Pizza,Seafood and Transportation

DH and I will be spending 4 Nights Post cruise June 16-20.Hotel is booked and paid in advance which was a good thing as our Hotel was sold out by February.We are staying in The Financial District.What I need is recommendations for Pizza, and Seafood.Also would you recommend the Hop on Hop Off bus and which one vs Charlie Card.I really want to go to Harvard Square ,and The JFK Museum.Planning on doing this Saturday and Sunday.Monday we would like to do a tour of either Salem ,Plimouth ,or Cape Cod.Tuesday we will be inThe Fenway Park Section and plan on visiting the Fine Arts Museum Victory Gardens before attending The Boston Red Sox vs The Miami Marlins(already have tickets) Thanks

Which hotel are you staying in?

Which hotel are you staying in?

Club Quarters on Devonshire Blvd and Milk St

Can't help with the pizza. Folks like the original Pizzeria Regina in the North End. Legal Seafoods is very popular - there is one at Marriott Long Wharf. Also there are Seafood places in the Waterfront area near the pier - No Name restaurant, Legal Seafoods Test Kitchen, and Anthony's Pier 4.

I've stayed several times at Club Quarters. It's a no frills business hotel with a central location. As I recall the rooms tend to be small, but you can walk to everything downtown from there and the area is safe at night.

It sounds like you have some specific destinations so I'm not sure how well the trolley will suit your needs. From your hotel you can easily walk to the Downtown Crossing "T" stop, which is a major station where you can get a Charlie Card and pay $1.70 per ride instead of $2. JFK Library closes at 5, so I'd go there first. Take any Red Line train towards Ashmont/Braintree and get off at UMass/JFK. There are free shuttle buses over to the Library. Harvard Square is a good destination in the evening. Take the Red line again in the other direction towards Alewife and get off at Harvard Square.

From your hotel you can easily walk up to the start of the Freedom Trail in the Boston Common and walk it to Quincy Market. From there you can walk into the North End. If you want to go over to the Constitution, you can take the "T" water taxi from Long Wharf.

Great seafood - much better than Legals - Union Oyster House near Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall. Plus it's rich in history!

we've eaten at Legal Seafood when they had a restaurant here in Florida it was very good,but we would like to try another .We are planning on going on Sunday which will be Fathers Day so I want to make reservations.

Can't help with the pizza. Folks like the original Pizzeria Regina in the North End. Legal Seafoods is very popular - there is one at Marriott Long Wharf. Also there are Seafood places in the Waterfront area near the pier - No Name restaurant, Legal Seafoods Test Kitchen, and Anthony's Pier 4.

 

I've stayed several times at Club Quarters. It's a no frills business hotel with a central location. As I recall the rooms tend to be small, but you can walk to everything downtown from there and the area is safe at night.

 

It sounds like you have some specific destinations so I'm not sure how well the trolley will suit your needs. From your hotel you can easily walk to the Downtown Crossing "T" stop, which is a major station where you can get a Charlie Card and pay $1.70 per ride instead of $2. JFK Library closes at 5, so I'd go there first. Take any Red Line train towards Ashmont/Braintree and get off at UMass/JFK. There are free shuttle buses over to the Library. Harvard Square is a good destination in the evening. Take the Red line again in the other direction towards Alewife and get off at Harvard Square.

 

From your hotel you can easily walk up to the start of the Freedom Trail in the Boston Common and walk it to Quincy Market. From there you can walk into the North End. If you want to go over to the Constitution, you can take the "T" water taxi from Long Wharf.

The price was right for the Club Quarters,but the location really appealed to us also.As long as the room is quiet and there are no bed bugs we will be happy.

Thanks for your help

We loved Pizzeria Regina in the North End. ALSO, Durkin Park in Quincy Market was FABULOUS for lobster. We are returning this October and it is a MUST DO for us. We stayed at The Parker House and loved it.

Great seafood - much better than Legals - Union Oyster House near Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall. Plus it's rich in history!

