Things to do in Boston
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Barking Crab
Big buckets of crabs (Jonah, blue, snow, Alaskan or whatever is in season), steamers dripping in lemon and butter, paper plates piled high with all things fried… The food is plentiful and cheap, and you eat it at communal picnic tables overlooking the water. Beer flows freely. Service is slack but the atmosphere is jovial. Be prepared to wait for a table if the weather is warm.
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Fenway Park
From April to September you can watch the Red Sox play at Fenway Park, the nation’s oldest and most storied ballpark. It is also the most expensive. Tickets in the bleachers are $25 to $30, while more comfortable grandstand seats are $50. Even at these prices tickets are hard to come by, but single seats and obstructed-view tickets are sometimes available on the website during the week leading up to a game. First-come, first-served standing-room-only tickets are sold on game day; head to the ticket windows at Gate C on Landsdowne St. Otherwise, you can always get tickets from scalpers around Kenmore Sq. If the Sox are doing well, expect to pay two times the face value.
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Boston Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour
1 day (Departs Boston, Massachusetts)
by Viator
Discover Boston at your leisure with a one-day ticket on the Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour. Create your own itinerary to see the most popular sights of Boston at …Not LP reviewed
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Copp’s Hill Burying Ground
The city’s second-oldest cemetery – dating to 1660 – is named for William Copp, who originally owned this land. The oldest graves here belong to his children. An estimated 10,000 souls occupy this small plot of land, including more than 1000 free blacks, many of whom lived in the North End. Near the Charter St gate you’ll find the graves of the Mather family – Increase, Cotton and Samuel – all of whom were politically powerful religious leaders in the colonial community. Find the grave of Daniel Malcolm, whose headstone commemorates his rebel activism. British soldiers apparently took offense at this claim and used the headstone for target practice. Across the street, 44 …
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Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
The centerpiece of the Peabody is the impressive Hall of the North American Indian, which traces how native peoples responded to the arrival of Europeans from the 15th to the 18th centuries. As such, it addresses how these cultures have adapted to European influences and how they have maintained their own traditions and customs. Other exhibits examine indigenous cultures throughout the Americas, including a fantastic comparison of cave paintings and murals of the Awatovi (New Mexico), the Maya (Guatemala) and the Moche (Peru). Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the world’s oldest museums devoted to anthropology. The price of admission includes entry to the Harv…
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Old City Hall
This monumental French Second Empire building is now office space with one fancy restaurant, but this site has seen its share of history. Out front, a plaque commemorates the site of the first public school, Boston Latin, founded in 1635 and still operational in Fenway. The hopscotch sidewalk mosaic, City Carpet, marks the spot where Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charles Bulfinch were educated. Statues of Benjamin Franklin, founding father, and Josiah Quincy, second mayor of Boston, stand inside the courtyard. They are accompanied by a lifesize replica of a donkey, symbol of the Democratic Party. (‘Why the donkey?’ you wonder. Read the plaque to find out.) Tw…
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MassArt
More formally known as the Massachusetts College of Art, this is the country’s first and only four-year independent public art college. In 1873 state leaders decided the new textile mills in Lowell and Lawrence needed a steady stream of designers, so they established MassArt to educate some. The South Building houses over 9000 sq ft of exhibit space in the Arnheim, Bakalar and Paine galleries, while the Tower also houses the President’s Gallery. There’s always some thought-provoking or sense-stimulating exhibits to see.
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Walden Pond
Thoreau took the naturalist beliefs of Transcendentalism out of the realm of theory and into practice when he left the comforts of town and built a rustic cabin at Walden Pond. The glacial pond is now a state park, surrounded by acres of forest preserved by the nonprofit Walden Woods project. The site of Thoreau’s cabin is on the northeast side, marked by a cairn and signs. To escape the crowded summertime beach, follow the path along to the other side of the pond. Parking costs $5.
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Lala Rokh
Lala Rokh is a beautiful Persian princess, the protagonist of an epic romance by poet Thomas Moore. The tale epitomizes the exotic East, as does the aromatic, flavorful food served at this Beacon Hill gem. While the ingredients will be familiar to fans of Middle Eastern cuisine, the subtle innovations – an aromatic spice here or savory herb there – set this cooking apart. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from the knowledgeable waitstaff. Reservations recommended.
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Parish Café & Bar
Sample the creations of Boston’s most famous chefs without exhausting your expense account. The menu at Parish features a rotating roster of salads and sandwiches, each designed by a local celebrity chef, including Lydia Shire, Ken Oringer and Barbara Lynch. Despite the creative fare, this place feels more ‘bar’ than ‘café.’ The long bar – backed by big TVs and mirrors – attracts a lively after-work crowd.
