Local Expert
Maria Olia
I am a freelance writer and the author of “The Little Black Book of Boston” (Peter Pauper Press). I fell in love with Boston when I was a kid, came to the city for college, and never left!…
I am a freelance writer and the author of “The Little Black Book of Boston” (Peter Pauper Press). I fell in love with Boston when I was a kid, came to the city for college, and never left!
Travel is my passion; and I have written dozens of articles about the various places that I have visited. My absolute favorite travel destination is Tuscany, the most “exotic” place that I have visited is Iran, and my dream vacation is Greece.
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Every Friday and Saturday it's a loud street scene as pushcart vendors hawk fruit, vegetables and flowers at Haymarket, Boston's open air market.
This is not a high-end "farmer's market"- Haymarket is a general wholesale produce market that is open to the public. And given the challenging economic times many are facing, Haymarket is busier then ever. There are throngs of people walking among the stalls- including families with babies in strollers, the elderly with rolling shopping baskets, small restaurant owners, and curious tourists.
Of course you can buy produce by the box, but you can buy produce by the piece too. The prices are incredible. This week oranges were four for just a $1, pears were three for $1. But be warned: This is not pick your own. Never touch the produce or you will be yelled at by the vendors. Really.
Haymarket is open year-round on Friday and Saturday, and the hours are generally from dawn to dusk.
Tell your friends that you have visited Boston, and they are sure to ask, "Did you go to Faneuil Hall?"
Located along Boston Harbor, Faneuil Hall Marketplace is one of the city's biggest shopping complexes with 130 shops, restaurants and entertainment spots under one roof. (A good thing given the vagaries of Boston's weather!
Maligned by some as a tourist trap, Faneuil Hall Marketplace is actually an important historic site. The marketplace is comprised of four buildings- Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market and the North Market and South Market Buildings.
(Note that although Faneuil Hall Marketplace is the official name of the shopping area, locals often use the terms Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market interchangeably. )
Today while almost every city seems to have a waterfront urban marketplace, it was Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace that 30 years ago started the trend. Faneuil Hall is still one of the city's top visitor draws- both tourists and local come to enjoy the historic buildings, shops, restaurants and the daily free street performances. And although it does seem that there are always a zillion people at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, it certainly makes it one of the best spots in the city for people watching!
Center to the marketplace is historic Faneuil Hall. A bronze statue of a defiant Sam Adams - organizer of the Boston Tea Party, signer of the Declaration of Independence, beer company namesake - stands in front. Still quite elegant for a 1742 building, Faneuil Hall has been the site of many political speeches from Revolutionary times to the present day. National Park Rangers give daily free tours of the building.
Behind Faneuil Hall are the red brick North and South Market buildings. Up until the 1960's these buildings were the city's main whole-sale food distribution center ( Since moved to the nearby town of Chelsea). This is where you will find national chains like Talbot's, Crate and Barrel, and Build-A-Bear. Of particular interest are the locally owned shops like Celtic Weavers for Irish goods and Boston Pewter Company for replica Paul Revere bowls.
There are several sit-down restaurants located here as well. Celebrity chef Todd English has a popular place here. The seafood at KingFish Hall is spectacularly fresh and the place always has buzz. A fun night out!
Located directly behind Faneuil Hall, you will find the Quincy Market Colonnade, where you can nibble your way through an enormous food court. There is a local flavor to many of the eateries. Boston Chowder and Pizzeria Regina are deservedly popular with tourists. There are some very good ethnic choices too. Megumi offers a daily $8 lunch special like chicken teriyaki and rice and Bombay Club which has some of the best samosas in town. Tip: If you are here at lunch, the eateries with long lines of office workers are always a good bet.
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Rialto
Charles Hotel, One Bennett St., Cam...
If you have come to Boston with your significant other and want to splurge on a great dinner, Rialto is a superb choice.
Rialto features regional Italian cuisine and a frequently changing seasonal menu. And although mostly Italian-inspired, Rialto's dishes also celebrate the best of New England's fresh ingredients- local seafood as well as organic produce and meats from area farms are prominent on the menu.
