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East Coast Correspondent for 2Old2Play.com
On a more serious note, how is Boston with operating while snowing? I imagine you get enough that the city doesn't even notice a few inches and can recover from a foot or two without effort? I come from Northern Virginia where 2 inches of snow will close down school systems and more than half a foot brings down the Federal Government. Given that I'm going to be in Boston a full week and want to see numerous sites (museums etc), I don't want to worry that some snow is going to shut down my sightseeing.
Murphy's Paradox: The more you plan, the more that can go wrong. The less you plan, the less likely your plan will succeed.
Also, we're terrible with snow removal. So while the trains will still run and everything will be open you'll be shlepping around sidewalks with tons of slush on them. Unlike some cities that remove the snow, we push it into big, dirty, salty gross piles. This is why Uggs are not good for Boston winters but insulated rain boots are. Also, in many areas the sidewalks are the responsibility of the people who own the building at that point, some people are great and others (including one of our city councilors) leave the snow to turn into a sheet of ice and do shit about it. Downtown this won't be an issue but if you go out to explore the areas around the campuses of Harvard/MIT, BU or BC, or visit JP or Brookline it could come up.
Snow emergencies rarely happen and only happen when we're expecting a lot in a short period of time, we get maybe two or so a season. If one gets declared then everything begins shutting down or going to minimum service. The T will still run but it won't be as frequent, street parking gets slim, all but the most necessary govt offices close and many businesses will start closing up and letting people go home. Not every snow gets one of these though.
The odds of that happening the last week in March are very, very, very slim. The reason people still talk about the big snow storm in the first week of April from 10 years ago is because it was so damn weird and abnormal. It tends to be colder than 32F when it snows in Boston. Even at 30F there's a good chance we'll still getting a bitter cold rain.
We tend to get more flurries that pile up than all out balls to the wall storms also. We'll get flurries off and on that don't even make it to the ground and then we'll get a couple inches and because Boston sucks with removal we get a few more inches on top of that a week later. When we do get a big storm, though, they're pretty cool and our city usually can take it. Since the 12/13 snow a couple years ago they've been much better about getting the plows/sanders on the road early.
Weather in Canada:
Weather everywhere else:
And I think VoC is trying to say that anything could happen. But this year is ****ing cold.
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http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/stations/default.asp?stopId=15598
Best recommendations for people coming from south and west:
NYC, take I-95 to I-91 north, then follow that for about 35-40 minutes to I-84 east. At the end of I-84, you'll hit I-90. Take the mass pike east to I-95/RT-128 South, Pay the toll, and get off at the very next exit for Riverside station. If coming from the north, you probably already know Boston, so I'll just say go to Alewife for parking and transit.
I am driving from central NJ with 3 other people in my car. We plan on driving up for the whole weekend, parking right at the hotel attached to the Hynes, and never moving the vehicle the entire time. While we are going to pay exhorbitant ($30ish) parking fees per day, the cost divided by four people makes this option way more appealing than paying for mass transit and having to lug out bags around from point to point.
I highly suggest if you are within a few hours driving distance to try getting some carpool action together. Obviously, driving solo or just with 1 other person would start making the train a much more appealing option.
1: Driving in boston is often akin to suicide, just reealy realy slow suicide, avoid if possible. Alot of roads are missing important signs so if yer looking for a specific road, don't be supprised if you never see the sign. As said a GPS in this city can help alot
2. In case of a medical emergency, don't worry yer in real good hands, boston has one area with more hospitals then 5 cities combined, one I go to is brighma and womens. Carry a piece of paper or somthing with an emergency phone number to contact relatives and place it with you're ID just in case. The ID is ususaly one of the first things they look for.
3. The reason for two is that again, boston can be dangerous to drive/walk in, alot of folks in mass tend to speed/tailgate without noticing it. Pay attention and don't let yer mind wander when yer walking/driving.
4. If prices to a flight to logan are looking expensive, you may want to try Manchester Boston regional airport, sometimes get better prices, and manchester has a full bus system to get you around town, and then to boston without you having to drive. To do this you will want to take either the greyhound, or MTA bus 3 to veterans park and then take the Boston/Manchester bus to boston, check for schedual on the boston bus befor you fly in to see when the first one you can grab is. Bus fair runs 1.50 mta, not positive on the boston bus.
