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Possible Boston Honeymoon...ideas requested

PepperallyPepperally member
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edited June 2014 in Not Engaged Yet

Hey ladies near Boston, or those who may be familiar with it...we are not the beach type and want to go somewhere somewhat affordable for us to fly to and we both have never been to Boston, so this is now at the top of our list.  We would be going this mid-October.  We might be also getting a great discount thanks to my future SIL who works for the Hilton brand hotels.  I know there are several around the Boston area.  What part of Boston should we stay in?  We won't have a car. 

We're into restaurants...what restaurants are sort of a must?  What sights/historical areas are a must?  What about any day excursions to nearby coastal towns?

Any info you have I would greatly appreciate!  Thanks!

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Re: Possible Boston Honeymoon...ideas requested

  • phiraphira member
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    Yay!

    There's a Hilton downtown; that's a great location. You don't want to stay near Logan Airport, partly because there are so many better places to stay, and partly because there's nothing to do in East Boston besides live there or fly in and out of the city.

    You definitely do not need a car in Boston. There are buses at the airport that can take you to the Blue Line or the Red Line (subway lines), and then you can get around the whole city.

    As for things to do, there are great museums (Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science), and tons of historical locations (you can walk the Freedom Trail and visit tons of historical sites).

    If you want to spend a lot, in terms of restaurants, L'Espalier is the most expensive restaurant in Boston (I've never been there, but I assume it's great!). New England-y places are Atlantic Fish Company and Island Creek Oysters. There's the Capital Grille, Grille 23, Top of the Hub. If you're looking for beeeeeeer, there's Boston Beer Company, Cambridge Brewing Company, The Publick House, and (of course) Sam Adams Brewery. There's the North End for Italian, and there are great seafood places around that area, and there's also the Summer Shack (which is actually near the Sheraton).

    There's tons of shopping to do as well, especially on Newbury Street and Downtown Crossing.

    I don't do a lot of travel, so maybe someone else will have suggestions for day excursions.

    I love living in Boston, so I'm excited you're considering it for your honeymoon!
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  • I have zero info but I would LOVE to go to Boston! I think it's a great honeymoon destination!


  • We took the 2 day hop on hop off trolley tour and used that to go long distances (like to Fenway from our hotel) but mostly walked everywhere. Boston was a hell of a lot smaller than NYC so we liked tha we could walk places without an issue. I don't know if it's actually smaller or just felt that way.

    The ballpark tour at Fenway was pretty awesome though a bit pricey because it's Fenway. Mid-October you will probably miss a game but there should still be tours running. They're better on non game days cause you can go to more places anyway.

    We also wanted to do the aquarium but it was expensive so we didn't.

    I swear we did more than go to Fenway but that was obviously the highlight (for instance, we went to the 4th of July fireworks haha but they won't happen in October!)
    I guess, to tell you the truth, I've never had much of a desire to grow facial hair. I think I've managed to play quarterback just fine without a mustache. - Peyton
  • I was going to mention going to Fenway.  I've never been there, but when FI and I went to Chicago, one of the things we did was catch a Cubs game and it was the favorite thing that we did!!

    I see there is a CityPass available for Boston.  What you get:
    New England Aquarium
    Museum of Science
    Skywalk Observatory
    Museum of Fine Arts
    Harvard Museum of Natural History OR Old State House

    Not sure if it's worth it, but some attractions to check out to see if they're your type of thing.


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  • New England Aquarium also has a whale watch that leaves right from the aquarium and whale watching up there in October is AWESOME.

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  • The New England Aquarium has ALL THE PENGUINS. 

    That's all I've got. 

    Also, I adore Boston, and everything that everyone else has said are great ideas!



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  • I went to Boston a few years ago on a family vacation and loved it! Such a beautiful city with a lot of history and culture. The Freedom Trail is a day-long event, but it's worth it. You see a lot of really cool historical landmarks, and it's surreal actually seeing the places you've read about it for so many years. We also did touristy stuff like the Cheers bar, which was fun. We stayed in a Hilton or Marriott in the theater district and didn't need a car to get around while we were in the city.

    If you do decide to rent a car and are into historical landmarks, I also recommend day trips to Salem and Lexington and Concord. LOVED both of those places! 


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  • phiraphira member
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    edited June 2014
    @blue Boston is miniscule. Much smaller than NYC. I was shocked when I visited NYC a few years ago and there were so many subway lines!

