DOWNTOWN AND THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT
The heart of Boston lies between Boston Common and the harbor. Boston has great respect for its past and there are reminders of history embedded in the center of this metropolis. The 18th-century grace of the Old State House still shines within a canyon of skyscrapers. The heroes of Boston’s early years – city founder John Winthrop, patriot Paul Revere, and revolutionary Samuel Adams – are buried just steps from sidewalks abuzz with shoppers. Rolled in to this amorphous area is Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the oldest of Boston’s commercial districts, and the Financial District.
1.Ladder District
The network of short streets linking Washington and Tremont streets has assumed a modern identity as the Ladder District. Once derelict and abandoned after dark, the area now throbs with bars, restaurants, and clubs. Anchoring the district are the ultra-chic Millennium Tower that towers over Boston Common, the luxurious Ritz-Carlton, and the top-of-the-line AMC Loews cineplex (175 Tremont St). A few stalwarts, such as landmark bookseller Brattle Book Shop, are holding out against the big boys.
Brattle Book Shop, Ladder District
2.Faneuil Hall Marketplace
1 Faneuil Hall Square • 617 523 1300 • Open 10am–9pm Mon–Sat, noon–6pm Sun • www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com Many a fiery speech urging revolution echoed in Faneuil Hall in the late 18th century; in the 1820s it was the city’s food distribution that was revolutionized in adjacent Quincy Market. Today the buildings and surrounding plazas form a shopping and dining destination – the model for dozens of markets worldwide.
3.Old Granary Burying Ground
Tremont St at Park St • 617 635 4505 • Open 9am–5pm daily Dating from 1660, the Granary contains the graves of many of Boston’s most illustrious figures, including John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere, who joined his revolutionary comrades here in 1818. Other notables include the influential architect Charles Bulfinch, the parents of Benjamin Franklin, and Crispus Attucks – an escaped slave who was allegedly the first casualty of the so-dubbed Boston Massacre.
Old Granary Burying Ground
4.Downtown Crossing
Junction of Summer, Winter & Washington Sts This pedestrian-friendly shopping area is dominated by Macy’s department store. Pushcart vendors offer more quirky goods, and food carts provide quick lunches for Downtown office workers.
5.Old State House
Washington & State Sts • 617 720 1713 • Open 9am–5pm daily (late May–early Sep: until 6pm) • Adm • www.revolutionaryboston.com Built in 1713 as the seat of colonial government, the Old State House was sited to look down State Street to the shipping hub of Long Wharf. In 1770, the Boston Massacre occurred outside its doors, and on July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from its balcony. Today, it’s home to the Bostonian Society and Old State House Museum.
Old State House
6.Old South Meeting House
310 Washington St • 617 482 6439 • Open Apr–Oct: 9.30am–5pm daily; Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm daily • Adm • www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org Old South’s rafters have rung with many impassioned speeches exhorting the overthrow of the king, the abolition of slavery, women’s right to vote, an end to apartheid, and many other causes. Nearly abandoned when its congregation moved to Back Bay in 1876, it was saved in one of Boston’s first acts of preservation.
Historic facade of Old South Meeting House
7.Old Corner Bookstore
1 School St This enduring spot on the Freedom Trail remains one of the most tangible sites associated with the writers of the New England Renaissance of the last half of the 19th century. Both the Atlantic Monthly magazine and Ticknor & Fields (publishers of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau) made this modest structure their headquarters during the mid and late 19th century, when Boston was the literary, intellectual, and publishing center of the country. Saving the site from demolition in 1960 led to the formation of Historic Boston Incorporated. The building, however, is no longer connected to publishing today.
8.Custom House
3 McKinley Sq • 617 310 6300 • Tours 2pm Sat–Thu • Adm When the Custom House was built in 1840, Boston was one of America’s largest overseas shipping ports, and customs fees were the mainstay of the Federal budget. The Neo-Classical structure once sat on the waterfront, but now stands two blocks inland. The 16-story Custom House tower, added in 1913, was Boston’s first skyscraper. Since the 1990s, peregrine falcons have nested in the clock tower under the watchful eyes of wildlife biologists. The lobby displays a few historical artifacts, and tours of the tower give sweeping views of the harbor and city skyline.
Custom House clock tower
9.Post Office Square
On a sunny day this green oasis in the heart of the Financial District is filled with office workers who claim a bench or a spot of grass for a picnic. Surrounding the park are several of the area’s most architecturally distinctive buildings, including the Art Deco post office building (Congress St), the Renaissance Revival former Federal Reserve building (now the Langham, Boston hotel), and the splendid Art Moderne New England Telephone building (185 Franklin St).
Post Office Square
10.King’s Chapel
58 Tremont St • 617 523 1749 • Open 10am–4pm daily; recitals: 12:15pm Tue • Tours of crypt and bell tower: adm • www.kings-chapel.org The first Anglican Church in Puritan Boston was established in 1686 to serve British Army officers. When the majority of Anglicans fled Boston along with retreating British forces in the evacuation of 1776, the chapel became the first Unitarian Church in the New World. The church is known for its program of classical concerts.
