In this second installment of See Beantown Like Nobody’s Business, I would like to share with you a day in Boston starting once again from the Common, but with two options for those of you with a time crunch or just different styles: the Esplanade Park or strolling Newbury Street.

The Boston Common is the public gardens, park, and recreational area of downtown Boston. Denoting the historical relevance of Boston, the Common is peppered with statues of a former President, writers, and yesteryear’s influentials. The center of the Common is picturesque in the summer when the yard and flowers are beautifully maintained and in bloom. The bridge over the Swan boat pond is probably the ideal picture spot. There you can get a photo with the swan shaped paddle boats and the weeping willows. However, in winter the Common is also fun as the Frog Pond is frozen offering ice skating for the young and young at heart.

I have always thought that the Common is a picnickers paradise. I would suggest making your own picnic basket, but if you don’t have the time or a kitchen there are lemonade, sausage, and pretzel vendors outside the main entrances. I would bring a blanket or choose a park bench close to one of many musicians or the world renowned ducks. As the ducks are a tourist’s highlight in the Common, it means good people watching from parents taking pictures of their children on the ducks to groups of friends and adults taking the opportunity for a group picture all with or on a duck (Ms Traveling Pants did it!). You may wonder why statues of a family of ducks? They are there as an honor to a book written about a family of ducks that wanted to raise their family on an island in the Boston Common, called Make Way for the Ducklings. Believe it or not, the ducks have gone missing at times. Here is a news story just earlier this year of a kidnapped mallard.

After enjoying the Common, you can choose between two itineraries: Charles River and the Esplanade park or Newbury Street. For the first option, head to Arlington and take Beacon one block away from the park and cross Storrow Drive to arrive at the Esplanade Park. Bordering the Charles River and overlooking Cambridge, the Esplanade Park is great for walking, running, and roller blading. If you fancy sailing, there is also a community yacht club offering small sailboats. You will see the famous Hatch shell pavilion, which is where the Boston Pops Orchestra plays every year for the Fourth of July. Fireworks beautifully punctuate the 1812 Overture speckling the Boston and Cambridge sky.

For those that are looking for a more artsy, perhaps shopping experience, Newbury Street should be your option. Close to the Common, the stores are couture; only the finest global fashion brands line this portion of the street. Within a manner of blocks, you will begin to see along both sides of the brownstone lined street many cafes. I would have to recommend Stephanie’s on Newbury, Tapeo, Joe’s, or Charley’s. In fact, Charley’s was one of my former employers for close to two years of my time in Boston (pictured below); while, Joe’s was a former employer of both myself and my better half. For shops, Newbury comics is always a fun place to check out music, fun t-shirts, and rock posters, but there are also many second hair consignment stores that offer trendy hand-me-down fashion.

If you feet are tired and you would like to get a great view of Boston, Cambridge, and of course Fenway Park and the Green Monster. I would recommend going to the Prudential building (pictured above) and going to its top floor, called the Top of the Hub. The restaurant does serve full meals, but you can also get good seats at the bar while having an appetizer or a nightcap and dessert. If you are a jazz lover, they do have live jazz. Just think good music, good view, and good company….

And that is a wrap of my See Beantown Like Nobody’s Business – Part 2.
Take a peek at my video of Boston for the Fourth, click here.

To see Boston in a day or even a long weekend is a tough task.  However, it can be done.  Having just completed a weekend in Beantown, I have a series of tips for those of you wanting to see Boston and the surrounding area called See Beantown Like Nobody’s Business.

As the picture above shows, there is a red line that winds through the streets of Boston.  It is called the Freedom Trail.  It starts in the Boston Commons and weaves a 2.5 mile path throughout the city to allow tourists to easily navigate past famous burial sites, churches, marketplaces, and memorials.  Although the Freedom Trail takes you on the beaten path, let me suggest spending a little extra time exploring a little off the path with Ms Traveling Pants’ recommendations.

Start at the Commons and walk to the State House. Famous for its golden dome, the State House is one of Beacon Hill’s most famous attractions seen in many movies such as The Departed (one of my favorites). Walk down the trail to the Park Street Church on the corner of Tremont and Park, within steps of the church you will see the Granary Burying Ground.  This is probably America’s equivalent of Westminster Abby with such historic heros as John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Sam Adams laid to rest there.

