Boston

The suburbs with quickest public transit to Boston (Brookline, Newton, for example) aren't particularly "charming," although they probably do have some hotel options. I live to the west of Boston, so can't speak to towns to the south. I think there's a train from Plymouth (about an hour away) and Plymouth is worth seeing. On the north shore, there's a rail line that ends in Rockport, which is charming, and has lots of hotel options. It goes through several towns, including, I think, Gloucester, Salem, and Marblehead. Worth checking out--but be aware that Salem is really crowded in October, more so towards the end of the month!

Very helpful lois, thank you.

We have friends who live in Cohasset, and we loved that seaside town when we went to visit. We stayed in Boston for two days (during which that city more than surpassed expectations!) and then took the ferry to Cohasset, where we stayed for two more days before returning to Boston for our flight.

-The first "charming" village outside of Boston on the train line that I can think of is Manchester-by-the-sea. It's about an hour on the train. It has a small village area with some independent shops; ie, bookstore, food, clothing, etc. However, I don't think there is a hotel (never looked) but there could be a B&B there.
-Salem is closer and is historical by its not my image of charming and is crazy, crowded and witchy in October. People I know who live there try to leave town in October or don't leave their houses.
-Gloucester is having it's 400th anniversary this year as America's First Seaport. "Charming" is not a word I can bring in to Gloucester as it is a wonderful compilation of many things and remains real. St Peters Fiesta is this weekend with the highlight being the Seine boat races and the Greasy Pole contest. The downtown has some good restaurants, independent shops, a beautiful harbor and harbor walks and parks. There is a reason the artists flock to Gloucester...Homer, Hopper, Lane, etc...the light is amazing. Rocky Neck is still an artists colony. Fortunately, Gloucester also has kept its working man nature as the harbor is still, also, a working harbor. Fishermen still live here! The area between the train station and the harbor is typical for 19th C. fisherman towns. The buildings are higgly, piggly down to Main Street. There is a really lovely hotel on the harbor: The Beauport Hotel. While the walk is easy, IMO, through downtown to the hotel, I see their shuttle around town so they likely pick up. Gloucester, I think I recall correctly, is 65 minutes on the train.
-Rockport has lots of little shops on the water. Bearskin Neck is where they are located. It is a longer walk from the train station, not bad, but we walk. You need to look at this. A lovely Inn there is allegedly the Emerson Inn. I have heard about it, but not stopped by for a drink on their veranda yet. Rockport is more of an Airbnb haven at this point. There is a small residential community, but it has changed. Although, if I saw something there I wanted to live in, I'd consider living there so it hasn't totally become void of community. (Although I love where I live.)

I'll save myself some typing and avoid being redundant by strongly recommending everything in Wray's post . Only two things to add - Read this book by Mark Kurlansky about Gloucester , its terrific . - https://www.amazon.com/Last-Fish-Tale-Atlantic-Gloucester/dp/1594483744 I frequently visit Gloucester and the Cape Ann area , its a favorite place for me . Rockport would be a good location for a stay . One other town to consider , also easily accessible by train ( a bit longer trip ) is Newburyport . on The Merrimac River Estuary . One more word about Gloucester - The Cape Ann Museum is one of the best , covering the art and culture of the area , I've - been a member there for nearly thirty years . https://home.capeannmuseum.org/

Pete, Wray, steven, thank you very much.

Salem is worth a couple of days to explore. We stayed there and enjoyed it.

Not sure we saved much $$ not staying in Boston.

Traffic in Boston is terrible, if you insist on commuting every day, be sure it is by train.
Don't miss doing the Freedom Trail and seeing the USS Constitution.

Train for sure, thanks geo.

Other choices would Charlestown, which is actually part of Boston, but in truth a delightful place with one hotel. Also Cambridge, which is NOT part of Boston but across the river with a lot of hotels, history, cuteness, walking, shopping and is on the public transit line so minutes to Boston.

Thank you Kate!

Just wanted to add this: Harvard Art Museums announce free admission for all visitors with artworks by Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Jackson Pollock and others. Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5p.m., And to point out that many of the charming towns, like Manchester by the sea, Rockport etc require at least an hour travel by train in each direction to get to Boston.

