I am planning to visit Boston, but...?

Question

I am planning to visit Boston but I don't want a typical tourist's experience. Sure, I'm as interested in the historical aspects of New England as the next guy, but, I also want to experience Boston how it truly is, what are local places I should go, restaurants I should dine in and bars to hang out in.

To put it simply I don't want the Visitor's Bureau tour of the city, I want the local guy's recommendations.

In other words, I want to see Good WIll Hunting and the Departed not Fever Pitch.

Answer 1

Ok so strike Cheers, the Tea Party ship and Faneuil Hall from your to do list...although personally I'd still suggest Faneuil Hall. It can get overrun with tourists but it really is a blast, esp if you are here on a good weather day. It's tons of restaurants, bars, shops and in the middle tons of individual food places (but not food court stuff awesome stuff).

If you can post what your interests are, I might have some better suggestions. Say you like baseball, I know Fenway used to have tours in the park that most folks don't know about. Also when are you coming? There are various boat trips that leave out of Boston Harbor. Nice weather there are some fun ones.

Now all that said, remember that Boston is a city made up of all different neighborhoods, each very different. It's fun to go poke around that way. For example, Dim Sum in Chinatown for lunch, Italian pastry at Mikes in the North End. There are a few different Brazilian restaurants which many towns don't have, and I love them.

And again, it can be a bit touristy, but I would recommend Harvard Square. It's alive, and has tons of unique shops, restaurants and bars. The last few years some mall stores have moved in, which I can't stand there, but if you start there and head out into Cambridge down Mass Ave there are more one of a kind places.

If you like funky, hole in the wall places outside the Square on Mass Ave is The Plough and Stars. It's a dingy hole in the wall that has been around forever that has some amazing live music and most people have passed through it's doors, many who are pretty famous now.
http://www.ploughandstars.com/ if you want to read about it or check the music schedule. If you like folk music Passim in Harvard Sq is legendary and a really kewl place to kick back. If you want a nicer meal Grendal's Den, even though it moved, remains great.

Now if you want a nicer meal or a more upscale outing you can explore The Public Gardens, walk down Newbury St filled with expensive boutiques and always a people watching spot, and eat at Davio's (which moved off Newbury but is a couple blocks up). Never a bad meal there.

Just a few thoughts...if you post what type of stuff you enjoy I'll see what else I can come up with.

Answer 2

Some of the locals go to O'Doyle's on Washington Street in Jamaica Plain, the Blarney Stone on Dorchester Ave in Dorchester, and you should make your way to the South End and Roslindale Square where there are some really nice places to eat and relax as well. Brighton is also not too far from the center of town. There is a good Brazilian restaurant there called Cafe Brazil. These are places that people who live in Boston (the parts that people who are not from here don't consider to be Boston) go. If you want to step out of the tourist relm of Copley, Downtown and the Fenway and meet some locals in the neighborhoods you can start there.

Answer 3

North end,South end(Copley) Newbury street has a lot of restaurant and good places to eat and a lot of shopping and alot of bars. Quincy Market, Chinatown. Visit some of the history places, Like go into Quincy and you can see where Quincy Adam and Quincy live. And you can always follow the freedom trail.. That fun thing to do.. Try it and it was fun...
Boston common. charlies river. There is trains every where in Boston you would not get lost.. In Boston there train every other streets.
Sorry i have not watch Departed(it somewhere in south Boston) or good will hunting movie.. but you can always ask around.. People in Boston would tell you...We friendly people.. Just little to big on Sports Red sox and patriots

Answer 4

If you want the real Boston experience go to some of the smaller bars and clubs and mingle.

Places like O'Brien's and The Model Cafe are the perfect example of the seedy underbelly of Allston, Rock City and TT the Bear's Place and the MIddle East are great bars/clubs in Cambridge.

If dance clubs are your thing, hit Lansdowne Street and if you like pop music meat markets check out The Rack right in Boston.

If a traditional Irish Pub is what you're looking for, The Druid is really cool as well as Tir Na Nog in Somerville.

Answer 5

Good Will Hunting and The Departed feature South Boston ("Southie"), which, unfortunately for your point of view, is chock full of history (Dorchester Heights where George Washington's fortifications forced out the British, the center for Irish immigration, the location of the ugly race riots of the 1960s, among other things). The neighborhood however has been yuppified and gentrified for the past 25 years, but the row house and triple-decker architectures and narrow streets have been preserved, as shown in the movies.

For a feel of many differing facets of today's real Boston, other than visiting by foot Southie (go to Broadway subway station then walk down Broadway past G Street then roam the neighborhoods side streets and byways) take some additional long walks: down Dorchester Avenue and adjoining streets from Andrew subway station to Ashmont subway station. Down Centre Street from Forest Hills subway station to Jackson Square subway station. down Tremont Street from South Cove subway station to Massachusetts Avenue then up Massachusetts Avenue all the way to Harvard Square. Down Beacon Street from downtown to Coolidge Corner subway station. From Lechmere subway station down Cambridge Street to Inman Square then to Kendall subway station via Broadway (a different Broadway from that in Southie). Take the commuter train one stop to Chelsea and roam around there then cross the bridge into East Boston continuing down Meridian Street and adjoining streets to Maverick Square subway station and the streets past there to Jeffries' Point. These are just a few of the promonades I'd suggest but in the altogether you'll get a pretty complete feel of the place. And plenty of great bars and restaurants, ethnic and otherwise, along the ways.

Answer 6

Fine Whin said it all, I can't think of anything else other than what she said, except, I would still go see the Old North Church where Paul Revere lit the lamp. That to me it is a must. I don't think you can take all of Boston in, in just a week or so. You need a lot of time. so keep coming back.