|
Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Boston
Boston conjures up visions of ivy-covered buildings and men in colonial costume, but the city is much more than a reservoir of Revolutionary War artifacts. Beyond its fascinating history, Bean Town has first-rate museums and theaters and a number of varied personalities, with walkable neighborhoods, from tony Beacon Hill to the charming Italian North End, and a fast-paced metropolitan center with big-name multinationals and towering skyscrapers. And although there are more than a few vestiges of its patrician foundations—old boys' clubs and Burberry trench coats abound—Boston is actually very hip. Thanks in part to legions of college students and young professionals, the city's dining and nightlife scenes have experienced a massive revival and now include some of the country's hottest spots.
Attractions & Activities Boston is a great walking city, with many of the famous landmarks visible from one another. When your feet need a rest, the T is an easy, quick alternative and will take you almost anywhere in town (mbta.com). The city is famous for its history—many of the legendary events of the Revolutionary War occurred in and around here—and it is worth visiting at least some of the better-known landmarks. Walking the Freedom Trail is something everyone should do at least once. The 2.5-mile red line marking the path winds through Beacon Hill, Downtown, the North End, and Charlestown, taking you past many of the city's best sights, and because you are walking at your own pace, there's no pressure. Tour Paul Revere's house, seek out Samuel Adams's grave at Granary Burying Ground, or stop in Faneuil Hall for a bowl of chowder and do some souvenir shopping in nearby Quincy Market (thefreedomtrail.org). For almost 15 years, the transformation of the six-lane Central Artery into an underground expressway, or the Big Dig, prevented easy access between the city's downtown area and the North End and waterfront. No longer: Construction officially concluded in January 2006, and plans are underway, albeit haltingly, to create a 30-acre greenway where the elevated Central Artery once was. For now, the end of the Big Dig means unobstructed access to all of the cannoli, linguine, and gelato that the North End has to offer. While tourists and amorous couples often overrun the city's Little Italy, the area is still worth a visit, with its cobbled streets and first-rate restaurants (more than a few nouveau Italian offerings among them). No longer a public pasture, Boston Common still serves as the city's gathering point. During the warmer months, there are free concerts and festivals, and in the winter the popular Frog Pond skating rink opens for business. Next to the Common, the Public Garden is the site of the famous swan boats as well as the Make Way for Ducklings bronze sculpture tribute to Robert McCloskey's iconic children's book. Those willing to stray from the city center to go to the Fens and visit the Museum of Fine Arts will be amply rewarded. The wide-ranging collection of more than 400,000 objects covers everything from early American needlepoint to medieval artifacts to contemporary photography. Recent exhibits included "Degas to Picasso: Modern Masters" and "David Hockney Portraits" (617-267-9300; mfa.org). Nearby, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offers culture on a smaller scale, with a carefully edited collection of artwork displayed in a Venetian palace–inspired building. Even if you aren't in the mood for art, the café, with its outdoor seating in the museum's gardens, is known for its incredible desserts and lovely setting (617-566-1401; isabellastewartgardner.org). Where shopping is concerned, Boston has never quite been able to dispel its reputation as a stodgy, puritanical town. In recent years, however, the city has begun to remake itself as a style capital. Newbury Street, the main spending drag, received an influx of energy from new Marc Jacobs and Nanette Lepore boutiques, and the upscale Copley Place mall has a Barneys. The Charles River divides Boston proper from Cambridge, home to Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Even if you're not a prospective student (or the parent of one), the area offers plenty of restaurant gems and quirky boutiques. Families will appreciate the Museum of Science, which includes a planetarium and IMAX theater (617-723-2500; mos.org). It's also worth the trek across the bridge to Charlestown to visit Bunker Hill and the U.S.S. Constitution, where active-duty Navy sailors lead guided tours of Old Ironsides (617-242-5671; ussconstitution.navy.mil). The