Iconic cities can be hard to love. With steadfast reputations as must-see destinations, we endure impatient locals and gridlocked traffic, crowded attractions and eye-watering price tags because it’s (insert city)!
As far as fame goes, the city of Boston, Massachusetts isn’t exactly star-studded. It’s not the subject of countless songs like New York, or the backdrop for millions of movies like Los Angeles. But what it does have, is an astounding amount of charm.
Maybe it’s the hundreds (217 to be exact) of urban parks; lush little squares that draw people out and give even the busiest downtown streets an earnest, suburban feel. Or perhaps, it’s the historic architecture. Boston is one of America’s oldest cities; a fact demonstrated by hundreds of stately Colonial buildings and Georgian terrace houses, cobblestone lanes and rich red brick that looks distinctly England-like.
The colleges help too. Harvard is the headliner but some 55 others are scattered throughout the city, infusing it with progressive, dynamic energy in the subtlest of ways; Patagonia sweatshirts and Scandinavian-style coffee shops, ads for cannabis dispensaries and artist flea markets busying the squares.
Then, there are the people, who on my visit I find to be unfailingly kind. The type who write you a list of 98 (yes, 98) restaurant recommendations when you ask where’s good to eat, offer directions when you’re obviously lost and strike up a chat while sandwiched in a rowdy Red Sox game crowd.
All that to say, Boston is a city many may pass through en route to brighter lights in bigger cities. But there are more than a few reasons why this spot is worth a few days.
DAY 1
We begin the day as I now believe any first day in a new city should start; on a bike tour. Faster than a walk but more intimate than a drive, we whizz through the city, orienting ourselves geographically, while our Urban AdvenTours guide Gary (an enthusiastic retiree-turned-tour guide) situates us historically and culturally with gems of knowledge that bring the streets to life.
We pedal past old men sipping espresso outside cafes in North End (Boston’s Italian neighbourhood) and along the Charles River Esplanade, where hundreds of people are running 5km for charity. Continuing west, we pass Fenway Park and Copley Square, known for being the Boston Marathon finish line but today overrun with trestle tables and canvas marquees for an independent artist market.
En route to the gorgeous Brownstone houses of Back Bay, we pass a neighbourhood stall handing out pizza and balloons as part of a street clean-up day (what they could possibly find to clean on the pristine streets, remains a mystery). Paused at a traffic light, they offer us a slice, cementing my hunch that Boston really is one of America’s most wholesome towns.
Having cycled up an appetite, the next stop is lunch. While “food courts” don’t typically evoke images of high-quality cuisine, High Street Place couldn’t be further from a St Pierre’s sushi and Tank juice at Westfield. Running a requisite lap around the small mezzanine packed with 21 eateries, our group separate then return to a shared table with fragrant ramen bowls and pepperoni pizza, roast vegetable salads and superfood smoothies. As food courts go, it’s bright, trendy and for groups who need quick, tasty kai but can’t agree on a cuisine, pretty darn perfect.
After a pit stop at the hotel, we make a beeline for the heart of Chinatown, where a dinner of theatrical proportions awaits at The Q. As hot-pot virgins, a waiter shows us to the table (which has two induction plates in the centre) and swiftly explains how to order, cook and eat the popular Chinese cuisine. Once plates arrive, we start tentatively, lowering single leaves of Bok choy or cubes of tofu into the bubbling broth, smiling self-consciously when something escapes our shaky chopsticks. But within minutes, politeness gives way to appetite and we reach, dunk and slurp with childish abandon.
With bellies full of noodles and hearts warm from laughter, we all but roll back to Omni Seaport, where cloud-like beds await. Located in the Seaport district, the hotel is new (opened in September 2021) and feels it; decor is artfully curated with works from modern artists, breakfast is boutique (think croissants and muesli parfaits), while my Patron Tower room has gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows you’ll be tempted to leave uncovered each evening.
