Boston as a Tourist

karne said:

*plays with the link*

Oh, now I'm even more confused about getting to the hotel from the airport. I think I might just get a taxi.

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From Logan to Harvard:
Take the Silver Line (MBTA bus/subway) inbound to South Station. The Silver Line has a stop located outside of all terminals.
At South Station, get on the Red Line northbound toward Alewife Station. Take this train to the Harvard Square station.

If you want to take a taxi, the ride takes about 30 minutes and the fare is approximately $30-$40 (according to the Harvard school website)

From Harvard to TD Garden,

Take the red line to Park Street Station, then take the green line toward Lechmere and get off at North Station.

nguyhm said:

I'm so glad you offered to give recommendations for Chinatown, and like you said, I'd be there for the food :agree:. My favorite Asian dishes are banh mi, pho and soup dumplings. Any advice on where to go for them would be greatly appreciated :thumbsup:

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Are you Vietnamese? Not that liking those foods is an indicator... But more your username! I'd love recs for those too! I'm within a driving distance to a Din Tai Fung, but I'd love to see other versions!

Also the airport shuttle to the subway is really easy to use. I used it both ways during my last trip, no problem. The only confusion was when I needed to buy a ticket. It's actually free.

karne said:

*plays with the link*

Oh, now I'm even more confused about getting to the hotel from the airport. I think I might just get a taxi.

No wait! I think I got it.

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karne trust me, the subway there is SUPER EASY. Essentially if you want to go to Cambridge, you take the red line. The T stop is right by Harvard Square, and then from there you can walk around the campus. Boston/Cambridge is a mecca for really good bookstores. They used to have wonderful record stores too, but the internet killed that. It's a shame about the glass flowers--they are truly something you'll never forget. But if you love Colonial American and Asian Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts has one of the best collections in the US for that. Don't bother with the bagels--they're rolls with holes cut out of the middle. And unless it is changed, big subs are called 'grinders" there. But Boston is really good for seafood. One thing to do in Cambridge is talk to the students and ask THEM for a really good local cheap place to eat. They'll know better than anyone.

It's a lovely little walking city. I dated someone there for quite a while and then my best friend went to Harvard for grad school, so I used to wander around a lot. Really, take a day or two and just walk. It won't take you much longer than that to see all the 'big' sites.

Mrs. P said:

Are you Vietnamese? Not that liking those foods is an indicator... But more your username! I'd love recs for those too! I'm within a driving distance to a Din Tai Fung, but I'd love to see other versions!

Also the airport shuttle to the subway is really easy to use. I used it both ways during my last trip, no problem. The only confusion was when I needed to buy a ticket. It's actually free.

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Yes I am, good guess . I can't pass up the chance of trying Asian food in another city although I would also like to try the local favorites. Someone upthread suggested pizzas and I would love to try some as well as the Italian pastries. And the famous Boston cream pie
I'm excited to try boston public transportation, I'm so glad that it's reliable. I live in the suburbs so driving is the only way to go. It's refreshing to get out and try something else. I hope that the weather God - as well as skating God - cooperate to give all of us the best time of our lives

nguyhm said:

Yes I am, good guess . I can't pass up the chance of trying Asian food in another city although I would also like to try the local favorites. Someone upthread suggested pizzas and I would love to try some as well as the Italian pastries. And the famous Boston cream pie
I'm excited to try boston public transportation, I'm so glad that it's reliable. I live in the suburbs so driving is the only way to go. It's refreshing to get out and try something else. I hope that the weather God - as well as skating God - cooperate to give all of us the best time of our lives

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Cool, so am I.

Yes, the cannoli from Mike's Pastry was a dream! Also looking forward to having Dunkin' Donuts coffee everyday (I know weird, right; but no DD in my neck of the woods). I'm also at Back Bay (in the Westin).

I also want to check out the Boston Public Market -- that wasn't open when I was here for Nationals.

Boston runs on Dunkin.

But they have Starbucks too.

