boston

Where To Stay in Boston

By Dom Bewley

Heading to Boston for your vacation, but wondering which area to hoist your holiday flag? Never fear; we're here to give you the play-by-play on the best districts in the city. Read on, and learn where to stay in Boston!

Including:

  • Downtown
  • North End & Waterfront
  • Beacon Hill
  • Seaport
  • Back Bay
  • and more!
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Downtown

Arguably the most popular tourist destination in the city, Boston's Downtown district is also its financial hub. Within, you'll find the biggest collection of landmarks and hotspots, from the Freedom Trail to the Boston Harbor. Given its central position, it's also a great place to use as a home base, with plenty of travel opportunities to neighboring districts.

Combine all that with a large number of bars, restaurants, and Independence-inspired attractions, and it's just about perfect for shorter or longer-term stays. If you're wondering where to stay in Boston, Downtown could be just the tip. Plus, given its proximity to the water, you'll also find the delightful New England Aquarium nearby. The perfect stop for kids big and small who love the exotic species that call our oceans home!

North End & Waterfront

Downtown might be the city's current midpoint, but North End is Boston's oldest district. Settled back in the 1630s, you'll feel the area's history as you walk its streets. There, you'll find the city's 'Little Italy', where many Italian immigrants settled over the years. That means plenty of charming pizzerias and cafes where you can pick up a slice or three.

Attraction-wise, you'll find the Boston Tea Party Museum and the Paul Revere House, among many others. And, while you'll be sacrificing the travel connections of Downtown, you'll make up for it with fantastic views of Massachusetts Bay!

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Beacon Hill

Another top tourist choice is Beacon Hill, which has a lot of history packed into its narrow streets. Back in the 19th-century, it was a thriving black community even before the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery. As such, an absolute must-see is the Black Heritage Trail, which winds its way through the district. Other notable attractions include the Nicols House Museum and the Massachusetts State House.

Alongside all the things to see, you'll find plenty to eat and drink too! There are plenty of places to eat on Charles St and Cambridge St, with a wide variety of globe-spanning cuisines available. You'll also be in sneezing distance of Boston Common, the city's biggest green space. It's the perfect place to go and unwind if your legs need a rest on your vacation.

Seaport

These days, Seaport is one of Boston's most attractive vacation destinations. Given its name, you can expect amazing views of the waterfront and a bevy of eateries, watering holes, and other tourist trappings. However, that wasn't always the case. Only ten years ago, it was a relatively barren area of car lots and the grizzled fishing docks.

Modern Seaport has all the usual suspects you'd expect from a modern American city. You've got your craft beers at Harpoon Brewery, your prime seafood at Legal Sea Foods, and your upmarket steaks at Del Frisco's. For the little ones, there's Boston Children's Museum, and for the rest of us, there's a wealth of shops, snack bars, and The Lawn on D for fun and games!

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Back Bay

Looking for the perfect mix of bustling Boston and the charming residential districts? Look no further than Back Bay. There, you'll find a wealth of shopping opportunities, from local boutiques to nationwide chains.

This sophisticated area of the city also has plenty of cozy art galleries, hidden cafes, and great sea views. It also backs onto Boston Common, if you're looking for a big green space with plenty to do. As far as landmarks and attractions, you have to go and see Boston Public Library and Trinity Church, two of the city's most recognizable icons. And, if you want to see more of the city, it has great travel connections and is in walking distance of Downtown and Bay Village!

South End

Boston's own boho-chic location is undeniably South End. It's about as far removed from tourism as you can get, for better or worse. While that means there won't be as many attractions to see or landmarks to snap, it does mean you'll find an amazing selection of restaurants, bars, and shops.

Along Columbus Ave, you'll discover a boatload of cafes, taverns, and our pick, Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe. Great food in great time, head there early to sample one of their many delicious breakfast options!

For a classier night on the town, check out Barcelona Wine Bar. Their menu is dripping with delicious New American dishes, and their wine selection is predictably sublime.