Interior of King’s Chapel
A SHOPPING SPREE
Morning
The “T” will deposit you at Downtown Crossing, where you can peruse the fashions and accessories of Macy’s at leisure. Then proceed to check out H&M (350 Washington St) for the latest in Euro styles and DSW Shoe Warehouse (385 Washington St) for a great selection of fashion shoes at discount prices. Make a left up Bromfield Street to peruse the fine writing implements and elegant stationery at Bromfield Pen Shop (5 Bromfield St). The walk to Quincy Market down Franklin Street will take you past the Financial District with its tall and imposing skyscrapers. Turn left at Post Office Square for lunch at Sip Café (Post Office Square Park).
Afternoon
Stop to enjoy a short rest outside Quincy Market before you begin your spree in earnest. Numerous name-brand shops such as Victoria’s Secret await. For a more local flavor try Newbury Comics, which carries a variety of Boston-themed gifts and paraphernalia. Then pay a visit to Local Charm for jewelry by local and national designers. Have an early dinner and make new friends at the communal tables at Durgin-Park (North Market, 617 227 2038). Order the gigantic prime rib and the Indian pudding (a cornmeal-molasses dish) for dessert. After dinner, rock out to live music at the Hard Rock Café (22–24 Clinton St, 617 424 7625).
Bars and Clubs
1.Beantown Pub
100 Tremont St This no-frills locals’ hangout is filled with numerous pool tables and even more TVs, all of which are tuned to big sports games and events.
Beantown Pub
2.Mojito’s
48 Winter St This vibrant Downtown Crossing nightspot has a lively, Latin music and dance scene on the weekends, and an enthusiastic international crowd.
3.Bond Lounge
Langham Hotel, 250 Franklin St Easily the most exclusive watering hole in Boston, this bar exudes old money, which is fitting for the former Governor’s Reception Room of the Federal Reserve Bank.
4.Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale
48 Temple Pl Handsome, retro-themed bar in the heart of the Ladder District. Beer aficionados choose from one of the area’s longest lists.
5.Silvertone Bar & Grill
69 Bromfield St • Closed Sun This surprisingly unpretentious, contemporary jazz bar and casual restaurant makes an excellent place to sip good-value wine, kick back, and engage in intelligent conversation with your neighbors.
6.JM Curley
21 Temple Pl Named for Boston’s old-time felonious mayor, this bar has good pub victuals (served until late) and an exhaustive list of craft and mass-market beers.
7.Central Bistro
101 Arch St A quarter of this spacious bistro is devoted to the swank, Parisian-style bar, which has great cordials, wines, and cocktails. Try the classic gin and Champagne cocktail, Soixante Quinze.
8.Good Life Downtown
28 Kingston St This retro, lounge-lizard bar and club with two dance floors gets lively after work and on weekend nights. Cocktails are top notch.
9.Times Irish Pub & Bar
99 Broad St You can usually get a table at this large pub. Settle in for a night of live music and taste some of the 20 beers on tap.
10.Jacob Wirth
31 Stuart St Dating back to 1868, Jacob Wirth retains its authentic German charm as boisterous crowds hoist large steins of fresh imported beers.
Jacob Wirth exterior
Restaurants for Luxury Dining
1.Yvonne’s
2 Winter Pl • 617 267 0047 • Closed L • $$$ A modern twist to the concept of a supper club, Yvonne’s dishes up contemporary American fare and a well-chosen collection of wines and cocktails.
2.Ruth’s Chris Steak House
45 School St • 617 742 8401 • Closed L Sat & Sun • $$$ Classy steak emporium located in the historic Old City Hall building. Fine service, top-notch wine list.
3.blu
4 Avery St • 617 375 8550 • $$$ Light, fresh, delicately nuanced, and artistically presented international cuisine is complemented by soaring Post-Modern architecture.
4.No 9 Park
9 Park St • 617 742 9991 • $$$ Hobnob with Beacon Hill highflyers in this bold bistro overlooking Boston Common, where Mediterranean flavors meet an imaginative wine list.
5.O Ya
9 East St • 617 654 9900 • Closed Sun & Mon • $$$ One of the city’s priciest and fanciest restaurants, serving modern Japanese creations close to South Station.
6.Umbria Prime
295 Franklin St • 617 338 1000 • Closed Sun • $$$ Top American beef and New England seafood are prepared with Italian flair in the glitzy Financial District.
7.Legal Crossing
558 Washington St • 617 692 8888 • $$$ Yet another popular offshoot of the iconic local Legal Sea Foods empire, serving exceptionally fresh seafood, as always, along with cool, Downtown-influenced cocktails.
Legal Crossing dining room
8.Teatro
177 Tremont St • 617 778 6841 • Closed L • No reservations • $$ A glamorous hipster scene prevails at superchef Jamie Mammano’s theatrically styled trattoria, which boasts a killer wine list to go with its classic pizzas, pastas, and grills.
9.The Oceanaire Seafood Room
40 Court St • 617 742 2277 • $$$ This former bank retains its marble glamour in its current role as an outstanding seafood restaurant, with a superb raw bar and regional, seasonal dishes on the menu.
10.Grotto
37 Bowdoin St • 617 227 3434 • $$ A nightly fixed-price menu of hearty Italian dishes, such as sweet potato ravioli with roasted chestnuts, makes for luxury dining on a budget in a brick-walled underground setting.