street, 772 5800, ninezero.com, from $US220) is great fun, with a free wine hour daily, furry bedspreads and bold furnishings. The Lenox (61 Exeter Street, 536 5300, lenoxhotel.com, from about $US200) is a luxurious non-chain choice with antique-style furniture but iPod- and flat-screen-wired modernity.
Lash out
The Liberty Hotel (215 Charles Street, 224 4000, libertyhotel.com) is the hot ticket — you've never seen a lobby quite like it. This converted prison has become a be-seen social hub and the river-view suites (from $US725 a night) are glorious. The arty Royal Sonesta Hotel (40 Edwin Land Boulevard, 806 4200, sonesta.com), on the other side of the Charles River, rivals it for the best view and the spacious $US320-plus suites are luxuriously equipped. The Mandarin Oriental (776 Boylston Street, 535 8888, mandarinoriental.com, from $US495) is contemporary and uncluttered and its highly rated spa's as much an attraction as the Frette robes, towels and linen.
Note: In the US, non-inclusive packaging is rife. Almost all hotels do not include tax in the price, so expect another 14.45 per cent on the final bill for any figure listed here.
SHOP + PLAY
To market
The Faneuil Hall Marketplace (faneuilhallmarketplace.com) is Boston's best-known congregation of stalls but it is almost entirely aimed at tourists. Still, a decent spot to find those Harvard T-shirts, postcards and other assorted tat. More authentic and atmospheric is the open-air market in Haymarket Square, where the fruit and veg vendors try to outdo each other on the decibel levels. Otherwise, farmers' markets seem to have taken off in a big way and get squeezed into anything resembling a public square on a daily basis. Check out massfarmersmarkets.org for a full list of markets — or walk around for a couple of hours and you're practically guaranteed to stumble across one.
Go shop
For a slightly less soulless mall than most, try the Prudential Centre (800 Boylston Street). There are a few indie outlets and gourmet confectioners sprinkled among the big names. For a far more enjoyable retail exploration, head to one of two streets. Newbury Street in Back Bay has a mix of boutiques, record stores, bookshops and the odd chain store interloper, while Charles Street has the atmosphere and the oddities. Expect artsy florists and antique dealers peacefully coexisting. Beacon Hill Chocolates (beaconhillchocolates.com) at number 91 is a good spot for gifts — it sources fine chocolates from around the world and presents them in unique, creative boxes or wrapping.
Live music
The House of Blues (15 Lansdowne Place, 888 693 2583*, houseofblues.com) might be fairly ubiquitous in the States but Boston's version does attract a good, varied line-up. Expect everything from the Temper Trap and Brandon Flowers to La Roux and Joe Satriani. For something a little less corporate, nearby
Bill's Bar (5 Lansdowne Street, 421 9678) plays up the sleazy rock look and pulls in guitar bands of various decibel levels and quality. Jazz lovers should try to squeeze into Wally's Cafe (427 Massachusetts Avenue, 424 1408, wallyscafe.com), however. This poky little joint is a real muso hangout.
Nightclubs
You don't really go to Boston for the clubbing scene — the live music venues are generally a better bet. But if you like fashion-police attitude, pricey drinks and an attempt at a sophisticated lounge scene, try
Gypsy Bar (116 Boylston Street, 482 7799, gypsybarboston.com).
An Tua Nua (835 Beacon Street, 262 2121, antuanuabar.com) is an odd joint — a vaguely Irish bar that becomes a club later on — but it's a winner if you want the student-packed, drink promo and party music vibe. If you like salsa and are prepared to put in the floor time, the Havana Club (288 Green Street, 312 5550, havanaclubsalsa.com) in Cambridge is the top spot.
SEE + DO
Icons
The Old South Meeting House (310 Washington Street, 482 6439, oldsouthmeetinghouse.org) was where the Boston Tea Party — the cargo-dumping exercise in protest against the British government — began. It remains standing and contains fascinating displays on the city's history. More historical insight is combined with brilliant harbour views at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Columbia Point, 514 1573, jfklibrary.org). But for something quintessentially Boston, you'll need to try to get tickets for a Red Sox baseball game at the marvellously atmospheric Fenway Park (733 7699, boston.redsox.mlb.com).
Culture
Boston likes to play the sophisticated card, and the Boston Symphony Hall (301 Massachusetts Avenue, 266 1492, bso.org) is the best spot to take in classical recitals from the highly regarded Boston Symphony. The city is also home to numerous theatres, although edgy and experimental productions tend to find their natural home at the Institute for Contemporary Art (110 Northern Avenue, 478 3100, icaboston.org) on the waterfront. The exhibitions are worth checking out there, too, but the grande dame of Boston's gallery scene is the Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue, 267 9300, mfa.org).
