I'm headed to Boston on Friday for the last Sox-yankmes series of the season. I need to get from the airport to Holiday Inn Select at 5 Blossom St....anyone know if I can get on the T at the airport and get there? I'm pretty familiar w/ the T from my time in MS and HS, but that was 15-20 years ago. Any help on nightlife would be cool too. It's a bachelor party, but not exactly a throwdown debaucherous type. I'd rather stay away from the bars on Landsdown and get away from the aftergame crowd. Anywhere we might be able to bar hop a bit and hopefully run into some single women w/ questionable morals would be preferable.
Your hotel is 2 blocks from my house. If you arrive during the day Friday, take a Massport shuttle to Airport station, then blue line to Bowdoin (Bowdoin is only open 6-6 weekdays). Otherwise, take the Silver Line direct from your terminal to South Station, then Red Line to Charles/MGH. There are many bars in Beacon Hill, all stumbling distance to your hotel, mostly along Cambridge, Charles, and Bowdoin Streets. Beacon Hill bars are more laid back than other neighborhoods: smaller, mostly local crowds, no dance floors, no loud music, etc. Government Center and Fanieul Hall are just a short walk down the road, and both areas have bigger, more populous, louder bars with dancing, DJs, some live music. You'll find a larger volume of single women over there, but the ratios in Beacon Hill may be more favorable. It varies week to week.
Thanks for the info on the T. I'd rather take that than pay for a cab, as much as for old times sake than any price difference. I used to take the train in from Leominster and then the red line to Copley once a week when I was in middle school. Beacon Hill is BC territory, no? I think we'll want to stay closer to Faniuel Hall and Gov't Ctr area, especially since Sat night may involve a visit to the *only* local gentleman's establishment, although I am voting against that right now. Local type bars aren't going to work for this visit as we'll have 8-10 dudes rolling in. Any suggestions? Thanks again for the help!
Beacon Hill is an older crowd, no BC kids... occasionally some students from Suffolk, but not many because it's a small school. You can pretty much "window shop" for places to go in Gov't Center/Faneiul Hall and choose based on your group's preference for bar size, crowd, music, cover charge, etc. My favorite in Gov't Center is The Bell in Hand Tavern, which is big and crowded and has pretty decent live music (cover is usually $5-10 on weekends). In the same block are Hennessy's, Purple Shamrock and a few others. The bigger nightspots in Faneiul Hall are toward the "back" along State Street: McFaddens, Black Rose, Vertigo (more clubbish), Hong Kong (not sure if the FH location is still there), and a few blocks away is Jose McIntyre's. You'll find more nightclubs on the other side of Boston Common, near the intersection of Boylston and Tremont. I don't venture there much, and there seem to be a lot of ownership changes, so I can't suggest any places. I think one popular place is called the Liquor Store. You'll also find several "gentlemen's clubs" around there. The good news is that everything is close, so you can easily walk between places if your group starts to get anxious. Have fun! Oh yeah, FYI, the T is now $2 per ride and you have to use a stored-value farecard. You can buy farecards in the airport by the terminal exits or in the stations.
The Texas Exes watches at the Dockside, on State Street, just across from Faneiul Hall. It fills up pretty fast, but they will have the UCF game on for sure. It's often difficult to find a place that will show anything other than Red Sox pre-game, game, and post-game (especially when they're playing the Yankees). That said, there are lots of other options, especially near Fenway along Landsdowne and near the Garden along Canal St. Jillian's @ Landsdowne & Ipswich probably has the most screens.
Thanks for the info G2T! I'll have some local buds to help out as well, but I didn't want to go up w/o any info in case I can't run into them until after the game.
I never get over how easy it is to get around in Boston. That is the most pedestrian-friendly city I have ever been in and the public transportation system is second-to-none.
I'm here and drunk already. Well, damn good buzz. Great directions G2T, except the part after I get off the T. That took some work and walking around w/ a suitcase, but mission accompliched. #### YOU YANKMEEESS!!!!
