I’ve been getting asked the same question a lot over the past few months: what should I do in Boston? After people find out that not only am I a Massachusetts native, but someone who pretty much spent a good chunk of their time in the city, I get asked the usual questions of "where should I go?" and "what should I do?" Well, those are pretty broad questions, considering the city has a ton of awesome things to do and see squished into a relatively small area. Usually, my response is to shrug my shoulders and give vague answers, following along the lines of “Ahhhh…go to the Gardens, I guess?”
It’s difficult to answer on the spot, but now that I’ve had some time to mull it over, I think I’ve found some decent answers. For those of us who like to walk around and (not) spend an arm and a leg on sightseeing, I’d recommend going to the Boston Public Library. Being a public library, it’s free to walk into and look around. There are marble lions, beautiful wall murals, a gorgeous garden in the middle of the library, and even chandeliers. Walking around this magnificent building will make you feel like royalty and you’ll start to wonder why all these awful peasants are entering your palace. Afterwards, if you feel like parting with your magical kingdom of books, you have easy access to the rest of the Back Bay area, including Copley Square right across the street, Newbury street’s stores, and the Prudential center.
However, if staying inside to look around at some old statues and books isn’t your thing, there’s more to the city than just museums and libraries. If you’re the adventurous type and can take a boat trip, I recommend going out to one of the Boston Harbor Islands for a day. I loved Grape Island; believe it or not, the island does have grapes growing on it (Concord grapes, to be exact!) and is simply a nice place to go if you just want to enjoy a little sun and quiet. This island is not really a beach-y island, but more of a walking island, perfect for picnics and observing nature.
If you prefer to stay on dry land, though, there’s plenty more options! Please note that I do recommend going to see the Boston Public Gardens, despite the fact that that is usually my generic answer to every Boston question (how many people live in Boston? ‘Uhhhhh...Boston Gardens?’). It’s beautiful in the early summer, when all the flowers are blooming and it’s not so hot that your ice cream melts instantly in your hands. During this time, the swan boats and actual swans are out, and the best place to take pictures is by the side of the pond, where people won’t run into you like they do on the bridge.
If you’re in the shopping mood, though, and you don’t feel like going to the usual stores, during the summer on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, they have an outdoor market that sells everything from hats and clothes to food and plates. The green is located just in front of Faneuil Hall, a long strip of grass and garden that separates the waterfront from the central part of the city, and from there you can either visit the waterfront, head towards the North End or follow the main thoroughfare to South Station.
Please note that these suggestions are only a tiny fraction of what the city has to offer. There’s the Boston Aquarium, the Museum of Fine Arts, Beacon Street, the Freedom Trail (which runs into Charlestown), the Boston Commons, and so much more. The city has been collecting a myriad of monuments, gardens, and institutions dedicated to a number of interests over its history and is still evolving, so trying to see everything in a single day or week is impossible. Yet it’s a great place to have fun sightseeing with friends and be a tourist for a day, so please take my carefully thought-out answer and act on it! Go out there and see the world! Or, you know, a small city on the East Coast.
