Romantic Boston: what to see and how to save

To me Boston is certainly the city that mostly have marked this year. It has marked this year for many aspects and many reasons. The city to which I have come back even three times in few months besides to represent a decisive turning point in my formation. It has made me dreaming. Romantic Boston is the best!

Enjoy Boston three times a year

Yeah, despite I am here in Boston for the third time in a year and for over two months, I cannot still realize it isn’t a dream. Romantic Boston isn’t a dream!

As you know, my first time was in January: it was stirring to have the possibility to enter the MIT, one of the most interesting places where all my passions take shape, then all people met, the meetings, the contacts.

Then I came back as blogger, chosen for a project with Visit Massachusetts (you certainly have followed me on the social networks) to make discover different, curious, unusual  corners of this such polyhedral Boston.

And now here I am with Leonardo. We have been here for over two months and still we cannot believe how our fairytale has become reality!

Boston, a city which make fall in love

Romantic Boston is a magic, wonderful city. But you already know I thinks so. In this year really many things have happened, certainly the most beautiful one it’s Leonardo, and this city has certainly had an important and decisive role.

Here in Boston Leonardo and I work a lot, work hard but here we do it in a different way: enjoying ourselves, with many other people who are here chasing their thousands passions. It’s incredible the power this town gives off.

During the weekends we go around, explore, enjoy ourselves, take part into many different activities, one more beautiful than the other. And following a bit our instinct and a bit the tips of people we meet, we have learnt to enjoy it in a “mixed” way: a bit like a tourist and a bit like a local.

On many websites you find a stream of wonderful shows and really lots of activities at definitely low cost prices. An example? The Blue Man Show with the students discount (don’t forget to get a school card before leaving) has cost $35!

That’s why I get ready to write this post. If you are young people and teenagers, lovers of travels, technology, digital, humanities, nature, art and more, this is the destination fit for you.

Boston can be low cost

Boston isn’t a cheap city but living here we have found out a lot of different ways to save, however not to miss the thousands activities the city offers and to discover really many other ones even free. Don’t you believe it? Right yesterday evening we went for two hours by canoe on the Charles River rowing without spend absolutely nothing!

Now I explain you how I did and what activities you have not to miss if it’s the first time you decided to go and explore Boston.

Another little tip: Boston is a very safe city. It’s a city on man scale, nothing to do with metropolis like Ney York. It’s a city you can easily enjoy alone, even though you are “little”…like us!

Romantic Boston

We have spent the first part of our stay inside a college in a Summer camp dedicated to the entrepreneurial activity and now we are working at the Duckietown of MIT: we are living in a room an Italian guy kindly has sublet to us.

Here it is a quite usual thing, there are thousands websites and Facebook groups allowing to make meet demand and offer: it’s simply enough to digit “sublet” and you’ll find all sorts of types.

Get organize in time if you are planning a long stay in Boston like we do. The first tip to save and not have to rely on expensive hotels (where we however couldn’t check in since we are under age) here it is served on a silver plate.

Like us now, you’ll be alone in a flash, free and happy in Boston, one of the most beautiful places in the world, ready to go and explore the romantic Boston with its most unique and not to be missed places. Here it is a panoramic of those ones we recommend.

Technological Boston

MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The MIT with everything around it, departments, innovation to the maximum levels, teachers, students, community, people.

MediaLab of MIT

The MediaLab, a place where to go discovering personal robots, Scratch, researches, ideas, prototypes and even more. What’s the thing that most struck me about this place? The Director has no degree. It was the right person in the right place and the law was changed. I love Americans and their compulsive meritocracy.

Marriot Kendal Square

Right opposite the Marriot Hotel, just behind the corner of Kendall Square and the MIT subway station, there’s a curious little trail tech I recommend to see: a series of stars at floor level with the names of many characters, from Steve Jobs to Bill Gates. Particular asterisk shape benches complete the urban furniture. Romantic Boston by walk.

Parks and wild nature in Boston

Boston Harbor

The harbor area is wonderful for romantic walks. Wood communication trenches admiring the dawn or the sunset, looking at the coming and going of boats and sailing vessels inSummer and the lighting of the downtown skyscrapers on the back.

Whales and whale watching in Boston

From here countless cruises and excursions leave. The most beautiful one is certainly that leaving near the aquarium to go as far as the open sea admiring whales. These wonderful enormous animals that, as you know, I already sighted both in Sri Lanka and at Svalbard. How ravishing!

All sorts of cruises

By the website you can plan all sorts of excursions by boat: at sunset, on the river, with night party, by amphibious mean and really even more. Romantic Boston by cruise!

A useful tip to save: enter the Groupon app when you are already there. There are a stream of discounts and half price tickets for really many cruises, excursions and all sorts of activity in Boston. Lunch and dinner, too!

Harbor Islands National Park

From here also the excursions to the Harbor Islands leave: it’s the national park formed by the archipelago of wonderful islands so close to the city of Boston.

Boston parks

They are amazing in every season. In Summer you lye on the grass neighbored by squirrels, in Spring you walk to admire nature awaking, in Autumn the foliage enchants and in Winter several little lakes are turned into very beautiful skate rings. What else?

Sports and funny Boston

Legoland Discovery Center

At the first place I recommend without doubt a tour to Legoland Discovery Center. For this attraction, too, there are many ways to buy discounted tickets.

Search on the web for the most advantageous offer at the moment, often you find them on Groupon.

