Hostelworld Guide for Boston The Essentials Climate

Exchange Rates A wise man once said of Boston 'if you don't like the
weather around here, wait a minute'. He wasn't
wrong as it can rain one day and snow the next. But
in general, winters in Boston are very cold and it
sees snow regularly in the colder months. The city
also enjoys hot (if humid) summers. Like so many
cities, spring and fall/autumn are the most pleasant
times to visit.

Getting There
Useful Information
By plane: The majority of airlines flying to Boston
Steeped in history and small enough to explore in a day, Boston is one of America's most charming cities. land in Logan International Airport. It is connected
This is the city that spawned America's first public park, its first public college and its first subway system. to the city centre via the 'T' (Boston's subway). The
Funnily enough, it is America's oldest city too. But it's not all history. Socialising and sports are all journey takes approximately 15 minutes and costs
pastimes of Bostonians, as is relaxing - one of Boston's finest attributes is its easy pace of life. $2.
By train: If you travel to Boston via train you will
arrive in either North Station, Back Bay Station or
South Station.
Language: English
Currency: American Dollar (USD)
Electricity: 110 Volts
Area Code: +1 (USA) 617 (Boston)
Emergency Codes: Ambulance/Fire/Police 911
Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 5)
Central Post Office: 25 Dorchester Avenue
Main Tourist Office: 2 Copley Place, Suite 105

In this Guide...
By bus: Boston's main bus station is beside South
Station. Consulates / Embassies
Useful Information
After Dark UK: +1 617 245 4500
Places to Eat Getting Around Canada: +1 617 262 3760
Top Attractions Australia: +1 202 797 3000*
Budget Tips On foot: Boston is easily explored on foot and is South Africa: +1 202 232 4400*
Where to Shop one of America's more compact cities. Many of its Ireland: +1 617 267 9330
main tourist attractions are within walking distance Germany: +1 617 369 4900
of each other. Spain: +1 617 536 2506
Italy: +1 617 542 0483
By T (subway): Known locally as the 'T', Boston's New Zealand: +1 202 328 4800*
underground network consists of 4 colour-coded France: +1 617 832 4400
lines, is efficient and is extremely easy to use. *Embassy in Washington
There are a number of stations dotted around the
city centre.

By bus: Buses cover all areas of the city that the T

doesn't, but chances are you won't use the bus as
often as the subway.

