Author Topic: Tips needed for visiting Boston  (Read 9543 times)

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Tips needed for visiting Boston
« on: November 04, 2013, 06:05:34 AM »

Offline kw10

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Hi All!

I haven't posted here for so long so this post is actually putting a smile on my face!

Anyway....I'll be coming to Boston at the end of the year (from Australia), thinking about staying for 4 days, is that enough for a Patriots and a Celtics game during the day + exploring the city? For one of the days I want to visit the basketball Hall of Fame, how do I get there, and how much of the day will it take out of me?

And then of course, I want to come watch a game, thinking about Hawks at 1pm on 31st Dec - if I want to catch a flight to another city after that, what's the earliest time you would recommend?
Alternatively, where can I go for New Year's Eve in Boston?

Many many many thanks to my friends in Boston!
Anything is possible!!!

Re: Tips needed for visiting Boston
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2013, 04:29:38 PM »

Offline kw10

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Bump, help anyone ???
Anything is possible!!!

Re: Tips needed for visiting Boston
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2013, 04:42:42 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, which is about an hour and a half outside of Boston by car, depending on where you're staying in the city/traffic/etc.

So there's three hours in transit.

Four days would be enough to hit most of the touristy/historic/interesting bits around Boston, and would be enough time to hit a Patriots game, assuming they're playing at home.

Also assuming you have a way to get to Gillette, which is about a half an hour South of the city.

Celtics/Hawks would be a good bet, and will leave you plenty of time to go out and enjoy the New Year. I'll let the people who still live in the city provide some tips as to where and what to do.

As far as catching a flight out to somewhere else... are you a morning person? Getting to the airport is easy. Dealing with any airport can be a serious drag. I haven't flown over New Years in ages, but holiday flying always sucks.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Tips needed for visiting Boston
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2013, 04:51:14 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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Hi All!

I haven't posted here for so long so this post is actually putting a smile on my face!

Anyway....I'll be coming to Boston at the end of the year (from Australia), thinking about staying for 4 days, is that enough for a Patriots and a Celtics game during the day + exploring the city? For one of the days I want to visit the basketball Hall of Fame, how do I get there, and how much of the day will it take out of me?

And then of course, I want to come watch a game, thinking about Hawks at 1pm on 31st Dec - if I want to catch a flight to another city after that, what's the earliest time you would recommend?
Alternatively, where can I go for New Year's Eve in Boston?

Many many many thanks to my friends in Boston!
The Hall of Fame is in Springfield -- that's a couple of hours, either drive or riding the Greyhound/Peter Pan bus. The HoF is a 10 minute drive / half an hour walk from where the buses stop. You should probably plan this to be a full day trip.

Patriots games also happen out of town, in Foxborough. I don't recommend trying to drive there on game days, unless you like standing in traffic :P. There is a train to the stadium on game days (http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/patriots/), and although I see nothing about a train _back_, I'm sure there's one of these as well. The Bills game (Dec 29th) is a day game (1pm) with the train leaving at ~11am. Plan for the whole day to go into the game.

As for leaving on game day, unless you're catching an evening flight, it may be kind of hard. The Garden is reasonably close to the airport, but post-game traffic is probably not nice. I'd recommend postponing travel until next day. Also, you're probably not going to be able to attend the game dragging around your luggage. :)

In any case, the 1 day you have left may be perfectly sufficient for sightseeing around Boston -- it's not a big city. Also, late December is not the best weather for sightseeing on foot . I recommend the Freedom Trail, which should give you a nice view of the historic areas. Make sure not to miss the fireworks on New Year's Eve -- they shoot them from a barge in the harbor.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Re: Tips needed for visiting Boston
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2013, 04:53:53 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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Also assuming you have a way to get to Gillette, which is about a half an hour South of the city.
There's no way Gilette is ever anything close to half an hour on game day, though. We spent 2+ hours in traffic trying to make a U2 concert last time we were there.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Re: Tips needed for visiting Boston
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2013, 06:30:56 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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Also assuming you have a way to get to Gillette, which is about a half an hour South of the city.
There's no way Gilette is ever anything close to half an hour on game day, though. We spent 2+ hours in traffic trying to make a U2 concert last time we were there.

I believe that. Never had to navigate to Foxborough under game day circumstances. Fingers crossed I won't have to in the near future.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Tips needed for visiting Boston
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2013, 07:34:45 AM »

Offline kw10

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In any case, the 1 day you have left may be perfectly sufficient for sightseeing around Boston -- it's not a big city. Also, late December is not the best weather for sightseeing on foot . I recommend the Freedom Trail, which should give you a nice view of the historic areas. Make sure not to miss the fireworks on New Year's Eve -- they shoot them from a barge in the harbor.

Thanks for both your responses!

Where's a good spot to watch the fireworks on NYE? Is it going to be packed and hard to find a spot? (Probably a dumb question haha)
Anything is possible!!!