Forget the Public Gahden and Havahd Yahd! How to Do Boston Like a Native Chris Caggiano May 5, 2013 Food & Drink, general, Shopping, Top US Destinations, Travel Guide, Travel Tips This post was last updated on July 11, 2023. When people think of Boston, they usually think of two things: sports teams and American history. It’s true that Boston is a sports-lovers paradise, but it’s also a city steeped in tradition and rich with charm. You can’t turn a corner in Boston without bumping into a major historical site. But too often when people come to Boston on vacation, they wind up getting caught up in the same tourist traps, or end up going where all the other tourists are going and get lost in the crowd. Well, we have some special insight into the ins and outs of this fine city, so we’re going to give you an insider’s look at the best of Boston. Here’s our guide to seeing Boston like a local. P.S. Quick insider tip: There’s no quicker way to communicate to locals that you’re a tourist than to rush to Acorn Street for an Instagram selfie. You have been warned. Acorn Street, Boston Instead of the Freedom Trail… …try the Boston Athenaeum! The Boston Athanaeum is a library, museum, and cultural center that opened in 1849. The Athenaeum is located in Boston’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, just steps from the Boston Common and the Massachusetts State House. Once visitors step through the building’s iconic red leather doors, they’re treated to the the building’s authentic Colonial décor, and ceiling paintings by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The entrance fee can be a bit pricey, especially if you want to visit all four floors, but their are special tours for only $12. Past members of the Athenaeum include President John Quincy Adams, writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, statesman Daniel Webster, and poet Amy Lowell. The Athenaeum’s collection comprises more than 500,000 volumes, paintings, sculptures, and historical manuscripts, focusing mostly on American history, in particular the history of Boston. The paintings include important works by Gilbert Stuart of Presidents George Washington and John Adams, and a wonderfully improvisational John Singer Sargent portrait of art collector George McCulloch. The Boston Athenaeum Instead of the Cannoli at Mike’s Pastry… …try the Boston cream pie at the Parker House! After all, the Parker House is where the delectable Boston cream pie was invented, along with Parker House Rolls. Famed chef Augustine Francois Anezin invented the dish when he slathered chocolate ganache over layers of sponge cake filled with vanilla custard. The Parker House is just blocks away from the Boston Common on Tremont Street. Oh, and don’t get us wrong, Mike’s Pastry is great, and their cannoli are excellent. But the lines are usually long, and you might just be better off getting the cannoli at Modern Pastry, which is just a block away from Mike’s on Hanover Street. It’s a much smaller space, but there’s rarely a line, and — in the minds of some locals, at least — the cannoli are better anyway. Boston Cream Pie Instead of the Public Garden… …try The Rose Kennedy Greenway! Don’t get us wrong, Boston’s Public Garden is absolutely gorgeous, very well kept…and usually pretty crowded. It’s also a bit staid and the landscaping can bit a little bit fussy for some people’s tastes. Instead, try strolling along the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a relatively new park created during the “Big Dig,” a major construction project during which Boston’s old elevated central highway was removed and sent underground. The resulting park has opened up the downtown area and reconnected the vibrant North End to the rest of the city. Along the Greenway you’ll not only see lush landscaping and public art, you’ll also find performance spaces, fountains, food trucks, outdoor beer and wine gardens, and the Greenway carousel. That’s a lot more than you’ll find at the Public Garden. The Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston Instead of the Museum of Fine Arts… …try the Institute of Contemporary Art! The MFA is great if you like Impressionism and Egyptian treasures. But if you’re looking for something a bit more modern, check out the Boston ICA. In 2006, the ICA relocated from the Back Bay to a stunning new building constructed in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood in Boston’s newly revitalized Seaport District. The flexible space allows for large exhibitions, multimedia presentations, and live performances. Not to mention the occasional diving competition off the building’s iconic overhang hovering above Boston Harbor. In it current location, the ICA has hosted a number rotating exhibits, including those dedicated to Anish Kapoor, Shepard Fairey, and Liz Dechenes. It’s permanent collection features a significant portion of work by female artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Louise Bourgeois, Doris Salcedo, and Eva Hesse The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston Instead of Harvard Yard… …try the Arboretum! Same institution, different location. The Arboretum is a major part of Boston’s “Emerald Necklace,” a ring of parks and greenways that circle much of the greater Boston area. Located in Boston’s vibrant Jamaica Plain and Roslindale neighborhoods, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, as it is formally known, is essentially a 281-acre laboratory for the botanists and horticulturists in Harvard’s biology department. It’s a virtual dictionary of greenery from the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Asia. The park features one of the most comprehensive collections of trees, bushes, and other outdoor flora in the world. The grounds contain more than 15,000 individual plants, 8,325 of which are trees, representing more than 2,000 species, including oaks, maples, magnolias, horse chestnuts, cherry trees, and willows. Don’t miss the Arboretum’s outdoor collection of Bonsai trees, some of which date back to the founding on the United States, while others date back almost as far as the founding of Harvard itself in 1636. The Arboretum You Might Also Enjoy: Need Some America 101? Explore Philadelphia’s Rich History! Instead of Faneuil Hall… …try Newbury Street! Faneuil Hall Marketplace has always been a bit of a tourist trap; very few Bostonians ever go there. But lots of Bostonians shop on Newbury Street, and with good reason. On Newbury Street, you’ll find a far more eclectic mix of stores, from Burberry, Cartier, and Chanel on the the posh east end of the street to Doc Marten’s, Patagonia, and Newbury Comics to the west. In between you’ll find restaurants both upscale and down, including the American bistro Sonsie, Trident Booksellers and Café, and Stephanie’s on Newbury. If you’re willing to go down a side street or two, there’s also fabulous ramen at Hakkaido Ramen Santouka Back Bay on Hereford Street (expect a line and there are no reservations) and delectable hand-crafted chocolates at L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates on Clarendon Street. Newbury Street, Boston Now that you know how to see Boston like a native, why not check out some cheap flights and experience Boston for yourself. Oh, and one more thing. Locals know all to well that you literally can’t park for car in Harvard Yard. The yard doesn’t allow cars, and as any Bostonian will tell you, you’d be a fool to try to drive through the traffic in Harvard Square anyway. Did we miss your favorite part of Boston? Let us know in the comments below!
