Boston, the unofficial capital of New England, is a city with a prominent American colonial history. Along with its numerous historical landmarks and museums, Boston is home to a wide variety of restaurants, stores, and public parks – with the Charles River Esplanade being one of the best parks in the city. Of great importance to the city is the experience and quality of its urban fabric, so here are 5 urban things to experience while visiting Boston.
The North End
The North End, founded in 1630, is Boston’s oldest residential neighborhood. Of all the city’s neighborhoods, none symbolizes and captures the essence of Boston’s history than The North End. It is a maze of winding colonial-era streets and the backdrop to some of the most significant moments in American history.
When you walk along its streets you will have some glimpses of traces that show how the North End evolved into one of the busiest shipping ports on the Atlantic seaboard during the colonial era and became America’s gateway to Europe. The area has been home to the wealthiest class of Boston, the first community of freed slaves, the Irish, the Jewish, and lately to the Italian American Community. If you’re into Italian food, this is the place to go as it has over a hundred authentic Italian restaurants.
Big Dig
Some of the urban parks you see today in Boston didn’t exist 10 years ago. In the 1990s work began on what at the time was—and still is—one of the most ambitious urban engineering projects in history: the burying of Boston’s highway system to free its historic center from traffic, highway shadows, and unsightliness. This mammoth project, named the “big dig” returned Boston’s historical character and transformed a curving swath of land into one of the best urban parks in the country.
Walk through the new urban parks and visit two fundamental monuments in Boston: Old Massachusetts State House and Fanueil Hall. While enjoying the Big Dig, don’t miss the Quincy Market, where you can get great produce and seafood.
Freedom Trail
Due to its compact size, Boston is considered a good walking city. This reputation was reinforced with the creation of one of America’s first historic walking tours, The Freedom Trail.
This two and a half miles trail takes you to 16 historical sites related to the history of the American Revolution, as well as the last two and a half centuries of America’s most significant past. A red brick or painted line serves as a guide that connects the sites on the trail. Sights along the Freedom Trail include the Boston Common (the country’s oldest public park), the Old South Meeting House and the Bunker Hill Monument.
While the trail is free to do on your own, if you’re more into escorted holidays you can do it that way by taking one of the tours available through the Boston Common Visitors Center at 148 Tremont Street or the Bostix Booth located at Faneuil Hall.
Bike The City
Biking is an invigorating and refreshing activity that not only lets you experience the urban character of the city, but also allows you to cover a great deal of the historical sites and neighborhoods that make Boston. Oh, did I forget to say that you will be exercising and that biking is fun?! Boston is well known for its scenic routes and parks, so biking is almost a natural experience in this city.
Enjoy The Water
There are many options for outdoor recreational activities around Boston Harbor. The Charles River Reservation, another well-kept park in the city, has dedicated areas for biking, walking, playgrounds, picnics, as well as some popular water sports like rowing, canoeing, and sailing.
World’s End, about 15 miles from the city center, is famous for its tree-lined paths and Boston skyline view. This 251-acre park costs $5 to visit and there you can also take a 15-minute ride in Boston’s unique pedal-powered Swan boats on the Public Garden Lagoon for $2.75.
Of course there are plenty more urban and unique Bostonian activities to do in this culturally rich city, but these are good to start…
What other things would you recommend?
Images 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 from Flickr’s Creative Commons.
We visited Boston for the first time just a few months ago and LOVED it. We had one of the best pizzas ever in the North End at Regina Pizza.
I know this will sound cliche, but the Chicago deep dish pizza is a must as it is so Duh-licious!!! Loved it!! Also, while at North End I had one of the best burgers I’ve tasted in my life! I just wish I remembered the name of the place, but I’m sure that if I walk those streets again I will recognize it from its smell… so yummy!
All those things you mention above are all my favorite. I enjoy walk at North End at night time grab a gelato and have delicious fried Calamari and then walk to the harbor and look at the water.
Yummmm, a gelato while walking North End sounds amazing! I will try that the next time I’m there.