visiting BOSTON

So sounds ideal!

Aw L, sadly I'm not free tonight. I hope you do have a nice time though. Everyone's recs here are good. Harvard Sq. would probably be the most interesting since you only have one night. :)

I will head to Harvard Square. I'm getting the overnight regional back to DC, because I need a v late flight back (evening thing to go to) and none exist, and was being a cheapskate about an extra hotel night, and anyway wanted to try the train. No berths on that train, so got a bus class seat and plan on tipping it right back and deploying blanket. Is this foolish? Costs about the same as a flight. Suspect I would have been fine 10 years ago doing that but now....

I'm gonna be there this afternoon/tonight for a friend's art show, near Boston Common? I have lived in mass a year now and this is the first time I been to Boston.

What are some fun ways to kill the afternoon? I like record stores, book stores, walking, art. I know driving there sucks, but any parking recs? Also I guess I might need a coffee shop to get an hour or so of work done...

Thanks!

if you can live w/paying for parking, use the boston common underground garage imo. from there you can walk through the public garden and get to newbury st., which will have what's left of our book stores and record stores. trident books and raven used books are both worth poking around in. newbury comics is the only record store around there (actually there might still be one used record store across mass ave. near boylston, i haven't been over there recently).

Thanks. Yeah, I'm fine w/paying, so long as it isn't extortionate. I might check out the ICA too, but maybe it's not close at all? I have no idea of the size/orientation of this city.

ICA moved to the waterfront area, it's not very close to that stuff anymore

yeah ica is not close, if you park where i recommended you could take the red line from park st. to south station and either grab the silver line or walk abt 15 minutes, not sure if that all fits into your schedule.

It does! Awesome.

CAD's got it covered, nothing to add other than WELCOME and HAVE FUN

though if you decide to walk from South Station and you're going down Congress St, consider leaving aside some time to pop into Drink (348 Congress, basement level underneath Sportello; opens at 4 PM)

^^that is some strong advice, especially if you pop in between 4 and 5. you'll have the bartenders full attention and it's pretty relaxed.

So I guess I kinda washed up in Beacon Hill? There was parking and a grabbed it and here I am. Seems fancy, feel like I'm in some posh part of London. Lots of dogs being walked and I feel underdressed.

Beacon Hill is one of the fanciest rat warrens you'll ever see

If you're at a meter, make sure it isn't on until 8, btw (or plan to be back by 7 to feed it for that last hour)

yeah and other than that you're still pretty close to all the stuff i mentioned previously, boston is small

I can't find the thread I posted on about this before but I'll be in Boston in a few weeks, from June 13-16. I'm coming for a conference and I don't really know what my schedule is yet, but if people want to get together, I would like to meet you or see you again.

Probably shouldn't have posted this the Friday before a long weekend.

haha

I'm pretty certain we'll be around; we were invited to Vegas to hang out with friends for a birthday bash but wrangling twins on the Strip seems like a terrible idea, plus we're now broke

Their loss is my gain.

So just a reiteration that I'll be there in a little over a week. Any interest in getting beers or something?

"something" ;)

sure

Yes!

Cool. It looks like I'm staying in the "Theater District" if that's really a thing. My flight doesn't get in until like 8:30 on Saturday so that's probably not a good night unless people want to meet up late and near my hotel. Sunday or Monday evenings are open.

if it's not a thing, i attended college in a nowhere zone (which sometimes feels like the case)

The "Theater District" is three blocks next to Chinatown. If you're staying at the Marriott, check out the ballroom; that's where we had our wedding reception.

There are also a billion places to consume beer around there, including a German restaurant and a terrible fake brewery. You can also get on the Orange Line and take the Oak Grove line to Assembly Square, where there is a beergarden run by a local brewery that's actually pretty great.

Is Sunday or Monday better? Also aren't there more Boston ILXors? ENBB? markers?

Monday is better for me.

There are a bunch of us now; I don't know where everyone else is.

monday is prob better for me as well.

OK let's do Monday. Any suggestions for where to meet? I'm fine with anywhere I can get on public transportation.

You're in the theater district, right? The easiest thing would be to either meet somewhere near there or somewhere along the Orange Line; switching to either the Green or Red will be a PITA, especially getting back afterward.

There are a bunch of bars around the Theater District; we could do Intermission Tavern if you want to stay close to home base or the divey place next door that I've never gone into because I think townies will kill me on sight. There's also Jacob Wirth, a good German place in the neighborhood, but I don't remember if they actually have a bar.

There are also a ton of places around North Station but I don't know many of them by name. I think there was an occasional poster who was a brewmaster at one of them that we promised to visit and never did (oops).

I'm not going to suggest the Slumbrew beer garden because I cannot start a second life there, but if you go to the Assembly Square stop there's a brand new shopping complex with several bars/restaurants that we could do as well.

Someone who knows Jamaica Plain can suggest places near the T in that direction on the Orange Line.

no one knows jamaica plain afaict.

i have suggested it for previous ilx meetups but emmet's on beacon hill is pleasant enough and convenient for folks coming via both red and orange lines.

the divey place next door that I've never gone into because I think townies will kill me on sight.

the tam??? the tam is great! def townieish but not in the way i think you mean

it's more emerson kids (or former, like myself) than angry townies at this point anyway

ha I should have known

(ftr my impressions were formed by looking in there about 20 years ago so it's no surprise that they'd be off)

they were probably right at the time, honestly. and there are deeeefinitely townies galore mixed in with the younger folks, and the bartenders are old and salty-lookin but actually quite nice. i met the orlando magic player channing frye there this past december

Isn't emmet's where we met ice cram?

Hello! Monday night not work but I will know nearer the time and be sure to check in beforehand :) will also alert others.

Is was just talking about the Tam recently. Some ppl love it apparently. Jacob Wirth's prob has a good beer selection.

There's always Cheers! JK.

Jacob Wirth's does have a bar and bar tables but there isn't tons of seating. Maybe if I flash my passport and dan and I attempt to speak German they'll comp us some drinks.

yeah emmet's is indeed where we met ice cram

I liked that place :)

Wait you guys met lagoon?

Yeah!! That was a long time ago now though. Maybe 2010? Me, RS, CAD, Markers and Lagoon. We posted a group pic on wdyll. You must have been out of town!

2011

WDYLL in January 2011 - owwwwww, my head

I might go Boston sometime in the next couple weeks but I think I will miss NA.

i remember dan not being able to make it but not the reason why

trying to plan out a trip for July, but don't have the dates nailed down yet

Glancing online, Emmett's or the Intermission Tavern look good to me for Monday.

I ended up at Intermission Tavern last night, I liked it.

Boston seems nice and also very BOSTON. And my hotel is hilarious.

Which one are you staying in? Today is supposed to be beautiful out. :D I am heading to Providence for a friend's going away party and am going to try to come tomorrow but I have to see how I feel. I have been sick lately and it will really just come down to how I feel after work. Hope you enjoy today!