And, on top of all that, there's a burgeoning art scene in SoWa, where you can find plenty of independent galleries and pick up a piece for your home, if you're in the market for some unique art!

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West End

Unlike London's renowned district, Boston's West End is bereft of the arts. In fact, arguably its biggest landmark is Massachusetts General Hospital. However, while it might not have a lot going on within, it's a stone's throw from Downtown and North End, has a smattering of restaurants, and, perhaps best of all, it's relatively cheap.

If that sounds good to you, head east, and you'll find most of the nightlife. The likes of Bodega Canal and Tavern in the Square have you sorted for good food and drinks, and West End Johnnie's does a mean burger. You may miss the variety present in other Boston districts, but you make up for it with affordable hotels and a range of decent to excellent Airbnbs at a reasonable price!

Cambridge

We may have cheated here, as Cambridge is its own city. And yes, you may have to cross the Charles River to actually get there from Boston proper. However, it's here that cultural powerhouses MIT and Harvard reside. Two of the world's best higher education institutions in one city. Not bad.

Cambridge is massive, so you may need some wheels if you want to get about easily. If you do, head to the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Harvard Art Museums. And, while you're there, why not take a tour of the university?

And those are our recommendations for where to stay in Boston! Want more? Check out the city's best museums.

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Large Pride rainbow flag flying
Blog

