Boston: What Area to Stay?

Downtown Boston is where you’ll find most historic attractions with the neighborhoods of Beacon Hill, the North End, and Back Bay convenient for walking the Freedom Trail and quickly reaching the top attractions. Since cars are essentially useless downtown, be sure to choose accommodations centrally located. Being near a metro station ( called the “T” by locals) is a plus.

Kenko, thanks very much, very helpful.

You’re very welcome!

We love the walkability of Boston from the Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods. Public transit is great around Boston but if you are staying more than a few days and want to get out to Lexington/Concord, etc perhaps you can book a tour from Boston. We spent 2 years around Boston post graduate school and have enjoyed several trips back when ever we can.

If you like classic, historic hotels with oodles of charm well situated in the center than the Grande Dame of Boston is the Omni Parker House Hotel. The hotel gave us the culinary classics of Boston Cream Pies and Parker House Rolls. Ho Chi Minh (yeah that Ho Chi Minh) worked as a baker there. Vietnamese people still come to see the table he made pastries on. Malcolm X worked as a porter there. John Wilkes Booth stayed there before doing the deed. Charles Dickens lived there and first recited A Christmas Carol there. Emerson, Longfellow and a whole passel of other writers with three names used to meet there weekly. The walls are drenched in intrigue and secrets. It’s my kind of place.

Back Bay, Boston Common area, theater district, Beacon Hill, Faneuil Hall/North End, near Fenway Park/Kenmore. There is a newer development with hotels called the Seaport district, but it's away from most of the touristy areas and the charm of historic Boston. Less desirable areas (for various reasons) are Allston/Brighton, East Boston, Winthrop, Dorchester, Charlestown.

Thanks so much Mona, thenosbigs (fascinating!!), and Mary. I really appreciate your great info.

I echo the recommendation from thenosbigs. The Omni Parker house is full of history and also is reportedly haunted. JFK proposed to Jackie there. Their Boston cream pie is excellent. And the hotel's location can't be beat.

Haha, the Omni Parker is $549 + tax for a basic room with two beds…
Having looked at Booking.com i know we’ll have to pay $400-$450 which includes taxes per night which is already shocking, i don’t want to pay $625-$650 per night at the Omni Parker, lol.
But we could go there for Boston Cream Pie! Sounds like a great place to visit.

Boston is more expensive than NYC!
And people think a hotel in Paris for $200-$250 per night is high… Too funny.

October is a VERY expensive time to visit Boston. Fall foliage, parents weekends at the universities, Head of the Charles regatta, early Halloween events....

Murphy’s Law Mary, darn. We’re already booked for The Thayer Hotel at West Point (our main reason for this trip) so there’s no changing the dates.

Our hotel was right across the street from Granary Burial Ground, Park Street Church. and Boston Common Park. My first time to Boston--2021.

I wouldn’t stay in the theatre district or Kemore Sq/Fenway Park area as less of interest, IMO. Well Fenway anyway and I don’t find what I consider the theatre district particularly interesting compared to other areas. Best is around the edge of the Common or Public Garden, very central. I have stayed often in the Back Bay and like it. I also like Rose Wharf, but that particular hotel is likely high budget. I lived in or directly next to Boston for 40+ years so feel free to ask me questions. I haven’t stayed in Boston since Covid but I do have a less expensive hotel in the Back Bay that is more European…small rooms etc. where I stay when researching, but I have a more expensive favorite there as well…

Thank you Wray, i’ll pm you.

Susan, if you need to rent a car reserve it now. Rental cars become rarer than hen’s teeth during leaf peeping season in New England. But I would not recommend driving in Boston. Parking is crazy expensive in the city and the streets which were formerly meandering cow paths can be confusing and frustrating. You can park at one of the outlying stations like Alewife and take the T into the city from there.

Thank you Mary, renting a car at JFK and driving to West Point where we’ll stay for several days, then on to Boston where we will return the car when we get there. Flying home from Boston.

You are getting excellent advice. I attended grad school at Boston university in 1990-1993, but pre covid visited every 2 years. I lived in salem before the witch trial memorial was finished, riding the commuter rail north in October has become an entirely different crowd. I then lived in Somerville 2 years and didn't have a car all of those years, so anything is possible in Boston:). Yes, October is definitely peak season for everything, leaf peeping is bumper to bumper for miles. Second most congested time (for anyone reading this in the future) is Boston marathon weekend. For ambience, my first choices are back bay/fenway and the easy portion of the freedom trail, never did add the Bunker Hill / constitution portion

Thanks doricB!

A favorite city of ours. Have a meal at one of the Legal Seafoods locations.

Thanks Suki.