Hello readers!
First of all, welcome to the blog that Stephen and I have recently launched, and thanks so much for visiting! A VGC blog is something that I've wanted to do for a while now as the VGC scene continues to expand because I think content creation is an incredibly important piece of any growing community. I don't have the technical know-how (or a fast enough computer) to be able to create visual media, but I've always fancied myself an okay writer and I definitely enjoy writing! So again, thanks for visiting and we hope you'll check us out often!
The City of Townsville Boston
So before I delve into my own bit on Boston, I'd like to direct you to a
fantastic post written by fellow Massachusetts resident Aaron Traylor (Unreality). His post is great and contains several elements of what mine will, but why read one Boston post when you can read two?
"Now Brendan, why should we listen to you about Boston?" Well that's an excellent question, so let me give you a little background about myself. I am originally from New Haven, Connecticut, but moved up here in 2011 to attend college at Northeastern University, located in the heart of the Back Bay region of Boston, and incidentally, a 5-10 minutes walk from Hynes Convention Center. So I've been living in Boston for about 4 years, and have taken just about every opportunity available to explore and learn about the city, starting from the touristy things and moving into some of the lesser-known attractions as years have gone on. As such, I like to think I know a little bit about the city, and I'm excited to share it with you all!
Transportation
Probably the first thing you want to learn about a city is how to get around it. There are a couple ways you can do this in Boston, each with varying pros and cons:
- Walking! - Boston is known as one of the most walkable cities in the world, with the majority of attractions being no more than a 30-40 minute walk away, and many much closer than that. It's a lot of fun to walk around and see the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life in the city, and you never know, you might just pass a cool place to stop on your way! Also, it's free! There are, however, a few things to be wary of when walking the city. First off, the cyclists are menaces. I'm not going to go into this too much because I'll go on for hours, but I often feel like I am much more likely to get hit by a bicycle than a car. Cars will stop, bikes will not. Second, it does take longer to walk than to use other modes of transportation, so keep this in mind if you're on a tight schedule. Finally, sections of Boston can be somewhat confusing, so if you're new to the city, make sure to have a map or your trusty smartphone with you in case you get lost!
- The T - The T is Boston's major public transportation system, and is a network of trains that are named by color (and by letter in the case of the Green Line). Despite what many Boston residents will say about the T, it is far better than most, if not all, other subway systems in the US, as it is consistent (except for the Green Line), fast (except for the Green Line), and relatively cheap ($2.65 one way). In addition, if you can manage to get ahold of a Charlie Card (they are available at most major T stations), fare drops to $2.10 for one way! If you plan to use the T, I would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the map (at least a little bit) and figuring out how much you want to ride so you can put the correct amount of money on a Charlie Ticket or Charlie Card. If you've got money left over and don't plan to return to Boston any time soon, well, you're out a few bucks. Here is a map to the subway system. I'm not a huge fan of the Green Line overall (the line on which Hynes is located), but it is quicker than walking and fairly convenient overall.
- Uber - Some of you I'm sure have heard of Uber, as it continues to revolutionize taxiing in major cities. If you don't know what it is, it's basically a cheaper, more convenient taxi service that runs off of a phone app. Download the app, input where you want to go, click the big button, and someone will come pick you up within 5 minutes and take you where you want to go. Incredibly convenient and (in my opinion) far better than conventional taxi services. If you do plan to use Uber, just remember that it is more expensive than the T and walking, so if you're trying to save a few bucks, I would recommend hoofing it or hopping on the T. However, it's pretty difficult to beat the convenience and speed of Uber.
Those are your main methods of transportation for getting around the city. There are buses in Boston as well as conventional taxis, but in general, the T and Uber are respectively superior to these other modes of transportation.
Attractions
Now that you know how to get around, what is there to see in Boston? Allow me to tell you!
Attractions near Hynes Convention Center
Duck Tours - Duck Tours are one of my favorite things to do in the city, and I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone visiting Boston for the first time (or to anyone who's never done one really). Duck boats are amphibious vehicles that were previously used by the US military and have since been repurposed into awesome tour vehicles. Each boat is driven by a different Duck boat captain, who tend to be enthusiastic and engaging (a good chunk of them are aspiring actors looking to land roles in Boston shows and movies and drive the Ducks as a side job). The Ducks will take you all over the city, passing by various attractions, and will even take you for a ride on the Charles River, allowing you a view of the city from the water. Tickets usually run around $30 (but don't let that deter you too much, these tours are a blast) and the tours often fill up quickly on weekends, so if this is something you plan to do, book in advance! The closest departure site is from in front of Shaw's (5 minute walk from Hynes) but they also leave from the Museum of Science.
Museum of Fine Arts - The MFA is about a 10-15 minute walk (a walk in which you'll get to see lots of beautiful Northeastern University) or a short T ride (it has its own stop) from Hynes and is something I would recommend to anyone interested in, well, fine arts. The MFA features lots of paintings and sculptures, as well as various historical artifacts and exhibits. This doesn't tend to be my cup of tea (although I will grudgingly accompany my girlfriend on occasion), but people who are historically or artistically inclined absolutely rave about the MFA. MFA tickets are around $25, so it might be something better to bypass if you're strapped for cash and not very interested.
Fenway Park - Check out a Red Sox game! The Red Sox will be at home vs the Kansas City Royals all weekend, and you can also get tours of the stadium in the early afternoon prior to the games. Tickets to games generally start around $30-40 for bleacher seats (unless they're playing the Yankees, then they're an arm and a leg) and increase in price from there depending on how close you want to be. Personally, I would recommend sitting in the bleachers, as I feel like that is where you get the most bang for your buck. I've sat in box seats and in the bleachers before, and have had a better experience in the bleachers. And if you sit in the bleachers, you'll have a few extra bucks for a ludicrously expensive hot dog! Finally, Fenway is about a 10 minute walk from Hynes as well as accessible by the Green Line.
