Boutique hotels
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Ames Hotel
- Style
- Restyled Romanesque retreat
- Setting
- Towering Financial District
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XV Beacon
- Style
- Stately city stay
- Setting
- Beside beautiful Boston Common
Boston Overview
Massachusetts
- Cityscape
- Liberty belle
- City life
- Cool, calm and cultured
A world apart from its noisy neighbour, New York, Boston is a cornerstone of American history with an altogether arty atmosphere. But that doesn’t mean that this big city doesn’t have bright lights of its own.
A historic hilly city bounded by the Atlantic and surrounded by the leafy landscapes of New England, the capital of Massachusetts is a melting pot of culture, architecture and cuisine. Breathtakingly beautiful bridges sweep across the Charles River from Boston central to Cambridge, home of Harvard University. Downtown, a gentle mix of glass high-rises jostle for position among a hodge-podge of grandiose landmarks and stately low-rises. Beyond the bustle of the port, genteel neighbourhoods such as Beacon Hill, Back Bay and South End harbour green gardens, picturesque parks and serene squares, linked by cobblestone streets and red-brick paving. It’s a compact city, easily navigated on foot, and one that’s made for stumbling upon cute corner cake shops and cafes, curious little boutiques and keep-to-yourself restaurants.
Beautifully Boston
Boston lays a strong claim to being the most Irish city in America – and it has the pubs to prove it. Thanks to a wave of immigration in the colonial era, there’s a huge Irish-Catholic population, ensuring that when it comes to celebrating St Patrick’s Day, Boston is the best place in the States to be, kicking off the party with a huge parade of floats and bands starting at the Broadway T station in ‘Southie’.
Local knowledge
- Taxis
- Boston cabs are white versions of the classic New York City car, and are easily flagged down or found at the city’s many ranks. Note that the ‘On Duty’ signs are rarely an indication that that is the case – so just stick out your arm and hope. For pre-booking, try Boston Cab (+1 617 536 5010) or Town Taxi (+1 617 536 5000).
- Tipping culture
- As in New York, Bostonians pay 15–20 per cent for service, which usually works out at around double the tax on any bill.
- Siesta and fiesta
- Most bar/lounges in Boston stay open no later than 1–2am, so if you plan on painting the town red, get your brushes out early.
- Packing tips
- Boston is a famously walkable city and a decent walking map will be invaluable for both for seeing the tick-box sights and finding your way around the historic nooks and corners.
- Recommended reads
- Revisit the old classic Little Women by Boston-born Louisa May Alcott. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s meditation on adultery in puritan Boston The Scarlett Letter or Henry David Thoreau’s back-to-nature musings in Walden are other essential classics, but for something a little more modern, try the postmodern epic Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.
- Cuisine
- Lobster and oysters and clams, oh my! Boston is a real cultural melting pot in terms of cuisine but seafood always takes pride of place on the menu. Try the sumptuously fresh lobster rolls from B&G Oyster (+1 617 423 0550) or Neptune Oyster (+1 617 742 3474). Head to North End, Boston’s Little Italy, for cheeses, olive oils and cured meats.
- Currency
- US dollar ($).
- Time zone
- Eastern Standard Time (GMT-5 hours).
- Dialling codes
- US country code: +1; Boston: 617.
- Do go/don't go
- March and April are known as the mud months in Boston on a count of the rapidly slush-turning snow, rain and general chilly dreariness. The warm summer months are ideal, especially for visiting beautiful beaches in Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. From November to February, and particularly around Christmas, Boston transforms into a magical winter wonderland, although the cold can be biting.
Don't go home without...
…taking a short trip up the Massachussets coast for slap-up seafood at a lobster shack. Pack a bottle of wine and stop at one of the dozens of low-key pier-side seafood spots that dot the coast and sample some of the freshest, most delicious lobster you’ll find anywhere, pot-boiled alfresco in front of you.
