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Given its geographical location, Boston quickly came to rely on its port for commerce and sustenance. Trade was paramount and it was the emergence of Boston’s maritime merchants – trading goods like tea, sugar, fish, and tobacco – which ultimately led to a collision course with the British Empire. As the China Trade grew, along with Boston’s reliance on tea as an import and an export, and as Britain’s East India Company depreciated, a fraught situation developed; Britain, facing debt and discord, transferred war debts and trading deficits to its colonies. Boston was in a state of defiance and non-compliance from the outset. As the British Parliament passed a succession of acts aimed at taxing the colonists and restricting their political power, leading figures such as Sam Adams, John Hancock, John Adams and Paul Revere initiated a movement which transcended class lines and drove the people of Boston into open rebellion. Catalytic events such as the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party drove events inexorably towards revolution. By the time Paul Revere road into the countryside on April 18, 1775, the city of Boston was ready to fight. The Battle of Bunker Hill occurred two months later and by early 1776 General George Washington was in Boston to take control of the Continental Army. Following American Independence, Boston’s economy entered a new era of Clipper Ships, textile manufacturing and global trade. In terms of social and political developments, abolitionist fervor took the town by storm, led by Charles Sumner and William Lloyd Garrison and supported by a vociferous contingent of female abolitionists. Boston was home to a vibrant and active African-American community which populated Beacon Hill during this era; the first African-American Church, Meeting House, and School were all founded on Beacon Hill. Also during this era, America’s nascent literary culture began to find its voice as esteemed Boston writers such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and James Russell Lowell ushered in a prolific era of American writing. In the mid to late 19th century Boston underwent dramatic change to its landscape and population. The arrival of immigrants from Ireland during the Potato Famine, and then from Italy, Germany, and Poland later in the century, fundamentally changed Boston’s human makeup and political leanings. Boston’s older caste, the Republican Yankee establishment, was slowly pushed to the margins of Boston’s political life. While the Yankees maintained control of Boston’s economic and educational institutions, Irish and Italian immigrants took over the city’s political apparatus. The immigrants brought to Boston a bevy of skilled and unskilled labor that was critical to Boston’s physical development beyond its downtown and port peninsula. Boston had outgrown its physical size by the 1840s and needed to create new land With the help of Irish labor, the city developed the South End and then the Back Bay, relocating the Yankees during the 1860s and 1870s to the Victorian brownstones and town houses so associated with Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Soon enough, iconic landmarks such as Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library existed in the Back Bay as well. Not bad for an area that had been part of the Charles River Basin for millennia untold. Always innovative, Boston spearheaded a number of firsts throughout the mid-19th century and early 20th century; ether was used as the first anesthetic at MGH, the nation’s first subway system went into operation, Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone, and the first mutual fund went public courtesy of MA Financial Services. The city contracted with Frederick Law Olmstead to beautify Boston with a network of urban parks stretching from the Boston Common to Jamaica Plain. The Emerald Necklace was born and the project included the creation of the Back Bay Fens which, in turn, facilitated the development of Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. In the 20th century Boston continued its emergence as an innovation hub and world-class city. MIT moved across the river to Cambridge and transformed from a college to a world-class institute of engineering and technology. Bizarre and controversial events such as the North End Molasses Flood, Boston Police Strike, Brinks Robbery, Boston Strangler crimes, busing crisis, and destruction of the West End caused a fair share of intrigue and discordance while political figures such as James Michael Curley, John F. Kennedy, Thomas Tip O’Neill, Kevin White, and Michael Dukakis became household names. As the nation celebrated its bicentennial in 1976, Boston used funds generated from the anniversary to transform and revitalize Faneuil Hall Marketplace and create the Boston National Historical Park. In the 1980s and 1990s, monumental tasks were undertaken to make Boston a cleaner, more aesthetically-pleasing city. The cleanup of Boston Harbor and creation of the Big Dig were the most prominent examples. Boston Harbor is now one of the cleanest urban harbors in the world. And while the Big Dig vastly exceeded its allotted budget and timeframe, it was a transformative project of unprecedented size that made Boston more efficient for travelers and more beautiful for tourists. The sprawling Rose Kennedy Greenway atop I-93 is a lush urban space affording visitors and residents alike relaxation and recreation within the city center, not to mention eclectic artisan markets, food trucks, public art installations, outdoor movies and interactive festivals. As Boston looks ahead to 2017 and beyond, the development of One Seaport Square and the Innovation District in South Boston will hum along and continue to bring new industries of life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and consumer technology to the bustling district. General Electric will relocate its headquarters to Bostons Seaport District at some point in the next year. Alongside the Seaport District, Kendall Square in Cambridge makes Greater Boston one of the worlds foremost innovation clusters, and a hotbed of biotech engineering and life sciences research and development. Boston will continue to embrace its past while formulating next steps to encourage the multiculturalism, inclusivity, and youthful character which collectively make the city a great cosmopolitan hub.

