Salem on Halloween is like Times Square on New Year's Eve, a complete madhouse.
OT: Visiting Boston? We are here to help.
- Thread starter Fenway
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Cheers for the feedback on Salem guys, will decide closer the time if we want to suffer through those sort of crowds I guess.
One final question. I see the Patriots are playing on the Monday night we are there. Does anyone have a recommendation of a good sports bar in or around central Boston that would be good to watch it in? I'm not a big football fan as such but I am a big sports fan so if there was somewhere that would have a good atmosphere and maybe even some good food, we'd enjoy soaking it in.
Thanks again.
One final question. I see the Patriots are playing on the Monday night we are there. Does anyone have a recommendation of a good sports bar in or around central Boston that would be good to watch it in? I'm not a big football fan as such but I am a big sports fan so if there was somewhere that would have a good atmosphere and maybe even some good food, we'd enjoy soaking it in.
Thanks again.
There are numerous options on where to watch the game. When you know where you are staying I can give you the best near your hotel.
JRull86
Registered User
So myself and the missus are planning our trip to Boston for the Canadiens game on the 27th of October. The plan is to spend 4 days total in Boston. Seeing as we were in Boston last year, I see this as an opportunity to scratch a little bit further below the surface. We plan to do the Fenway park tour as we missed out on that last time and we are also thinking of heading up to Salem for a day. Is Salem a worthwhile trip? Our reasoning is A) we wouldn't mind getting out of the city for one of the days and maybe experiencing some of the famous New England foliage. Would Salem be good for this? and B) my wife loves Halloween and given we are going to be there pretty close to the day itself I thought it might be a place she would really enjoy.
Any thoughts or tips on spending a day in Salem would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone has any tips in general on must do's around Boston that we might have missed first time around we are all ears. We plan on staying in or around the Quincy market/Faneuil hall area as we found it a convenient location last time around for both getting to the garden for the game and just in general.
Few things here.
First, that close to Halloween, I'd avoid Salem. It's going to be a zoo, and while I get you're not a local, it's not worth it.
As for foliage, you're going to be pretty late into the season for it, but it still should be around. Blue Hills just south of Boston would probably be your best bet for something quick-ish to get to. Whether that's the main hill or the surrounding woods. I personally wouldn't go north that late in the season, as peak foliage is usually the second week of October.
Montecristo
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- Jul 29, 2012
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I know southie and the south end also have air bnbs around that are all nice. As long as you’re not too close to mass ave the south end is a historic district and really nice. The only downside is that it’s kind of a hike to the train. Southie doesn’t have bad parts anymore so really anywhere in southie is a good spot particularly Streets that begin with E. (E 1st, E 4th). Also it’s kind of it’s own city so it’s like vacationing in one city inside of another city (i imagine it would fee that way anyways, not sure). Same problem with the south end though as public transit is limited.
Somerville is cool too. Davis square specifically.
EverettMike
FIRE DON SWEENEY INTO THE SUN
Chief Nine
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- May 31, 2015
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So myself and the missus are planning our trip to Boston for the Canadiens game on the 27th of October. The plan is to spend 4 days total in Boston. Seeing as we were in Boston last year, I see this as an opportunity to scratch a little bit further below the surface. We plan to do the Fenway park tour as we missed out on that last time and we are also thinking of heading up to Salem for a day. Is Salem a worthwhile trip? Our reasoning is A) we wouldn't mind getting out of the city for one of the days and maybe experiencing some of the famous New England foliage. Would Salem be good for this? and B) my wife loves Halloween and given we are going to be there pretty close to the day itself I thought it might be a place she would really enjoy.
Any thoughts or tips on spending a day in Salem would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone has any tips in general on must do's around Boston that we might have missed first time around we are all ears. We plan on staying in or around the Quincy market/Faneuil hall area as we found it a convenient location last time around for both getting to the garden for the game and just in general.
