Boston questions.

Gary, severalmyears ago we parked out at the USS Constitution, took a city bus down town and walked the freedom trail. Took us most of the day, but worth every second of it.

Take mass transit as much as you can. You can park near USS Constitution and walk to Bunker HIll and then back over to Freedom Trail but parking isn't always easy there either.

If you rent a car, be alert to toll roads and bridges. Some are EZ Pass or license plate only and most rental companies hit you with a $20+ "convenience fee" for every day of the rental, not just the day you incurred a tool.

Great city though!

We are NOT renting a car. There is a luxury bus from NYC for 1/2 the cost of Amtrac. So...it's transit and foot.

Gary

The Constitution and Bunker Hill are in Charlestown, not Boston proper, but are within walking distance of each other. Harvard is in Cambridge and the Freedom Trail is in Boston proper. If you want to do the Freedom Trail, stare and gape then staying close to Fanueil Hall/Quincy Market is the way to go. Lots of staring and gaping there, duck boats, trolley tours, and near T stations. This website may help in general: https://www.nps.gov/bost/planyourvisit/maps.htm

Keep in mind may places are termed "Boston" but really aren't. AirBnB should be much less expensive than hotels but please vet your neighborhoods carefully.

Greetings..

Holiday Inn Select at 5 Blossom St. is close to conveniences. Mass Transit, Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall Market Place, Boston Common, etc.,etc.,etc.

Enjoy Our Town. It's a great walking city.

:)

buta4 wrote:
Greetings..

Holiday Inn Select at 5 Blossom St. is close to conveniences. Mass Transit, Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall Market Place, Boston Common, etc.,etc.,etc.

Enjoy Our Town. It's a great walking city.

:)

Ray...the Holiday Inn is now a Wyndam property and as much as we'd love to stay there, it's a tad on the pricey side.

However...could you please offer some insights to the areas? Ashmont Hill section of Dorchester or the Polish Triangle or Jamaica Plain or Back Bay? I am not asking about what's to see in each..but if you were choosing one for walking and hagning out in?

Thank you.


Gary

Boston has excellent public transit. Commuter rail goes to the suburbs. From the North and South commuter rail stations, you can get the T to just about anywhere in the city. No matter where you stay, you'll need to travel to see everything. Boston is compact, but some of the more famous sights or sites are in other cities nearby.

Freedom trail, Paul Revere's grave, and the USS Constitution are walkable in the North End, but Lexington and Concord are a drive away from the city and you need transportation. Harvard and MIT are across the Charles in Cambridge but both on the T routes. Some of the more famous buildings at Harvard aren't as spectacular as you might hope. Harvard Yard is fairly nondescript though worth a visit. Some of the others, particularly Memorial Hall are memorable.

The cool part is that there are RV parks near some of the commuter rail stations and hotels near all of them so you can easily hop into town to do your sightseeing and then ride back out to your park. Fairly painless if you dodge the rush by heading in a little late in the morning and staying in town for supper before heading back out.

I was there in May in my B. I drove to Concord & Lexington for an afternoon. Then boondocked in a suburb, Framingham?. The next morning drove to the farthest west Green line T station & took that into Boston Commons and walked the Freedom Trail including across the bridge to Bunker Hill ending at USS Constitution. Took the harbor ferry back to the aquarium stop and walked back to the commons. Found some neat, hidden museums, one on the 2nd floor of Fanueil(sp) Hall.

garyhaupt wrote:

buta4 wrote:
Greetings..

Holiday Inn Select at 5 Blossom St. is close to conveniences. Mass Transit, Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall Market Place, Boston Common, etc.,etc.,etc.

Enjoy Our Town. It's a great walking city.

:)

Ray...the Holiday Inn is now a Wyndam property and as much as we'd love to stay there, it's a tad on the pricey side.

However...could you please offer some insights to the areas? Ashmont Hill section of Dorchester or the Polish Triangle or Jamaica Plain or Back Bay? I am not asking about what's to see in each..but if you were choosing one for walking and hagning out in?

Thank you.


Gary

Hi Gary,

The hotel name change was a surprise to me...sorry. The sites you asked me about are so-so. That's why I recommend the following jewels instead. :)

Hang out at the Boston Public Gardens and ride the Swan Boats. Cross the first suspension bridge in the nation, a 150-foot(+/-) walking bridge over the pond where the Swan Boats sail. Bring peanuts to hand-feed the many squirrels.

Then across the road to the Boston Common. Visitors Center is located there.

Shoot over to Cambridge via MBTA subway train and get off at Harvard Square Station. Walk to the Cambridge Common and stand at the spot where General George Washington took command of our fledgling Continental Army.

Of course visit Harvard Yards too. Just off Harvard Square itself.

The Square itself is a microcosm of humanity from around the world associated with some neat ethnic eateries!

Have a great visit and have good walking footwear.

Regards

PS: Bring a camera!

PPS: A local quirky not usually known except to history buffs like myself follows. Around 1900 or thereabouts it was decided to clean the tombstones at the Old Granary Burial Grounds. The tombstones were gathered up and placed against the fences and pressure washed by hand-pump hoses and scrubbed down nice and purty.

When they were done this cleaning I can see in my mind the words of the workmen when it was time to place them back where they belong.
"Okay men, let's put these stones back where they belong."
A moment's pause and "UH-OH."

Soooooooo...The only graves where the person buried matched the tombstone are the immovable ones, statues,obelisks and the like.

The Old Granary Burial Ground near the Boston Common

That bus from NYC will almost certainly drop you off @ South Station, so an AiirBNB in that area would be convenient, if available. All of the areas you mention are easily reachable on the MBTA and many are an easy walk. Taking the T to Park St station will give you a great starting point with many things to see within easy walking distance.

garyhaupt wrote:
We are NOT renting a car. There is a luxury bus from NYC for 1/2 the cost of Amtrac. So...it's transit and foot.

Gary