First time Boston and Newport advice

[JavaBrewer]

Hi great PP community!

So the wife and I are planning a 4 nights in Boston and 3 nights in Newport and are looking for off the grid local suggestions on places to go and places to eat. We plan to take public transport from Boston to Newport and then return to Boston for our return flight to San Diego. Is renting a car for that journey better to sightsee?

EDIT - travel dates are Oct 14 - 21 or so.

I have spent 2 decades on business travel to DC and BWI area but never got to Boston or Newport. Anything you can suggest would be hugely appreciated.

[Alan A]

Providence [RI] has some decent restaurants, but it’s a bit far from Newport without a car.
The lobster shack was decent, but that’s all I have (and tbh I like the one at Clinton better).
It’s too packed in the summer for my tastes.

Last time I was in Boston was with kids. We ended up at some cheap Lebanese place - anoushella or some such. Had worse and spent more…

[Racerbvd]

You can’t go to Boston and not check out the Bull & Finch



https://www.cheersboston.com/

[rcooled]

If you happen to be in Boston's North End around lunchtime, check out this little Italian grocery called Bricco. They make some really tasty sandwiches, and there's lots of imported goodies to look over → Bricco

It's a bit hard to find being down an alley off Hanover St. but well-worth the effort...

[Brian 162]

We went there a few years ago. We stayed by Mass. General Hospital, it was close to the subway. We took the hop/on hop/off bus for sightseeing. I recommend it. Where we were it was very walkable to places.
There was a Segway tour place that was by the Boston Public Market. We did that in Arizona, it was a riot.

[A930Rocket]

A visit with Shaun!

[Noah930]

Having a car in Boston is a liability, but I think I'd rent a car to get to Newport. Parking's somewhat easier in Newport (except for Thames St).

You don't need a car in Boston, because you either just walk or take the T (subway). "Buy" a Charlie card at a T stop (you don't pay extra for the card, you just pay for the rides). All the rides cost the same, whether you only go one stop or go to the end of the line. Each neighborhood has a really different feel pr character--a bit like San Francisco, I suppose.

Back Bay (Newbury St and Boylston) is trendy. Great for walking and shopping, but not really any stand out restaurants I'd recommend.

North End is traditional Italian. Hard to find a bad restaurant there. I like Giacomo's. Artu is another favorite. Strega is trendy. I'm sure other Bostonians have their favorites. Just remember that a lot of restaurants only take cash. After dinner, head back to Hanover St (the main drag) for canolis and espresso at either Mike's or Modern Pasrty.

Faneuil Hall and Haymaket are popular touristy areas. Street performers, touristy trinkets, some shopping, restaurants and food court. The Aquarium is really nice. There's also the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).

The Fen has Fenway Park. If you can squeeze in a Red Sox game, it's a treat, even if you're not a hard core baseball fan.

Beacon Hill (main drag, Charles St) is historic old-money Boston. Super beautiful and picturesque neighborhood. Acorn Street is an alley which is the most-photographed street in Boston. If you're on Charles St on a Friday summer afternoon, it's neat to see waves of young people walking down from Beacon Hill to go to restaurants and bars.

Cambridge doesn't just have Harvard (where you can take a free guided tour). There's also shopping in Harvard Square. My daughter took is to a hole-in-the-wall Indian place, Singh's Dhaba, which was really good.

The Seaport area has really exploded in popularity over the past 20 years. Shops, restaurants, and an F1-themed bar where you can sim race.

Boston has really good Thai food. Brown Sugar and Bangkok Bistro in Brighton were favorites. Carlo's in Brighton is also North End quality Italian (but in Brighton).

If it's rainy, there are interconnected mall complexes (Copley, the Prudential) where there's shopping and dining.

If you're into history and sightseeing, you can take a Duck Tour. They leave from different places (Science Museum, the Pru, and the Aquarium). It's in one of those amphibious WWII landing craft, and they take a ride into the Charles River. Quality of the tour depends on the tour guide, though. Ther's also the Freedom Trail. It's a self-guided tour that winds through Boston. It takes you to many of the historic places (Betsey Ross' house, Paul Revere's house, Old North Chirch, USS Constitution, etc). It's denoted by a red line painted (or bricks) on the ground.

[Noah930]

Haven't spent much time in Newport. It's not far from Boston, but it always feels like it take forever to get there. Probably because the last quarter of the drive is theough residential neighborhoods that take forever at 25 mph and stop signs. Newport has a Cliffwalk. It's a walking trail that winds its way along the coast along the big summer mansions (like that one in La Jolla close to the Cave giftshop). You can also take tours of some of those mansions. There's a car museum, the Audrain, on the north end of Newport. You will have just missed their big concours week/weekend, which is the first week of October, I think. There's also a small sailing museum.

[Noah930]

Oh, and there's no sales tax on clothing (unless that item is >$250).

[onewhippedpuppy]

USS Constitution is worth the trip, and there are other historical sites of interest in the same general area.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Hi great PP community!

So the wife and I are planning a 4 nights in Boston and 3 nights in Newport and are looking for off the grid local suggestions on places to go and places to eat. We plan to take public transport from Boston to Newport and then return to Boston for our return flight to San Diego. Is renting a car for that journey better to sightsee?

EDIT - travel dates are Oct 14 - 21 or so.

I have spent 2 decades on business travel to DC and BWI area but never got to Boston or Newport. Anything you can suggest would be hugely appreciated.

Boston-Fanual Hall, Oyster House, Salam, Marblehead

Newport- It's pretty much closing down in Oct but Thames street will be open, lots of good restaurants, Bowens Wharf - Black Pearl and/or take a day sail or motor cruise( I built a lot of the boats sailing from there. Ft Adams and the mansions are interesting, the beaches and Brenton Park

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by Bill Verburg

...the mansions are interesting...

Yes, they are. Tour packages are available to visit several places for one price → Newport mansions

[JavaBrewer]

Digging this back up. Thank you all for your experience and suggestions!! I texted all the details to my wife for reference. I booked RT tickets from SAN to BOS arriving 14 October and flying home on the 19th.

I was thinking to rent a car for the duration but as many said a rental is NOT necessary in BOS. Regardless a 1 week rental car is near $1K for October so that is not happening.

Both cities we are centrally located lodging wise (hotel and AirBnb). We will be mostly walking or public transport in BOS, maybe some rental bicycles in NP. Transfer between BOS and NP looks like it will be Uber.

Anything else you folks can suggest would be appreciated. Again thanks for all the feedback!

[thingmon]

MiT tour is fun

[NY65912]

Newport = Audrain Auto Museum

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Anything else you folks can suggest would be appreciated. Again thanks for all the feedback!

Maybe a hybrid approach? Take the train from BOS to Prov, RI, 1 overnight in Prov then rent a car in Prov to get you to Newport. Reverse for return trip. I was just in Prov, 2 weeks ago and great little bar hopping town.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by wilnj

Maybe a hybrid approach? Take the train from BOS to Prov, RI, 1 overnight in Prov then rent a car in Prov to get you to Newport. Reverse for return trip. I was just in Prov, 2 weeks ago and great little bar hopping town.

He only has 6 days and 2 of them are flight days. Maybe he's flying the red eye to get in an extra full day. With that little time I'd stay focused on smaller goals in a smaller overall geographic area. IOW, not spending all my time doing transportation.

I'm not saying don't get around, do. Just get there and enjoy and not worry how many things you can cram into 12 to 14 hours. They way I see it, unless your thing is breakfast in special places, 10am to 10pm are the hours things are open with the exception for late night entertainment.