Things to do in Boston for Pride Day

Boston’s Pride For The People parade and festival is one of the biggest, brightest and most beautiful in the States, pulling in several thousand participants and around a million spectators for its week-long celebration of love, diversity and inclusion. Baked beans, the Boston Red Sox and that bar ‘where everybody knows your name’ ain't the only thinks to get excited about around these parts: there are also some fine, buzzy ‘gayborhoods’ to explore, like South End, Jones Hill and Jamaica Plain, all of which transform into oceans of rainbow flags and lights for Pride. The week promises all manner of events across the city, from burlesque nights to brewery cookouts, fashion shows and queer cinema. Raise your rainbow flag and dive in for our guide to all the best things to do in Boston on and around Pride Day… Pride Parade, Block Party & Festival There will be oodles of fun LGBTQ+ events taking place in Boston through Pride Month, with the majority happening in the days leading up to the parade and festival. We’re talking movie screenings, drag brunches, community events, queer walking tours, picnics, bar crawls and much more. The top of the iconic Prudential Tower will light up in rainbow colors to kick off Pride Month and again on the day of the parade, in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Check local listings for further info and tickets on all June events in Boston. The big day usually lands on the first or second Saturday of June, when revelers line the streets of the South End to catch a glimpse of outrageous floats, flamboyant drag queens, marching bands, stilt walkers and all manner of other extravagantly garbed participants and performers. The Boston Pride For The People Parade kicks off late morning at Copley Square, painting its celebratory rainbow across the South End before landing up at Boston Common for a top-notch family festival complete with DJs, drag queens and international headline acts. The festival is free and runs from around midday until early evening. Meanwhile, over at City Plaza, there’s a slightly more grown-up vibe at the free Pride Block Party, which runs for a couple more hours after the Boston Common festival wraps up. This one’s for 21+ attendees only, and promises rather more risqué entertainment in the form of foul-mouthed drag kings and queens, pole dancers and more. New England craft breweries provide the lubrication and DJs spin the party tunes until around 8PM. Top Tip: Boston Pride for the People recommends Arlington St and Boylston St subway stations on the green line or Back Bay Station on the orange line for the best Parade-viewing opportunities. But get there in plenty of time as it does get extremely busy! Find about more about the next Boston Pride For The People event here. Boston Pride After Parties Fear not: the end of ‘official’ festivities does not mean the party’s over. Far from it, in fact. Indeed, Boston’s Pride after parties are the stuff of legend. Hit up South End stalwart Club Café on Columbus Avenue for some of its legendary cabaret and late-night dancing. The fabulous Liberty Hotel – an utterly transformed former prison in Beacon Hill – usually has a number of events running through Pride Month, including brunches, fashion parades and more. That there will be DJs and live acts playing into the small hours on Pride Saturday is a given. Try the lively Midway Café, a well-established dive bar in Jamaica Plain with regular live music, or mosey over to Dorchester dBar for craft cocktails and all-night dancing at one of Boston’s best-loved LGBTQ+ clubs. It’s the morning after the night before, so what better than a rejuvenating drag brunch to help brush those cobwebs away? There will be dozens of these running across Boston during Pride Month, with local favorites including South End Mexican restaurant Cósmica, the Boston Summer Shack over in Back Bay, and the aforementioned Liberty Hotel. Bloody Marys and mimosas naturally come as standard. Again, local listings are your friend for the latest info on all Boston club nights and brunches. LGBTQ+ Culture in Boston Something of a trailblazer, Boston is one of those places that’s very much *steeped* in history. Not only the birthplace of the American Revolution, it’s also the capital of Massachusetts, famously the first US state to legalize gay marriage. Go Boston! As a result, there’s plenty of queer culture to explore, and this is brought to the fore during Pride Month, where museums, walking tours and even castles get in on the action. The Freedom Trail comprises 16 historic Boston monuments and locations that, between them, contain the entire history of Beantown. There are walking tours of the route – which includes Boston Common, the 17th-century King’s Chapel cemetery and Paul Revere’s House, year-round, many with guides in period dress. Pride Month sees the addition of an excellent ‘Rainbow Revolutionaries’ option, highlighting key players in Boston’s LGBTQ+ community (and their fight for liberty) through the ages. For something a little (ok: a lot) more light-hearted, pop on your heels and hop aboard a drag-tacular trolley tour of Boston’s most significant female and queer landmarks. However, we’d recommend flat shoes for top Boston LGBTQ+ walking tours like this one. It’s also worth a day trip out to Hammond Castle and museum up the coast in Gloucester. Founder John Hammond is something of an LGBTQ+ Massachusetts icon so it’s no surprise that there are several special events running here throughout Pride Month, including exhibitions, readings and film screenings. Visit Boston’s Top Attractions If you’re in town for a few days and fancy fitting some serious Beantown sightseeing around all that drinking, dancing and drag-brunching, the Go Boston pass is your friend. Choose an Explorer or All-Inclusive option, depending on whether you have specific attractions in your sights or simply want the freedom to visit as many as you’d like over several days. The pass can save you up to 50% on standard entry prices for Boston tours, activities and attractions and includes: The View Boston Observation Deck, up top of the iconic Prudential Tower. A tour of Fenway Park Stadium, home of the legendary Boston Red Sox. A ride on the famous Boston swan boats. The absolute treasure trove of art and artifacts that is the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. A sunset cruise of the Charles River Basin. A guided tour of the charming clapboard farmhouse in nearby Concord, where Louisa May Alcott wrote (and set) American literary masterpiece ‘Little Women’. ...and much more! Find out more and choose your Boston attractions pass here.
Stuart Bak
Acorn Street in Beacon Hill, Boston
Blog

Boston Airport to City Travel Options (Logan)