Meetup in Boston

Speaking of offers and cheap activities, in fact…completely free, another website very interesting in Boston is Meetup. An aggregate of thousands of events, meetings, activities taking place in Boston. You’ll find everything about all subjects.

Are you interested in a free conference organized by Google? Or a particular aperitif? Or even dedicated appointments exclusively dedicated to nerd? What about activities about safety? Or walks? Or romantic Boston events?

Or meet with friends groups to row by canoe, those 20 places long. We have been several times and have learnt a lot of things about this sport. The event is completely free!

Skating

In Boston there are several places where to spend the evening skating indoor in time with the music. Amounts are affordable and usually, after have spent the evening like that the first time, you will be given a coupon with a 50% off or free admittance for the second person for the following time. Romantic Boston is the best!

Converse All Star

Do you know it’s possible to create directly your own All Star version configurating it from zero? You choose it, draw it, select with care every option and…here it is! After an hour you are given your one-of-a-kind pair of shoes in the world! Very cool this romantic Boston!

Go into the Converse seat at this address: 1, Love Jay, O’Neil Pl, Boston. It’s just in the downtown, reachable walking along the waterfront. This place will astonish you!

Sommerville

It’s a calm quarter where it’s nice to walk. It’s almost an extension of downtown Boston attracting artists, eclectic characters and Millennials for its more affordable amount compared to the downtown. Don’t miss the tour to visit the chocolate factory.

To stay, our tip is the Best Western Plus Hotel Tria: cheap prices and parking. And convenient to downtown Boston by subway.

Beaches

There are many beaches in Boston. In Summer they crowd and become nice places where to spend time. The best ones of Boston are to me Revere and Wonderland. But my tip is to go as far as Nantasket if you have the all day in your hands: it is reachable in only 20 minutes by ferry through the Harbor Islands.

Historic, artistic and cultural Bosto

USS Constitution

It’s the most ancient ship still floating in the world. It has over 200 years and many things to tell to whom will dedicate a bit of his own time to it. It’s available for visits in Boston and the museum accompanies between its deeds and exploits.

Harvard Museum of Natural History

The Harvard Museum of Natural History has a humanistic background but don’t think about something boring! Immerse yourselves among the precious glass flower collection, walk among the enormous fossils, cross the five continents searching for animals and curious nature. And don’t miss the endless collection of minerals with even meteorites.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 

Do you know in Boston it exist a Venetian Palace which is available for visits? It will astonish you. Isabella was an extraordinary woman for its time. She went all around the world and collected all sorts of art objects that she placed according to her own taste. She fell in love with Venice and the tour in romantic Boston to this palace today talking about the breaking off of the conventions, taste of the period, art, politics, exploration and even more is not to be missed.

Mount Auburn Cemetery, the monumental cemetery

Don’t turn up your nose as soon you read the word “cemetery”. Do you know those places of peace among nature where to do a lot of activities you see in the American movies? They really exist and one of them is right in Boston. Plan at least a quick tour, it will surprise you and you will dedicate more time to it than you had expected!

Art in Boston

Art in Boston is everywhere. You will  run into it at the Museum of Fine Art, in the location expressly planned by Renzo Piano. Don’t missit at the Harvard Art Museum with its artists and its important works crossing time and space.

Art find its space inside the MIT, too: the MIT List Visual Arts center is a modern art museum holding particular collections and up-and-coming artists. The tour is completely free.

Lowell

The little city is 40 minutes far from Boston. It is easily reachable by train and it deserves a tour. If you are of age you can check-in at the hotel so stay some days to explore it calmly.

What are our tips? Above all the historic aspect with the tour to the looms and to the museum of the girls emigrating here. Here in Lowell everything has started.

Then, don’t forget the Western Avenue Studios with its artists. You have to visit it the first Saturday of each month when it opens the doors (freely) to show the best of the art.

For the lovers makers like us, in Lowell there’s also a very interesting space makers and a curious Quilt Museum, this ancient art that still today is handed down.

Then Lowell is the city of Kerouac: his birthplace, the crossway that had a such important role in his relationship with religion, the church where his general took place and the Jack Kerouac Commemorative Park, the memorial, then the Edson Cemetery where there’s his grave.

Always in Lowell there’s a bridge on the falls you cannot miss: from time immemorial the whole city rounds around the water and for lunch I recommend a stay at the Athenian Corner Restaurant or at the Cobblestone Restaurant.

Quincy

It’s 20 minutes far to the south of Boston and it’s the presidents town par excellence: the Adams National Historical Park. An interesting trail through the life and formation of the presidents’ town to whom Quincy is the birthplace. Bur above all through the families, the extraordinary women who secretly supported the history.

Other useful links

Massachusetts State House. The Boston Parliament where it is possible to take part into tours with guides and arrive as far as the dome.

Float Documentary. If you are lovers of flight and model-making call Joshua Finn. He lives round the corner of Boston and he will be happy to show you his Indoor Free Flight special models!

Bartley’s. Here it  is possible to taste the best hamburgers in the United States. You’ll enjoy yourselves reading the menu!

Boston Hostel. A hostel with green values where you can sleep spending less in downtown Boston.

Cambridge Brewery Co. Refined and savory dinners in a very particular atmosphere in Cambridge.

Outlet. Do you go mad for shopping? This link will help you to discover the best places!

Of course, Boston isn’t finished yet. I would have to give you many cues and tips but this post is very long by now. So there is nothing left to do but give you a last tip: save it offline or print it to get it with you during your visit in Boston.

Have fun!