Newbury Street - A stone throw away from Hynes, if you're interested in spending far too much money, this is the place for you! Newbury features pretty much every up-scale store known to man, as well as some really cool local shops and neat little cafes (my favorite is Trident, I'll talk about that in a minute). Even if you don't plan to shop, it's a fun street to walk on and is probably your best shot at catching a glimpse of a celebrity.
The Prudential Center - Another place to shop! There isn't anything particularly "Boston-y" about the Pru, but it's a fun place to hang out and it's pretty much on top of Hynes. There's a really nice garden in the center of it, as well as oodles of restaurants despite the fact that the food court is under construction. One fun thing to do is to have dinner at the Top of the Hub, which is a restaurant located of the top of the Prudential Tower. It is a little bit more upscale (wear a collared shirt at least) and pricey (cha-CHING), but you will get unrivaled views of the city and some pretty good food.
Restaurants near Hynes Convention Center
Boston Burger Company - This is hands down the best burger I've ever had. I'll try to keep this bit short because this is another rant waiting to happen, but they have some of the most amazing burgers with creative and delicious toppings. It's about a 5 minute walk from Hynes and I HIGHLY recommend checking this place out. Here is the
menu. I am salivating.
Tasty Burger - Another burger place! Tasty Burger is located right out side of Fenway, and is probably the best burger for your buck in the entire city. They have this cool thing called the Butta Burger which is literally a burger with butter (and onions) on it. Sounds disgusting, but it's actually really good.
The Pour House - This is basically a dive bar after 8pm, but during the day, it's a place for great bar food. However, the real reason to go here is the weekend brunch, which is greasy and delicious and exactly what I want to be eating on a weekend morning.
Trident Booksellers and Cafe - I mentioned it briefly earlier; Trident is a Cafe and Bookstore located on Newbury Street, and is another awesome place for brunch. (I like brunch, okay?) It's fairly different from The Pour House, and features a more refined take on brunch. Every bit as good as Pour House, but different. Oh also they do serve lunch and have some great sandwiches. I got a little hung up on brunch.
Boloco - Just a fast food chain around Boston, but apparently they don't exist everywhere so it's a cool place if you want to grab a burrito and/or a smoothie. Their claim to fame is a unique take on burritos, and while you can get a more traditional burrito, there are some pretty cool options there. (in October and November they serve this burrito called the "Late November" which is pretty much a Turkey dinner in a burrito; not particularly relevant to the middle of the summer, but that's an idea of what they serve)
Some other places - These are the "Boston-y" places that I can think of (excluding some of the ridiculously expensive places on Newbury and Boylston), but obviously there are plenty of other eateries in the area. To name a few: Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, Five Napkin Burger, Max Brenner's, and many, many more. Finally, if you're just looking for something late at night and don't feel like heading out, head over to
www.foodler.com. You can order what you want online and they'll deliver it right to your door (or hotel lobby).
Boston Attractions that aren't super close to Hynes Convention Center
Let's talk about some other attraction that are further away. These are all at least a 20-30 minute walk away, and I'd recommend taking the T to most of them.
The North End - The Italian hub of Boston. It features numerous amazing restaurants with authentic Italian food as well as a really cool atmosphere. You can't really go wrong with any of the local Italian places located there, but my personal favorite is La Famiglia Giorgio's (although it is a little pricey). In addition to Italian dinner fare, there are a plethora of places to get Italian snacks and desserts, most notably cannoli at Mike's Pastry, which is a world-famous Italian bakery. You might have to wait in line, but I promise the cannoli are worth it. Also, if you like gelato, this is probably your happy place. The best way to get to the North End is to hop on the Green Line and get off at Haymarket.
Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market - Generally one of the top tourist destinations in Boston, Faneuil and Quincy are some really cool historic buildings that now feature various stores and restaurants. It's a really cool place to walk around with a vibrant atmosphere, and often has numerous street performers which are a ton of fun to watch. Finally, there are some really cool restaurants scattered around that general area which are exclusive to Boston. I definitely recommend grabbing some chowdah or a lobstah roll from one of the stands in Faneuil Hall. Located near the North End, the best way to get here is to take the Green Line to Haymarket.
The Freedom Trail - If you're an American history buff, this is the place for you! The Freedom Trail is a historic journey that is well-marked by a line of red bricks which will lead you past a number of destinations in Boston. It's very easy to spot, and if you're anywhere in the downtown area, I almost guarantee that you will cross it at some point or another.
The Science Museum - Another of Boston's biggest attractions, the Science Museum has a TON of exhibits from all disciplines of what we call science. If you are at all academically inclined, and even if you aren't, you will definitely find something interesting and learn something should you go to the Science Museum. One warning: watch the time, or you can very easily spend the day there. Also, right now they have a Pixar exhibit which I hear is incredible, as if you needed more of a reason to go.
The Aquarium - One of the most popular aquariums in the Northeast, the Boston Aquarium is a great place to spend a few hours. I don't know really what to say about the aquarium, but there is a lot of water and many creatures which inhabit said water. It's pretty cool.
So that's pretty much it! Obviously there are a TON of other things to do, but these are a few of the highlights for someone visiting the city and with a limited amount of time to sight-see. If you have any questions, feel free to find me on Showdown (mrbdog46) or Twitter (@mrbdog46VGC) and I'd be happy to answer them for you. I hope this was an enjoyable and informative read, and I hope to meet you all at Worlds!