We just had this conversation yesterday with a co-worker who lives in Salem. It's simply insanity for the entire month of October. If you can get a tour bus to spend a day there then it may be tolerable but don't plan to drive yourself as it will be awful
Montecristo
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- Jul 29, 2012
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I take the train to Salem every October. It’s busy but not crazy the weekends leading up to Halloween
Chief Nine
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- May 31, 2015
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Maybe the train isn't so bad, but the girl I work with has lived there for well over 20 years and her husband grew up there. I'm gonna go with what they told me
Montecristo
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I’m sure compared to the rest of the year it’s hectic. But it’s really just that Main Street that’s packed. It’s a good atmosphere though despite the crowds.
Rcknrollkillnmachine
Registered User
Hej!
This thread has been very informative so I'm hoping for some advice here.
My wife landed a job in Boston from February next year so we're moving from Finland (she's Finnish, I'm Irish).
I visited Boston last year and I'm aware how crazy rents are from the locals as well as blow-ins. My wife will make quite good money but I can't work for at least six months due to visa restrictions so can folks recommend reasonable areas to rent? I have a friend who owns his house in Dorchester and quite likes the area. Quincy too is gentrified and quite pleasant from my visit (nice Irish dive bars there called the Presidential and Sully's).
Cheers!
This thread has been very informative so I'm hoping for some advice here.
My wife landed a job in Boston from February next year so we're moving from Finland (she's Finnish, I'm Irish).
I visited Boston last year and I'm aware how crazy rents are from the locals as well as blow-ins. My wife will make quite good money but I can't work for at least six months due to visa restrictions so can folks recommend reasonable areas to rent? I have a friend who owns his house in Dorchester and quite likes the area. Quincy too is gentrified and quite pleasant from my visit (nice Irish dive bars there called the Presidential and Sully's).
Cheers!
Rcknrollkillnmachine
Registered User
Montecristo
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I guess it depends on your budget. Working in the back bay pretty much means you need to live close to public transit unless parking is provided by the work. Compared to Finnish cities it’s probably a lower cost of living though. But if you’re looking for anything in the city in a reasonably nice area and want 800 square feet+ it’s probably 2,000 minimum. Quincy and Dorchester are both huge so I’d make sure you’re close to a train station. Also you may want to look at Jamaica plain, parts of somerville/Everett considering back bay is a stop on the orange line.
Personally I live in Dorchester a 5 minute walk from the train and I think it’s great. 2 bedroom 1,100 square feet but my rent reflects that. (Went up 300 dollars from 2 years ago.) Unfortunately there are no truly affordable places in the city anymore though unless you look at less developed areas like mattapan, lower Roxbury area.
When it comes to Boston though I find areas within each neighborhood I enjoy quite a bit. The neighborhoods are just so big it’s tough to know which is a good part and which is a bad. For example Dorchester is massive. I’ll never go to fields corner but routinely find myself in lower mills. Quincy is also big but I’m rarely anywhere outside of marina bay when I go there. Same with Everett but I’m only ever right on the Somerville border when I go there because there isn’t much else there that interests me.
So each place has its own good spots. Just have to know which. For you though I recommend orange line because of work. (Technically you could take the green line to the back bay but i’ll Never recommend living on the green line no matter the neighborhood).
I also have 2 dogs though so when I look for places my options are significantly limited. Maybe there are more affordable places than I know about.
Rcknrollkillnmachine
Registered User
Cheers. My friend recommended Jamaica Plain before. All good suggestions, thanks.
I doubt any American city has changed as much as Boston has in this century. In 2000 the Seaport area was nothing but parking lots and now it is rivaling the Back Bay.
JRull86
Registered User
Obviously without knowing your budget, it's hard to really give you a solid idea, but I'll echo what @Montecristo said in regards to Dorchester. There's areas to avoid, but you can find somewhat reasonable rent, and it's a great palce to live. Overall I think it's shed it's bad reputation for the most part. I have family that lives on a side street near Gallavin Blvd in the Neponset area, and it's become a great place to live. Lot's of good food, walking distance to the T, or the ability to take the bus.
