Boston information?

[xzmattzx]

I'm planning on visiting Boston for a day trip some time next week. I know what I want to see: the North End and the historic places there, the State House and maybe Beacon Hill if time, the Freedom Trail, and the Financial District.

I watned to know if there is any place right in the middle of the city where I can park for cheap or free? I would be happy with $10 or less for the day. I am fine with walking around everywhere to get to places, or taking the subway for a quick ride if I can offset those costs with free parking.

Also, any restaurants to try? I know that the Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant, so maybe I would try that, but are there any other famous places to think about?

[gregrc75]

You can park in Quincy and take the redlne in from Quincy Adams T-stop. Will cost less then $10.00 a day plus subway.

[Shawn]

Your best Boston parking resource:

http://boston.bestparking.com/index.php#1

Honestly though, $10 a day is pretty much out of the question for parking in the Financial District, Back Bay or adjoining neighborhoods. $25 or so is more like it. One option if you don't mind parking outdoors and a ~15 minute walk or so are the Fan Pier lots across Fort Point Channel - $12 a day.

For restaurants, you definitely can't go wrong with the Union Oyster House. If you like seafood, any of the Legal Seafoods are great, I personally like the Long Wharf one the best (near the New England Aquarium). Don't miss cannoli at Mike's Pastry in the North End!

[xzmattzx]

Both parking options mentioned are worth looking into. I would like to walk around Quincy anyway, considering two presidents were from there, but I might need to combine Quincy on a separate day with Plymouth.

I'll keep those restaurants in mind, although there's no urgency for seafood for me. My uncle is a lobsterman on Cape Cod and so I'll be eating more seafood than I can handle. I'll probably be driving back with more lobster, clams, quohogs, etc than most people eat in a year.

[massp88]

How will you be coming into the city? I know by car, by from what direction? If you are heading up 95 to 93, I would suggest you look to park at one of the Quincy stops on the Red Line. I think North Quincy is best option as it is the closet to the city. You can pay $5 a day to park in the lot right next to the station and a round trip subway fare will run $4.

There are plenty of garages in central Boston, but I don't believe there are any that offer $10/day during a week day.

If you are going to be heading to the North End, there are a ton of places to check out. Giacomo's right on Hanover street is great. Pizzeria Regina has some good pizza. Lucca, also on Hanover, is also great too. To finish, I would get something from Mike's Pastry and walk through the North End and end at Christopher Columbus Park.

[massp88]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Both parking options mentioned are worth looking into. I would like to walk around Quincy anyway, considering two presidents were from there, but I might need to combine Quincy on a separate day with Plymouth.

I'll keep those restaurants in mind, although there's no urgency for seafood for me. My uncle is a lobsterman on Cape Cod and so I'll be eating more seafood than I can handle. I'll probably be driving back with more lobster, clams, quohogs, etc than most people eat in a year.

Quincy does not really have all that much to see. If you want to get your fill of Presidential things, head to the JFK Library, it's located in Dorchester right next to UMass Boston on Columbia Point. You could also check out his birthplace in Brookline right near Coolidge Corner.

[DZH22]

If you are truly up for walking, you might want to think about finding parking in say, Central Square (Cambridge) and from there you can walk right down Mass Ave, over the bridge and into Boston. It's also located right on the Red Line for easy subway access (between Harvard and Kendall... you might be able to find cheaper parking around there too, or Porter). Quincy is kind of lame... I would say outside of the main areas of Boston, you should think about walking around either Cambridge/Somerville, or maybe the Brookline Coolidge Corner area.

The Seaport (already mentioned) is also a great parking option.

Actually, I have one more tip, but I hope not too many people read this because it's kind of *my little secret*. Basically, after 6:00, you can park for free for as long as you like right on Memorial Drive in Cambridge. There are ALWAYS open spots by the boathouses, which are located right across the river from the skyline (amazing view) and can be quite close to either the Mass Ave Bridge or the Longfellow Bridge (the one where the Red Line goes over it). You may want to consider just paying a meter in the Seaport during the day, hitting the North End, Greenway, Fanuiel Hall, DTX, etc, and then after 6 crossing the river and grabbing one of those spots. It's also easy access to walk around Central/Kendall, Back Bay (across bridge), and Harvard/Porter (other direction past Central) are also located directly on Mass Ave if you aren't too tired.

If you last until after 8:00 without dropping, the meters end and you can usually find spots all over as long as you are willing to be a block or 2 away from "everything". For instance, I swing in many nights and just park on say, Oliver St or Batterymarch or Kilby... basically near the greenway and International Place (2 large Round towers) and then you are only a couple blocks from either Fanuiel Hall or Downtown Crossing. For the Back Bay, I like to grab a spot around St James Avenue (near the Park Plaza Hotel). It runs between Boyston and Stuart Streets, is only about a block from the John Hancock Tower (basically by the Old Hancock building with the spire) and typically has spots open on any weeknight.

I hope that helps, and I hope it doesn't help anybody else snag my preferred parking spots right before me!

[Nexis]

Your not taking Amtrak , thats such a shame. You'll miss all the Scenic areas of CT and RI , and the different NE cities.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by Nexis

Your not taking Amtrak , thats such a shame. You'll miss all the Scenic areas of CT and RI , and the different NE cities.

Amtrak doesn't go to Cape Cod, where I'll be staying up there, and Amtrak from Wilmington or Newark is so expensive anyway that driving up on my own is cheaper and faster.

