Boston Guide

Fig. 1: Flag of Boston

Fig. 2: Map of Boston Neighborhoods

Fig. 3: Marriott Copley Place Hotel

Fig. 4: John Hancock Tower, Copley Square and Trinity Church, Boston Common

Housing: BOSTON MARRIOTT COPLEY PLACE: 110 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116-5706 Phone: 617-236-5800 Fax: 617-236-5885 Back Bay Neighborhood

Landmarks: Copley Square (heart of B.Bay) Trinity Church (1877) John Hancock Tower (1976) Boston Public Library (1895) Old South Church (1874) Huntington Avenue Copley Place Mall (1984) Prudential Tower (1964), with Prudential Skywalk (50th floor), Fig. 5: Boston Public Library and Old South Church Top of the Hub restaurant (52th), and Prudential Center Mall (1st) Christian Science Center: Church of Christ, Scientist (1894) Boston Public Gardens, Boston Common (oldest park in USA)

Newbury Street Newbury Street is the place to go in Boston to shop. Eight blocks of great people watching. Designer shops, sidewalk cafes, florists, galleries of art and great restaurants. Be sure to check out the Street Mural at the corner on Dartmouth. A Short History of Newbury Street

The street's origins begin under water. Until the mid 1800s, the 2 mile long stretch of what is now Newbury Street was part of Boston Harbor. Beginning in 1857, the harbor was slowly filled in to become the Back Bay section of the city. The dirt and fill came from neighboring communities and the crests of Boston's once substantially higher hilltops. Walking west, away from the Common, is a walk forward in time. The area was filled to Claredon St. by 1860, to Exeter St. by 1870 and was completed in 1882. Virtually all of the buildings were built around the same time and the neighborhood utilized European design elements, including wide boulevards, grid patterns and parkways. Originally a residential neighborhood, it was prestigious and exclusive at its very inception. According to museum director Edward W. Gordon, "By the 1880s and 1890s, it was the most desirable place to live in the city and was, in fact, eclipsing Beacon Hill. The houses were bigger and they had all the latest amenities indoor plumbing and coal-burning furnaces." The coal furnaces may no longer remain, but the structure laid out in the 19th century lasts to this day and continues to influence the feel of the street. Cultural and retail uses have now surpassed the original residential design, providing the basis for its 20th and 21st century fame. The beginnings of Newbury Street as a retail and tourist destination are a little harder to pin down, although the street has clearly been a Fig. 6: Newbury Street Dining Map mecca for many decades. The street has taken on a life and meaning far beyond its architectural design. Known as the "Rodeo Drive of the East," it serves as Boston's representative of fashion and style, on par with the most exclusive districts of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. The street is home to an eclectic mix of independent shops and high-end fashion and dining establishments. In some fields, the street reigns absolutely supreme. For those in the city's salon and hair style industry, there is no other location. As one stylist and salon owner declared, "You go off Newbury Street and you're a second-class citizen". Newbury Street shows an individuality and uniqueness that is lacking in so many other commercial districts. Broad sidewalks, storefronts that extend into the sidewalk and street vendors all encourage a wide mix of people to traverse the street. Ultimately, Newbury Street embodies a rich urban and retail environment not often found in American cities. It is a destination certainly worth your further examination. (c) http://www.newbury-st.com/History

Freedom Trail The Freedom Trail is a red (mostly brick) path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that leads to 16 significant historic sites. It is a 2.5-mile walk from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Simple ground markers explaining events, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings, and a historic naval frigate are stops along the way. Most sites are free; Old South Meeting House, Old State House, and Paul Revere House have small admission fees; while others suggest donations. The Freedom Trail is a unit of Boston National Historical Park and is overseen by The Freedom Trail Foundation. The Freedom Trail was originally conceived by local journalist William Schofield, who since 1951 had promoted the idea of a pedestrian trail to link important local landmarks. John Hynes, the mayor of Boston, decided to put Schofield's idea into action. By 1953, 40,000 people annually were enjoying the sites and history on the Freedom Trail. In 1974, Boston National Historical Park was established. The National Park Service opened a Visitor Center on State Street, where they give free maps of the Freedom Trail and other historic sites, as well as sell books about Boston and US history. Today, people walk on the red path of the Freedom Trail to learn about important events as the people worked to gain independence from Great Britain.

Most Popular Sights

Boston CityPASS ($46) includes one-time admission to 5 of Bostons most famous attractions Valid for 9 days beginning with the first day of use You'll skip most ticket lines New England Aquarium
New Englands premier aquarium offering more than 70 aquatic exhibits.

MONFRI: 9 AM5 PM; SAT, SUN, holidays: until 6 PM

Museum of Science
General exhibit halls admission to explore hands-on, minds-on science.