Quincy is good, but huge, so depending on where you live, you could easily have a 15+ minute commute to public transportation. Quincy has also gotten crazy expensive rent wise over the past few years.
JP is a decent option, as are parts of Somerville, though the latter definitely keeps going up up up in terms of rent as well.
Depending on how long of a commute your wife is willing to endure, the commuter rail runs pretty far south, west, and north of the city, so being able to maybe find something cheaper in a suburb close to a commuter station might be an option, albeit the daily commute cost will be higher. Keep in mind that the commuter rail runs on a set schedule as well.
Here's a map of the commuter rail lines, as well as the colored lines as well.
https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/maps/2017-05-map-commuter-rail-v30.pdf
One place I would avoid like the plague however is Southie. The cost to rent there has gone absolutely insane over the past 5 years, and will only continue to increase.
GlenFeatherstone
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- Feb 15, 2016
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You could also look into the Watertown, Waltham, Newton area. 8 miles from the city and plenty of commuter and bus connections to the city. The area has risen in rent prices recently but you can find some good prices stuff as well. Depends on what you are looking to spend.
No zip codes but have got a better idea from all the great feedback from everyone!
I know this one comes down to personal preference and how much one is willing to spend...but for seating at the games, for the Patriots Packers, what are the mezzanine seats like compared to the section below in the lower bowl. For example 236 compared to 136? Any issues with sight lines anywhere in the stadium? Or any sections or parts of the stadium that are better than others (as far as atmosphere goes)? To give you an idea, I am looking at stubhub and trying to keep it under 800 per ticket (2 tickets) but hoping for a decent seat.
Now for the Bruins! I think one of the 3 games, we will check out lower bowl, and then one of the games in club and then maybe one in a suite (650 has tickets available but not sure what that would be like). Do you lose any of the atmosphere in club seating?
I know these questions about seating are tough to answer because of so many different factors and personal preferences but what do you all prefer for seating at games? Has anyone done club seating or tickets in a suite before? Wondering if it is worth it or a waste of money.
Again, thank you all for your input. It has been very helpful so far!
talkinaway
Registered User
I can't help you much with the Patriots-Packers game, except to tell you that, yeah, you'll be paying a LOT for those tickets, and getting out of Foxboro is...not fun. Apparently everyone has their secret, but if it involves my walking more than 2 miles after I've left the stadium, I'm not really interested. I was there for the Winter Classic Alumni game, and I was actually right in 237. I can't compare it to 136, but I think for a football game 236-7 would be good. Since the WC almost always has terrible sightlines, I was expecting to watch most of the "game" on the Jumbotron.
The Garden, I can help you with. My perch is in the upper bowl, which I like, since I don't have to look through multiple panes of glass. I had glass seats for one Hockey East (our NCAA league) final a few years ago, and yeah, it was good...but going 3-4 rows up, it gets significantly worse, since you get into what I call Snell Hell with the glass. (Google "snell's law" if you're a geek.) Once you get to row 10, you've actually got a pretty good seat. I think if you're in row 21 or higher on the ends, the seats are slightly nicer, since they're the "old club seats" and have a little cushion to them.
Club and suite...yes, if you're atmosphere-centric, you'll lose a little bit in either of them. IMO, in a vacuum, the club seats are a little better than the end "fan box" suites that are usually on sale, but I'm fine using the bathroom only during the two intermissions (suite = private bathroom for you and 18 others, meaning you can go during TV timeouts), and I really prefer a "TV camera view" (side) as opposed to the NHL19 view (corner/end). You do get access to a food-court like area with actual tables where you can eat, and they have in-seat service for club seats. I think they may pop by the fan box suites too, but I'm not sure.
