It would probably be worth your $$ to stay somewhere closer in the city....cabs can get expensive, and you would rather spend your $$ elsewhere like sight-seeing and enjoying the food or baseball games. I highly reccommend the Duck Tour (I know, I know, I'm lame, but I still love it). I lived in Back Bay, so definitely check out Newbury and Fanuiel and the Pru/Copley Square.

If you are a foodie, I highly recommend taking the North End Market walking tour. It's about 3 hours long and the guide takes a small group through the "Little Italy" section of Boston. You get to sample some Italian pastries, taste good balsamic vinegar, and learn about the region's history. You will have to register and pay for this but I think it's well worth it.

Originally Posted by purseprincess32

That's funny I have a red sox schedule in my purse but I always get stuck with all the fans and can't avoid it since I have to go near Kenmore to go home. You gotta love the Green line. haha Also parking is expensive my older brother flew in from out of town to introduce me to his financee and we had lunch..He had parked for less than 2 hrs in a garage near the Boston commons and it cost him $ 50.00. Granted money isn't an issue for him but I was shocked at how much he paid..

Oh yeah ... the old "Green Machine" ... UGGH!!!

If you have ridden any other subways, be prepared for a "bumpy" ride! It's the oldest subway in North America; you will hear screeching wheels and it's not the smoothest ... however, it's usually the best bet for getting around the city as Parking $$$ is INSANE! Do try to avoid the "peak" times ... e.g., when the Red Sox have a game at Fenway or the rush-hour, when not only are the professionals making their way into work, but the college kids are going to school (with loaded backpacks!).

About a block over from Newbury Street, is Copley Place and the Prudential Shops. Copley Place has Neiman Marcus, Barneys NY, J.Crew, etc. - while the Prudential Shops has Saks Fifth Avenue. Gretta Luxe (aka Gretchen Monaghan) also has a store on the Copley side. In addition, there is also a Gucci Store, Jimmy Choo, etc. - Copley is the "high-end" mall.

In addition to the Newbury Street ($$$) shopping, there is also the Chestnut Hill Mall, which has Bloomingdales and Barneys NY Co-Op. Sadly, because of the recession, there are a few more empty store-fronts than usual, but it's still a good shop stop. Somewhat diagonal from the Chestnut Hill Mall, is the Atrium. When it first opened, there was a Henri Bendel, but alas ... no longer. J.Crew, the Gap and Anthropologie are in the Atrium as well as Borders and The Cheesecake Factory for lunch/dinner.

Further down the road, is Newton Centre ... which has some small boutique-y stores, albeit ... some can be rather pricey!

yay! congrad. i work in boston..but lives in another town around 45 mins away. Boston is alright. Not much of nightlife..compared to NY and others.
There is a japanese town..called "Porter Exchange"..well not so much anymore (they recently closed the japanese market). Resturants Blue Fin..Miso Ramen(super good and huge portion for around $10-12$) and Japanese Bread(YUM!) can be found there. For all you can eat sushi.. go to MINADO..it's in the town NATICK, dinner buffett are 25$..they also have lots of raw fishs.and HUGE alaskan crab legs! the resturant HARU..have really good sushi as well.. No more japanese markets...there is 88(now HK market)...there are alot of Korean Market around(which sells almost the same things).
Shopping wise..Newbury St., Prudential , and Copley. But my fav is the NATICK COLLECTION, i go there every week. lol
I have two dogs..and i only go to PETSMARTs for daycare, grooming and health checks(i use their pet issurance). There is the Polkadog Bakery..they make doggy cakes.
I agree with above..parking is expensive (i pay 405 a month for just work parking >_<).
Prudential and Copley is around 12$ for 4 hrs..if you BUY something. Natick Collection is FREE.
Also. QUINCY is a pretty DANGEROUS town. My fiance ..will NEVER leT me walk alone at night/dark in QUINCY...and espically DORCHESTER. Actually..i wouldn't walk around BOSTON alone at night in general. So becareful!

Let me know if you have anymore question. i'm happy to help ^_^

I'm going to Boston in the beginning of April for almost a week, and I need tips on where to stay, what to do and where to eat.
We want to stay in a nice hotel in a good location (nice area), but not more than $350 a night.
and where do we find the best seafood-place in town?