Hostelworld Guide for Boston www.hostelworld.com

Cheap Eats
The Paramount, 44 Charles Street, Beacon Hill
This Beacon Hill favourite has all the traits of a
neighbourhood hangout but is just minutes from the
city centre. Its lunch menu is perfect for the
budget-conscious traveller with sandwiches costing
between $6-$7. It's also famous for its ludicrously
tasty breakfasts. Open Mon-Sat 7am-10pm (11pm
Fri & Sat), Sun 8am-10pm.
The Wrap, 71 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge Every
afternoon a stream of students from Harvard
University flow into this Cambridge sandwich bar,
keeping the smile on the proprietor's face a
permanent one. Create your own wrap from a variety
of fillings or choose one of the ready-made ones.
Healthy and filling, 'The Wrap' is a good option for
lunch on the run. Open daily from 10am-11pm.
Ernesto's Pizza, 69 Salem St, North End Some
say the pizza in Ernesto's is the best in North End.
Others say the pizza in Ernesto's is the best in
Boston. Either way, if you're looking for good pizza
you can do worse than slices from this pizza joint.
It's quite small, but the pizza is superb. Open
Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm, Fri & Sat 11am-11pm.
How do you like your nuts?
Roasted nut stands, various locations For a
true Bostonian experience get a portion of
roasted almonds/cashew/peanuts from one of
the stands dishing them out around Washington
Street. To locate one just let your nostrils do the
navigating. Portions cost approx $3.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace Comprising of Quincy
Market, North Market, South Market and
Marketplace Center, the Faneuil Hall Marketplace
offers Boston's best selection of places to eat. If
you're on a budget stick to the Quincy Market food
court where $10's worth of food will have you
unfastening that top button. Open Mon-Sat
10am-6pm, Sun noon-6pm.
Hostelworld Guide for Boston
After Dark
Bukowski's Tavern, 50 Dalton Street, Back Bay
Something of a Boston institution, Bukowski's
Tavern epitomises the phrase 'drinking hole'. An
eclectic mix of Bostonians fill this small bar on a
nightly basis who come to sample one of the 99
types of beer on offer and steer clear of some of the
stereotypically Irish bars that are peppered
throughout the city. Open daily from 12 noon-2am.
Cheers, 84 Beacon St, Beacon Hill Yes, that
'Cheers'. Inspiration for one of the best-loved
sitcoms to ever come out of America, don't expect
to see Sammy pulling beers behind the counter
when you descend the stairs and go inside. This
bar isn't anything like what you saw on TV, but it's
worth having a beer here if only for novelty reasons.
Open daily from 11am-1am.
Gay / Lesbian Boston
Even though Boston is one of the smallest of
the 'big cities' on the east coast of America, it
still has an extremely active gay community.
Fritz (26 Chandler Street) has been described
as 'Boston's gay Cheers' thanks to its relaxed
atmosphere. Buzz (67 Stuart Street) is the
place to be on Saturday nights while
Cosmopolitan (33 Batterymarch Street) is one
of the newest lesbian clubs on the scene.
Avalon, 15 Lansdowne Street, Kenmore Square
Attracting the biggest DJs from across the globe, if
you're looking for a night of pulsating house music
this is where to go. Located on vibrant Lansdowne
Street, this huge club boasts four lounges, the
'O-Bar' where clubbers can inhale a variety of
scents of oxygen, and the city's best sound system.
Open Thurs-Mon 11pm-late; admission varies.
Grafton Street, 1274 Mass Ave, Cambridge This
Cambridge watering hole isn't your typical
Irish-flavoured bar thanks to its trendy décor, but it's
still a firm favourite with Harvard students and
thanks to its top quality nosh and good beer.
People-watching is a favourite pastime here thanks
to its large windows which face Harvard Sqaure.
Open daily from 11am-1am.
Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge
Hosting bands from around the US, this intimate
club close to Harvard Square is where to go for live
music. Open nightly from 7.30pm-1am.
Remember it is standard practice to tip bartenders
every time you are served.
Don't Miss
Freedom Trail / Black Heritage Trail Spanning
4.8km and 2.5km respectively, these walking tours
are not to be missed. The former brings you past 16
of Boston s most significant landmarks like the Old
City Hall while the latter explores the history of
Boston's 19th century African American community.
The best view in Boston
Skywalk Observatory, Prudential Center, 800
Boylston Street, Back Bay For panoramic
views of Boston, the Skywalk Observatory is
unrivalled. Admission includes an audio guide
which takes you through every part of the city.
Unlike so many audio tours, these are highly
engaging. Open daily from 10am-8pm (winter)
/10pm (summer); admission $11 (adult), $9