Overall, in terms of pricing, at least for the Bruins tickets....I might consider waiting and not buying them anytime soon. I've only looked at the "get in" price (lowest price available) on StubHub, Ace Ticket, and TicketMaster/TicketsNow, which are usually balcony ends, but I imagine the trend in the lower bowl might be similar. Last year, for games before the new year, usually the lowest prices are about a week from the date of the game. For games after the new year, you could occasionally get a "steal" in November or December that would be better than the price drop a week before - but this is highly variable. If the Bruins are locked for the Presidents Cup, the last 2-3 games may be cheap since players will be resting. (Same if they bottom out.) But again, this is balcony pricing - club seats and suite seats are much rarer. IMO, if you're only hitting the Garden once or twice, and you have the money, it's worth it to experience it once. Also, you can walk around the club/suite concourses on levels 5 and 6 before the game, and see a lot of hockey, basketball, and Boston area college artifacts in the "sports museum".
It will entirely depend on where you eventually work and how exactly you plan to get there.
Boston itself, for the most part, is not affordable anymore. There are some nice parts of Dorchester but some others are terrible so be careful. Quincy is more affordable than Boston and you have the Red Line. Somerville used to be bad (and cheap); rent in Somerville has absolutely skyrocketed so good luck. Watertown may be a decent middle ground, and Waltham is another potentially good choice. Arlington...the time to buy in Arlington was years ago, you better have deep pockets now.
Areas like Carlisle, Concord, Weston, Dover, Lexington, Belmont and much of Cambridge are generally not even close to affordable so don't even try (some of those towns are really far out too). Newton and Wellsley are pushing into this category. EDIT: Winchester too, if you could afford Winchester you shouldn't be wasting your time on this forum.
I live in Melrose; for the suburbs, we have decent public transportation access (multiple commuter rail and bus stops, but the Orange Line stops just short of our border with Malden), it's very walkable downtown and is a safe area overall. We didn't think we could afford a home here but we got lucky a few years ago, and within weeks we had developers breathing down our necks.
Malden is better than people think it is, and it's only going to get costlier. It has two stops on the Orange Line and plenty of bus access. I think there's a lot of upside there. Medford is a good choice depending on where you are but may not be affordable anymore. Woburn is affordable but farther out, and IMO Woburn is overpriced; I think Malden has more potential.
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- Apr 30, 2010
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We bought in malden in 2014. It’s really on the upswing. The downtown is being totally revitalized, more Bars/restaurants are popping up all the time, we are getting another brewery (Mystic is moving in, and we already have Idle Hands). I truly believe it’s going to be the next Somerville over the next few years.
Our house isn’t huge, but it was affordable for us at the time and it’s just two of us. Single family, Melrose line. Last house on a dead end street and 5 minute walk to the subway.
Malden Is definitely a community on the upswing.
Our house isn’t huge, but it was affordable for us at the time and it’s just two of us. Single family, Melrose line. Last house on a dead end street and 5 minute walk to the subway.
Malden Is definitely a community on the upswing.
Rcknrollkillnmachine
Registered User
Cheers, guys! I absolutely appreciate all of the great suggestions and advice.
The wife and I are looking to rent as we plan to come back to Finland in a couple of years so hearing advice from rentals to buying property has been interesting and helpful.
Should be moving in February so hopefully might run into one or two of ye at a Bruins or (more realistically due to tickets prices and scarcity in TD Gardens) Providence Bruins game.
Thanks :^)
The wife and I are looking to rent as we plan to come back to Finland in a couple of years so hearing advice from rentals to buying property has been interesting and helpful.
Should be moving in February so hopefully might run into one or two of ye at a Bruins or (more realistically due to tickets prices and scarcity in TD Gardens) Providence Bruins game.
