Our sixty-second guide to walking Boston Freedom Trail, along Massachusetts' redbrick line
This East Coast city is a breath of fresh air, writes Stephanie Holmes.
1. Parks
There are more than 450ha of parks across the city, linked by pathways and referred to as Boston's Emerald Necklace. Two of the most famous are Boston Common, which dates back to 1634 and is the oldest public park in America, and its neighbour, Boston Public Garden, the first public botanical garden in the country. In good weather, take a picnic and relax in the wide, open spaces and fresh air; when it's cold, wrap up warm and watch the squirrels flitting back and forth, preparing for winter. Peace, quiet and picture-perfect.
Wandering around Boston is like a walk back in time. Neighbourhoods like Back Bay and Beacon Hill are charming, with their regal brownstone houses and leafy streets. Legend has it that Acorn St, with its cobblestones and grand homes, is America's most photographed street. Who knows how you really quantify that, but it's definitely worth taking a picture of your own. Our visit coincided with Thanksgiving so the envy-inducing homes looked even more photogenic, with pumpkins on the doorsteps and roaring fires visible through bay windows. Take time to see the North End as well — it's a compact residential area that has been continuously inhabited since the 1630s.
Boston Public Garden. Photo / Stephanie Holmes
3. Food
There's a large Italian-American population in the North End and you'll find some amazing Italian restaurants in the area. Book a table for dinner at Antico Forno but make sure you're happy to surrender all control to the wait staff. Dana, a hilariously headstrong Jewish-mother-type, dismissed our protestations that we weren't really hungry and made us try as much of the menu as we could handle . . . and more. Meatballs, pizza, arancini, hearty soups, pasta, salads, topped off with tiramisu and cannoli . . . it was hard to move after Dana was done with us. But what a way to go. In Cambridge, the home of Harvard, we were delighted with our dinner at Little Donkey, a "global tapas" restaurant serving shared plates with a twist. The matzo-ball ramen soup was a total highlight. anticofornoboston.com
The "eat local" food movement is strong in Boston, with a real focus on sustainable, conscious consumerism. Nowhere more so than at Boston Public Market, America's only all-year, all-locally sourced indoor market. There are 36 individual businesses, and everything on sale is grown and produced in New England. Avoid eating breakfast at your hotel in the morning — head to the market instead and try as much as you can while you work your way around. Highlights include a fourth-generation family apple farm, a cheesery, a certified organic herb and flower farm, a chocolate boutique, and George Howell coffee — named for its famous owner who invented the frappuccino, then sold the recipe to Starbucks.
Clam chowder from Quincy Market, Boston. Photo / Stephanie Holmes
If you've got room for lunch, head a couple of hundred metres down the street to Quincy Market, a national historic landmark, now home to more than 30 food vendors serving a mix of international cuisines. This is the place to try a classic New England clam chowder served in a hollowed out bread bun. Yes, I know you're still full from breakfast but you won't regret it.
Boston Celtics take on the LA Lakers at Boston's TD Gardens. Photo / Stephanie Holmes
One of the must-dos on any visit to America is to get tickets to a sports game. The atmosphere is like Rugby World Cup final, Eden Park, 2011 — every single night. In Boston, Fenway Park is where you'll catch the Red Sox (baseball) and TD Gardens is your mecca for ice hockey (Boston Bruins) and basketball (Celtics). We joined close to 20,000 basketball fans to see the Celtics take on the LA Lakers and the atmosphere was unreal. The fast-paced action on the court continues even when the players are taking a break, with gymnasts and dancers performing spectacular shows, competitions for fans and crowd cameras picking out any celebrities, beaming their faces on to the big screen. Stranger Things, Lord of the Rings and Goonies star Sean Astin was in the crowd at our game and got a rapturous reception, despite being there to support the visiting team. Score your seats before you leave home from US Sports Tickets. The website caters to New Zealand, Australian and British fans and gives access to all the best games in the major cities and beyond.
Harvard. Photo / Stephanie Holmes
6. Harvard
Harvard is one of the most famous and prestigious universities in the world and unless you're a super-smart brain box, the only way you're getting in the gates is with a student-led guided tour of the grounds. The main campus is beautiful and having a current student take you around gives you excellent insights into what really goes on behind the wrought-iron gates and red-brick buildings. You'll find it's a place of storied history, interesting traditions and strange superstitions. And, like all good tours, it ends at the student-run gift shop, where you can stock up on college sweatshirts, coffee mugs and fridge magnets. If nothing else, taking the tour gives you license to tell people, "I went to Harvard", with no word of a lie.
Acorn Street, Boston. Photo / Getty Images
FACT BOX
GETTING THERE Air New Zealand flies from Auckland to Boston, via San Francisco, with one-way Economy Class fares from $1029, on sale until March 28.
STAYING THERE For a luxurious treat, head to the Four Seasons Boston, an opulent five-star hotel with exceptional service and the best bed I've ever slept in. Prices start from $982 a night on Expedia. Or, if that level of extravagance is out of reach, there are plenty of other options, with an average nightly room rate of $413.
PLAYING THERE Grab a Boston CityPass from Expedia for entry to up to four attractions. A nine-day Boston CityPass costs NZ$82pp (currently on sale, with 42 per cent off the normal price).
