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Things to do in Boston – Harvard Square

You've got a few hours between the wedding ceremony and the reception. Why not spend them in Harvard Square?

Tour Harvard University Campus

Harvard's campus is beautiful. Lots of charming old buildings with ivy-covered walls. (They don't call it the ivy league for nuthin’.) If you have time walk down JFK street to the Charles River and walk along the river front. (www.harvard.edu)

Visit Harvard Museums

Harvard University has an extensive museum system that is well worth visiting. All the museums listed are within walking distance of The Memorial Church. (www.harvard.edu/museums)

Mon. – Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sun. 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

1) Arthur M. Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway Degas at Harvard. This you won’t want to miss. 2) Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., 617-495-3045. Highly recommended. Amazing collection of glass plants models. Also has many stuffed animals if you like that kind of stuff. 3) Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography, 11 Divinity Ave., 617-496-1027. Not quite sure what's here but the name sounds interesting. 4) Fogg Art Museum, 32 Quincy St and Broadway, next to Harvard Yard.
Historical stuff like fine art, social documentary, and professional photography. 5) Busch-Reisenger Museum, 32 Quincy St. 6) Semitic Museum, (617) 495-46316 Divinity Ave. 7) Adolphus Busch Hall, 29 Kirkland St.

Stroll and shop in Harvard Square

Harvard students are spoiled. They go to college right next to the greatest college hang-out area in the world. It is probably the best part about being a student there. Harvard Square is chock full of bars, bookstores, coffee shops, knick-knack shops, clothing stores, restaurants, and even a movie theater. During most of the year, there are numerous street musicians/performers to provide entertainment. (www.harvardsquare.com)

Some of our favorites:

· Harvard Coop, (Co-operative) 1400 Mass Ave., next to the T stop. 617-499-2000. Its called the "coop" and it’s the official bookstore for Harvard. (Don't confuse it with the Harvard Bookstore, that's a different bookstore.) Grab a book or a sweatshirt; get coffee or scones upstairs in the cafe.

· Out of Town News, 0 Harvard Square, 617-354-7777. Located in the kiosk right smack in the center of the Square. More newspapers than you can shake a stick at.

· Tower Records, 95 Mt. Auburn St., 617-876-3377. My favorite record store.

· Curious George goes to Wordsworth, 1 JFK St., 617-498-0062. A cool children's store with (as the name suggests) a heavy emphasis on the monkey.

Restaurants, Ice Cream, Coffee (Too many to name all, but a few of our favorites…)

When you get hungry there are plenty of choices…

· Pho Pasteur (our favorite cheap Vietnamese noodle shop. 36 JFK St, 617-864-4100)

· Border Café (Tex-Mex restarurant with “wicked good” margaritas. 32 Church St, 617-864-6100)

· Legal Sea Foods (If you missed the rehearsal dinner, here is another. 20 University Rd, 617-491-9400)

· Bombay Club (Indian cuisine, we celebrated Kelly's birthday here once. 57 JFK St, 617-661-8100)

· Au Bon Pain (Bakery/café. Scene in "Good Will Hunting" filmed here. 1100 Mass Ave. 617-497-9797)

· Ben and Jerry's (Classic ice cream from Vermont. 36 JFK St. 617-864-2828)

· Herrell's Ice Cream (We go after swing dancing for yummy chocolate scoops. 15 Dunster St. 617-497-2179)

· Toscanini's ("Best Ice Cream in the World" according to NY Times. 1310 Mass Ave. 617-354-9350)

· Starbucks Coffee (So many locations, Harvard Square has two! 31 Church St. and 36 JFK St. 617-492-7870)

· Peet's Coffee (Peetniks rejoice! 100 Mt. Auburn St. 617-492-1844)

· Tealuxe (Tea Emporium with a cool street address; a coffee shop for tea lovers. 0 Brattle St. 617-441-0077)

Things to do in Boston- Further Afield

If you're feeling more adventuresome, or staying an extra day, consider checking out Boston. Boston is a 400-year-old city, so it’s very compact and walkable. On the other hand, driving is guaranteed to drive you insane (ask my brother-in-law.) Everything listed below is accessible by subway “T”. (www.mbta.com)

Boston Museums

Boston's a grand old, intellectual city, so it has many great museums.

· Museum of Fine Arts (M.F.A.), 465 Huntington Ave, 617-267-9300. The MFA has some truly, spectacular paintings. By public transit, take the Green line, E branch to Museum stop. (www.mfa.org)

· Museum of Science, Science Park, 617-723-2500. If fine art isn't your cup of tea, indulge your inner science geek. Boasts an Omni Theatre. Most of museum you have to pay admission to get to, but most of the first floor is free to the public and there are food places and a gift shop there too. By public transit, take the Green line to North Station, then transfer to shuttle bus to Museum of Science. (www.mos.org)

· New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, 617-973-5200. Check out the penguins. Go on a whale watching boat trip. By public transit, take the Blue line to Aquarium station. (www.neaq.org)

· Boston Children's Museum, 300 Congress St, 617-426-6500. I've never been, but if I were a kid, I'd want to go. Kelly went when she was little and loved it. By public transit, take Red line to South Station stop. (www.bostonkids.org)

· JFK Library and Museum, Columbia Point, 617-514-1600. Dedicated to the 35^th president. By public transit, take the Red line to the JFK/UMass station and transfer to free shuttle to museum.