Footwork
Old warships, fish markets, abandoned piers and general marine bustle line the Boston Harborwalk. The intention is to extend it so that it stretches 75.5 kilometres around the coastline but all the relevant stretches for the average stroller are complete. Meanwhile, the Freedom Trail is a somewhat artificial marketing gimmick but it links a number of the city's key historic sites. A painted red line marks out the four-kilometre route from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument. Printable maps are available at thefreedomtrail.org. It's worth exploring with a guide who can bring it to life and Boston by Foot (367 2345, bostonbyfoot.org, from $US8) offers walking tours as well as sidelines such as Literary Landmarks and Dark Side routes.
Follow the leader
Boston has a serious sweet tooth and Boston Chocolate Tours (bostonchocolatetours.com, 781 784 7469*, from $US48) seeks to share it with visitors. Their walking tours — some of which include wine-matching — track down the city's best shops, cafes and restaurants for cocoa-bean fiends. Old Boston Tours (720 2283, oldbostontours.com, $US30) has a number of themed jaunts, covering topics such as "The Power of Women", "Sin and Redemption" and a good, old-fashioned pub crawl. For something a little more energetic, Charles River Canoe and Kayak (492 0941, paddleboston.com) operates river, harbour and sea kayaking tours, from $US55.
EAT + DRINK
Cafe culture
Trident Booksellers and Cafe (338 Newbury Street, 267 8688, tridentbookscafe.com) has a wonderfully relaxed vibe; sit at the outdoor tables for a ludicrously late breakfast or sip specialist coffees with a book in hand at the counter. Cafe Vanille (70 Charles Street, 523 9200, cafevanilleboston.com) is in prime people-watching territory in upmarket Beacon Hill; grab a croissant or sandwich and monopolise the outdoor tables if you can. Finally, in an area more famous for chucking tea in the sea than brewing it, Tealuxe (0 Brattle Street, 441 0077, tealuxe.com) in Cambridge is a trendy oasis with a great selection of leaves for brewing.
Snack attack
The historic Quincy Market at Faneuil Hall Marketplace is now in effect one jumbo-size food court. But if you can't find something quick, tasty and appealing to eat from one of the many outlets there, you might as well opt for starvation. For something sweeter, dessert specialist Finale (1 Columbus Avenue, 423 3184, finaledesserts.com) dishes up thoroughly sinful masterpieces in the sit-down area but equally yummy cake slices and tarts are available to go. In Cambridge, Mr Bartley's (1246 Massachusetts Avenue, 354 6559, mrbartley.com) theatrically serves up top-drawer burgers with satirical names to hungry Harvard students.
Top of the town
L'Espalier (774 Boylston Street, 262 3023, lespalier.com) is the dress-to-impress joint with New England ingredients and French influence (pictured). Expect an $US82 prix fixe menu, very good food and a man in his best suit on the other side of the room proposing to his lady friend. No. 9 Park (9 Park Street, 742 9991, no9park.com) has an air of refinement, Italian and French cuisine plus an excellent old-world wine list. Don't expect much change from $US200 for chef Barbara Lynch's wine-matched tasting menu, however. The tiny, unprepossessing O Ya (9 East Street, 654 9900, oyarestaurantboston.com) is the hot secret, though: top-class sushi and sashimi with frequent inventive twists that justify the price per bite.
By the glass
Boston is known for its Irish pubs, of which the Lansdowne (9 Lansdowne Street, 247 1222, lansdownepubboston.com) is arguably the most fun. Live music, big screens for the sporting action and even live-band karaoke are thrown in. To head considerably up-market, The Oak Room (138 St James Avenue, 267 5300, theoakroom.com), inside the Fairmont Copley hotel, looks like the perfect place to conduct an affair in a high-class film noir. The super-dark wood panelling cocoons the room and the atmosphere has a warm tingle. Then there's the Bukowski Tavern (pictured, 1281 Cambridge Street, 497 7077), a magical in-early, out-late dive with a great range of beers and people happy to chat to the solo traveller.
Hot tip
Because it doesn't have a must-see attraction, many visitors will not factor in enough time for Boston. It's a city best taken slowly — preferably at walking pace — and allocated a few days. Very few attractions disappoint — the Museum of Science, Harvard tours and harbour cruises are all excellent options — but it's an immensely likeable place to mooch around. Throw in day trips to the likes of Salem and Cape Cod and it's a better base for a holiday than a flying visit. It's a wooer, not a wow-er.
Getting there
V Australia has flights from Sydney to Boston via Los Angeles priced from $1518. 13 82 87, vaustralia.com.au.
Visa and currency
No visas are required for Australian passport holders, however the obligatory Electronic System for Travel Authorisation is a nuisance. To fill in the forms, see https://esta.cbp .dhs.gov and pay the $US14 fee at least 72 hours before travel or risk being turned away at passport control. Currency is the US dollar; $US1 = 99¢.
Calling Boston
Add +1 (the international code) then 617 (Boston dialling code) to the seven-digit numbers listed if calling from Australia. For those numbers marked with an asterisk, just add +1.
Further information
bostonusa.com.
The writer was a guest of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.