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Finale Desserterie
- Boston, USA
- Restaurants › Café
Choose from a long list of tempting treats, from crème brûlée to chocolate soufflé, and enjoy them with coffee, wine or port. Mirrors over the pastry chefs’ workstation allow patrons to watch their magic. There are also light soups, salads and sandwiches at lunchtime and appetizer-size dinner dishes so you don’t have to eat sweets on an empty stomach. There are additional outlets in Harvard Square and Coolidge Corner.
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Paramount
Not what you’d expect on tony Charles St, this old-fashioned cafeteria is a favorite neighborhood hangout. Basic diner fare includes pancakes, steak and eggs, burgers and sandwiches, and big, hearty salads. For dinner, add table service and candlelight, and the place goes upscale without losing its down-home charm. The menu is enhanced by homemade pastas, a selection of meat and fish dishes and an impressive roster of daily specials.
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Helmand
Fusing flavors and techniques from India and the Middle East, the Helmand shows off the rich, diverse and little-known cuisine of Afghanistan. The active, open kitchen - complete with an oven that turns out melt-in-your-mouth flatbread - is entertainment enough in this simple dining room. And the dishes it produces are exotic and enticing. Not to mention that the place is owned by the brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
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North Bennet Street School
The North Bennet Street School has been training craftspeople for over 100 years. Established in 1885, the school offers programs in traditional skills like bookbinding, woodworking and locksmithing. The school’s on-site gallery sells incredible hand-crafted pieces made by students and alumni. Look for unique jewelry, handmade journals and exquisite wood furniture and musical instruments.
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Casa Romero
The entrance to this hidden treasure is in the public alley off Gloucester St. Step inside and find yourself in a cozy casa - filled with folk art and Talavera tiles - which is wonderful and warm during winter months. In pleasant weather, dine under the stars on the delightful patio. This is not your average taqueria - be prepared to pay for the experience.
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Ginza
Named after Tokyo's upscale center of culture and finance, this traditional Japanese restaurant (complete with servers in kimonos) rates among Boston's best sushi places. The freshest pieces of nigiri, sashimi and maki are artfully presented, offering a feast for the eyes as well as the palette. There is a second outlet near Kenmore Sq.
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El Pelon Taqueria
If your budget is tight, don't miss this chance to fill up on Boston's best burritos, tacos and tortas, made with the freshest ingredients. The tacos de la casa are highly recommended, especially the pescado, made with Icelandic cod and topped with chili mayo. Plates are paper and cutlery is plastic.
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Arthur’s Paradise Diner
The epitome of ‘old school, ’ this place is open only for breakfast and lunch and specializes in something called the Boot Mill sandwich (egg, bacon, cheese and home fries on a grilled roll). Expect long waits, testy service and an atmosphere as authentic as it comes. In other words, paradise.
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Croma
Newly revamped, this stylish pizzeria has a hip European feel. The sleek interior - with exposed brick walls and floor-to-ceiling windows - is a hot spot to see and be seen, as is the outdoor patio. Enjoy a crispy-crust, Neopolitan-style pizza or a selection from the extensive wine-by-the-glass menu.
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Harvard Museum of Natural History
This esteemed institution is famed for its botanical galleries, which feature more than 3000 lifelike pieces of handblown glass flowers and plants. At the intersection of art and science, the collection of intricately crafted flora is truly amazing. Kids and casual science buffs might prefer the more modern exhibits, like Arthropods: Creatures that Rule, which uses innovative multimedia presentations to explain how insects and arachnids have evolved into such a dominant phylum. The zoological galleries house an unbelievable number of stuffed animals and reassembled skeletons, as well as an impressive fossil collection. And the mineralogical and geological galleries conta…
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Boston National Historical Park Visitors Center
Guides dressed in Colonial garb - think Ben Franklin - lead Freedom Trail walking tours from the visitor bureau at Boston Common. Or join one of the free, ranger-led Freedom Trail tours provided by the Boston National Historical Park Visitors Center.
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Café Jaffa
A surprising bargain in the middle of blue-blood Back Bay. Fill up on delicious shwarma and falafel, and wash it down with palatable Israeli beer or rich dark Turkish coffee. With polished wood floors and painted murals, it's more stylish than your typical Turkish deli.
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Figs
The brainchild of celebrity chef Todd English, Figs rakes 'em in with its innovative whisper-thin pizzas. For a real treat, order the signature fig and prosciutto pizza with gorgonzola. Equally delish are the sandwiches, salads and pastas.
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Pho Pasteur
One of three branches in the area, this Vietnamese restaurant is almost always crowded. Regulars keep returning for big bowls of spicy stir fry and delicious vermicelli at prices you can't beat.
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1712 Ebenezer Clough House
Behind the Paul Revere Mall in the North End. Ebenezer Clough, a Sons of Liberty member who participated in the Boston Tea Party, was a mason who worked on the adjacent Old North Church.
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