If you don't know Dunkin Donuts, they do a decent chicken salad on a croissant or hard roll. And the sandwich is inexpensive.

nguyhm said:

I'm so glad you offered to give recommendations for Chinatown, and like you said, I'd be there for the food :agree:. My favorite Asian dishes are banh mi, pho and soup dumplings. Any advice on where to go for them would be greatly appreciated :thumbsup:

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I've heard that the best banh mi is actually not in Chinatown but in the Dorchester section of the city, but if you're strapped for time, you can check out:

163 Vietnamese Sandwiches & Bubble Tea
New Saigon Sandwich (this is my to go spot 'cause the lady owner is so nice!)

For pho:
Pho Pasteur (the service isn't that great tbh but it's definitely fast)
New Dong Khanh (it's a pho and bubble tea/shakes place, decent pho)

For soup dumplings:
Gourmet Dumpling House (there's ALWAYS a line here no matter what time of day)
Taiwan Cafe (if you don't want to wait for Gourmet Dumpling House)
Dumpling Cafe (haven't tried this place yet because i always end up at Taiwan Cafe but it's on a lot of people's recs list)

And for anyone who's vegan, there's a great place in Chinatown to check out.

My Thai Vegan Cafe. It's highly rated for vegans in the city.

I'm planning on checking out the Boston Public Market this weekend, you know, for research purposes , so I'll report back on that. From what I understand the indoor market is open Wed-Sun with permanent stalls of local specialty foods- cheese, beer, meat, produce, etc; along with some prepared food booths that could be a good place to grab a meal. There is also an outdoor farmer's market on Fri & Sat that is supposed to be crazy cheap but most of you probably don't need to get that kind of stuff unless you are cooking in your hotel room/airB&B/whatever.

I haven't tried too many of the bars/restaurants right around the Garden, but I have been to Tavern in the Square that's right across Causeway St. It's a bit of your typical loud sports bar kind of place, but the beer selection is awesome. I've only eaten appetizers there but the food I've tried has been pretty good.

A bit farther in, near the Downtown Crossing/City Hall area is a yummy place called Saus that has Belgian street food, so fries, poutine, waffles, beer, that kind of thing.

If you are looking at the North End for Italian and want something quick, Ernesto's pizza is my favorite. It's delicious and their "slice" of pizza is about 1/3 of a total pizza pie so it's enormous and usually costs less than $5. For pastries, Mike's and Modern Pastry are the typical touristy places that everyone knows, but I like Bova's (which is conveniently right down the street from Ernesto's so you can get dessert after getting pizza). It's also open 24/7 so if you have late night or after-event cravings for cannoli it's a good option.

Boston's museums are really fantastic! The Aquarium, MFA, and Museum of Science are my favorites, although I might be slightly biased since I work at the science museum

Just a couple notes about the subway system: The MBTA is super easy to use. I had never experienced a train system before, being from the South, but I had no problem learning to use Boston's T system right away. There are maps and signs everywhere, so you can always see where you are and where you need to go. However, a couple things to make life easier. The lines are always listed by the end destination of that particular line, so in order to make sure you get on the train heading in the correct direction you need to know not only what stop you want to get off at but what stop is at the end of the line in that direction. If you are going to North Station on the orange line from the Back Bay area, you need to get on an Oak Grove train. If you go to the wrong platform inside the station, you can usually find a way to get to the other platform without having to leave the station or rescan your T pass. Of course, if you are using the same station multiple times you will quickly figure out where to go to get on the right platform.

OK, here's where it gets a little tricky: the Green line is easily the most confusing line to take because there are 4 different branches. They are all together in the downtown area but split once they go out of town. However, not all of them end at the same station and most of them don't go to the end of the line. So if you want to go to North Station, you need to get on a train that says it is either going to North Station or Lechmere. Otherwise, your train will probably end at Park Street station and you will have to wait for another Green Line train that is going further. It's not the end of the world to have to do that, but it can be confusing and frustrating. If you are leaving North Station and going back to your hotel, all 4 lines are together as far as the Copley stop, so if you are getting off there or earlier you can take any train. If you need to go further than Copley, however, make sure you know exactly which branch you need to go to, since the E branch splits off after Copley. Like I said, it can be very confusing, so make sure you look at the maps carefully. It might be easier to just stick with the Orange line, since it also goes to the TD Garden. However, since the Green Line runs 4 branches it has more trains and you usually don't have to wait as long for a train, just make sure it's the right one!