Baked beans, the Boston Red Sox and thr bar ‘where everybody knows your name’: Massachusetts' lively state capital offers all this and more. Known as the birthplace of the American Revolution, this is a city that’s thoroughly steeped in history. Follow the Freedom Trail to immerse yourself in 250 years of US heritage, step inside the former home of legendary revolutionary Paul Revere, and take a trip to Louisa May Alcott’s house in Concord, where her literary masterpiece Little Women was both written and set. With all this on offer, you’ll no doubt want to get to the heart of the city (and those umami, smoky platefuls of sweet-savory beans) as quickly as possible after touching down at Logan Airport. Read on for our guide to all the transit options from Logan to downtown Boston… Boston Logan International Airport in Brief There’s only one international airport in Boston. So the chances of getting yourself lost are fairly slim. Unless of course you accidentally boarded a flight to Boston in England, but that’s for another blog… In-keeping with Boston’s proud history, Logan is named for local son Edward Lawrence Logan: judge, lawyer, politician and military officer. Indeed, the airport’s full name is General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport. A bit of a mouthful, we’re sure you’ll agree, which is why it’s commonly known as plain Logan. The airport serves as the primary global gateway for Massachusetts and New England, with over 100 domestic and international routes. Around 40 million passengers pass through every year. Best of all, Logan lies just 5km east of downtown Boston, straddling the border between East Boston and the town of Winthrop. In light traffic, the cab ride into town can take as little as 10 minutes. So, without any further ado, here’s how to get from Logan Airport to downtown Boston. Logan Airport to Downtown Boston by Public Transport On-Airport Shuttle System It’s likely you’ll make use of Logan’s free shuttle system, which serves all four terminals and shuttles excited new arrivals to the Rental Car Center and parking garages. The shuttle also serves the airport's subway station and water transportation dock for onward travel to downtown Boston, via Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) services. Getting from Logan to Downtown Boston by Subway Having shuttled your way successfully to Airport station, it’s just a hop and a skip along the Blue Line to downtown Boston. The Blue Line connects to the Green Line at Government Center station and to the Orange Line at State Street.  Going anywhere near Back Bay, Fenway Park or Boston University? The Blue Line out of Logan is your friend. A one-way ticket costs just $2.90, and you can transfer between subway and Silver Line, Express and local bus services twice on your ticket, paying only the one-time cost of whichever service costs more. Getting from Logan to Downtown Boston by Bus Bus enthusiasts rejoice! There are multiple ways to get from Logan to downtown (and beyond) on four wheels. The MBTA’s Silver Line connects all terminals at Logan to South Station and beyond. Hitch a free ride on SL1 as far as South Station if you want to transfer to the subway’s Red Line here. Services SL2, SL3, SL4 and SL5 continue to other areas of Boston and a one-way ticket costs $1.70. Alternatively, the Express buses speed visitors to downtown and beyond for $4.25 one way. There are also multiple private bus services covering much of New England and New Hampshire, from reputable companies including Concord Coach Lines, Boston Express Bus and more. Getting from Logan to Downtown Boston by Ferry Ok, it ain’t Venice, but arriving in Boston by sea is certainly the most scenic of all the airport transit options. Take the short trip across Boston Harbor to Long Wharf for rapid access to downtown, taking in panoramic views of the skyline from up on deck as you go. The On-Airport Shuttle connects terminals to the water transportation dock and the terminals, and a one-way ticket on the MBTA ferry costs $2.40 Top Tip: CharlieCards and CharlieTickets Charlies are reusable cards or tickets that can be preloaded with cash and used to tap in and out of MBTA subway, bus and ferry services. They’re a good option if you plan to use public transport a fair bit while you’re in town, as there are savings to be made over buying individual tickets for every journey. CharlieTickets are particularly convenient for visitors. You can pick yours up at vending machines in the airport and most stations. Logan Airport to Downtown Boston by Private Transfer Cabs are readily available outside arrivals at terminals A, B and E and on the ground floor of the terminal C parking garage. It’s only around 5km from the airport to downtown Boston but travel times and prices can vary wildly depending whether you’re traveling in rush hour traffic or not. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of $40-50 one way. Ride apps like Uber and Lyft will usually cost a little less, but you’ll have to arrange these yourself and organize a suitable pick-up point. Alternatively, make like your favorite Bond villain and charter your own pre-booked private limousine. Or hop in a water taxi: one-way tickets from companies including Red Top Boats and the Boston Water Bus start from around $15. Logan Airport to Downtown Boston by Rental Vehicle Boston’s walkable downtown and excellent public transport system means you’ll have little need for your own wheels unless you’re planning out-of-town day trips to the likes of Salem, Portland and the Gilded Age mansions of beautiful Newport. You’ll find all the usual suspects at Logan’s Rental Car Center (RCC): everything from Alamo to Zipcar. The On-Airport Shuttle whisks passengers to the RCC via routes 22, 33 and 55, with services running approximately every 5-6 minutes. Save on attractions, tours and activities in Boston Save on admission to Boston attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak

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