One day in Boston - What's a mus do?

Evening folks.

I will be travelling to Boston in almost two weeks for my girlfriends Cousins wedding in Chatham, Cape Cod.

I originally thought I had a good couple of days to see all the marvellous sights and experience the culture of Boston, but as the trips been planned my partners Dad we%26#39;re only really getting one full day in Boston.

I%26#39;ll have half a day after the flight, then one full day, then another half a day before travelling to Chatham.

What I%26#39;d really like to do is cram in as much as possible on the one full day I have there. I do realise that I%26#39;m not really going to get a good feel for Boston in one day, but if I enjoy it I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll make the trip back to spend some quality time there.

I%26#39;m open to any suggestions, the only thing that currently I really want to experience is a decent Irish Pub. Being Scottish I%26#39;m always up for an excuse to hit the pub, and as my Mums Irish and it%26#39;s possibly my favourite place in the world, bar Scotland I%26#39;d be really interested to see what Irish Traditions are alive and well in Boston.

Many thanks in advance for any possible help.

Oh, and growing up the Cheers Bar is already a must after growing up as a young boy and watching it with my Dad.

Additionally we%26#39;re booked into The Westin Boston Waterfront if anyone knows anything about it.

One day in Boston - What's a mus do?

Let%26#39;s start with the hotel. The Westin Waterfront is in South Boston (not Downtown) and is next to the Convention Center. It is not near any of the major tourist sites and you%26#39;d have to walk 15 minutes or so to get to the start of ';civilization'; or take taxis. The walk is through an old industrial area or some huge parking lots, not unsafe per se, but always pretty desolate. So for one night, perhaps you might want to consider staying somewhere Downtown. The hotel is brand new and has all the ammenities of a nice hotel, but just nothing around it.

In Boston, take either a Trolley Tour or Duck Tour of the city and then plan on walking the Freedom Trail, which connects many of the historic sights of the city.

One day in Boston - What's a mus do?

Thanks Alan, but think the Hotels a cert as there%26#39;s about 10 of us booked into it. I just was curious as to whether it was nice or not as the photos on their website look ok, but I do a lot of travelling with work and know that photos often lie.

A 15 min walk doesn%26#39;t bother me and those that are travelling with us will be more than happy getting taxi%26#39;s to different places.

You can tell America%26#39;s a massive place, it didn%26#39;t look that far to downtown on Google Earth :)

Its a nice hotel brand new opened last year,but like Alan says its in a industrial area,and you are not that far from downtown you can always catch the Silver Line to South Station and catch the Red Line subway %26#39;T'; to Downtown Crossing.

Hi,

You know, I%26#39;m in the minority on this forum when it comes to the Westin Boston Waterfront. I actually think it%26#39;s a viable alternative if you can%26#39;t get a good price downtown. That being said, would someone alert the boys over at Westin corporate to change the name to ';The Westin not on the Waterfront.'; I respect AlanM as a Local Expert, but it seems he has no use for the Westin. There has been much written in this forum in regards to the desolation one must feel while staying at the Westin. I disagree. I took some time to measure out the exact distance from the Westin to South Station. Like you observed on your Google Earth--it%26#39;s not that far away. In fact, it is exactly .6 of a mile. A hair over 1/2 a mile. A seven and a half minute walk for a reasonably in-shape person. Are you going to walk out the door and onto the Public Garden sipping coffee and smelling tulips in bloom? No. But you and your group of ten can walk to South Station and hop on the Red Line as easy as pie.

I%26#39;m with Healey.... It%26#39;s not that far from ';civilization'; and it%26#39;s a nice, brand new hotel. The Seaport Hotel is nearby as is the World Trade Center Boston and the big Boston Convention Center. It%26#39;s not so much South Boston (I know, technically, it%26#39;s South Boston but it%26#39;s not Southie, if you know what I mean). No, it%26#39;s not the Marriott Long Wharf (which is waterfront and in the middle of things) but it%26#39;s not so far out as to be a bad choice. It%26#39;s also closer to the airport, which can be a convenience on your way back. Hop on the Silver Line and you%26#39;re on your way to the airport.