I agree with Union Oyster House, one of my favorites in the area along with Durgin Park, which has been there for like 300 years;) Legal seafood isn't anything special, there are better options around. If you head to the beach check out Kelly's Roast Beef down on Revere Beach....wicked wicked fried clams.

Thanks for all your help.We have decided to get A Charlie Pass and City Card Both seem to fit our plans to a tee.Now to decide on Day trip to Plimouth or Salem.

Will give the Oyster House a try.Maybe catch lunch at Chart House,

Is Pizza Regina a sit down place or just take out.The video shows lots of take out

If you go to Pizzaria Regina, you must go to the original location in the North End. The others, while owned by the same people, are not the same and are not worth wasting limited stomach space on.

The original location has booths and a bar you can sit in. It does get crowded at mealtimes, so plan to go a bit early or a bit late so as to not have to wait.

Chart House is a chain. I'd suggest returning to the North End (you're 90% of the way there anyway) for some real Italian food. If you are set on seafood, there are plenty of Italian seafood places (my favorite is The Daily Catch).

Regarding Salem or Plymouth, Salem is witches, witches, witches, with a little nautical. Plymouth is Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock (Voted "One of the 10 worst tourist attractions in America"), and a bunch of nautical.

If you go to Pizzaria Regina, you must go to the original location in the North End. The others, while owned by the same people, are not the same and are not worth wasting limited stomach space on.

 

The original location has booths and a bar you can sit in. It does get crowded at mealtimes, so plan to go a bit early or a bit late so as to not have to wait.

 

Chart House is a chain. I'd suggest returning to the North End (you're 90% of the way there anyway) for some real Italian food. If you are set on seafood, there are plenty of Italian seafood places (my favorite is The Daily Catch).

 

Regarding Salem or Plymouth, Salem is witches, witches, witches, with a little nautical. Plymouth is Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock (Voted "One of the 10 worst tourist attractions in America"), and a bunch of nautical.

I did notice that there are alot of Italian Seafood restaurants in North End. As far as the 2 day tours we haven't experienced either one so both are interesting.Would you recommend another day trip?

I don't see the point in going all the way to Plymouth or Salem for a couple hours there, when there's so much to see in the city. Of course if you're really into Hawthorne and the witches, then do go to Salem, or Plymouth for the Pilgrims (but please please please have very low expectations of the Rock!).

After you've done the HOHO bus, walking the Freedom Trail will give you the opportunity to really get into the historic sites you learned about in school. The Black History Trail is extremely educational and parallels some of the Freedom Trail, so try to do at least some of that at the same time.

Visit Cambridge and see Harvard and MIT (great museums at both schools) and see Harvard Square. Take a Harbor Cruise -- you can go for an hour, or you can go to an Island (George's or Spectacle) and wander around (and swim in Boston Harbor!) and take a later ferry back. Do a Fenway Park tour. Take a Swan Boat ride at the Public Garden and visit the Make Way For Ducklings statues.

Boston's Museum of Fine Art, the Gardner Museum, and Children's Museums are all world class, and are all subway accessible.

I don't see the point in going all the way to Plymouth or Salem for a couple hours there, when there's so much to see in the city. Of course if you're really into Hawthorne and the witches, then do go to Salem, or Plymouth for the Pilgrims (but please please please have very low expectations of the Rock!).

 

 

After you've done the HOHO bus, walking the Freedom Trail will give you the opportunity to really get into the historic sites you learned about in school. The Black History Trail is extremely educational and parallels some of the Freedom Trail, so try to do at least some of that at the same time.

 

Visit Cambridge and see Harvard and MIT (great museums at both schools) and see Harvard Square. Take a Harbor Cruise -- you can go for an hour, or you can go to an Island (George's or Spectacle) and wander around (and swim in Boston Harbor!) and take a later ferry back. Do a Fenway Park tour. Take a Swan Boat ride at the Public Garden and visit the Make Way For Ducklings statues.

 

Boston's Museum of Fine Art, the Gardner Museum, and Children's Museums are all world class, and are all subway accessible.

