Stay: Hosteling International (HI) Boston
I talked all about this hostel, here, so I won't say too much more. It's certainly pricier than your run-of-the-mill hostel, costing about $45-50 per night for a non-HI member staying in an 8-person dorm, but location is key. This hostel is in the heart of Chinatown/The Theater District, right across from Tufts Medical Center, and you can easily walk to Beacon Hill/Boston Common, the West End, and Downtown Crossing if you'd like. (Take an uber or ride "The T" if you want to get to Fenway or Cambridge. The hostel is also a 15-20 minute walk from South Station if you're coming in by bus.)
Plus, you get to make so many new friends over board games and pool, the shared showers/bathrooms are super clean (and private, unlike most US dorms), there's at least one free excursion daily, and linens/towels and breakfast are included.
Cuong's Vegan
I take Damon and Jo's recommendations pretty seriously, and I hope you will, too. You don't have to be a vegan to enjoy the food at Cuong's, and a $5 banh mi's will get you very far. It's the classic example of a good hole-in-the-wall.
Pho Pasteur
The Vietnamese trend continues, because if I have to be honest, I really have to be in the mood if I'm going to eat a lobster roll. Plus, I'm lactose intolerant (clam chowder goes out the window) and not a huge fan of Boston's famous Faneuil Hall. Faneuil Hall is just too crowded, and I never found the food to be all that special.
Pho Pasteur is right by Cuong's Vegan (both restaurants are also conveniently located near HI Boston) and reasonably priced pho is probably the second best thing you can ask for on a snowy day (hot chocolate being the first).
Honorable Mention: Tatte Bakery
One of my dietetics classes is offered through Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, and according to my professor, bakeries are a prime example of an "accessible superpremium good" within the "new luxury goods" umbrella... It's the upper tier made accessible for the average person. Tatte Bakery isn't a prix fix menu kind of place, but it's not going to get you much for your buck, like Cuong's Vegan. Regardless, its pastries are great and value comes in through the quality of its ingredients. A visit to one of their many locations could be worthwhile depending on your thoughts about over-instagrammed coffee shops.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with simply wandering around streets before stumbling into hidden gems or stopping by the major museums, but here are some more specific (and free) recommendations - note, these places are super tourist-y, so if you prefer a more intimate look into the real Boston, seek a local.
Boston Public Library
Can all libraries be like this?! You can easily spend hours walking through the facilities, let alone browsing through the stacks of books.
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| This reminded me so much of the palaces we saw in Russia! |
The winter scenery in these parks is sparse, but it's supposed to be really beautiful from the spring - fall!
Boston Harborwalk
Boat excursions and whale watching will incur fees, but walking around the shoreline is great. There are mini beaches in certain areas, and Wilson once found a lot of critters.
(The following photos are from 2014, when I was visiting colleges. We've come full circle, people!)
Harvard Square
Boston is home to thousands of colleges and universities, including beloved Harvard. Perhaps after taking a tour of Harvard, step into Harvard Square, its downtown area just outside of the campus gates. It's brimming with shops and restaurants. (Note: If you're curious, I don't think MIT's campus is worth visiting)
As I mentioned earlier, Quincy Market's Faneuil Hall is a Boston staple. We tend to visit just for the sake of it; there's a lot of shopping and food available. I like the live music, best!
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| Attempted a version of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks" painting (one of my favorites). I don't think it worked out. |
Boston Public Market
You can definitely grab lunch here, but this is a great place to buy food gifts, too. Watch out for expensive parking garages near the aquarium and Quincy Market - apparently there's $1/hr parking near the market itself?
Newbury Street
A boutique shopper's heaven. Keep an eye out for the Harry Potter store! There's a great little cookware store run by a French woman, as well.
Raven Used Books
You can find some great books at The Coop, Harvard's official campus store, but Raven Used Books sells gently used ones at a discount. You'll find a variety of genres, including good ol' fiction, but anthropology, history, and philosophy geeks will appreciate this store the most.
The Curious George Store
It doesn't matter how old you are, anyone can entertain themselves by perusing through the books and collectible items here. Find the covers of your favorite, childhood books printed on t-shirts and a wide collection of toys here.
Honorable Mention: I found the Anthropologies in Boston more alluring than the one back at home. Let's be honest, all I do there is flip through cookbooks and admire clothing that costs half my monthly housing bill, but it's fun (for some people) to window shop.
I hope I can leave you with a smile on your face via this quote from TheKitchn, "As Racked senior editor Alanna Okun recently pointed out, Anthropologie's always expensive kitchen goods are less about being, well, kitchen goods than they are about being part of the greater narrative that the retailer sells beside its $24 dish towels. (And that narrative is 'I live in provincial France with two enchanted mice and a $24 dish towel.')".
If you enjoyed this blogpost, you can read my other (unofficial) city guides here:
(P.S. I hail from NY/NJ, so there's no mention of the Sox around here. Let's discuss the Celtics another time.)
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