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Activities | | John de Szendeffy |
1.Tour historical houses and see how prominent Americans lived in the 19th and early 20th century.
The Gibson House (Back Bay)
Harrison Gray Otis House (Beacon Hill)
The Nichols House (Beacon Hill)
2. Watch interesting, intelligent films and hear lectures about them. MFA film and lecture series.
3. Ice skate at BU's Walter Brown Arena for free (Monday-Friday, 12:00-1:30).
4. Harvard University in Cambridge has some good museums. The Museum of Natural History is free Sunday mornings. The fine art museums (Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Busch-Reisinger Museum, Fogg Art Museum) are free Saturdays 10:00am-12:00 and every day 4:30-5:00.
5. Walks/Hikes/Tours
Walk along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, styled after a grand Parisian boulevard, between Kenmore Square and the Public Garden and see all the monuments and statues that most Bostonians are not aware of as well as the beautiful residences on both sides of the street.
Walk Boston's "Emerald Necklace." Read this article in BU Today.
Take a boat out to one of the Boston Harbor Islands (in nice weather).
| Helen Reynolds |
One of my favorites things to do in Boston has been to go to the top of the John Hancock Tower, which is now closed. But the Prudential Tower, in Back Bay, has reopened. It gives you such an overview of Boston. On a clear day, you can see for miles.
| Jonathan White |
Outside:
- Take a ferry to the Boston harbor islands or Boston Light House.
- Bike/blade/walk along the river on Memorial drive on Sundays, or on the Minuteman Trail from Davis Square out to Bedford.
- If you have a car, Walden Pond and the Middlesex Fells (in Medford) are great and close too.
- Explore the farmers' market at Copley Square (Tuesday and Friday, noon - 6pm) and farmers' markets elsewhere around Boston. Find local New England foods that you may have never seen or tasted before.
- Free concerts/movies at the Hatch Shell and Copley Square and free movies in Davis Square.
- Enjoy a beer outside at a cafe, such as Grendel's Den in Harvard Square.
Kayak/Canoe on the Charles or elsewhere.- Go to one of the many street festivals in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville.
- In the summer, take the commuter train to Rockport and browse the town center or enjoy the small and seldom-crowded beach, or go to Providence and see the Water Fire. In the fall, take the train to Salem and learn about Halloween and the Salem Witch Trials.
Inside:
- Check out some American folk music at the historic Club Passim (where artists like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan got their start) in Harvard Square.
- Browse the MANY bookstores in Harvard Square.
- Enjoy the local coffee shops in Davis Square (Diesel and Someday Cafe)
- Experience Dim Sum in Chinatown or at Mary Chung's in Central Square, Cambridge.
- Explore new ethnic foods! There's so much in Boston! Ethiopian, Tibetan, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Russian, Jewish, Polish, Indian, Afghan, Turkish, Greek, Irish (OK, better beer than food), Cambodian, French, Italian...
- Get dessert at Finale in Park Square, Harvard Square, or Coolidge Corner, or Mike's Pastries in the North End, or ice cream at Herrell's, JP Licks, or Christina's. And if you love ice cream, don't miss the annual Scooper Bowl!
- Check out the museums... not just the MFA and Gardener, but the Museum of Science, the Harvard museums, the MIT museum, etc.
- Discover the local music scene. Lots of great bands got their start or were "discovered" right here in Boston!
- Shoot some pool at Boston's pool halls: Boston Billiards, Jillians, and The Rack in Boston, and, for a different scene, Flat Top Johnnie's in Kendall Square, Cambridge (a more MIT crowd).
- Brunch is huge in Boston. There are many great places: Zaftig's in Coolidge Corner, Brookline, Johnny D's in Davis Square, Somerville, Sound Bites in Ball Square, Somerville, The Neighborhood in Union Square, Somerville, S&S and Ryles in Inman Square, Cambridge.
- Take a fun class at one of the Centers for Adult Education (Boston, Cambridge, Brookline): pottery, cooking, woodworking, painting, yoga, dance, music, etc, etc.
- See an Omnimax movie at the Museum of Science, or IMAX at the Aquarium.
- Check out Boston's second-run and art house cinemas, such as the Coolidge, the Brattle, the Somerville Theater, and the Capitol Theater.
| Carol Piñeiro |
Where to go sledding around Boston (from BU Today).
| Anne Sargent |
Here are my top suggestions for outdoor activities when the weather is nice:
- Walk, bike, jog or picnic down at the Esplanade. It's one of the most peaceful and relaxing spots in the city!
- Take a ferry from the Long Wharf (down by the Aquarium) out to one of the Harbor Islands. There's a good variety of activities and terrain among all the islands, and ferries run every half-hour on weekends to the major islands.
- Take the commuter rail north to one of my favorite beaches, Singing Beach, in the little town of Manchester-by-the-Sea. The beach is within easy walking distance of the train station.
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