We will travel by car from NYC, so if you have any tips on sites to see on the way I would appreciate that too.

If there are other places in New England that we should see, we are quite flexible and can take day-trips from Boston.

The only thing I am sure of in Boston, is that we are going to walk the campus of Harvard.

Will it be very difficult to get tickets to a Red Sox game the first week of the 2010 season?

Boston is an amazing city - it is walkable - and you will love it! I went to college in Boston and have settled about an hour north. When we go in to town we love the Boston Park Plaza - an older hotel with a lot of history and a great location - one block from the subway, great restaurants, close to the theater district, and a block away from Newbury Street for great shopping.
We also like the Boston Harbor Hotel - beautiful views and a short walking distance to Faneuil Hall and all of the touristy spots.
Then we love the Charles Hotel in Cambridge - great restaurants in the hotel, and close to Harvard Square (you have to go to Burdick's for their white hot chocolate - it is TDF!), and close to the subway into Boston.
You have to do the Duck Tours!
Red Sox tickets will be tough to get, but if you want to PM me, I can let you know where some spots are to get ummm, scalped tickets (I don't sell them, but I know where the sellers hang out). You can get tickets on ebay, but they will be wicked expensive, and if it rains, you are stuck with really expensive tickets.
We are actually going in this weekend for a movie and then pizza in the North End - you have to go to Regina's - the best pizza ever!

Boston is fun city. I grew up there and also went to school/college there. You really don't need a car there unless you want to leave the city and explore the many suburbs, malls etc. Quincy Market and Fanueil Hall are pretty fun to explore and very touristy. Lots of nice eateries there.

I second Newbury street for shopping and Copley Plaza( bit on the expensive side though) It's been years since I have gone but always had a blast over at the aquarium

Enjoy your time up there but bring a coat as it's pretty chillly there in April. I am going back home in June when it's warmer.

You must get Italian sandwiches from "Tutto Italiano" on Fleet st (North End). I often went there with my out of town visitors when I lived in Boston. It is a very small Italian Grocer that has some food they make too. They make their own mozzarella that is the best I ever had (he let me and my friends watch him make some too). My favorite sandwich there had mozz, proscuitto, and fresh basil. Meatball sub was pretty amazing too. Not expensive and if the weather is nice you can eat on picnic tables down the street by the water.

I don't know how the pricing runs, but I would check out prices for the Westin Copley Place. It's in the heart of Back Bay... very luxurious area, great shopping as mentioned on Newbury St., convenient subway locations should you take public transportation, lots of restaurants, etc.

Originally Posted by coconutsboston

It would probably be worth your $$ to stay somewhere closer in the city....cabs can get expensive, and you would rather spend your $$ elsewhere like sight-seeing and enjoying the food or baseball games. I highly reccommend the Duck Tour (I know, I know, I'm lame, but I still love it). I lived in Back Bay, so definitely check out Newbury and Fanuiel and the Pru/Copley Square.

If you stay in the city, there's no need to take a cab (save for late nights). There are plenty of T stops everywhere.

I am going to Boston for Memorial weekend, and I need some recommendations for restaurants and little cute shops that carry brands that ShopBop and revolve clothing do. So please let mek now of the best of the best in Boston!!!! :)

TIA!

What kind restaurants do you like? Seafood..steak..?? What's the preferable price range? Let me know and I can give you some idea. I live in Boston.

I would suggest a nice leisurely walk on Newbury Street for shopping. It has a great mix of big names like Marc Jacobs, Chanel, etc. and a lot of smaller shops.
IMO - Boston is a great city for walking - just explore and enjoy yourself. It is also a huge sports city - hopefully the Celtics are still in the playoffs. I am not sure if the Red Sox are in town, but the Kenmore Square area is fun!

I was hoping for a more outdoorsy restaurants and seafood! :) Also any other well known restaurants (even grub food) I am absolutely open to.

I will definitely check out Newbury Street. It sounds soo cute.

What is the sales tax in Boston b y the way?

Thanks all for the help!

Legal Seafood is a good place to eat.