Thanks :^)
nfld77
Registered User
Hi guys/gals, wondering if someone could help me out a little..I'm certain someone will so I thank you very much in advance.. Next month, I'm making my 1st visit to Boston. Actually it's shocking I have never been there cause Bruins have played a major part in my life. I'm 55 and have been a core Bruin all my life. I love everything about Boston and I see so many simalarities in Newfoundland and Boston. I always joked that Bostonians got their accent from us. Back in the depression years of the 30's, More Nflders went to Boston than anywhere else in the world. Well known fact up here.
I know it's easy to go on Google world and find out most on my info but nothing like coming from someone who actually lives there. How tough of a route is it from Boston Children's hospital to Boston Garden?? If I was going in October, I would of seen a game but unfortunately it's impossible and I say that with a sad and heavy heart.. I'm not even sure the distance between places. Never bothered to look it up, just went straight here to my friends..Thanks again and all the very best to you and your families!!
I know it's easy to go on Google world and find out most on my info but nothing like coming from someone who actually lives there. How tough of a route is it from Boston Children's hospital to Boston Garden?? If I was going in October, I would of seen a game but unfortunately it's impossible and I say that with a sad and heavy heart.. I'm not even sure the distance between places. Never bothered to look it up, just went straight here to my friends..Thanks again and all the very best to you and your families!!
- Sep 22, 2011
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The Children's Main Campus is almost in Brookline, a long way from the North End. Best bet is the T. You can walk to Longwood station, then take any inbound train that is going to North Station or Lechmere. Get off at North Station. About a 1/2 hour trip (including the walk).
If you are coming back to Children's, be sure to take an 'E' line train.
If you are coming back to Children's, be sure to take an 'E' line train.
talkinaway
Registered User
Great advice on the T - I'm assuming you're either planning on going to a game after work at Children's Hospital, or your home/condo/apartment is near the hospital. Either way, the route from the hospital to the Garden is definitely not walkable, and given that it's almost $50 to park in the North Station lot directly under the Garden, you're definitely better off taking the T in and out.
One word of warning: There are two stops on the Green Line that have the word "Longwood" in them. There's just plain "Longwood". It's a little bit northwest of the hospital, is a little bit farther, and is on the D line (Riverside). There's also "Longwood Medical Area". That stop is on the E line, and is actually southeast of the hospital, and is about half the distance as the D line.
Here's a walking map going from south-to-north (E to D), stopping off at the hospital:
Google Maps
Both stops are walkable to and from the hospital, IMO, but the E line is closer to the hospital proper. But if the place you're actually coming from is significantly north or west of the hospital, the D line might be just as good. I honestly have no idea how long the T takes on the E line, but there is one advantage to going E: In theory, you'll always get a direct train to North Station/TD Garden. The D line shuts down at Government Center, which is two stops from the Garden, so you have to get off and wait for either a Lechmere or North Station train, which adds about 5 minutes to your trip. Same problem coming back - at the Garden, you have to board a C or E train and switch at Govertnment Center to a D train if you want Longwood.
One word of warning: There are two stops on the Green Line that have the word "Longwood" in them. There's just plain "Longwood". It's a little bit northwest of the hospital, is a little bit farther, and is on the D line (Riverside). There's also "Longwood Medical Area". That stop is on the E line, and is actually southeast of the hospital, and is about half the distance as the D line.
Here's a walking map going from south-to-north (E to D), stopping off at the hospital:
Google Maps
Both stops are walkable to and from the hospital, IMO, but the E line is closer to the hospital proper. But if the place you're actually coming from is significantly north or west of the hospital, the D line might be just as good. I honestly have no idea how long the T takes on the E line, but there is one advantage to going E: In theory, you'll always get a direct train to North Station/TD Garden. The D line shuts down at Government Center, which is two stops from the Garden, so you have to get off and wait for either a Lechmere or North Station train, which adds about 5 minutes to your trip. Same problem coming back - at the Garden, you have to board a C or E train and switch at Govertnment Center to a D train if you want Longwood.