Susan , one other thought occurs to me - Where would you be spending most of your time , and for how long ? If Boston is your main focus , closer in toward the center would be a good plan , as per Kate's comments . If some of the seacoast locations are the major draw , that would certainly warrant staying there . The last possibility is to split your stay between town and the coast locations , that might be the best of both worlds . Also as Lois comments , Salem is indeed a zoo in October , keep that in mind , as well

I think worth pointing out here that the public transit via rail is designed for commuters going into / out of Boston for work not for tourists.
For example a town further out like many of the otherwise excellent towns recommended above may have a commuter rail connection to Boston but that is a random place with likely easy highway access and a large parking lot ; not middle of main street and not somewhere you would walk to. The train times may not be ideal for a tourist.

If you don't want to have a rental car and want good public transit T access to Boston downtown I think Cambridge is a good option but more a city than a charming town and maybe too close to Boston? Brookline is charming and has many green line T stops so one will always be close though is it considered Boston rather than it's own town ?; I am not sure but maybe that would work?

Other places with easy access via the Green line, Red line, Orange line I am not sure I would describe as charming. I think most of the towns that might be charming are further from town and would be via the train so going to be a problem for you unless you will have a rental car.

Honestly if you have not driven around Boston since pre-pandemic the traffic is really not that bad now (coming from someone who drives every day around Boston and has for many years so maybe I am just immune to it).

The focus, if we go, is Boston itself. Was hoping to find cheaper hotels somewhere charming outside of Boston with an easy ride into Boston. We aren’t willing to pay $300 or more per night for a crap hotel in Boston which is all i could find on Booking.com. We’re trying to figure out where to go for a week in Oct, we have several places on our list, and cost is very much a factor. I’ve always wanted to go to Boston (never been there), and i’d love to go to NYC for a 2nd time, but looks like both will cost too much for a hotel.
We’re seriously considering Victoria, Canada instead, it’s wayyyy less expensive.
Thank you all.

Victoria would be a world of difference from Boston, but it is a great place to visit, in a beautiful setting. That would require a seaplane or a ferry, from Washington or mainland British Columbia. Vancouver Island is spectacular, so outdoor activities outside of Victoria would be on the agenda.

Thanks Pete, i spent 3 days in Victoria in 1978 and loved it. We’d fly from SFO, tickets are very inexpensive. Nice hotels are about $160/night.
We just want to go somewhere fun, different, easy to get to, not too expensive for a week in Oct. Maybe Boston, maybe not.
Everyone’s posts here have been helpful in figuring it out.

Susan, Unfortunately October is a very expensive time to visit Boston. It's leaf-peeping season in New England. The Head of the Charles Regatta ("The world's largest 3-day rowing competition attracting 400,000 spectators, 11,000 competitors and 2,400 volunteers") takes place October 21-22, 2023. Many universities are hosting parents weekend in October.

I will echo was has been already said. Stay close to Boston if you can. Cambridge, Jamaica Plain, Charlestown. Parts of Newton in the suburbs may be convenient by public transportation. Nearby suburb of Watertown has options to get to Boston by public transit. The further away you go from Boston, you may save on lodging, but you will waste a lot of time commuting back and forth.

Susan, Now that I know your focus is Boston, rather than a charming location, but want less expensive hotel rather than downtown Boston...here is further input. One of two branches of the red line on the MBTA goes to Braintree via Quincy. There is the Best Western Adams Inn in Quincy that has rooms in October for less than $200.00. This hotel is on the Neponset River and there is Popes Park across the bridge from the hotel. It is a nice park to walk in and we often did. Other than that, this hotel is in the ugliest part of Quincy; ie, busy road with ugly business structures, etc. That being said it is close to the North Quincy MBTA station, which is about a 15 minute ride to South Station in Boston. I have not been in this hotel since about 2011 or so, but it is where some of my daughter's friends stayed for her wedding. I would suggest you do your due diligence by reading reviews, etc. because I moved away from the area two years ago, but it is a Best Western, so it would follow their guidelines. It seems to me the hotel has a shuttle to pick you up at the subway station, but a taxi could be called as well, again, because it is not a pretty walk, but certainly doable should you want to do so.