We have decided to get a Charlie Pass,and City Pass for the Museums.This will be our second time to Boston,so we have done several of your suggested things.We are goung to see the Miami Marlins vs The Red Sox June 19 and plan on staying in that area all day Fine Arts Museum,Victory gardens and pre game drinks and dinner.I will have on the bright yellow Marlins shirt sitting first base side .Look for me LOL I should really stick out.

Maybe we will just spend more time at Harvard. Swan boat tour and Make way for Ducklings is absolutely happening.(One of my favorite Children's books.

I've got to say I'm not familiar with the "Victory Gardens" (did they go up after the 2004 or 2007 World Series? Or the 2011 Stanley Cup? Or any one of the 3 Patriots SuperBowls? Or the 2008 NBA Championship?) :) , although there are a number of places in the city where folks have access to a small plot of land to plant flowers and vegetables -- not a tourist attraction that I've heard of.

Have a great time at Fenway. Tell Hanley Ramirez that Nitemare said hello!

If you go to Plymouth there is a great sea food place on the water near the Plymouth Rock. Not fancy but great sea food. You order your food and seat yourself. It is called the Lobster Hut.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info.We are pretty much set with our plans.Day 1 Harvard and Harvard Square.Having a big concert there that day.Snack and bee sampling Tommy Doyles.and Pizza latter in the day. Day 2 Boston Common Swan Boats and Freedom Trail Fanueil Hall Dinner at Union Oyster House. Day 2 Kennedy Museum and waterfront then dinner in Little Italy.Day 3 Fenway area Fine Arts Museum and Marlins Vs The Red Sox pre game dinner Cash and Fagon After dinner Bleacher Bar.Day 4 Science Museum then to airport

Sounds like a great plan.

Some tips:

Swan Boats are in Public Gardens, which is next to Boston Common.

Call it "the North End", not "Little Italy"

Cask and Flagon used to be a dump. It's a bit better now, but it's really just bar food. There are a whole mess of good restaurants that have opened near Fenway that take reservations on Open Table that are much better.

Have a plan B if the Bleacher Bar is full after the game. It's actually more fun to go there before the game, as you can watch Batting Practice through the big window.

I've got to say I'm not familiar with the "Victory Gardens"

Seriously? They are the oldest of the "community gardens" concept, dating from World War 2, and the last continually operating Victory Garden from that era in existence. Most native Bostonians are aware of them and many do have plots there.

http://www.fenwayvictorygardens.com/history.html

The Fens, where they are located, is a pleasant area for a stroll if you are nearby (at the Gardner Museum or the MFA, for example), but I do agree that it is not a destination in and of itself for a tourist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_Bay_Fens

If you are looking for a day trip, I'd suggest taking the commuter rail to Rockport, a charming and picturesque New England village, with in-town beaches if the weather is good, lots of shops and restaurants, great to stroll around.

IMO the reason to go to Salem is the PEM (http://www.pem.org/) and maybe House of 7 Gables (http://www.7gables.org/) but the witch stuff is mostly a classic tourist trap.

Also IMO, no local would go anywhere near Durgin Park or Union Oyster for seafood when we could go to Daily Catch or Neptune Oyster or Island Creek or Peach Farm (Chinese style) or Yankee Lobster or Atlantic Fish.

Ahhh, those gardens in the Fens! Ask Bob Gamere about them (I know).

Never knew they were a tourist attraction -- I've walked through there a number of times and thought it was cool that folks who live in the city could have a plot of land to grow stuff, but hadn't seen the gardens mentioned as historic or worth visiting. They look like a big series of vegetable and flower gardens in a large plot, some look amazing, some a pile of weeds.

Edit: And PLEASE, keep Peach Farm a secret! :)

I love Peach Farm in Chinatown! But I don't think it's what folks would expect for NE seafood.

IMO the reason to go to Salem is the PEM (http://www.pem.org/) and maybe House of 7 Gables (http://www.7gables.org/) but the witch stuff is mostly a classic tourist trap.

Another vote for the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem. It is wonderful.