young and the young at heart will appreciate Boston Duck Tours. In active duty during World War II, the amphibious landing craft have come back to life as bright-colored though admittedly silly-looking tour vehicles. Duck Tours are the best way to see all of Boston: From the river, you'll have an unobstructed view of the iconic CITGO sign and the I. M. Pei–designed John Hancock Tower, and the quirky drivers will keep everyone from teens to grandparents entertained (617-267-3825; bostonducktours.com). For a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, catch a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The ballpark affords decent views from even the cheap seats, and the enthusiasm of Sox fans is infectious—you'll be singing along to "Sweet Caroline" before you know it (bostonredsox.com). Lodging With more than 60 colleges and universities, Boston sees a constant flow of visitors. It's no surprise that the city has top-notch accommodations, including seven Condé Nast Traveler Gold List properties: the Eliot Hotel, Fifteen Beacon, the Nine Zero Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common, the Ritz-Carlton Boston, the Boston Harbor Hotel, and the Four Seasons Hotel. Set near the North End and the Fleet Center, the Onyx Hotel has modern decor and quirky extras such as Nintendo and energy drinks. Hotel 140, which opened in a renovated YWCA in June 2005, is the first affordable option in pricey Back Bay. If Cambridge is more your speed, the Charles Hotel is the favorite of Ivy League parents and visiting academic royalty. Dining Boston is no longer about chowder and baked beans. An up-and-coming foodie destination, it has an eclectic mix of ethnic neighborhood joints, pedigreed steak houses, and an increasing number of cutting-edge nouveau hot spots. For traditional New England fare in a raucous setting, Jasper White's Summer Shack is a lobster place that goes by the motto "Food Is Love." It serves high-quality versions of local favorites such as fried clams and crab cakes and has a fully stocked raw bar (50 Dalton St.; 617-867-9955; entrées, $9–$65). At B&G Oysters Ltd., the home of the city's best lobster roll, there won't be a bib or checkered tablecloth in sight. Well-heeled trendsetters crowd this South End eatery for super-fresh bivalves and gourmet renditions of clam chowder and fried calamari (550 Tremont St.; 617-423-0550; entrées, $13–$24). The South End is full of upscale bistros, and the Union Bar and Grille leads the pack, with a comfortable, unpretentious atmosphere and simple but delicious dishes, including grilled rack of lamb with Tuscan kale and black mission figs (1357 Washington St.; 617-423-0555; entrées, $14–$39). Hungry fashionistas can fill both their closets and their stomachs at Newbury Street's most cutting-edge store, Louis Boston. Executive chef Pino Maffeo revamped the store's Restaurant L with a witty East-meets-West menu: fried oysters, pickled cucumber and watermelon salad; Kobe beef tartare, white endive, and crispy capers; and duck with a panko-crusted schnitzel (234 Berkeley St.; 617-266-4680; entrées, $27–$35). Designed by Adam Tihany and overlooking the Public Garden, Excelsior has a lot going for it even before the first course arrives. And chef Eric Brennan's New American cuisine—with inventive offerings such as Berkshire pork rack with maple-ginseng lacquer, braised red cabbage, and truffle-potato puree, and standout hand-cut French fries with truffle aïoli—holds its own against the surroundings. Oenophiles will swoon over the three-story, 600-bin glass tower of wine (272 Boylston St.; 617-426-7878; entrées, $29–$46). You'll find Boston's most talked-about table at Clio, Ken Oringer's enclave of trail-blazing French-Asian cuisine. The perennially booked restaurant has a menu that is notable for its creativity and its range: Dishes include Muscovy duck with kumquats, black radish confit, and fresh chestnuts; lacquered foie gras with sweet-and-sour lemon and bee pollen; and allspice-crusted venison with red beets, fresh juniper, and matsutake mushrooms (370 Commonwealth Ave.; 617-536-7200; entrées, $28–$36). Salts isn't technically in Boston, but foodies are happy to cross the bridge into Cambridge for a sampling of chef-owner Gabriel Bremer's fresh organic fare. Formerly of Jody Adam's Rialto, Bremer is committed to locally sourced ingredients, evidenced in dishes such as wild striped bass with locally foraged chanterelle mushrooms, fava beans, bacon lardons, and cipollini onions (798 Main St.; 617-876-8444; entrées, $25–$35). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
|
||||||||||||
 |
