Things to see and do in Boston

Boston is a vibrant and modern city that is steeped in revolutionary history! It’s a city that is big enough to have world-class cultural attractions, but also compact enough to be famously walkable. The city boasts a diverse and sophisticated food scene, awesome performance venues, incredible sports experiences and amazing shopping opportunities.

Seasons – What to Expect and When to Get the Best Value

Boston has four distinct seasons. Spring is usually mild and pleasant, but cold snaps can happen into March. Summer is hot with average daily temperatures of 28 degrees. The beginning of autumn is mild, but it gets chilly in November. Winter is cold, and there’s a good chance of snow. However, the city is well geared up for it and it’s really cosy and atmospheric throughout.

If you’re looking for good value, May, September and early October are especially great times to visit Boston.

Click here for more information on the seasons in Boston.

Neighbourhoods

Boston has 23 distinct neighbourhoods, each with an individual character. As America’s most walkable city, it’s a joy to stroll between Boston’s neighbourhoods.

The Back Bay area is a perennial favourite with Irish visitors and has beautiful brownstone buildings and long stately avenues and streets. The Back Bay is home to Newbury Street, Boston’s main shopping thoroughfare, which is lined by chic boutiques, cool bars and trendy restaurants.

The Seaport is Boston’s newest and most exciting neighbourhood. The old warehouses and industrial units of this district have been converted into stunning hotels with rooftop bars, awesome restaurants and cool venues.

The Downtown area is the central business district and home to some incredible shopping opportunities, including the iconic Macy’s department store and Marshalls.

Fenway – Kenmore is home to America’s most beloved baseball stadium, Fenway Park. Even if you’re not a baseball fan, a tour of this historic and storied stadium won’t disappoint. Also in the neighbourhood is Time Out Market Boston, an awesome food hall with dining concessions by some of the city’s best chefs.

The North End is Boston’s Italian quarter. It’s home to a thriving Italian community and it boasts incredible restaurants, bakeries and delis.

Boston’s Chinatown is one of the biggest in North America and it’s a great place to sample regional Chinese food.

Cambridge

Cambridge is in fact a completely separate but adjacent city to Boston that is right across the Charles River. It’s home to the stately Harvard University, which is great to tour, and MIT.

Click here for more information on Boston’s neighbourhoods.

Things to do

Boston has a rich range of things for visitors to do, including awesome historic attractions, world-class culture, delectable food and incredible shopping. Here’s a taste of what to expect…

History

As one of America’s oldest cities, Boston is awash with history! During the Revolutionary Era, Boston was the epicentre of the independence movement. Those who want to learn about this fascinating history can follow the Freedom Trail, which takes in 16 sites that were important in the struggle for independence. These include the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the Old State House, the Boston Massacre site, Faneuil Hall, the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill.

For those interested in JFK, Boston has some incredible museums and sites that will help you understand and interpret the legacy of the city’s most famous son. The JFK Presidential Library and Museum is a sprawling complex with incredible exhibits on the various facets of the President’s life and work. These include the Space Race, his military service and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The historic towns of Salem, Plymouth, Concord and Lexington also make great day trips from the city.

Click here for more information on history attractions in Boston.

Culture

Boston is home to world-class cultural institutions. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts is the second biggest collection of art in North America. A short hop away, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a truly unique cultural gem that is housed in a stunning Venetian style palazzo with a lush central courtyard garden. Boston Public Library is a reader’s paradise and has an extensive collection of Irish manuscripts. You can also tour the iconic Harvard University in Cambridge.

But it’s not all just high-brow attractions! Boston has great attractions for all the family, such as the View Boston observation deck, the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science, the Children’s Museum and Fenway Park.

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Food

Boston has an awesome food scene and visitors can expect to eat well in the city. The New England region provides excellent produce, which the city’s chefs treat with respect, creativity and flair!

Traditionally, the city is famous for its seafood dishes, such as clam chowder and lobster rolls, but, as a modern and multiethnic metropolis, there’s so much more to savour!

The city also boasts some great food halls, such as Time Out Market Boston, High Street Place, Faneuil Hall and Boston Public Market, which make great places for an inexpensive but high-quality lunch.

Click here to find out more about Boston’s thriving food scene.

Sports

To say that Bostonians are sports mad would be the understatement of the century and taking in an atmospheric game can be a great part of a trip to the city! For baseball fans, check out the Red Sox at iconic Fenway Park. For NFL lovers, catch the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. For basketball and ice hockey, check out the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins at the TD Garden stadium.

Click here for more information on Boston’s sports teams and venues.

Shopping

Boston offers visitors amazing shopping opportunities! Looking for designer label goods at unbeatable prices? Check out the Assembly Row Outlets, which is just 15 minutes from downtown Boston and accessible via the subway.

Boston also has some great department stores, with Macy’s and Marshall’s located in the Downtown area.

Newbury Street is Boston’s premium shopping thoroughfare and is lined with great boutiques and chic bars and restaurants.

Located on Boylston Street in the Back Bay, the Prudential Center offers a super range of high end stores.

It’s also important to note that there is no sales tax on individual items of clothing up to the value of $175.

Click here for more information on shopping in Boston.

Airlift

There are great air connections to Boston from Ireland on Aer Lingus, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue.

Aer Lingus has a year-round Dublin to Boston service, which is operated on a widebody A330 aircraft. This is a double daily service during peak season. Aer Lingus also has a year-round Shannon to Boston flight that is served by an A321 neo aircraft.

Delta Air Lines has a daily service from Dublin to Boston, which goes year round bar a short break in January and early February. This is served by a widebody 767 aircraft.

JetBlue has a seasonal Dublin to Boston flight that runs from March to September and is served by a narrowbody A321 neo aircraft.

With three airlines serving Boston, consumers can get incredible value on flights.

Airport

Boston Logan Airport is the gateway to New England. It’s conveniently located only 20 minutes from downtown Boston.  On arrival, visitors can avail of a complimentary bus to downtown Boston, the Silver Line. The bus will take you from the terminal building to Boston South Station, where you can connect with the Boston subway (the ‘T’) and get to anywhere in the city for free!

For those who don’t want to use public transport, Boston Logan Airport has a dedicated and convenient ride share area where you can call an Uber or Lyft car. The ride to downtown Boston costs approximately $25.

Click here for more information on Boston Logan Airport.

Hotels

Boston offers a wide range of properties from basic hostels to luxurious 5-star hotels.

If you’re looking for great value, check out the Yotel in the Seaport, the Moxy Downtown, the Revolution Hotel in the South End and the Cambria in South Boston.

Click here for more information of great places to stay in Boston.

Travelbiz will bring you more from Meet Boston over the coming weeks. See more here Explore Boston’s Outdoor Spaces This Summer