(student).
Boston Duck Tours, 3 Copley Place, Suite 310
Funny, informative, and incorporating trips through
the city centre and along the Charles River, the
Boston Duck Tours are one of the best ways to see
this historic city. Well-read and witty guides keep
you entertained for the duration of the tour and, if
you're lucky, might even let you drive a duck! Tours
depart daily every 30/60 minutes from 9am-last hour
before sunset; tickets $27 (adult) /$23 (student).
Fenway Park, Lansdowne Street, Kenmore
Square Home to some of the most dramatic events
ever to take place in Boston, Fenway Park is where
the infamous Red Sox call home. Many Bostonians
would call it the home of baseball since it is the
oldest active ballpark. Whether its for a tour or a
game, pencil it into your itinerary. Season runs from
April-October; tickets cost $12-$90; tours $12.
JFK Library and Museum, Columbia Point, South
Boston This museum documents the life of JFK
from his birth up to his untimely assassination in
Dallas in 1963. Open daily from 9am-5pm;
admission $10.
Mark Your Calendar
January - Dance Across the City 'Dance Across
the City' is a new festival in Boston that aspires to
showcase dance as an enriching experience
through a series of creative and interactive events
that are free and open to the public.
March - St Patrick's Day Parade Since Boston is
America's most Irish city, it comes as no surprise
that its St Patrick's Day celebrations are huge. The
parade to mark the event boasts outlandish floats
and attracts over 600,000 people to the city
April - Patriot's Day Celebrations Boston
remembers the start of the revolution with a
combination of parades and re-enactments. As
Boston is so connected to the revolution, expect
massive celebrations.
April - Boston Marathon This 26-mile race is the
oldest marathon in the world. It begins in
Hopkington outside Boston and ends near the John
Hancock Tower in Copley Square.
June - Festival of Bands Boston's finest wind
instrument bands entertain thousands on the first
Saturday of every June at the city's Faneuil Hall.
June - Dragon Boat Festival Boat races are the
focal point of this event which is held on the Charles
River although musical and dance performances
are staged also.
June to September - Free Friday Flicks Every
Friday during Boston's summer, classic films are
screened for free at the Hatch Memorial Shell.
June/July - Boston Harborfest This seven-day
Fourth of July celebration which attracts 2 million
people annually is one of Boston's biggest.
July - Independence Day Commemorating the
signing of the Declaration of Independence, the
banks of the Charles River, and in particular at the
Hatch Memorial Shell, are where to be for Boston's
4th of July celebrations.
October - Head of the Charles Regata Held on
the last weekend of every October, this is the
largest two-day regatta in the world and attracts
over 300,000 spectators annually.
December - First Night Boston's unique New
Year's Eve celebrations begin with street parades in
the afternoon before climaxing with the obligatory
fireworks display that night.
www.hostelworld.com
Neighbourhood Watch
Beacon Hill With its quaint cafés, glowing lanterns
and cobblestone sidewalks, Beacon Hill is one of
Boston's most charming neighbourhoods. Dating
back to the 19th century, it is just minutes from
Downtown Boston yet manages to maintain a
village-like atmosphere. Its main thoroughfare is
Charles Street but if you have the time delve deeper
into this district.
Gridlocked
Back Bay Designed using a strict grid layout
(similar to that of Manhattan in New York) by
architect Arthur Gilman, Back Bay is home to
Boston's more affluent natives. Also just a
stone's throw from the city centre, its two best
known areas are around plush Newbury St with
its designer shops and the vicinity around
tree-lined Commonwealth Avenue, perfect for an
afternoon stroll.
North End Considered to be Boston's first
neighbourhood, North End is the city's very own
Little Italy. Famed (unsurprisingly) for its top quality
restaurants, there is a lot more to see in this
Mediterranean melting pot. Here you'll find
numerous churches along with Paul Revere s
house.
Kenmore Square Best known as the home of the
Boston Red Sox who delight thousands of adoring
fans in Fenway Park, Kenmore Square is also
famously affiliated with nightlife. If you wish to paint
the town red look no further than Lansdowne Street.
South Boston Affectionately known as 'Southie',
South Boston is the home of Boston's reputable Irish
community. It might be best-known for the Irish pubs
that line East and West Broadway but there's more
to it than that. It has great views of Boston's harbour
and is also the gateway to Marine Park. It was
featured heavily in the Oscar-nominated Good Will
Hunting.
Hostelworld Guide for Boston