    You can definitely walk a lot. Downtown, there are lots of subway (T) lines, but you can usually walk from point A to point B pretty easily instead. I used to work up near the MGH stop, and from there, I've walked down to Arlington (the stop, not the town).
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  • Everyone else has given you pretty good info.  I'll fill in food thoughts...since I like food.

    Great restaurants to check out:
    1.  Fin's Sushi - (In Kenmore Square.  It's my favorite sushi restaurant of all time.  Get the Christmas Maki.  It's better than Christmas.)
    2.  Zaftig's - This is a Jewish deli on Harvard Ave. in Brookline (Boston's next door neighbor, which is very easy to get to via public transportation.)  This place has amazing deli/lunch stuff, but the real prize here is their breakfast.  You will never taste better cheeze blintzes or potato pancakes.  Their banana stuffed french toast is to DIE for.  And best of all, it's not expensive.  This place is famous for its deliciousness, so expect about a 45 minute to one hour wait, especially on weekend mornings.
    3.  UBurger (There's one in Kenmore Square & one on State St. next to the Commons).  Yes, it's fast food.  But it's the best burger I've ever had anywhere in my life.  My usual order was a burger with swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms, and guacamole.  SO SO SO SO good.
    4.  Mooo (Right near the State House).  This place is pricey.  Very, very pricey.  But if you're looking for a really nice night out at a good, non-chain steakhouse, this place gets my vote.
    5.  No. 9 Park (Right near the State House).  Another very pricey, but VERY delicious option for a non-chain great night out.
    6.  Hillstone (At the entrance to Fanueil Hall/Quincy Market).  Moderately expensive.  Great for lunch or dinner.  Has great cocktails, sushi, great sandwiches, and amazing French Dip.
  • phiraphira member
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    Everyone else has given you pretty good info.  I'll fill in food thoughts...since I like food.

    Great restaurants to check out:
    1.  Fin's Sushi - (In Kenmore Square.  It's my favorite sushi restaurant of all time.  Get the Christmas Maki.  It's better than Christmas.)
    2.  Zaftig's - This is a Jewish deli on Harvard Ave. in Brookline (Boston's next door neighbor, which is very easy to get to via public transportation.)  This place has amazing deli/lunch stuff, but the real prize here is their breakfast.  You will never taste better cheeze blintzes or potato pancakes.  Their banana stuffed french toast is to DIE for.  And best of all, it's not expensive.  This place is famous for its deliciousness, so expect about a 45 minute to one hour wait, especially on weekend mornings.
    3.  UBurger (There's one in Kenmore Square & one on State St. next to the Commons).  Yes, it's fast food.  But it's the best burger I've ever had anywhere in my life.  My usual order was a burger with swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms, and guacamole.  SO SO SO SO good.
    4.  Mooo (Right near the State House).  This place is pricey.  Very, very pricey.  But if you're looking for a really nice night out at a good, non-chain steakhouse, this place gets my vote.
    5.  No. 9 Park (Right near the State House).  Another very pricey, but VERY delicious option for a non-chain great night out.
    6.  Hillstone (At the entrance to Fanueil Hall/Quincy Market).  Moderately expensive.  Great for lunch or dinner.  Has great cocktails, sushi, great sandwiches, and amazing French Dip.
    1) Fin's is EXCELLENT but make sure you're at the Kenmore location. I can't vouch for the one downtown, and the one out near Boston College is infamous for food poisoning. I have no idea how they can have one amazing location and one shittastic location, but they do.

    2) J and I went on our first date at Zaftig's! It's really awesome. We recently got dinner there and they have these salmon cake appetizers that were so amazing, we wish we could serve them at the wedding.

    3) UBurger is pretty good! I've only ever been to the Kenmore one, but I like it. If you must do fast food, they're miles ahead of McDonald's and Burger King.
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  • Our honeymoon was in Boston too! It's a great place. 

    Cars aren't necessary.

    Good food is around every corner. 

    There are a million things to do, so you won't be bored. 

    Everyone gave great suggestions! I can't wait to go back and really do Boston!
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  • Woohoo!  I knew I could count on the NEY crew to give good advice on Boston.  You are making me more and more excited to go there!  Honestly we even thought of having a small destination wedding there before we ruled out destination weddings altogether.  It just seems like it would be a fun town and really romantic in the fall.  It's nice to hear it's smaller than NYC...I love NYC but it's just so huge as far as getting around on foot.  Is it bigger or smaller than Chicago?  I loved Chicago and felt it was much easier to explore than NYC. 

