A city that makes you glad to be American & to be a tourist
Written: Apr 21 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A totally exciting city & manageable in size; relive history
Cons: Summer & winter weather can be brutal; traffic & parking are problematic
The Bottom Line: Avoid the heat of summer or cold of winter, but Boston makes an interesting and fun two day visit.
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| zeecee's Full Review: Boston |
Boston is a city we've visited recently while shopping for colleges and we're delighted that our son will be attending school nearby so we can return and return (well, as often as he'll allow). The skyline isn't impressive, but the city is old America and the various areas are different enough to be worth visiting and revisiting. We stayed near the Freedom Trail and followed it, enjoying this bit of American history. The first time we ate at the obligatory tourist spots, but we've gotten more knowledgeable and moved on, this time to dinner in the North End Italian area and then to Back Bay, which is one of the loveliest neighborhoods with adorable shops, architecture and restaurants. We took the subway and that was fun even though we live in New York and have our share of subway rides.
We went to the chocolate shop that seems to dip everything in chocolate and spent $25 on a chocolate covered banana and, okay, chocolate covered everything. If you hold still, they may dip you. It was all delicious - whether it was the chocolate covered potato chip, graham cracker or Rice Krispy treat.
The college environment adds to the ambiance of the city. Everywhere you go are students with or without packpacks. Bookstores thrive. Restaurants feel youthful though there are plenty of expensive, fancy places for those who want to be with older folk.
There's the Boston food - chowder, lobster, etc. and there's the New England sensibility and feel.
What's especially workable about Boston is the size. You can get to various areas in a weekend. We haven't exhausted the city by any means and look forward to future experiences.
Hotels tend to be on the expensive side and rates appear to vary according to when the schools fill them up. So visiting days, the start of the school year and such may find rates going up. We booked through a discount site online and saved a bit that way. But we also noticed some quaint guest houses on Newbury Street and may look into those choices next time.
Drivers don't seem generous or forgiving when an out of stater discovers she's in the wrong lane. Streets are always going the wrong way, so a good map is useful when you're new to the city.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
zeecee
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Reviews written: 401
Trusted by: 10 members
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