DAY 2
Inspired by yesterday’s ride, I start the morning on one of the city’s public “Blue Bikes” ($5 per 30 minutes) and cruise back to North End, this time via the Harbourwalk. More than 50 years old, the smooth little path hugs the waterfront of several bay-side suburbs and at 7.30 am on a Sunday, I have the path, its views and the fresh sea breeze all to myself.
Following a brisk breakfast, it’s on to the Museum of Fine Art (MFA); a gorgeous neoclassical building that holds 500,000 works across 100 galleries. Extensive permanent collection aside, we are here today for two particular paintings; the official portraits of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Set up in a single, large room, the exhibit is curated perfectly. The paintings have enough room for people to crowd and still see, while the context posted on surrounding walls is extensive enough to educate without boring to tears. While the exhibit has since closed, you’ll always have something inspiring to look at whenever you might visit - on now until January 16 is Life Magazine and the Power of Photography.
From pop portraits of a former President, we cross the street and back 120 years in time at the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum. Named after the woman who built and filled the Venetian-style villa with art (the kind you outbid the Louvre to get), the home-turned-museum was gifted to the city of Boston under one condition; not a single one of the 14,500 paintings, sculptures, furniture pieces or archival objects from abroad be repositioned. To this day, only 13 objects have been moved; stolen in the world’s largest unsolved art heist to the tune of US$500 million.
After a day surrounded by beautiful art, it seems fitting to end up at the equally gorgeous restaurant, Contessa. A crown atop The Newbury Hotel, the extravagant experience begins before entering the building, with the mere mention of a reservation earning impressed looks from locals – always a promising sign.
Fortunately, it delivers on the hype. Stepping out of the elevator and through the hallway, we’re greeted by windows that wrap around the restaurant and over the ceiling, capitalising on its rooftop views. Inside is an indulgent, maximalist dreamscape of emerald velvet barstools, gold-plated menus, flamboyant China vases and Frank Sinatra crooning through the air.
It’s 5.30pm on a Monday, yet every single seat is taken by diners in their finest attire, and for good reason; they have waited months to secure a highly sought-after booking. As for the food, it’s an Italian-American parade of dishes we can’t help but polish off one by one; kale salad with chunks of Jerusalem artichoke and tender meatballs soaked in mustard sauce. Crispy-base pizzas layered with black truffle and creamy mozzarella, and pillows of ricotta swaddled in fresh pasta.
Over a bottle of stunning Californian red, we relax between courses and scan tables for celebrities. Rumours abound but staff stay coy on the matter; “we get all kinds of people”, they say with a wink, “so it pays to keep an eye out”. In lieu of a Hollywood actor or TV personality, the decadent deconstructed Tiramisu is the star of the night.
From champagne heights, we descend down to join the rambunctious masses at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox will face off against Baltimore's Orioles. Eager to get amongst the crowd, we stride into the green, glowing stadium at the very moment the heavens open wide and heavy rain ushers a few thousand people into the concrete corridors. What ensues is chaos, pure but playful.
Sandwiched between what feels like 42 people, I have a momentary stab of Covid-related crowd anxiety (when was the last time I was so close to so many strangers?) but it’s soon carried away by the wave of sights, sounds and smells. There is the bellow of a man hawking hot dogs and the syrupy scent of kettle corn. The almost tropical wet warmth manufactured by a sopping crowd in a small space and the lyrics of It’s raining men booming through the stadium speakers. Damp, cramped and assaulted by heavy smells, it’s all the things that would typically ruin my night.
Yet, as we break out into the bleachers and see dozens of people dancing in the downpour to The Weather Girls’ catchy tune, well, I can’t help but laugh and join them, yet again charmed by this beautiful town.
Checklist
BOSTON
Getting there:
Hawaiian Airlines flies from Auckland to Boston, via Honolulu, with Economy Class return fares starting from NZ$2019 return. Flights depart Auckland three times weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and connect to 15 US mainland cities.
Details:
visittheusa.com