Also, if you are familiar with Uber, it is heavily used in Boston so if you want a cheaper alternative to a cab, you might check that out.

@charmblade: do you know if Uber is allowed at the airport in Boston? For ex, they are not in Atlanta, but are in Madison.

I'm planning to go to Chinatown for lunch and then back to North End to stroll around and have dinner before walking over to TD Garden. if the only Italian foods I care for are ravioli, lasagna, and risotto, where might I best go in North End? I must be in the minority, but I'm not crazy about pizza or noodle pasta.

hamster428 said:

@charmblade: do you know if Uber is allowed at the airport in Boston? For ex, they are not in Atlanta, but are in Madison.

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I believe I have heard from people that they used Uber at the airport, but I don't use it personally so I'm not 100% sure.

I refuse to use Uber so that's not an issue. I imagine taxis are easy to come by at the airport.

charmblade said:

I believe I have heard from people that they used Uber at the airport, but I don't use it personally so I'm not 100% sure.

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Same here. I don't think there's a clear cut answer on this one unless you ask Uber directly. I've definitely heard mixed stories about some drivers being able to do drop offs only or being fined for picking up passengers at Logan.

@karne:

Yes, there's a lot of taxis at the airport. It's what I use when I've just returned from a solo trip and plenty of luggage. Never had to wait more than 5 minutes for one.

Question for someone in Boston: have you eaten at Wagamama? Is it a good take away place and is the food good.? The menu sounded yummy.

pmidi said:

Question for someone in Boston: have you eaten at Wagamama? Is it a good take away place and is the food good.? The menu sounded yummy.

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I know it's close to TD Garden so I know it will be showing up in searches for restaurants around the venue, but I wouldn't recommend it myself. It's way overpriced and the food isn't even authentic. As an Asian person myself, I avoid this place like the plague. The last time I was there was in 2009 so things may have changed. Maybe other Bostonians who have tried it recently can give you a better idea. If you want better options, try Ramen Santouka in Harvard Square.

Thank you chasingpolaris! I am not new to Japanese food but was looking for somewhere close to TD Garden between events. I will check out Ramen Santouka

pmidi said:

Thank you chasingpolaris! I am not new to Japanese food but was looking for somewhere close to TD Garden between events. I will check out Ramen Santouka

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Santouka isn't close by, unfortunately. Unless you Uber it, may not be worth the time considering you may also have to wait for a table.

I may be able to go after Worlds. I saw the reviews and it definitely looks like a great place for ramen.

I've had Santouka in three different locations in California (both north and south) and it's a legit ramen place from Japan. Most of the ones I've been to in California are attached to a food court in a supermarket but the one in Boston seems to be a standalone sit-down restaurant which I'm curious to try and has a larger menu. Even at the food court locations here in California the line can get really long - and they were all cash-only too! I'm hoping I have time to make it out to the Harvard location, I get serious cravings for their ramen.

kiches said:

I've had Santouka in three different locations in California (both north and south) and it's a legit ramen place from Japan. Most of the ones I've been to in California are attached to a food court in a supermarket but the one in Boston seems to be a standalone sit-down restaurant which I'm curious to try and has a larger menu. Even at the food court locations here in California the line can get really long - and they were all cash-only too! I'm hoping I have time to make it out to the Harvard location, I get serious cravings for their ramen.

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This one can get crowded too but you can always leave a number and they'll text/call you once your table is ready. The wait can range from 20 minutes to an hour, but it's right across from the Harvard Yard so you could possibly sneak in some sightseeing, or take 20 steps over to the Harvard Bookstore.