Rialto is located inside the Charles Hotel in Cambridge. But there is nothing "hotel restaurant" about the space - it's a modern room with curvaceous sage-green velvet banquettes, proper white -clothed tables, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook bustling Harvard Square.
The menu is set up in the traditional Italian manner with antipasti, primi, secondi and dessert. Don't resist-go with it. The portions are "just-right small" so ordering something from each course is really the best way to enjoy Rialto's masterful menu.
And there are so many wonderful choices! The menu includes specialties like grilled sirloin steak with portabella and arugala salad as well as more common Italian dishes like pork tenderloin with figs.
Choose the monthly regional 4- course prix fixe complete with wine pairings for $90 per person and you will not go wrong. For September and October the cuisine of Le Marche is featured- a wonderful opportunity to try rabbit. And the wine choices are stellar- wine highlights of the prix fixe include a sharp white to go with the antipasti of lobster, squid and mussels and a very special Vino Santo that goes along with the hazelnut and fig tart.
Rialto is an acclaimed restaurant which also has a high community profile. Chef/Owner Jody Adams is committed to several hunger relief causes and children's advocacy groups. This month, Rialto is sponsoring a "Bake-Sale" in support of hurricane relief efforts in Haiti. Friends of Rialto can purchase a bag of cookies and all money raised will be donated to Partners in Health which supports the recovery in Haiti.
Rent a canoe for an afternoon paddle and you will surely gain a different perspective of Boston. You will pass under the pretty bridges that span the Charles River, around and through the lagoons of the Esplanade and experience Boston’s exceptionl skyline.
Charles River Canoe and Kayak is located within walking distance of Harvard Square. As you walk along the Charles River bike path, look for the kiosk -and the stacks of canoes and kayaks.
CRCK offers hourly rentals of canoes, kayaks and guided trips too. The staff is young, enthusiastic and super-helpful. This part of the Charles is calm with hardly any current- making a canoe trip on the Charles a really easy big-river, urban paddle. Hours are seasonal, weather permitting, so always call in advance.
Located just outside of Boston in the city of Cambridge, Mount Auburn
Cemetery is both a National Landmark and a cultural treasure.
At Mount Auburn there is much to feed both the mind and spirit. Of course, most out-of-town visitors come to see the final resting place of the famous “residents” buried here; among them America’s “first” architect Charles Bulfinch , artist Winslow Homer, and authors Oliver Wendall Holmes, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Bernard Malamud.
Created in 1831 as America’s fist garden cemetery, Mount Auburn is also an incredibly scenic and picturesque landscape to take a stroll. The wide walkways, impeccably maintained grounds, and much of the fantastical funereal sculpture were designed in the grand Victorian tradition.
At the mid-point of the grounds, you will spy Washington Tower. Challenge yourself to climb the 95 steps and you will be rewarded with an awesome 360 degree view of Boston and Cambridge.
Birders take note- the cemetery’s water features, flowers and mature trees make Mt. Auburn a popular destination for bird watching.
You can pick up maps (for a minimal suggested donation ) at the entrance gate that mark walking trails, the horticultural plantings, a listing of the latest bird sightings, and the locations of the historical graves.
Note too, that Mt. Auburn is still an active cemetery, so visitors should act accordingly.
Boston isn't a college town- it is a college city! It is estimated that more than 100,000 students attend Boston's universities and colleges.
For college students, "hanging out" on the weekend typically means going out to a restaurant. College kids want to eat together, but they all want to eat something different, and pay separately with their debit cards.
Fire +Ice is a "Mongolian barbecue" -style restaurant where diners can create their own stir-fry. For one all-you can-eat price, diners can fill a bowl (multiple times if they wish) with their choice of meat, fish, vegetables, noodles and sauces .You hand your bowl to one of the grill masters who stir-fry your selection on a massive central grill.
White rice and warm tortillas are brought to your table which reflects the definite Asian and Mexican slant to the ingredient offerings. You can visit the salad bar station too.
There is a Fire + Ice in the Theatre District and another in Cambridge's Harvard Square. Both locations can accommodate large groups (like an entire dorm floor) and at $16.95 for dinner it's a good deal. Tip: Every Monday is College Night -bring your college ID and dinner is only $9.95 - a "wicked good ba-gan!"