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Mike's Pasty is not any lesser than Modern or Bovas. It just gets a bad rep because of the crowds. But the past 3 times I've gone to Bovas the line was even longer than Mike's. And Mike's has other locations which aren't anywhere as busy as the North End location.

Duck Boats.

Dunks, Market Basket and Faneuil Hall come to mind.

I’ve never been to Bovas earlier than 1 am.

Walking the freedom trail is worth it. Stop at all the historic stuff. Duck into the north end for lunch. Definitely touristy. Definitely worth it.

And if you like baseball, do a Fenway park tour and then dip into bleacher bar.

Duck boats! I loved it!

Dying at the idea of a family from Colorado flying out to boston for the weekend to go to Market Basket.

"But Honey, they put STICKERS on the MILK!"

Went to the Mapparium for the first time this past weekend and it was much cooler than I expected.

Ice skating on the frog pond.

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Hard agree. Did this with a friend awhile back on one of those gorgeous 60 degree fall days. We didn't feel the need to pay for a guided tour, we just walked the various sites at our own pace. Bonus points for the fact that we did this on a weekday (she came up for a long weekend) and there was NO line at Mike's. I was introduced to the Boston area by someone who tended to avoid the touristy areas, which is all well and good, and some of those off-the-beaten-path areas are now among my favorite places, but sometimes it's really fun to be a total stereotypical tourist for a day.

The real move here is to skip the Frog pond and skate on the pond in the Public Garden

we went to cheers in december and it was definitely overpriced but pretty decent. bartender told us the best time to go if you are local is december to march since thats usually their slowest time

Me either, I'm usually there around 7PM.

Can we turn off these annoying bots. They aren't funny or helpful.

I have news for you...

I have never waited longer than 20 minutes in line at Mike's Pastry, and even that might have only been on like the 4th of July or something.

Don't let the throng of tourists scare you. The people behind the counter are unbelievably efficient, and the cannolis are more than worth it.

Also, the Public Gardens are prettier and cleaner than the Common, which draws a lot of crowds. Go anyway. Take your time. Do the swan boats. Sit on the Good Will Hunting bench. It really is a singularly beautiful spot.

Barking crab is fun on a summer day I don’t care what anyone says. Food is good too if you stick with New England classics like lobsters and fried clams

Ghost and graveyards tour too!

Came to give votes to these two ideas! We see them all the time… but the history is fun and these guys do a great job.

I finally did this the other day! Put the Maine Coon in a stroller and we shared some clam chowder, and had an awesome walk. I read him all the plaques. He peed on some old graves. It was a blast.

When I lived in Back Bay we’d go late at night, after the bars closed. We all owned skates just for that, and we’d stop home and get them then hop the boards at like 3am. Cops never bothered us but the stupid Zamboni chased us off more than once. Kinda weird to Zamboni at 3:00am, but it probably doubled as security because it worked lol.

HAVE YOU SEEN HOW SMALL THE RECEIPT IS?

This is the way

It is gonna be -3 or -10 or something Friday night.

I dont even like baseball and the tour was great.

I want to party with you.

A bartender pissed me off in 1998. They are dead to me.

I had a florentine cannoli from Mikes Pastry recently and it was actually amazing. I had never been to Mikes because I assumed it was too touristy.

Duck boat tours. Duck boat tours are awesome.

Harvard’s Museams, worth it for the glass flowers alone but there is a lot of cool stuff in the “hallowed halls”

I’ve conducted two blind taste tests of north end cannolis with random friends and family over the years. Both times Mike’s won almost unanimously.

The Boston Aquarium whale watch.

My mom and I loved whale watching at the aquarium this summer!

go to Bova's instead. no line and the cannoli are just as good, if not better

I find your username questionable after having read this.

Yeah I had a great time at the Boston tea party museum. Hilarious, and great fun.