· Boston Public Library – John Sargent mural collection free to the public on the fourth floor of the old part of the library along with other works or art and rare book collections on display. Map Room Café on the first floor for coffee house lovers, and also a trendy upscale Sebastian’s daytime restaurant.

· Isabella Stewart Garnder Museum – 280 The Fenway, 617-566-1401 (www.gardnermuseum.org)
Gardner Café won Improper Bostonian’s “Boston’s Best” 2004 for Indulgence Dessert.

Boston History

Boston has history like Los Angeles has freeways. This is the birthplace of the American Revolution. If you're up for it, the Freedom Trail is the best way to see it all. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile marked path that goes past pretty much all of historical Boston. Best part about it, when you get tired or cold, just step into the nearest Starbucks! To start the trail, take the Green or Red line to Park Street station. (www.thefreedomtrail.org)

Highlights of the Freedom Trail…

· Boston Common. One of the oldest public parks in America. Former site of cow grazing and public hangings, now it’s the starting point of the Freedom Trail.

· Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Historic meeting house and public market. Now, you can find street performers, restaurants and bars, and tons and tons of food. Oyster House, the oldest restaurnant in the U.S.A., is here too. About a third of a mile from Boston Common. By public transit, take Green line to government center, Orange line to State street, or Blue line to Aquarium. (www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com)

· North End. The Italian immigrant neighborhood of Boston. Walk the streets of the North End and you feel like you're back in the old country. Watch old men play bocci ball as they talk in Italian. Also, see the home of Paul Revere and the Old North Church (one if by land, two if by sea.) About a third of a mile from Faneuil Hall. By public transit take Green line or Orange line to Haymarket station.

· Bunker Hill. Site of the famous battle. Climb the 221 foot granite obelisk if you dare. About a mile from the North End. By public transit, take the Orange line to Community College station and then walk a quarter mile. (www.nps.gov/bost/Bunker_Hill.htm)

· U.S.S. Constitution (and Museum). At 210 years old, it’s the oldest ship in the U.S. Navy. Tours begin every thirty minutes until 3:30. Only a few blocks from Bunker Hill. By public transit, take the Green line to North Station, then walk to the waters edge and get on the “T” water ferry to Navy Yard. You get a boat ride too for the cost of a subway ticket! Pretty cool, huh? (www.ussconstitution.navy.mil)

Boston Shopping

The premier shopping district of Boston is in Back Bay. This neighborhood has Newbury Street, which has numerous high-end boutique shops, art galleries, and Prudential Center and Copley Place which are upscale urban malls. Back Bay is a good place to see how the modern Bostonian elite spend their time. The Prudential Center also has an observation deck on top of the 60 story Prudential Building. Once while strolling back from a pathology book release party, we laughed at a handmade sign someone mischievously tacked up which read, “Women I Can’t Afford, and Stuff I Don’t Need” (or was it the other way around?) with an arrow point toward Newbury St. By public transit, take the Green line to Copley Square station. Trinity Chapel and the Boston Public Library are here too. We take ride our bikes along the esplanade on summer afternoons to go swing dancing outdoors in Copley Square. (www.prudentialcenter.com)

Tours

Duck Tours - Quack, quack! Various Locations. 617-267-DUCK (www.bostonducktours.com)

A unique way to see Boston. Ride on all-weather amphibious vehicles that travel through the streets of Boston as well as the waters of the Charles River.

Downtown

The Original Filene’s Basement - Bargain hunters, this is your dream come true. This is the store where merchandise gets continually marked down until its sold (or goes to charity). Take the Red or Orange line to Downtown Crossing. Also Macy’s, the diamond and jewelry district and the beginnings of Chinatown are here. (www.filenesbasement.com)

Chinatown – Tucked away in only a few square blocks is Boston’s Chinatown. If you’re into authentic ethnic Asian food, especially Dim Sum, this is the place to go. Take the Green line to Boylston, Red line to Downtown Crossing, or Orange line to Chinatown.

Davis Square

Take the Red Line to Davis Square (two stops beyond Harvard). If you were a Tufts University student or 20 something young urban professional, this is where you’d be. Also where I happened to live until just a few weeks ago. Location of many cool establishments including: Anna’s Tacqueria. the Somerville Movie Theatre (first run shows for $4.50 always), Red Bones for chicken wing and BBQ fanatics, Amelia’s Italian eatery. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, the Burren (Irish pub), Sauce (trendy new bar on Highland avenue) Store-24 where we’d meet David (wedding usher and Kelly’s cousin) to drive him to the Wilson’s house for family dinners, Rosebud Diner (flashback to the 1950’s), and Diva, a trendy Indian restaurant.

- Happy Exploring, Touring & Sight Seeing!