[Nexis]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Amtrak doesn't go to Cape Cod, where I'll be staying up there, and Amtrak from Wilmington or Newark is so expensive anyway that driving up on my own is cheaper and faster.

Oh , you don't know about the Early Reservation discount price of 40-49$.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by Nexis

Oh , you don't know about the Early Reservation discount price of 40-49$.

That still adds up to at least $80, which is more expensive than gas and tolls. I only mentioned my day trip, but I'm also planning on stopping in Manhattan for a day, and will be on Cape Cod for several days, so trains are out of the question.

[xzmattzx]

Both Fan Pier and taking the train from Quincy look like nice options. Not sure what I'll do yet but they look like what I'm looking for.

[VelesHomais]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Also, any restaurants to try? I know that the Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant, so maybe I would try that, but are there any other famous places to think about?

There's an excellent restaurant on top of the Prudential Tower, it's called Top of the Hub. You get extraordinary views of the entire city.

Unfortunately fog covered the city when I was there. Although you get the same views from the observation deck, but the food is good and service is impeccable. It's a bit pricey, but the views are worth it.


I parked right there under the prudential tower and walked all around the city. The distances in the city are surprisingly short, I easily walked from Back Bay to the Financial District and all over the place and back.

[VelesHomais]

Originally Posted by massp88

Quincy does not really have all that much to see. If you want to get your fill of Presidential things, head to the JFK Library, it's located in Dorchester right next to UMass Boston on Columbia Point. You could also check out his birthplace in Brookline right near Coolidge Corner.

Uhm...
http://www.nps.gov/adam/photosmultim...es-Gallery.htm

[xzmattzx]

I didn't mention it originally, to spare everyone the details of my trip, but I'm going to Cape Cod for a couple days and Boston is one day trip I have planned, hence the thread. Sorry to lead Nexis and anyone else to misunderstand my trip. I'll be driving to various places (Boston, Plymouth and I was thinking Quincy because of the Adamses, Newport if I don't stop there on the way up) from Cape Cod, so that's why parking for cheap is my option because I have to get "there" by car.

[xzmattzx]

Questions about the Red Line:

If I were to take it from one of the Quincy stations, which station in Boston should I get off at? My plan is to walk the Freedom Trail (which starts at the state house if I'm correct), and then detour off of it to walk all around the North End before getting back on to finish the trail.

Also, if I arrive after rush hour (let's say I try to park at 9 AM), will there be any spots at any station? If there's free parking at the stations, I'd like to drive as close as possible to Downtown since the train would be slower than driving right to a central parking option. I think my plan might be to take the train in, and if there's no parking spots available, go with the Fan Pier option.

It probably won't matter, but when is the last train from Boston?

Finally, how long is the drive from the elbow area of Cape Cod to the city limits? Google Maps says 95 minutes, but I don't know if that ignores any bridge issues at the Cape Cod Canal (can't remember if they're lift bridges), bottlenecks, driving at the speed limit (I like to go a little bit over), etc.

[DZH22]

The Park Street Station on the Red Line comes out right on the common (block from DTX) and is just a couple hundred yards from the State House.

[massp88]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Questions about the Red Line:

If I were to take it from one of the Quincy stations, which station in Boston should I get off at? My plan is to walk the Freedom Trail (which starts at the state house if I'm correct), and then detour off of it to walk all around the North End before getting back on to finish the trail.

Also, if I arrive after rush hour (let's say I try to park at 9 AM), will there be any spots at any station? If there's free parking at the stations, I'd like to drive as close as possible to Downtown since the train would be slower than driving right to a central parking option. I think my plan might be to take the train in, and if there's no parking spots available, go with the Fan Pier option.

It probably won't matter, but when is the last train from Boston?

Finally, how long is the drive from the elbow area of Cape Cod to the city limits? Google Maps says 95 minutes, but I don't know if that ignores any bridge issues at the Cape Cod Canal (can't remember if they're lift bridges), bottlenecks, driving at the speed limit (I like to go a little bit over), etc.

North Quincy is the closest Red Line station to the city from the south that has a parking lot. It costs $5/day to park. During rush hour you should be able to get a spot as it's a huge lot and only 70-75% of the spaces get taken up.

You can get from Chatham/Orleans/Harwich to Boston in roughly an hour and a half. It all depends on when you go. But after the second week of September things clam down on the Cape, so traffic should not be an issue. The Sagamore and Bourne bridges are not lift bridges.

If you are asking about the subway, the last trains leave their terminus at 12:25 am. So depending on where you are the last will be later by the time it gets there.

[xzmattzx]

Sounds good, and thanks for the continuing information. I'm sitting in Orleans right now. I haven't been up on Cape Cod in about 15 years and I always loved the seafaring nature up here, as well as the difference in flora and fauna (weathered down evergreens and whatnot), so it's good to be back in this atmosphere.

I like that the Red Line puts you right near Boston Common. Provided I find the North Quincy station, that sounds like a good bet. If I double-up for the day and try to squeeze in Plymouth, then I'll park at Fan Pier.

By the way, I detoured to Newport and that town is amazing! It's definitely up there with places like Annapolis and others as one of the nation's waterfront jewels.

[DZH22]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

If I double-up for the day and try to squeeze in Plymouth, then I'll park at Fan Pier.

Don't double up. Plymouth is a small town. Boston crushes Plymouth. You will definitely be able to make a day of it, and will probably wish you had longer.