SAT-THU: 9 AM-5 PM; FRI: until 9 PM

Skywalk Observatory
The only observatory in New England. Includes 360 views, the Acoustiguide audio tour, multimedia Skywalk Theater, Dreams of Freedom Immigration Museum.

DAILY, 10 AM-8 PM

Museum of Fine Arts, MFA

General admission to all permanent and special exhibits featuring masterpieces of art from around the world and across the ages. 10 AM 4:45 PM (WED-FRI: until 9:45 PM)

Harvard Museum of Natural History

General admission to all permanent and special exhibits, as well as special programs at this highly acclaimed natural history museum. Also included: admission to the adjacent Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

DAILY, 9 AM 5 PM

RevolutionaryBostonTM at the Old State House

General Admission to the true heart of the Freedom Trail including all museum exhibits and tours packed with Boston's revolutionary history. DAILY, 9 AM 5 PM

Institute of Contemporary Art, ICA Features cutting-edge contemporary painting, sculpture, architecture, film and photography.
FREE entrance Thursday from 5 PM to 9 PM

HarborWalk
The Boston Harborwalk is a broad public walkway that has been cleaned up and highlighted by cafes, artwork, and access to water taxis and ferries. You can take a self-guided tour of any part of the 40-mile path, which stretches from Charlestown to South Boston, by downloading an audio guide onto your iPod or other MP3 player.

FREE

Christian Science Center Mary Baker Eddy Library

General admission: $6 TUE-SUN: 10 AM 4 PM; MON closed Mapparium tours: 10:20 AM 4:00 PM, every 20 min

Les Miserables

Presented by Broadway in Boston at Boston Opera House March 13-April 1, 2012

Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schnbergs legendary musical, LES MISRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. The New York Times calls this LES MISRABLES an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish. The London Times hails the new show a five star hit, astonishingly powerful. The Star-Ledger says "a dynamically re-imagined hit. This 'LES MISRABLES has improved with age and NY1-TV proclaims this new production actually exceeds the original. The storytelling is clearer, the perspective grittier and the motivations more honest. Musical theatre fans can rejoice: Les Miz is born again. Based on Victor Hugos classic novel, LES MISRABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of LES MISRABLES includes the classic songs I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, Stars, Bring Him Home, Do You Hear the People Sing?, One Day More, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Master Of The House and many more. Tickets: starting at $33 Phone: 1-800-982-2787
Times: TUE, WED, THU: 7:30 PM; FRI: 8 PM; SAT: 2 PM, 8 PM; SUN: 1 PM, 6:30 PM (Please note: Wednesday, March 14 at 7pm and an additional matinee performance on Thursday, March, 29 at 1pm; Sunday, April 1 there is no evening performance)

Tallest buildings in Boston

Rank Name Image Height Floors Year Coordinates
ft (m)

Notes

Hancock Tower

790 (241)

60

162nd-tallest building in the world, 50th-tallest in the U.S.; has been the 422057.4N tallest building in Boston 1976 710429.2 and New England since W 1976; tallest building in Boston constructed in the 1970s 70th-tallest building in the U.S.; the Skywalk, the 422049.78 highest observation 1964 N710457.0 deck in New England, is located on the building's 8W 50th floor. Tallest building in the city constructed in the 1960s

Prudential Tower

749 (228)

52

Federal Reserve Bank Building

614 (187)

32

422108.55 Tallest building in 1976 N710314.8 Boston's Financial District 2W

One Boston Place

601 (183)

41

Tallest building in 422131N7 the Government 1970 10330W Center neighborhood of Boston

One International Place

600 (183)

46

422120.8N Tallest building in Boston 1987 710307.5 constructed in the 1980s W

First National Bank Building

591 (180)

37

1971

422118N7 10322W

Rank

Name

Image

Height Floors Year Coordinates

ft (m)

Notes

One Financial Center

590 (180)

46

422108.6N 1983 710323.0 W

111 Huntington Avenue

554 (169)

36

422048.38 2002 N710452.8 6W

Two International Place

538 (164)

35

1992

422123N7 Tallest building in the city 10306W completed in the 1990s

10

One Post Office Square

525 (160)

40

1981

422125N7 10319W

Fig. 7: Skyline of Boston's Back Bay seen from the Charles River
The brown-colored Hatch Shell partly obscured among the trees is Boston's Fourth of July venue for the Boston Pops Orchestra, and associated fireworks show. Featured prominently in the skyline, (on the left) is the "old John Hancock building" and the new taller John Hancock Tower, in addition to 111 Huntington Avenue and the Prudential Tower on the right.