A list of things I particularly like in Boston. Not meant to be comprehensive
Food
Yume wo katare
- dream workshop that serves only one dish: the best pork ramen I’ve ever had. You’re “graded” on how much of a giant bowl of ramen you can finish and then invited to share a dream/goal afterwards (if you’re particularly shy, don’t let this deter you from eating here; you can decline without any pressure).
- Say yes to “delicious garlic”.
- Feel free to ask for adjustments. They genuinely want feedback. E.g. if you think the soup is too salty, you can ask for hot water/stock to dilute it.
Yuma ga arukara - insanely good udon. I think the cold udon is better and lets the texture of the noodles shine better, but hot is great too on a cold day.
Tsurumen - also really good ramen
Clear Flour Bread (Brookline) - they have new specials every week and I don’t think I’ve ever had anything I didn’t like
Lion Heart Confections - my favorite donuts EVAR (yes, better than Union Sq donuts blah blah blah)! Unfortunately, they’re only available at pop-ups and haven’t done one in a while, but you should follow the instagram and rush to the first pop-up you see.
Toscanini’s - best ice cream. The B3 is their classic flavor, in case you can’t decide, but it’s hard to go wrong
Petsi Pies
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen - v good but kinda pricey; I like to recommend this when people are here for the NBER Summer Institute because it’s close to the conference hotel
Alive and Kicking Lobster sandwich
Bars
I drink much less these days and have never been an alcohol connoisseur. I also tend to prefer places that aren’t as loud, so take all that into consideration here.
Harvard Sq: Grendel’s is nice and cozy, Daedalus is more upscale but the rooftop is nice
Central Sq: many options here, but I recently discovered that the hotel bar at Sonder 907 Main has a very pleasant courtyard (note: this is different from the rooftop bar in the same building which is also v nice but v pricey)
Lamplighter in Lechmere is close-ish to Kendall and is a beautiful space (there is also a Lamplighter around Central Sq but I find it too loud)
Places and activities
Mt Auburn Cemetery - my favorite arboretum. Go the tower in the middle of the cemetery for a great view of the city. Drop by Sofra for a sweet treat after. Also keep an eye out for the Winter Solstice light show every year
Arnold Arboretum - my second favorite arboretum.
Boston Common, Boston Public Garden, Esplanade
Other gardens: Bergstrom Garden is a cute little garden at the back of MIT Sloan, Urban Park Roof Garden in Kendall Square
Harvard Museum of Natural History - the glass plants are absolutely incredible and a must-see
Boston Public Library - beautiful building, architecture tour is fun too
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - beautiful building, very instagram-able courtyard. Read up (or watch the Netflix show) about the art heist before you go
Kayak on the Charles River
Swing/Lindy hop - Boston Swing Central hosts a social dance (very often with live music!) on Friday nights with a beginner lesson beforehand - Boston Lindy Hop runs classes
Minuteman Bike Trail
Somerville Porchfest - a day when people in Somerville open up their porches for bands to play on. Have a toilet plan
Hiking
- For light hikes near the city, the main options are Middlesex Fells and Blue Hills. Middlesex Fells can be reached by public transit via the orange line
- For more challenging hikes, head to New Hampshire.
- Mt Monadnock and Mt Major are options with a good effort-to-views ratio
- The White Mountains are fantastic, with a wide range of trail difficulties (including easy ones).
- The Welch-Dickey loop and the Morgan-Percival loop are a couple of my favorites for a good effort-to-views ratio
- If you really want to get into it, some people also make it a goal to hike all 48 of the 4000-footers in the Whites (also look into the Franconia Ridge Loop and the Presidential Traverse)