While the hotel walk between the T and hotel is not charming (LOL), Quincy Center (also a subway stop) is a nice, historical city center. The Adams National Park is there and there are trolleys that run between the homes and the National Park office. They are well worth a visit and would provide a bit more history and slightly different view of the area. There are also various restaurants in Quincy Center (or were pre covid...again, I moved).

Also, if you stayed at this hotel, you could take a quick taxi to Marina Bay (I'd guess less than a mile from the hotel), which is a Nantucket Style marina with nice restaurants, definitely charming.

Also, this is the same subway line as Kennedy's Presidential Library (JFK stop), which you might want to visit. You could also enjoy a people watching walk along Wollaston Beach.

While the hotel walk between the T and hotel is not charming (LOL), Quincy Center (also a subway stop) is a nice, historical city center. The Adams National Park is there and there are trolleys that run between the homes and the National Park office. They are well worth a visit and would provide a bit more history and slightly different view of the area.

This is a wonderful idea ! My wife and I have made several visits to The Adams National Park in Quincy , as we are great fans of of John and Abigail Adams . John Adams is arguably the most underrated of all of our Presidents , and this Cspan video with the author David McCullough tells the story very well . Made at "Peacefield ", the Adams home in Quincy , some twenty five years ago , it prompted our initial visit . https://www.c-span.org/video/?121951-1/life-portrait-John-Adams Given the tenure of The 45th President , I often recall John Adams comments , taken from a letter to Abigail , which are inscribed on the mantelpiece in the State Dining Room in The White House " May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof ." What would he think , if he were alive today ?

Super helpful additional info, i really appreciate it.

Steven--that is written on the mantel in the White House? I had never heard of that! Thank you so much for that historically insightful and sobering bit of information!

With regards to Wray's suggestion of staying in Quincy, I wanted to add a warning. The MBTA has been having a lot of problems recently and there are some serious slow zones on the red line of the subway. So your 15-minute ride from Quincy into Boston will likely take a lot longer. Please factor that into your planning.

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/mbta-schedules-slow-zone-work-on-red-line/

Thanks Mary.

What Wray said. Manchester doesn't have a hotel, and it's a quaint town without being touristy. I hesitate to mention they have some VRBOs now. They're controversial in this area for a good reason.

If you aren't renting a car, I'd go with Rockport. It's cute and relatively compact. By October, some businesses might already be closed on weekdays though. Finding staff is an issue.

I love most of the towns on the North Shore, but am actually partial to Gloucester. It's an amazing little city, complex, beautiful, and lively for its size. It has the most hotel/motel options in the area. However, things are more spread out in Gloucester. Even though there's some local bus service, managing without a car could be challenging.

Note that the commuter rail into Boston has had periods when they've shut down sections of the line for weeks/months. When that happens, they MBTA buses passengers to the closest train stop. Also, outside of weekday rush hour, commuter rail is quite limited. The train into Boston's North Station takes roughly an hour.

Newburyport is another great little city, but I can't speak to the convenience factor. I haven't noticed any hotels except in nearby Amesbury. I'm sure they at least have inns.

One last thing, I'd skip Salem in October, unless you want to go for an early morning visit on a weekday—swoop in and swoop back out before the mobs arrive.

Thank you everyone!

You have gotten a lot of replies. I have not read most so I may be repeating what others have said.

You are going the best time of the year, during foliage season. The leaves are going to be changing colors.

Go to Cape Cod. Go to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. You can get to both places by bus or train so I believe. You can take ferries. You could even take. a ferry to Portland Maine. and a ferry to the tip of Cape Cod. I forget the name of the artistic community at the tip of the cape. Maybe it is Provincetown.

Also, Boston is a wonderful city all by itself as you may know.

Boston hotels are shockingly expensive. You might try an airbnb.

You might also consider looking at hotels in New Hampshire but right over the state line. Persons regularly commute between Boston and New Hampshire. You could also visit some beautiful communities in. New Hampshire.

This would require some research.

I went to B.U. and lived in Boston for 6+ years. When my husband and I went back the last time in October, we stayed in the Longwood Inn in Brookline. It's a Victorian mansion on a tree lined street. The location near Coolidge Corner (Green Line T-stop) is very convenient. The Inn has a shared kitchen where you can BYO breakfast if you like, and chat with other travelers.

We’ve decided to go to Paris instead, but i will keep all your very helpful info for when i do finally get to visit Boston.