Read our article about Boston, Massachusetts on pages 6-7 of English NowNo 116. Then watch this video to visit Boston.
A guide to Boston with Kathy Arnold
“I wasn’t born in Boston but I went to University there and it’s my favorite American city. And here, at the sky walk observatory, we’re 50 floors up and in the Prudential tower, and it’s a great place to start a visit to the city because you can see the whole of the downtown, all of the historic area right below you.”
Boston is very much a city that moves with the times and if you’ve not been here for a while, you’ll certainly notice some changes.
“This is the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and not so long ago, there was an elevated expressway right above the length of this all parkland but thanks to a project called the ‘big D’, they put all that traffic into tunnels underground. Now Bostonians can walk from the financial district over to the harbor, it’s all connected the way it used to be.”
Some things however don’t change and for many visitors, Boston’s key role in America’s independence and its birth as a nation is a major draw. Walking the freedom trail is the best way to get to grips with the city’s past. You can follow the trail on your own, there are plenty of information points and frequented guides but even better, you can walk a section of the trail in the company of the historical character of the day.
“My name is Rachel Revere, I am the second wife of Mister Paul Revere. Paul Revere was one of the leaders of the patriot movement, and all the events that took place here in this colony are what led to the revolutionary war, so that idea is very much embedded in the Freedom Trail itself. Let’s walk the red line!”
“Okay!”
The full walk is almost two and a half miles long and follows a red brick line that leads to sixteen significant historic sites including landmarks such as the Golden State House, Park Street Church and the hall in Quincy Market place. And the old Granary Burying Ground where famous sons of the revolution are buried.
“This is the old State House and from the balcony, in 1776, they read the Declaration of Independence here in Boston, for the first time. And they still read it out, every year, on the 4th of July from that balcony.”
Boston is a very walkable city with lots of different areas to explore. Beacon Hill, right by Boston Common is particularly lovely with its gas lit cobbled streets, beautiful homes and down on Charle street, little shops and restaurants.
To give your feet a rest, a fun way to see the sights is to take a 90-minute guided ‘Duck’ tour. This convoy amphibious vehicle built in WWII and nicknamed ‘Duck’ give you both a street tour and the thrill of a splash down on the Charles River.
“It’s really fun on the Duck tour and best of all, it’s going down here on the water. You’ve got all the views of the landmarks. On one side is Boston, on the other side is Cambridge and that’s the home of Harvard University.
My top tip in Cambridge is to sign up for the unofficial Harvard tour. It’s led by students and Matt and Nora are two of the regular undergraduate guides. They told me what makes their tour special.
“So basically, we’re trying to make our tour experience from the student’s perspective, all of the kids were passionate, into it, enthusiastic and the more fun we’re having, we think the more fun the tourists have.”
“And Nora, what’s your favorite part of campus?”
“My favorite part of the campus is right behind us. It’s called Memorial Hall. It looks a lot like a church but it’s not a church at all. It serves the freshmen dining hall, that long part on the left-hand side, which looks like the dining hall from Hogwarts, so I think that’s pretty awesome.”
Still in Cambridge, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, I met up with Catherine Peterson of the Arts Boston Organization. She knows all about the city’s wide range of cultural attractions.
“There is more than you could ever fit into one trip. There is a beautiful fine arts gallery from the Museum of Fine Arts, to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, which is an Italian palazzo a few blocks away, and our very new Institute of Contemporary Arts down by the waterfront.”
“And if you are traveling with children, then the Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium are not just educational but they’re a lot of fun too.”
“They’re not only great places to go but they’re in great parts of the city. The museum of Science is a great place to start of for a Duck Tour, the Aquarium is a great place from which to go for a whale tour, or explore the north end. And back here at Harvard, I mean you never get bored coming here looking at the incredible exhibits here.”
“When it comes to places to stay, Boston’s a major city and so it’s got everything from Bed and Breakfast and small boutique hotels to all the major groups of hotels, and it’s got hotels with history. The Omni Parker House had Charles Dickens as a guest, and Ho Chi Min and Malcolm X worked there, and then here, the Back Bay Hotel, this was once the headquarters of the Boston police.”
And Boston also has those other essential ingredients for a US city break. There’s great shopping. When it comes to food, Boston has it all. There’s the south end with lots of restaurants, the Italian north end, and here, at the top of the Hub, is lunch with a view and a lobster roll. Lobster is a specialty of Boston.
Off course I’m bias but there is nowhere like Boston, it’s got everything you want from a city but it’s small enough to get a handle on it, right away. You can spend a lot of time here, or you can see a lot in a couple of days, and come away thinking that you really got a bit under the skin of one of America’s best cities.”