5. Heres a good website for things tah do and places to see http://www.boston.com
6. If yer driving in to boston from out of state try finding a train/bus stop in another town or city and parking yer car at the parking garage. This is unless yer carrying in alot of heavy stuff like yer computer and such
Actually, the cost is between $40 and $50 a night, and if memory serves correct, unless you use the valet service, you do have to move the car each day.
If you're planning on bringing a lot of stuff or leaving with a lot of stuff then the car is worth it but the train is a lot cheaper and faster.
Yahoo group GCIACST
I ran some rough numbers based on a 300-mile trip from Trenton NJ. My conclusion is that if you are going solo you should absolutely take mass transit. If you are going with a friend the cost is about even, so take the train for it's convenience. If you have three, or especially 4, you will save a significant stack of cash by all cramming into 1 car. Here is how I got to that:
TRAIN
The Amtrak tickets from Trenton, NJ are $73 each way. 4 people round trip would be $584! Lets not forget that with the train you may also need to pay for some (much less expensive) parking, or burn a favor to get a drop-off/pick-up.
CAR
Lets assume a mid-size sedan w/ decent gas mileage, price of gas being about what it is today, plus 10 cents per mile towards wear & tear on the car. That'd work out to be about 25 cents for every mile you drive, meaning it's safe to assume the car will cost about $150. Parking for 3-4 days will cost about $150 as well. Versus taking the train, thats gonna save the group $300 for a 4-person trip.
It can definitely make sense to drive in with multiple people, the issue is more what you do with your vehicle once you get here.
Another option is the Route 128 station. Parking is IIANM ~$10-15 a night and there's both Amtrak (but they won't always let you on, so its risky) and Commuter Rail($4.75/ride) trains (15 minutes) to Back Bay station, which is connected to the complex the Hynes is a part of. If you timed it right you might even be able to get on the Penny Arcade train
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Eh? It's like 5 blocks. Less if you shortcut through the Prudential Center, but that's a recipe for getting lost. At least it'd be warm.
Keep in mind, Boston is not set up in a grid pattern. In fact, there is no pattern. The streets are actually based on old cow-paths from when Boston was a colony. As a result, it's very easy to get lost, and it doesn't matter if you're walking or driving as when driving you have to figure out how to get around the one-way signs.
Yahoo group GCIACST
Funny that you should mention that but yes, the show directory will have a list of nearby restaurants!
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Once you're in the Pru/Copley its not terrible if you look at the map and plan ahead. And it'll be warm/dry/smooth floored for those carrying wheeled luggage.
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Thank you for this information!
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"The power of the weirdness compels me."
However, in that sense, I asked for people to send me the information as well and actually make it a full on forum project. Thank you for calling me out.
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
1. Like many people have said here, it's suicide to drive. Boston has been undergoing construction since I was a little one, and it looks like it's not going to be finished in the next 500 years. The roads DO change almost everyday (not a myth!), and you'll end up in a giant circle of detours for hours. Also, in some parts of the city, you can't get a GPS signal because of the buildings. And as for parking, I parked for 2 hours once and paid $45. If you live in New York or somewhere just as bad as our cities and you doesn't afraid of anything, then by all means...your funeral.
2. The train can be kind of confusing for some people.
- The official name is the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority). Here is the site. When you're asking for directions, it's best not to ask for the subway, because either they'll lead you to a sub shop or purposely in the wrong direction (Bostonians are a-holes). Call it the train or the T.
- You can pay with ATM/Credit or with cash. Plastic-only machines will have giant signs that say NO CASH on them. Fare is $2.00 per train ride per person, or if you get the CharlieCard, it's $1.70. CharlieCards are either stashed on top of the machines, or held by MBTA officers. They're the pissed-off guys in navy blue uniforms. If you need directions or help, ask them! And if they aren't helpful, don't be afraid to ask someone else.
- Pay attention to what your stop is. Sometimes if you miss it, you can just get off at the next stop, get to the other side of the track, and go back to your stop without any problems. But some stations have separate tracks...meaning you have to leave the station, go across a street, and pay your fare again!
- At night, the drunks and the druggies come crawling out, so I encourage all of you to be *extra* safe. Try to travel with at least one other person, avoid playing with your iPhones or PSPs, and avoid eye contact with anyone who looks sketchy.
