Going to Pawtucket for a Bar Mitzvah this weekend, flying into Boston Friday at 12:30, gonna spend the day and night there before heading to our hotel in Pawtucket.


By the time I get off the plane, get my rental car and luggage and head into Boston I figure I'll be parked and on foot downtown by 2:00 or so. Planning to do the Freedom Trail walking tour which is about 1.5 hours. Also planning to have dinner at Neptune Oyster Bar which is supposed to be one of tghe best seafood places in the country.

Any other suggestions? Figure we'll probably have a couple more hours to kill. Maybe take the train to Harvard square and look around there? Explore Quincy market in detail? Just walk around the North End?

I'm guessing we will get downtown and go to Fanuli Hall for a quick snack/light lunch before doing the Freedom Trail. After that probably go to North End or Harvard and walk around a bit. Then head to Neptune Oyster bar and put our name on the list (usually an hour wait at least) and then hang out in the north end till its time to eat.

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I hear they put meats on other meats there. Best to avoid the place altogether.

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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TBone went there recently. MANY suggestions in this here thread; viewtopic.php?f=43&t=115883

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Jump in the harbor and sink. let us know how it goes.

Get drunk at TreeHouse

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-- source

Wake up!

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You got most of them. In fall evening weather walking down Newbury Street from the Common to Mass Ave and then making a left past the Sheraton to Symphony Center and the edge of BU is pleasant and there should be a lot of choice for a stop here or there.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Yes, go to Harvard Square. Even got to see a real protest on campus when I was there a few years ago. Also, go through the Boston Common if you are just wandering around.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

I’d suggest chowder at The Black Rose for the light lunch prior to the freedom trail.

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If we nominate Trump we will get destroyed & we'll deserve it.- L Graham
I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law.- DJT 2016
MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!- DJT 12/25/23

Freedom Trail is more than 1.5 hours if you do the bunker hill portion.

you can take a cheap water taxi that acts as a nice tour of the harbor from the water

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I thought that was San Francisco.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on things. I was not that blown away by Harvard and we had a tour from a guy going to school there. Newbury street, Faneuil Hall, Boston Commons, and the Freedom Trail is all good stuff. A lot of walking so hope your back is up to it.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

yea i was thinking it was a lot longer than 1.5 hours especially if you stop at all the sites and take a thorough look. That's fine, that means we can just do the freedom trail and not have to worry about planning another activity in there. Starting at 2:00, a quick snack at the market followed by freedom trail followed by dinner in the north end with at least 1 hour wait should be more than enough to fill our half day.


This Neptune Oyster place were going to is supposed to be one of the best seafood places in the USA, very much looking forward to that. On the menu it says they make their clam chowder to order. Don't think I've ever seen that anywhere else I've been.

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Looking at the map it seems like all the stuff I'm gonna be doing is in the same general area so hopefully won't be too bad.


Are there parking garages down there or should I try and park outside the tourist areas and take public transportation/uber into the thick of it? Gonna have a rental car from the airport.

I remember from my previous trips to Boston that it's the worst driving city in USA because of all the narrow historic cobblestone roads that can't be updated.

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We didn’t have a car there all 4 days we visited. Driving and especially parking seemed like a real shit show. You can find a few garages ahead of time I would think, maybe even prepay for a spot. Really depends on you and how convenient you want it, especially if there is a specific place or area you want to park near. The hop o and hop off buses were interesting and give you the best chance to see a lot in a short period of time but if you are just there half a day I would hit the streets like you are doing

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Union Oyster House is on the freedom trail about 5 stops in. Oldest conintuously operating restaurant in the US. Good food but overpriced. Grab chowder for lunch there while you tour. OR, get into the north end section of the trail and grab food at an eye-tie bakery. Personally, I loved Bova's. You can get a sandwich or pizza and then have a mind alteringly good cannoli. There are other bakeries as well. All good, on the go foods to maximize your touring time.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Don a Celtics jersey and start a white rap group.

Bonus points if it's a Gordon Hayward jersey #FuckKyrieKardashian

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Recreate Fallout 4.

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Neptune has a line going before it opens at 11.

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His mind is not for rent to any God or government.

USS Constitution and the Fletcher Class Destroyer parked opposite it.

On the Constitution you are forced into enduring the terrible tour by some Navy sailor who has accomplished the near-impossible task of being so useless they cant hold a real job anywhere else in the branch, but they also dont seem to care if you wander off and try and find someone who knows what they're talking about. It was appalling how inaccurate and simply nonsensical the stories they told were. But the boat is fucking awesome and unlike the HMS Victory they've kept the Caller Bob floating and operational. A real marvel.

I didn't go aboard the destroyer because it was having issues that day but I've been on similar vessels and they are pretty cool.

Since I want you to have a bad and disappointing time I recommend the Cheers bar.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I've gotten in there in under 45 minutes, but yeah, it's usually a long wait. Are you a beer drinker, shakes? If so, I'd recommend skipping Neptune--you're gonna waste a bunch of time standing around when you could be grazing at a bunch of other North End bakeries/delis/pizza places/restaurants instead--and hitting the Fort Point Trillium location along with Row 34 (amazing oysters/raw bar/chowder etc) for your big meal. Trillium makes the best beer in Boston and is considered one of the top breweries in the world. Row 34 will also have a great selection of amazing local/New England beer. Row 34 has amazing seafood, Trillium has good bar food.

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I can corroborate the excellent beer and food at Trillium. I went per TM’s suggestion when there and it was one of the highlights. My wife had the ceviche there and it was one of the best meals she had all week.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

you answered your own question. You cant do much in half a day anyway. Fuck Boston.

How do u know it's usually an hour wait if you never been there before? And why the fuck do u wanna goto a place that u know is gonna be an hour wait?

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Boston worked out great. Got in early around noon and was in our rental car and on our way downtown by 12:30. Parked in a garage close to the action and set out of foot. Decided to just snack a bit and have an early dinner. Walked the Freedom Trail without a guide, just a map. I wanted to do the guided tour, but wife wasn't in to it. Worked out fine. Ended up in the North End just walking around. Put our name on the list at Neptune Oyster at 4:15 and walked around some more. Got called at 5:10 for our table. Dinner was amazing. Made to order clam chowder and hot lobster roll drenched in butter were teh best I've ever had. Wife loved the oysters and she had scallops which were really good as well.

After dinner stopped at Mike's for some canoli's to go. Best I've ever had, but admittedly haven't had a lot in my life.

Ended up in Boston from 1:00 - 6:30 and walked 7 miles.

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Sounds like fun, but I'd be surprised if there was a better cannoli than the cannoli from D'Amatos Bakery.

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Several places in boston were better than anything I have had in chicago

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.