Continue on the Freedom trail and make your way past the site of the Boston Massacre and to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Take at least an hour to visit the various artists that range from jugglers and singers to ethnic bands, mimes, and people of stilts.  This area is an absolute people watcher heaven.  If you want to do some shopping or grab a bite to eat, there are many options.  Although the original Cheers in located near the Commons, there is a second location at Faneuil Hall to grab a quick beer. Please support the local Sam Adams brewery and try either their standard or seasonal brews. However, if you are in the mood for fresh shucked oysters or a taste of New England Clam Chowda, you must pay homage to the oldest restaurant in Boston, the Union Oyster House which is just steps from Quincy Market.

In front of the Union Oyster House, I would recommend a brief stop to visit the Holocaust memorial.  The memorial consists of six pillars of beautiful etched glass with quotations of survivors of the sad events. Each of the pillars represents one of the six death camps from WWII.

From the memorial, continue on the red line to the North End, which is Boston’s Little Italy.  Step off of the path to check out the aromas of freshly baked breads, bistros and markets with prosciutto, cured olives, and parmesan reggiano.  If you chose to skip the Union Oyster House, I would recommend Rabia’s Ristorante on Salem St. They offer a nice selection of anitpasto such as baked figs stuffed with prosciutto drizzled with gorgonzola sauce to traditional bruschetta and more.

If you are looking for not a meal, but a pick me up.  You must venture down Hanover Street (pictured above) to Mike’s pastry.  You will see that it is famous for its canolis, but don’t be afraid of their lobster tails, tiramisu, or even the detailed marzapan.  And no one does coffee better than Mike’s.  The coffee is to die for.  My suggestion is a cappuccino with a pastry to share.

After your refueling, one of the most remembered historical sites is Boston’s oldest church, the Old North Church.  My history teachers would be pleased that I still remember that this was the site where two lanterns were placed in the steeple to alert the Patriots that the British were coming. Along this same theme and still in the North End is Paul Revere’s home.

And that is where I would call it a day!  One great thing about doing a walking tour is that you can do it at your pace, but you also need to remember that what you walk, you must also return.  There is no need to feel guilty about the creamy clam chowda or the extra canoli after a day of over 5 miles of walking the Freedom Trail.

I will be posting another part in this series regarding the Commons, Newbury Street, and Cambridge.

It was in 2000.  I was teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) in Roslindale, Massachusetts at the Boston School of Modern Languages during the day and waiting tables on Newbury Street in Boston at night and on weekends.  I was then only 22.

As I had just came back from Spain, I thoroughly enjoyed that at my restaurant job, all of the line cooks were Spanish speaking, mostly from Colombia.  With my skills in Spanish as well as years of experience in the “biz”, I was quickly promoted from a server to an expediter, who is the person that coordinates the communication between the kitchen and the servers and managers.

It was in this capacity that I started to notice the shy, grill cook with the amazing green eyes. With a dark completion and stunning eyes, he got me.  We spoke in Spanish, but I was later told that he was from Minas Gerais, Brazil.  I had never met a Brazilian before so I was interested in Carnival, Samba, Bossa Nova, and the Rio.

It turns out that he didn’t like the restaurant, Charley’s, and the management so he quit very shortly there after.  On his last day, I took the initiative to ask him out. I wrote on one of the manager’s business cards, “Si quieres tomas unas copas, por favor llamame.” (If you would like to have a couple of drinks, please call me.”)

Well the phone never rang, but I was still determined.  I waited for the next check cycle to come.  And, I was working the night that he came to pick up his last check.  I cornered him and mentioned that there was no excuse not to go out that evening as I was getting off of work shortly and he had a check to cash to buy me drinks.

So as every workplace has there favorite watering hole, so did the Charlie’s crew. It was a Irish Pub called the Crossroads.  It was nothing short of a dive that the BU and MIT students frequented.  It had a juke box, beer, pub food, and darts.

Admilson (pronounced Aj-meal-son), had never played darts before. So with a couple of beers and a good instructor, me, we began to get to know each other. No matter whether tennis, billards, or darts, you can make the game seductive; and, that I did (thus the picture for this post).

That night, it was April 9th, 2000.  It is now April 2009.  Admilson and I eloped on April 9th, 2006. And, this Thursday it will be 9 years and counting.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Traveling Pants!