You%26#39;ll find a nice Irish pub across from the Government Center T stop. There%26#39;s another in North Station. I think the Purple Shamrock is a tourist trap, but there it is... The ';real'; Irish pubs are in Dorchester and Southie (and elsewhere) but that%26#39;s too far off the baeten path for you right now. On another trip, visit the Eire pub in Dorchester and check out the Green Hills bakery across the street. Green Hills is FULL of right-off-the-boat tradesmen at 6am. The brogues outnumber the American accents 3 to 1. You%26#39;ll see the map of Ireland faces throughout the city--if you run into me, you%26#39;ll most definitely see it! :-)

As for Irish traditions, if you%26#39;re in the Prudential Mall, you%26#39;ll see the oddest placement for a Chapel of St. Francis. It%26#39;s a beautiful little chapel nestled in the middle of an upscale mall. The Prudential is a very tall building near Copley Square.

You might try to take one of those trolley tours to take you from one place to another. If not, the the T is very easy to navigate.

The ';original'; Cheers bar is near Beacon Hill (Rich in history---some of those brownstones have tiny maid%26#39;s quarters where the Irish servants would live, serving the Brahmins. Beacon hill is a must. The Cheers bar there looks nothing like the show. On one of these threads, someone mentioned another Cheers bar in Faneuil Hall that looks like the show. I haven%26#39;t been but... if you want to recreate the show, I%26#39;d go there. I was in the Bull and Finch once and it was no great shakes: wall to wall tourists and it looked nothing like the show.

Hope this is helpful.

Folks,

Just wanted to clarify the impression I left of the Westing Waterfront. It IS a very nice hotel - brand new and sparkly. What I don%26#39;t like is for people to be disappointed. If you%26#39;re expecting a hotel on Boston%26#39;s Waterfront, it%26#39;s not that. If the walk through a quiet, yet historic industrial area to reach amenities like restaurants and stores doesn%26#39;t bother you, then I certainly can support that - especially if the rate makes it a real bargain. Some folks expect that they%26#39;re in the heart of the city and are quite put out that the hotel has mislead them.

Does that make sense to you? Healey, I would like you to understand where I am coming from. People have different priorities and we should support them in what they want - and that includes me. If they know the facts and make intelligent decisions based on them, I wholeheartedly go along with what they decide.

AlanM

Alan-- I now know where you%26#39;re coming from--thank you for the clarification. As always, I respect your dedication and contribution to the Boston tourists.

Scots Jay-- I forgot to mention a website for irish pubs in boston. check out bostonirishpubs.com.

Cheers for all the info so far.

Thanks for comments regarding the Hotel, though we%26#39;re only there for two nights so either way I%26#39;m not bothered as I can sleep anywhere.

Thanks again.

Hi Scots,

I%26#39;ll leave the hotel comments to others. For what you should be doing in your one day, I%26#39;d suggest that you should walk the Freedom Trail. Take a taxi or the T over to the Boston Visitor%26#39;s Center next to Park St. station on the Common. Get the self guided tour map of the Freedom Trail. Depending on how much you stop off at each site, you can easily do it in less than a day. Once you are finished, the Bull and Finch bar (the actual bar in the opening scenes of Cheers) is about two blocks from Park St., so go in and have a beer and rest up a bit from your walk.

If you have more time, you should try heading to the top of the Prudential Tower for the observation deck, which will give you a great panaramic view of the city. Then, walk over one block and take a walk on Newbury St., which has art galleries, outdoor cafes, boutiques, and lots of people watching. Get an outdoor seat at Stephanie%26#39;s, or Charlie%26#39;s, and have some dinner.

That should keep you busy for the day.

I see what Alan is saying. When I think of waterfront hotels, I think: Boston Harbor Hotel, the Marriott LongWharf, etc. Both of these are close to the Aquarium and Faneuil Hall--prime spots.

By comparison, the Westin is in Siberia. However... if you can get a good deal on the Westin, then the location isn%26#39;t a big deal. It all depends. If you want to be really close to everything, then maybe another place is good but...this isn%26#39;t so far from civilization that you%26#39;ll feel completely out of it.

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