One of my favorite cities on the east coast is Boston, MA. I have visited this great place several times over the past few years and continue to visit every year. The best months to visit are May and September and I prefer September because the weather is more predictable. For anyone contemplating a visit, I recommend that you get there with public transportation (train, bus, plane) and leave your car at home. Driving in Boston is very complicated and difficult. Parking is even worse and pretty expensive. Once in the city, you can get around easily with the "T" subway which is a snap to understand and negotiate. It will take you to just about every area of the city and many of the outskirts. If you are a senior citizen you can get a MBTA Senior Discount ID Card wich will get you rides on the "T" for .25 cents. You don't have to be a resident to obtain this card. There are also trolleys in some parts of downtown and taxi rides are reasonable and readily available anywhere. If you arrive by bus or train, South Station is only a few blocks from Faneuil Square and adjacent to Chinatown. A cab ride from here will get you to most parts of central Boston at a nominal cost. If coming by plane, Logan airport is a bit further away but not more than 20 minutes by cab to the heart of the city.

One of my favorite hotels to stay in Boston is the Harborside Inn on State Street. It's relatively small but very comfortable and inexpensive for a hotel in the center of the city and close to everything, including Faneuil Square and the North End. For more information on this hotel. see my separate review under "hotels".
Another conveniently located hotel, but a bit more expensive, is Boston Millenium which is located right next to the Faneuil marketplace. Both of these hotels are recommended and it's just a matter of how much you would like to spend....$225./night for the Harborside or $350./night for the Millenium. Personally, I think you get more bang for your buck at the Harborside.

Eating out in Boston is great fun and the selection of restaurants is almost limitless. The North End is an Italian section of the city where you will find dozens of restaurants and cafes serving many different styles of Italian food. It's like the Italian version of the French Quarter in New Orleans. You can walk to the North End from either of the hotels I described above. If you like Italian food, this is the place to dine. Three wonderful restaurants I recommend are Antico Forno on Salem Street, Damiano's and Giacomos on Hanover Street.
Top off your meal with amazing Italian pastries and gelato at one of the several cafes that line Hanover Street.

There are many different shopping areas throughout the city. Washington Street, which is a 10 minute walk from the Harborside is lined with tons of stores, some with familiar names and some unique shopping experiences. There is also a more upscale section of shopping on Newbury Street in the Back Bay section. This area is also easily reached with the "T". As an aside, it might be helful to know that the city is divided into different areas such as Financial District, North End, Waterfront, Seaport District, Chinatown, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, South End, etc. It sometimes helps to hone in when you know the location of a site that is referred to being in one of these districts.

There's plenty to see and do in this city and I will offer some of my favorite sites and attractions that I think you should not miss. Of course there is Faneuil Square and Faneuil Hall, where you can catch up on some American history and do some tourist shopping in the square which is loaded with all sorts of stores, some cheap tourist traps and some unique establishments to find that special gift. Boston Common and Public Gardens is a great place to relax and stroll on a bright sunny day. It is also near Newbury Street and many interesting little cafes for lunch and some afternoon shopping. There is the Freedom Trail which can be walked by following a route painted in the sidewalks which will bring you past many historic landmarks along the 2-1/2 mile length. It's an easy route to find most of the important buildings and sites that played some part in our early history. If museums are your cup of tea, there are many to visit in Boston. I recommend the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science and the Harvard Museum of Science. If you are visiting this last one, you can also take of tour of the Harvard University campus if you've never seen it before. Another great place is the New England Aquarium, which is just about outside the door of the Harborside Inn. A great place for kids and speaking of kids, there is also the Children's Museum on Congress Street. If you are planning to see many of these attractions, I would also suggest that you look into buying a "City Pass" which will save lots of money on admissions to many of the attractions.

For a great view of the city and a super lunch or early evening dinner, check out the John Hancock Tower, but only on a clear day or night for the best views. And for sports fans there are tours of Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. Even if you're not a big fan of baseball, the tour is fascinating with guides who offer up historic and funny insights into the history of this team and the stadium. After the tour, stop at one of the neighboring pubs for a cool brew and a rest.

If you are a night person, there are numerous clubs and lounges for cocktails, dancing and comedy. The Bull & Finch on Beacon Street which is the bar that the famous Cheers TV show was based on, will get you a great lunch and some Cheers memorabilia.

Three or four days in Boston will provide enough time to experience a great deal of what the city has to offer. Just a reminder to leave your car at home and bring some comfortable walking shoes. If you do it right it's not very expensive. My last visit for three nights including transportation to and from the city by bus (I live in CT), breakfasts, great lunches and fantastic dinners, museum visits & other attractions, hotel costs, transportation within the city, some nightlife and a bit of shopping cost a little under $1400. for 2 people.
A great escape to a lively modern & historic city for the cost of a visit to "Podunk, USA".