    FI seems mostly sold on it but he still is exploring other ideas...but we want to save for a house so most of the other options will probably be ruled out.

     

    And whale watching????  I would LOVE that!!  Thanks for all of the great tips/ideas ladies!

  • phiraphira member
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    I'm pretty sure we're a lot smaller than Chicago. Like Chicago, Boston has a city proper, with various neighborhoods (about 20 or so); some of the neighborhoods are pretty big (e.g. Allston-Brighton), and some are just small regions of the city (e.g. West End). But there are also lots of surrounding towns and cities that are considered part of Boston. You could get to Brookline, Newton, Cambridge, and Somerville very easily (and I'd recommend visiting Coolidge Corner in Brookline, and Davis Square in Somerville--especially Davis if you love food).

    We're going on our honeymoon in Chicago (in the middle of winter--oh well).
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  • @phira I love Chicago! I went last summer for a conference and had a ton of fun. If you haven't already, I recommend reading Devil in the White City before you go. 

    I have really enjoyed the time I spent in both Boston and Chicago, so I think you both are going to have great honeymoons. 


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  • I live in Chicago, and I moved here about a year ago from Boston.

    Boston is absolutely TINY in comparison to Chicago.  You can walk from one end of Boston to the other in 90 minutes.  In Chicago, which is composed on MANY (20+ at least) neighborhoods, it can take 15-20 minutes to walk to the neighboring neighborhood.

    I will say that Boston in the Fall might not be the best plan for a DW.  In the fall, especially September, Boston becomes flooded with college kids and their parents.  Traffic can be horrible, and there's a lot of WAHHHH I JUST GOT TO COLLEGE drunkenness around every corner.  It IS doable, but Boston in the Fall, when hotels are gunna be booked up with visiting college parents wouldn't be my first choice.
  • @phira Being a Yankees fan and former resident of Northern NJ (...we basically think we're from NYC, but are not...) I always knew it even took a long time on the subway to get to the stadium from the theater district, etc.  I mean, it's in different boroughs but you get the picture.  I just figured since NY and Boston were such huge sports rivals that the cities would be like..the same size.  And yea, no.  Not even close.  I did like that you could walk around Boston though and really, we had a great time (just didn't wear any yankees or Os clothes in public, haha)
    I guess, to tell you the truth, I've never had much of a desire to grow facial hair. I think I've managed to play quarterback just fine without a mustache. - Peyton
  • phiraphira member
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    @weewittlewizabeth I loooooove that book. As I mentioned in the book thread, I'm a forensic science fan and I've watched/read a lot about infamous murder cases. That book was phenomenal.

    @loves2shop4shoes It's so peaceful right now. I got on a B line train today at rush hour and I had room to breathe. I'm going to be so sad when this ends. I'm going to see if I can convince J that we should take a weekend trip to Anywhere Else Except Boston on Labor Day weekend.

    @Pepperally You might be okay in October, honestly (and the way the Sox are playing this year, I'm reasonably sure there will be no baseball). You can't take two steps without avoiding a college or university, so if there's a parents' weekend, yeah, there'll be lots of hotel rooms being booked. But I wouldn't use that as a reason not to come here.
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  • BreMRBreMR member
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    I officially want to travel to Boston now.
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  • phiraphira member
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    I want to add:

    People in Boston get a reputation for being unfriendly. The truth is, compared to the south or the midwest, we are. We don't usually talk to strangers.

    But if you're lost, people are really nice if you ask for help or directions! I do it all the time.
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  • H and I went to Boston for our HM!  it was wonderful.  we stayed in the Liberty Hotel and bought a week T pass to ride the transit system.  we did a whale tour (it was amazing) and walked the Freedom Trail at least twice.  we ate dinner in the Italian district at Giacomo's (it was wonderful) and then dessert at Mike's.  we ate at the Paramount in Beacon Hill three times because we loved it so much.  we toured the USS Constitution, visited Harvard and shopped at a Farmer's Market there.  we had a lot of fun!!
  • @Pepperally -  Now I want to go to Boston too!! I've actually always wanted to go (so many places, so few PTO days).

