Things to do in
Boston
the
one minute tour of the city
Community Boating
if you love to sail, this is for you!
You can't go wrong with Mike's or Modern Pastry
Inman
Square, Cambridge
Head out to eat in Inman
Square. It’s only a fifteen minute walk from either the Central
Square or Harvard Square T stops. Try the East
Coast Grill for fabulous seafood and cocktails, or for great guacamole
and margaritas, try Ole.
But save room for dessert, because you simply must not pass up the best
ice cream at Christina’s.
Burnt sugar…Mmmmmm! To walk off the calories, browse in some of
the cute and quirky shops that line the street.
Harvard
Square
An absolute must for the first-time visitor in Boston. Visit
the beautiful Harvard campus at Harvard
Yard, and then head on down to the Kennedy
School, where Christopher has been studying for the past year.
There is a lot to do in Harvard Square. Usually during the summer, there
are a lot of street performers if it’s a nice day. For lunch, head
to our favorite sandwich shop, Darwin’s.
And have a gourmet chocolate treat afterwards at Burdick’s.
There are plenty of options for dinner. Some of our favorites: Cambridge
1, for gourmet pizza and a great atmosphere; Grendel’s
Den, for cheap eats and a glimpse of the Harvard student population;
John Harvard’s,
a typical American restaurant and microbrewery and another Harvard hangout;
and The Red
Line, a more upscale bar and restaurant that turns into a club after
hours. This was where Chris spent a lot of time "studying",
or so he tells me!
But the best thing in Harvard Square is Club
Passim, THE folk club in Boston, where they host great acoustic music
every night of the week.
Kendall
Square
For the best indy movie theatre, head
to Kendall
Square Cinema. But before you go, try the pizza at Emma’s.
If you have even more time before the movie, head to Vicky’s favorite
funky thrift store, The
Garment District. This
area was a familiar haunt for us last year when Chris was at MIT. Although
the campus is not as beautiful as Harvard’s, there is a very cool
new Frank Gehry building called the Stata
Center, which we watched being constructed last year. Love it or hate
it, it is definitely worth a look.
Outside
of Boston - Cape Ann
Ready for a road trip? Head up to
Cape
Ann, only about an hour north
of Boston. Here
is a good site which talks about the area. Visit the towns of Rockport
and Gloucester,
where we got engaged on February 14th, 2004. We would recommend staying
at the Inn at Cove
Hill, the very site of the question being popped. Betsy will make
you some tasty muffins for breakfast. And follow our engagement night
path to Gloucester to dine at The
Franklin. Both towns are coastal and quaint, and have a lot more going
on in June than in February!
Also in Cape Ann, and perfect for June is Crane Beach, once part of the summer estate of Chicago industrialist Richard T. Crane, Jr.. This is perhaps the most reknowned beach in the Boston area. Nearby is also the equally lovely Wingaersheek Beach. You can read all about the many beaches here.
One of
the best things about this area are the lobster shacks. The most famous
and an institution up that way is Woodmans,
in Essex. People go to Crane’s
Beach by day then crowd into this place in their wet cossies. It is not
what I would call romantic, but it is an institution, and has its own
rough charms. They invented the fried clam, but I much prefer the steamed
version. They have the lobsters out front, you pick them out, and they
thrown them in boiling water. Five minutes later you are sitting at a
picnic table chowing down. The lobsters are a little pricey, but you get
good ones.
My pick of the lobster places (of
the gazillions I have been to, of course) is The
Lobster Pool. This place has tables
right by the water and is perfect for a sunset meal or lobster and steamers
(clams). Very unpretentious. Don't forget to bring cash, as they don't
take credit cards, (but it is still priceless!).
Boston University has a great link on activities in Boston