- The trains stop running anywhere between 12:30 and 1:30, depending on what train, inbound/outbound, and so on. A good "safe" estimate is 12:30, so get out of the bar by midnight to make it safely back to your hotel/motel/couch.
3. There are maps all over Boston and Cambridge. If you can't find one and you don't have a map function on your iPhone, the best advice I can give you is to ask a (sober-looking) homeless person! Even though it'll cost you your pocket change, they know the city the best, can give directions you'll understand, and the odds that they'll blow you off are slim-to-none. If you can't spot a good hobo, then ask someone who looks like they speak English.
4. Everything in Boston is expensive. Smokers, expect to pay up to $10 for a pack of cigarettes. Caffeine-addicts, almost $2 per bottle of soda. Even chain stores and fast food places have prices that will make you faint. So don't go there with $50 and think it'll last you the whole weekend, unless you plan on not eating, drinking, taking the train, etc.
5. If you're still not scared out of your pants, then have fun! Check out some of the sights! There's an anime/manga/Japanese store in Harvard Square, the MIT Student Center (DDR, pool table, pinball, arcade games), lots of restaurants (Fire And Ice, I highly reccomend!), tons of museums (Museum of Science has a lightning show, animal exhibits, a planetarium), a great aquarium with an IMAX theater, Newbury Comics, Newbury Street (Hello Kitty store!), Duck Tours (be sure to quack at people)...
Just remember to be safe and have fun.
We were bad and they took the fun stuff away
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For what it's worth, I've been here for 4 years and haven't really experienced...any of that. Driving around the convention center is better than most of the Boston area because it's almost a grid system.
That said yeah, parking would still be a nightmare. I spent several months parking my car in Brighton and taking the T to my apartment in Back Bay so I could park for free. That sucked.
You might be overstating this a bit. It's not Mexico, but it's not New York either. Fast food places have the same prices I've seen anywhere else. The Pour House (a bar across the street from Hynes) has 20 oz. beers on tap for $5.50 and double cheeseburgers for $3 on Saturdays. You get by.
I wouldn't bring $50 if you want to enjoy yourself outside of Pax, but you don't exactly have to be P Diddy either.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=food&sll=42.347127,-71.083839&sspn=0.005218,0.009645&ie=UTF8&radius=0.25&rq=1&ev=zi&hq=food&hnear=&ll=42.347618,-71.083839&spn=0.005218,0.009645&z=17&iwloc=lyrftr:lmq:9:food,9613896984273275042,42.347103,-71.085598
Fire & Ice is another place I'll probably eat at during this. Its a 10 minute walk but its an all you can eat "Mongolian Grill." Its not actually Mongolian as in the ethnicity. Instead you select the ingredients - from pasta to veggies to a wide variety of meats and fish (etc) and then add a sauce which can range from straight Italian to Asian or Mexican etc. You then line up around a circular counter and the cooks in the middle spread your food radially on a big Mongolian grill, adding the sauce at the end. Its all you can eat and lets you try a couple different things, while still making it easy for picky eaters to have plenty of choices. They make a good hamburger too.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
I highly recommend Fire & Ice. I've only been to the one in Providence, but I assume the one in Boston is more or less the same. Great for large groups and amazingly delicious. The lunchtime prices were very reasonable if I recall, and to reiterate, its all you could eat.
I'd love to hear other restaurant and bar suggestions. I'm thinking about putting together a mini foodie guide based on location and prices.
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Oh man, I love those places. I'm totally going there for lunch sometime.
I have a feeling that most of the places around the convention area will be packed. And the majority of those places are chains and restaurants that you can go to pretty much anywhere.
So if you don't mind taking a short ride on a bus or T - I'd recommend going elsewhere.
That being said - a few restaurants that I went to as a cheap college student @ Northeastern were Spikes Hot Dogs, JP Licks (only icecream), Pan Thai (on Westland) - and a bunch of tiny little places on Mass Ave between Huntington and Boylston.
How much? I wouldn't pay more than eight dollars at a place like this, personally.
Website says 10 for lunch and 17 for dinner. I really really really do not recommend Fire and Ice. Its a neat concept- and maybe cool to go once. but its super crowded, and you can get much better food for a better price if you go somewhere else.