    This is actually one of my favorite resources for planning a trip (don't laugh) - you simply enter the dates you intend to travel and it gives you the past forecasts from previous years. 
    http://www.wunderground.com/travelplanner/index.asp


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  • phira said:
    I want to add:

    People in Boston get a reputation for being unfriendly. The truth is, compared to the south or the midwest, we are. We don't usually talk to strangers.

    But if you're lost, people are really nice if you ask for help or directions! I do it all the time.
    I actually think that in terms of manners, East Coasters & Bostonians surpass Midwesterners.  (No offense, Midwesterners.)  I think Midwesterners are much more likely, though, to stop and give money/food/other assistance to someone begging on the street though...if you consider doing that sort of thing kind.
  • BreMRBreMR member
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    I live in Minnesota and in my opinion "Minnesota Nice" does not exist.  I will say that when there is someone in need in the communities around here we do band together to help.  I wouldn't say people are any more friendly in public than other places in the country.
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  • phiraphira member
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    When I visited Iowa for a grad program interview, people were incredibly friendly and accommodating, but I was only there for a few days and my sample size isn't good enough. But I do hear a lot of, "People in the Northeast don't even stop to say hello!" and I wonder, "Oh my god why would you want us to do that?!"
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  • phira said:
    I want to add:

    People in Boston get a reputation for being unfriendly. The truth is, compared to the south or the midwest, we are. We don't usually talk to strangers.

    But if you're lost, people are really nice if you ask for help or directions! I do it all the time.
    People in the South will down right talk to anyone...it's kind of creepy sometimes. I don't always want to become friends with the person standing behind me in the grocery line.
  • phira said:
    I want to add:

    People in Boston get a reputation for being unfriendly. The truth is, compared to the south or the midwest, we are. We don't usually talk to strangers.

    But if you're lost, people are really nice if you ask for help or directions! I do it all the time.
    People in the South will down right talk to anyone...it's kind of creepy sometimes. I don't always want to become friends with the person standing behind me in the grocery line.

    When we travelled cross-country, we were down south for the majority of it, and people would say hello to us and my mom (who is just a friendly person) would say hello back. The New Englander goes "how the hell do you know people in the middle of Alabama?" she goes "I don't know them, I'm being nice." But you'll never see them again!

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  • I will say that when DH and I were in Hawaii, not even a touristy part, a perfect stranger stopped us, told us we were a beautiful couple and said, "God bless you."  And he wasn't even begging for anything.

    It was sort of shockingly nice.
  • TwoDimes said:
    phira said:
    When I visited Iowa for a grad program interview, people were incredibly friendly and accommodating, but I was only there for a few days and my sample size isn't good enough. But I do hear a lot of, "People in the Northeast don't even stop to say hello!" and I wonder, "Oh my god why would you want us to do that?!"
    This is so funny! @phira, which school did you visit? I live in the same town as the largest university in Iowa, and I'm not at all like that! I think it's refreshing when strangers walk right by you without saying hello :) 

    But I'm also the type of socially-awkward person that hopes the elevator door closes before a stranger gets in with me and we get trapped together for 10 seconds, so maybe that transcends my Midwestern-ness.
    Yes. I hate that lol! That happened to me this morning (and of course being in the South) and the lady with me had to have a conversation!!!!!! 
  • I live in Chicago, and I moved here about a year ago from Boston.

    Boston is absolutely TINY in comparison to Chicago.  You can walk from one end of Boston to the other in 90 minutes.  In Chicago, which is composed on MANY (20+ at least) neighborhoods, it can take 15-20 minutes to walk to the neighboring neighborhood.

    I will say that Boston in the Fall might not be the best plan for a DW.  In the fall, especially September, Boston becomes flooded with college kids and their parents.  Traffic can be horrible, and there's a lot of WAHHHH I JUST GOT TO COLLEGE drunkenness around every corner.  It IS doable, but Boston in the Fall, when hotels are gunna be booked up with visiting college parents wouldn't be my first choice.
    This is true - but don't walk from the North End to Fenway in unbroken-in Chucks, or you WILL tear your feet apart. I PROMISE. Bring comfy shoes to walk in. 



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  • phiraphira member
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    @TwoDimes I was interviewing at the University of Iowa. I loved Iowa City, honestly. It felt really refreshing. I definitely want to visit again at some point, especially since J is a writer.

    @GoldenPenguin My brother once walked from the North End to JP at 2am because he couldn't get a cab (SHOCKING that he couldn't get a cab at 2am in Boston). O.o
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