Anyone from/familiar with Boston area?

atcwag

We are planning a long weekend/mini baby moon to the Boston area, specifically Waltham, for a wedding the last weekend in September. We are looking for "insider info" on things to do, places to eat, etc. We'd like to find some "hole in the wall" places for lobster and chowder as we're foodies at heart. We kind of have a shoestring budget, as just expenses for attending the wedding are going to be upwards of $500...so cheap is great!

squish143

I'm from a town a little southwest of Boston. End of September is a beautiful time to visit! There isn't a whole lot to do in Waltham itself but there is a ton to do in Boston! You can check out the Boston science museum or the aquarium. The prudential center has a bunch of food places and little shops. Faneuil Hall is a nice place to check out. As far as great sea food places I will have to talk to my husband as he is more familiar with restaurants in Boston. But you will certainly not be disappointed visiting Boston that time of year! Are you from the New England area?

DunkinDecaf

I'm not super familiar with Waltham specifically, but my favorite place for chowder and a lobster roll is the Summer Shack in Back Bay. It's a nice place to stop if you get downtown to do some sightseeing. Lunch for two (lobster rolls and chowder) will probably run you $50 or so, so I wouldn't call it a cheap meal, but it is pretty delicious. There's also the Union Oyster House over by Faneuil Hall which is always popular, but I like the Summer Shack's chowder better.

ETA: my favorite tourist-ing activity is the Harpoon Brewery tour. A bit of a bummer while pregnant because you may not be able to try as many of the beers as you'd like, but their pretzels are ridiculously yummy. Unfortunately you can't book a spot for a tour ahead of time, so you just have to show up early to secure a spot.

Also if you're downtown in the mornings, walk over to Mike & Pattys for breakfast sandwiches. Call and order ahead from their online menu though because it's tiny and always crowded. You can take your sandwiches back over to the public garden to sit and eat. My favorite sandwich was the Fancy

atcwag

squish143 said:

I'm from a town a little southwest of Boston. End of September is a beautiful time to visit! There isn't a whole lot to do in Waltham itself but there is a ton to do in Boston! You can check out the Boston science museum or the aquarium. The prudential center has a bunch of food places and little shops. Faneuil Hall is a nice place to check out. As far as great sea food places I will have to talk to my husband as he is more familiar with restaurants in Boston. But you will certainly not be disappointed visiting Boston that time of year! Are you from the New England area?

Pennsylvania

Thanks to both of you!  I'm not sure that we'll actually make it into the city, but who knows...was hoping for some info for west of the city. 

DunkinDecaf

The city is very worth a day if you have the time! I'm not sure how long you'll be in town, but as far as sightseeing going downtown is easily the best way to pack the most fun things into one day, or even one morning. You should be able to find a T or commuter rail stop near where you'll be in Waltham that can get you into the city pretty quickly. Any other recommendations I have west of the city would be equally inconvenient for Waltham, unfortunately.

Knottie1443649280

I live in Boston (Southie) and there are so many things to do!  Even just walking the Freedom Trail to get some history and exercise!  As far as places to eat, check out the Phantom Gourmet website.  They are local and visit all the eateries to select their favorite dishes depending on the area.  Waltham is definitely known for Moody Street where you can find just about any type of food...  Take advantage of the weather in September and if you can, you really should head into the city for a day just to walk around... There is so much to see and do....

shevaCC

I used to live in Watertown, a few miles from Waltham for about 7 years. That was 5 years ago, but things don't change super fast in that area. We didn't eat out all that much, but I do miss the pizza and I preferred Legal Sea Foods' clam chowder. My grandfather used to take us to the Dolphin Seafood Restaurant in Natick, but it's been 10+ years since I've been there so I don't know if it's still any good.

I agree with the recommendations of going into Boston for activities. The Boston common and Public garden are fun to walk through. I also like window shopping and people watching on Newbury street. Plus the Freedom Trail, going to the North End for Italian food and a cannoli from Mike's Pastries. Ice cream is also not to miss in Boston -- at most places even the kiddie size is huge and it's soooo good. And definitely take the T in so you can avoid driving/parking downtown.

If you really must stay west of Boston, it's fun to walk along the Charles river, particularly in Watertown and closer in where there are trails/parks. Walden Pond in Concord (Thoreau's Walden) is pretty, and a good swimming spot, though there's not much to see there. If you like art, the deCordova museum and sculpture park is decent. And Lexington has a "downtown" area with some monuments celebrating the Revolutionary war. BUT...Boston has outdoor activities too, better art museums (Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum and MFA), better historical stuff (Freedom trail), so I'd go there instead.

ZeusOprah

I lived in Boston for 10 years (just moved to the burbs about 6 months ago) and worked in Waltham for a few of those.  I second the recommendation for Moody Street and trying to get into the city one day.  I'm not sure if you'll have a car, but an amazing seafood place is Belle Isle Seafood in Winthrop (right next to East Boston, where the airport is).  Even if you took an Uber there before you fly out and then Uber to the airport, it wouldn't be much more money than going straight to Logan.  It's a no-frills place but really good seafood.  Keep in mind it's cash only.  Now I want a lobster roll!!

DunkinDecaf

@shevaCCThe Dolphin is still good! I don't know if it's good enough to merit the drive over to Natick from Waltham though. Honestly, I usually prefer Legal's.

atcwag

ZeusOprah said:

I lived in Boston for 10 years (just moved to the burbs about 6 months ago) and worked in Waltham for a few of those.  I second the recommendation for Moody Street and trying to get into the city one day.  I'm not sure if you'll have a car, but an amazing seafood place is Belle Isle Seafood in Winthrop (right next to East Boston, where the airport is).  Even if you took an Uber there before you fly out and then Uber to the airport, it wouldn't be much more money than going straight to Logan.  It's a no-frills place but really good seafood.  Keep in mind it's cash only.  Now I want a lobster roll!!

We're actually driving from PA, so our car will be with us.