A gust of chilly wind greeted us in Boston. Even inside the airport terminal, the air was frosty. Sleepy us took shuttle bus SL1 to Boston South Station (5 stops) then took Red Line T to Charles Station (3 stops).
US$ 2.25 per trip with Charlie Card
US$ 2.75 per trip with Charlie Ticket / Cash on board
US$ 12.00 unlimited 1 day Link Pass
US$ 21.25 unlimited 7 days Link Pass
Barely an hour after our 745am arrival in Boston Logan Airport, we were right smack in the middle of Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. We had about 3 hours to spare as we could only check in to our Airbnb accommodation only around noon.
Refreshing ambiance, cooling atmosphere, leafy surrounding all made for a charming quaint neighborhood, even in the middle of a big metropolitan city like Boston. If not for cobblestone streets which made life difficult for us with our luggage, our morning stroll was perfect.
In consideration of our poor luggage, we decided to grab leisurely breakfast + brunch till we could check in. So we walked down Charles Street towards Boston Common. Our planned stop was Paramount Restaurant on Charles Street but it was overflowing with patrons!!! There was no way we could have squeezed in there with our luggage.
So with a mental note to try this place the next day, we moved on in search of spacious cafe. Guess what, we ended up inside trusted Starbucks, at the corner of Charles Street and Beacon Street.
After a couple of hours lazing at Mister's favorite cafe, we took a short walk towards our Airbnb. Our apartment was located in a really beautiful and safe neighborhood and our room was very clean too. The host couple was friendly and pretty helpful with planning our 2 days stay in Boston. There was even a rooftop garden! The only downside was the lack of lift to go up to our 5th floor apartment.
Our host showed us around the flat and building then, left us to our devices. We unpacked, showered and took a nap first before heading out again at 4pm. We were pretty hungry, thanks to our quite light lunch at Starbucks. Per our host's recommendation, we did our exploring on foot, instead of taking public transport. Our destination - Flour Bakery (just 10 min walk away).
All these red brick buildings
Bay Village neighborhood's well-preserved Federal period townhouses
Our Lady of Victories
A French National Church since 1883
The oldest Marist establishment in New England
The Liberty Mutual Tower
What does this building remind you of? Flatiron building located on the Fifth Avenue in NYC!!! However, this Boston office tower, completed in 2013, is a whole lot younger than NYC's version, 111 years to be exact.
Do you know which kind of establishment calls this castle its home?
Smith & Wollensky high-end American steakhouse
This steakhouse chain was founded in 1977 by Alan Stillman (best known for creating T.G.I.Friday's) and Ben Benson. The restaurant's Boston branch is located in the Armory of the First Corps of Cadets, built in 1880.
We have reached! Instead of the supposedly 10 min walk, we needed almost half an hour to reach with all our photo stops :D
Flour Bakery (Back Bay)
131 Clarendon Street Boston MA 02116
Mon-Fri: 7am - 8pm
Sat: 8am - 6pm
Sun: 9am - 5pm
Freshly baked baguettes, cakes, made-to-order sandwiches and salads are on the menu of this hugely popular bakery. However, the highlight here is called "Sticky Sticky Buns" doused in dark sticky caramel & toasted pecans for US$ 3.75.
If you know me, you would know I love anything with caramel. Sadly for me, Sticky Sticky Buns were so popular that they were sold out by the time we were there. Next time I'm in Boston, I will definitely make sure to call ahead and reserve my highly-acclaimed baked goodie smothered in caramel.
We nonetheless enjoyed our sandwich (:
After our half an hour tea break, we were on our jolly sightseeing tour again.
John Hancock Life Insurance Company Building (The Clarendon Building), completed in 1922
Trinity Church (Boston) founded in 1733
However, this current building located in Copley Square was constructed in 1877 as the original building was burned in the Great Boston Fire of 1872.
Boston Public Library in Copley Square
Established in 1852, Boston's Public Library is the third largest in the United States behind the Library of Congress & the New York Public Library. Our plans to visit this century old building was thwarted by those barricades included in the photo. There was a marathon event going on and library was blocked off to public access :(
Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel
View of Trinity Church from Boston Public Library
Hubway is Metro Boston's bike sharing program. With 1600 bikes spread across 180 stations, this form of public transportation is convenient, affoardable and definitely a healthier alternative.
You need to have a pass first, which allows you to enjoy unlimited short rides of up to 30 minutes each. If your ride is 31-60 minutes long, you gotta add extra US$2 for usage.
US$6 / day
US$20 / month
US$85 / year
We then moved on to Commonwealth Avenue & dreamed of one day moving to Boston and settling in this peaceful city. Looking back, Boston is our favorite city in East Coast. Having led hectic lifestyles in Singapore for more than a decade, we were so enchanted by the unhurried pace of Boston.
Even the shopping street looks so fanciful!
Just lovely
With such alluring shops, how could you expect me to control myself? As much as clothes at these boutique shops were exquisite, their prices were astonishingly high too. So to satiate my need for retail therapy, we ended up at H&M :D
A short 30 min jaunt led us from Commonwealth Avenue to B&G Oysters. There were a few buses but we still needed to walk quite a distance and had to wait for infrequent buses. Thus, we chose to walk and set our mind on rewarding ourselves with yummy dinner.
B&G Oysters
550 Tremont Street Boston MA 02116
A great place to relax and chill with your loved one, while enjoying a meal for 2
B&G deserves all its accolades for these exquisitely fresh, tasty oysters.
The Best Fried Clams I have had in my life ever!!! Not oily and hard. Just crispy and flavorful to the right degree. It goes so well with homemade tartar sauce and fries.
With a great dinner, we felt it was a great first day spent in Boston.
Adios!
xoxo
Nandar
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