About 15 years ago, I became a regular at the Top of the Hub for a period of time. My friends would laugh at me for going up there because it was a tourist trap with overpriced drinks, but I eventually got to know a couple of the bartenders, and I never got anything watered down. They had great jazz bands up there, and obviously the view was incredible. I thought it was the best kept secret in town.

Eventually the Pru started charging money just to take the elevator up, and I just stopped going. It closed a few years ago, but I heard they're bringing in a new bar restaurant up there to replace it.

Purrfect, thank you.

Stopped in with a friend one time as a joke we took seriously. Ended up having a real nice time chatting with folks that were excited to visit Cheers & Boston. It’s nice to see your home through the eyes of someone that’s excited to be there

re: Bova's line even longer

I feel like we've come full circle with the cannoli gatekeeping, and that shitting on Mike's is arguably more touristy than being caught going there. It comes off as a tryhard chest puffing exercise to advertise that you're totally not a tourist and know the real spots. I've never met anyone from around here who actually gives a shit.

That was the worst5 hours of my entire life.... I have been on cruises and was OK, but that boat was just sea sickness hell. I'm sure it would have been nice otherwise haha

I like all our touristy things, except the Tea Party Ship and Quincy Market (the indoor part with the food stalls and knicknacks).

Pro tip: Dip out after you see the Mapparium to skip the religious indoctrination part of the tour.

Disagree. The line can get just as long at Bova’s on a busy night and the cannoli at Mike’s is definitely better.

Took me way too long to get a Mike’s cannoli because of this type sentiment on this subreddit

You need to get your sea legs, this is a port city after all.

that's funny, we had the same thing happen to us. were supposed to be there for just one but met a bunch of people from out of town and ended up having a blast that night.

I really enjoy going to the USS Constitution. One of my friends commissioned on there as an Ensign and I routinely do the tour and always learn something new.

This may be an unpopular opinion but I lived in the north end and was never enthralled with anything from Bova’s. Mike’s or Moderns for me

They lost me at putting a cat into a stroller.

Check out the mineral galleries.

My friend visited from Buffalo and the Sox were away when she was here.. so we took her to a Fenway tour. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved it too! They make history fun

Driving in the Charles was amazing.

The Florentine cannoli from Mike’s is THE ONLY cannoli IMO lol

Clearly I’m a child but when it first goes into the water it’s exciting and fun!

you first!

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The Boston Public Library is so lovely! The courtyard is a great place to enjoy a lunch or catch up with a friend. And you can find quiet areas in both the old and newer parts of the library if that’s more your thing. I’ve taken several locals there and am always surprised when it’s their first time.

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I don’t want to see anyone named Mike wearing pastys on a regular day in the N End

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I’ll bring the hydrant key you bring the hose

Ha. And the feces discovery in the lobster tank sealed it for me. And i used to love it!

I went and the tour guide (truthfully) said: cannot promise you will see a whale, but i can promise you will see vomit!

Honestly I cant fathom not going to both the commons and the public garden they are right next to each other. Some nice bench time in both places middle of the day is just the stuff of dreams

I always go to a city's art museum(s) when traveling and shamefully admit I have never been to ICA (? is that the name of museum in seaport?). I also lived in Seattle for 2 years and never went in the space needle.

https://www.boston.com/news/real-estate/2022/10/06/view-boston-prudential-center-observation-deck-observatory/

Indoor/outdoor cocktail lounge is coming this year plus restaurant and observation deck. Looks like it’s going to be a cool spot

A boat tour of the Boston harbor. I have done it multiple times (albeit with out of state friends) but learned something new each time.

Nah, Modern Pastry all day

If you want to try Mike’s but dont like crowds just go to the one in Assembly

Mike’s Pastry, IMO. I don’t get why people get so upset over it. Half of the time, there’s not even a line, just a bunch of people taking up space.

The new Sam Adams tap room next to faneuil hall is honestly not bad. Ive always been able to get a seat at the bar upstairs, the space itself is pretty nice, beer is not expensive, and they have about 10 exclusive beers on tap there which are all very well made. Also a great place to practice a completely made up backstory for yourself since the bartenders will always assume you are from out of town.

The taxidermy exhibit is hilariously bad. I love it.

Not sure about the Boston duck boats specifically, but I've heard that a lot of duck boat operators are seriously negligent when it comes to repairs and maintenance, and sometimes the modifications to make the boats in the first place aren't safe. It was awesome to do it as a kid, but I'm not sure I'd do it again after hearing that.

The trick was to not try and get drunk at the Top of the Hub, because you'll waste a ton of money.