Retail Therapy
Washington Street/Winter Street These two
streets which interconnect at Downtown Crossing T
station are Boston's flagship shopping streets.
Pedestrianised, they are lined with clothes stores,
shoe stores, music stores and more. It is also where
you will locate 'the world's favourite department
store', Macy's.
Harvard Square Whether it's Harvard kitsch, skate
clothes, jigsaw puzzles, speciality foods or camera
accessories, you'll have no problem finding it around
Harvard Square. Just five stops north of Downtown
Crossing on the Red Line, if nothing in the stores
inspire you to dig into your pockets, you may feel
brave enough to challenge the square's chess
masters who wait for opposition.
Fabulous daaahling!
Newbury Street On par with New York's Fifth
Avenue and LA's Rodeo Drive, Newbury Street
is Boston's best-known shopping street.
Designer boutiques adorn each side of this
street where the city's more affluent people go to
stock up their wardrobes. If you're not in the
position to fill your backpack with such goods, it
is one of the most beautiful streets in the city and
is worth the visit regardless.
Filene's Basement / DSW If you've returned from
Newbury Street feeling a little deflated, and you're
adamant on purchasing something for yourself, visit
either of these discount stores within a stone's throw
of each other on Washington Street. The former
specialises in discounted clothes while the latter
stands for Discount Shoe Warehouse which, you will
agree, speaks for itself.
Copley Place, 100 Huntington Ave In a nation
synonymous with shopping malls, it's no surprise
that Boston has many. This one in the Back Bay
district has lots to offers people intent on doing
damage to their flexible friend.
Budget Tips
Visit Boston's free museums If you're down and
out in Boston you can always take advantage of
some of its free museums. These include the USS
Constitution Museum dedicated to the celebrated
ship and the Massachusetts State House where you
can walk onto the chamber floors.
Go to the Boston Harbor Islands State Park The
ferry from Downtown Boston to Boston Harbor's
islands may cost $10 ($12 Thurs-Sun), but entrance
to the islands themselves is free. Make your way out
and you can traipse the trails of Bumpkin Island,
stroll along the pier on Peddocks Island, or walk
through the woods on Lovells Island. Ferries operate
between May and October.
Embark on free guided walks You can save
yourself a few dollars by embarking on free guided
walks of the Freedom Trail and the Black Heritage
Trail. National Park Service Rangers offer free tours
of both walks so make sure to take advantage of
them. For info on where and when tours depart,
check out www.nps.gov.
Explore Harvard Make sure to visit Harvard
University, America s most famous college. Located
in the Cambridge district north of the Charles River,
you can easily imagine what it would be like to study
there as you walk the grounds. Incidentally, its three
art museums are free until noon on Saturdays.
A walk in the park
Relax in Boston Common/Public Garden
Situated side by side in downtown Boston,
Boston Common and Public Garden are two of
America's most beautiful parks. They are the
perfect place to while away an afternoon,
watching the world go by along with the
extremely tame squirrels. Established in 1634,
Boston Common is Boston's oldest public park
while the Public Garden dates back to the 19th
century.
A Day in Boston...
Start the day at the beginning of Boston's
famed 'Freedom Trail'. The 3-mile walk
passes by some of Boton's, and America's,
most historically significant landmarks.
Upon returning to the city centre, chill out in
Boston Common, Boston's oldest public
park. Check out the Public Garden also
which is right beside it.
Take a stroll up Charles Street in Beacon Hill
and grab your lunch in 'Paramount'. This is a
local favourite and does exceedingly good
sandwiches.
After lunch take a stroll down busy Boylston
Street until you get to the Prudential Tower.
Enjoy breathtaking views from its
observation deck.
Boston's two busiest streets are Washington
Street and Winter Street. Window shop or
treat yourself to something before getting the
T from Downtown Crossing to Harvard.
North of Boston's Charles River is Harvard
University, the most famous university in
America. Wander its grounds (below) and
imagine what studying here would be like.
There are loads of nice eateries around
Harvard Square. Grafton Street, one of
Boston's Irish bars, does great food. Follow it
up with a pint!
Return to Boston city centre and check out
some of its bars. You could do worse than
'Bukowski's Tavern' in Back Bay.
End the day off on Lansdowne Street,
Boston's most vibrant street. Lined with bars,
some of the city's best clubs are here too,
namely 'Avalon'.
www.hostelworld.com