Top of the Hub was always an excellent way to start the night with your first drink or two with a view. Then you go somewhere cheap and dingy to get proper drunk.

Duck boat tours are great. I go with friends and family when they come visit.

That's why I got pissed off at the bartender. Threw me out for leaving an Upper Decker in the lobster tank. What? Have you seen their bathrooms?

The aquarium! If you go early on a weekday before field trips arrive and not during school vacation weeks, you have it mostly to yourself for a bit

haaaaa

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Agreed—never understood the Bovas hype, feels like a “I’m a local so I don’t go to tourist traps” snobby thing. Mikes, any weekday or weeknight, no line. It’s the best

My first thought was the B mapparium. So cheap, so fast, so cool.

Natural history museum in particular. Was free on Sundays after 12pm for MA residents, not sure if it still is.

Though they got rid of the skull evolution chart, which was really cool. Showed Australopithecus, homo erectus, etc.

I think the appeal for Bovas is simply the fact that if you want a cannoli at 330AM after drunken shenanigans, you can get one there... unlike Mikes or Modern..

The tour is awesome!

Went down with my grandson, who is into maps. Then went to the Boston Library.

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Can confirm I used to work these, 100% fact. Most people wouldn't give a shit about the whales by the time we got there due to the puke. We called the boat the vomit comet.

Honestly seaport in general, pay for the overpriced beers at Cisco or trillium, take that stereotypical tourist photo on the harborwalk. Buy some mediocre quality seafood at barking crab.

Many Maine Coons identify as dogs and or babies.

I went on one that was so incredible that the concession workers closed their tills and went to the railings. Breeching whales soaking people, mama nursing her calf. So cool.

My parents insisted on at least one MB trip when visiting from the west coast. Totally cheap date. They just loved hearing the stockers and checkers chat away in legit Boston accents and picking things out that were unusual to them to take home.

Going to a grocery store is almost always on my list for vacation. Great way to see how people live everyday.

“Then you go somewhere cheap and dingy” …. Now I am interested! Where?

I was a docent dame at the state house and it’s the best free tour you can get

Love the Boston Library. What a great city we have!!

Until you get the one from bovas

The other Mikes really aren't as good though. You can tell the cannolis sit in the other locations and it hurts them.

The answer to this question was Pour House. It was the cheapest place to get a drink (and food) in Back Bay IMO. But alas, it closed and I had to move out of Boston after a COVID layoff, so I don't really know a good spot anymore.

I hear Pour House is reopening from my old friends, but I kind of doubt that it will retain the old unbelievable price points it used to have.

It’s expensive, but Codzilla was legitimately a lot of fun. Likewise the Liberty Fleet of tall ships next to the Aquarium. They’re great to just hang out and lazily cruise around the harbor for a couple hours.

Thank you for the warning. I'll be sure to never take that tour.

Lived in back bay about 13 years ago. Cheers on the flat of beacon (originally bull and finch) was the biggest tourist destination for many years. And was avoided like the plague by locals. But when I was there cheers (the show) had been done since early nineties. Used to go there all the time at night! No crowds, a few locals, ok food!

Absolutely agree. I went and did the Freedom Trail this past summer because I needed something to do. I really learned a lot and it’s a great tour of the city. Plus, you can pick and choose where to stop and spend time

My friends visited back in 2019, before Top closed, and we had such a fun night up there, listening to music and enjoying the views.

Taking the ferry to any of the harbor islands in the summer is so fun! They have a bartender on board so after walking around the island and exploring you can have a refreshing cocktail for your boat ride back

The North End of Boston is touristy but I wouldn’t call it a tourist trap.

The ice skating rink in larz Anderson is excellent

The Tam, for sure (if you don’t mind a bit of a walk or to hop on the T).

It's very well done and entertaining for a wide range of ages!

The art museum is also fantastic, there are some real masterpieces in there.

Yeah, did one of the tall ships last year with an out of town guest. It was a really lovely afternoon.

Union Oyster House is actually awesome.

And if you like water, dip into a bath

Holy hell I had no idea Mike’s had a Florentine cannoli. I gotta try it asap

I like bovas a lot! I just prefer mikes for cannoli. I will give bovas cannoli another whirl though. it’s been a while and maybe my memory serves me incorrect haha.

You won’t be disappointed! (I hope!)

Bets on how long it takes someone to vault off the edge

I went randomly for dinner once about 16 yrs ago and was taken aback by how good the food was. Drove by tonight and lamented it’s absence.

The “don’t go here go to bova’s” like clockwork posts WHENEVER cannolis is brought up leads me to believe you’re 💯right

Also bovas doesn’t move ppl through super fast as the counter is small

I’ve only had it from bovas and it’s the only cannoli I get. Honestly, how is it at mikes?

Does it need to be sub freezing for a few days?

How early?

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My feeling is that once you reach a threshold of not being terrible, they plateau and are pretty much the same -- an okay, but overall unremarkable dessert in the mix of options.

The current forecast has just a few hours on Thursday that will be above freezing. Anyway, I won't be out on the lagoon Saturday morning.

It was frozen over once already this season. And it has been cool enough that the ground won't keep the water warm for as long.

I thought Cheers was surprisingly fun. I only went for a drink once with an out of town friend but I thought it was cheesy and silly as the fan of a show.

Plus you'll still get the real Boston experience: harried MGH employees trying to get to work!

Codzilla is SO fun. I've been sailing in the harbor for years and would love spotting it. One day my husband and I were going to take our nephew sailing but there was NO wind so we decided on the spot to get Codzilla tickets. It did not disappoint.

It's cool to experience the vibe, but the couple times I've gone (bringing people who hadn't been yet) I've been pretty underwhelmed with service and food, especially considering the price. I'm sure I'll keep trying, though

SF's version of this was Alcatraz. It was actually really cool and rewarding.

Sissy k's dollar drafts.

We periodically do the Freedom Trail and then end up at Ernesto's and somewhere in the North End for dessert, usually Caffe Vittoria. I enjoy it every time.

Love BPL, never had an easier time getting a library card.

But that part is really interesting as well. Disturbing but interesting nonetheless.

+1 Mapparium! I enjoyed bringing out of town people here when I lived nearby

I always too visitors there. Why pay admission to the observatory when you can have a martini at the bar?

I think this is a good tour. They do it year round but the groups get too large in the fall. I like it in the winter.

The clipper ship tours of Boston Harbor are great! So cool when hoist the sails and turn off the engine. Always a hit with visitors

Hmm, I'm honestly not sure how I feel about skating here.

I love the location and charm of Frog Pond and absolutely worth going if you've never been. However, the skating experience itself is pretty subpar in my opinion...

The rink is so tiny that makes it impossible to avoid other skaters.

I might just be biased because every single time I rent skates, the skates feel so worn and don't fit properly.

Wish we also had warming huts or even a larger enclosed building to warm up / drop off gear like many other cities have.

I think parts of the North End could be considered Tourist Traps, esp. Mike's. Agree with others in here thought that Mikes is underrated or overhated.

Alcatraz was dope. Also, best views of the city.

Codzilla is definitely fun.

My only complaint about Liberty Fleet is sometimes their skippers are jerks to other boats in the harbor.

I don't know why people like cannoli so much when lobster tails (if you can handle the size) are the superior option.

One of my top favorite museums. So much neat stuff to look at.

Depends heavily on your tour guide. We've gone several times and most of the time it was super fun. Last time was a little bit of a letdown because the guide was really struggling. I would still recommend them!

In the early 2000s I got a fried clam (paper) bucket thing. They laid a piece of paper over the top of the bucket, pushed it down only a little bit, and only filled that little bit at the top. So it was way less food than it looked like.

I'm still getting heated thinking about it. Doesn't look like they even sell clams in that container anymore, but their $40 fisherman's platter is criminally small looking.

Or North Station.

Quincy Market always feels depressing. I think it holds the record for the most we've paid for a really sad ice cream.

True. It’s all in Wikipedia but hearing it from their mouths made it extra weird.

Taking my 7th grade class into the glass flower room every year takes years off my life.

So most of the museum?

1/2 Price Mexican on Thursday nights was our staple in our college and post-college years.

Putting a cat in a stroller was when I was fully on board.

I think the pro-move there is to sit at the bar on a cold winter night where they shuck the oysters, order a dozen oysters and a bowl of chowder, get a pint or three of whatever beer you like (I like the brick red Sam Adams), take in the history, and then leave. The history of the place is really cool, and the chowder and oysters are actually good, but otherwise it’s a waste of money and time.

I've only ever had the oysters and chowder after work Kind of surprised to hear the rest isn't as good.

Pro tip: do it in reverse. You then don’t have to double back from Charlestown. Plus it makes for a cool story in reverse chronology.