boston area members

[llane]

My DH and 3 DK are planning a non DVC trip to Boston this Easter (we will be at vwl come October). We have never been and were wondering if the Braintree area is a nice place to stay. Djstance wise it looks close enough to the city on a map, but that can be deceiving. We are looking for a somewhat safe area. If Braintree isn't - what area would you suggest?

Thanks.

ps...if this doesn't belong on this forum, I'm sorry.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

well i live in boston and it depends on where u r going and what you wanna do
braintrees not bad nice malls
but there are better places

 

[MrShiny]

We visited my friend in Boston last year. We got a good rate from Expedia on the Hyatt by the airport. We had a great view of the harour. The onlt downside was being right by the airport, there were little food options when at the hotel.

But downtown was a water shuttle ride away (also possible to take the T).

 

[goofy4tink]

Any particular reason for staying in Braintree? I don't have anything against Braintree, it's just not a terrific 'tourist' area. I would also suggest staying in Boston proper. It is a pretty safe city. Lots of nice hotels that are close to the many great spots in Boston. Driving into Boston can be iffy for some. But there are altenative ways of getting around like the 'T'. What type accomodations are you looking for? Also what type activities.

 

[llane]

We were just looking for a kid friendly hotel (indoor pool) for under 150 a night. We were planning on doing the usual touristy things and take in the sites.

I looked at Braintree because it is straight down the expressway.

I assume than, staying in Boston is best. (kinda like downtown Chicago). Guess I'll go try all the travel sites again.

Thanks

 

[twinmomplus2new]

If you are planning on touring Boston proper, Probably your 2 best options would be the following, The Boston Harbour Hotel. Would be my number 1 pick, It is within walking distance to the New England Aquarium, and Faneuil Hall.
It is either a 4 or 5 star property. We have stayed there many many times. There is a water shuttle from Logan airport that stops at the Pier attached to the Hotel.
The Royal Sonesta is a second option that is a little more kid friendly, It has a wonderful atrium pool area, It is around the corner from the Museum of Science. And cross the street from The Cambridge side Galleria a very large mall with lots of food choices for your little one. They run shuttles into downtown sites all day. A 4 minute ride maybe? I have stayed extensively at Both. With small children each time. I would without hesitation recommend either property to you. In the summer Sonesta generally has some type of summer splash special where Ice cream is served every afternoon in the Lobby for the kids. Please feel free to PM me if you want any more specific questions.

 

[mtmona]

We lived in Boston for 2 years while my husband did a residency at BU. We visit often and have had great experiences finding lodging through quickbook.com. In particular, we enjoy the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge. It is right on the Charles River (ask for that view), close to a green line T stop, walking distance to the amazing Science Museum and IMAX theatre, across the street from a mall with a Cheesecake Factory Rest., food court, convience store, etc. and they have a summer special which includes ice cream each night for free and bikes for riding up and down the river front walkway. It looks directly into downtown Boston and over the exact place they shoot off the 4th of July fireworks. I would not stay in Braintree. It is too far from everything with the crazy! traffic. Although we have never tried to exchange, there is a Marriott exchange on our list for downtown Boston- I can't remember the name, but it has a big clock on the tower and is right next to Fanueil Hall, right in the middle of everything. We have friends who used their timeshare points to stay there last October and were very pleased. Hope this helps!

 

[Divamomto3]

Boston is my favorite city in the whole world!
I'm in Connecticut and we have stayed in Boston many times, both with and without the kids. I always feel extremely safe! Stay near the harbor or stay in Copley Square. Lots to do at either place. And park you car in the hotel parking lot and don't look at it again until you leave to go home. Take the T (Boston's subway) system everywhere.

You'll be safe, probably much safer than driving into Boston everytime...driving there is pretty tricky.

Have fun!

 

[Simba's Girl]

Well, I say that if you are gonna be doing other things outside of the city (like the cape and South Shore) Braintree is a pretty good spot to be.

I don't think that you should have trouble there as long as you're comfortable driving in an unfamiliar place in traffic. Braintree has the last stop on the red line 'T' (subway) or you could drive up to Quincy and take it from there to get to the city. I have taken the T from Braintree many a time, I grew up on the South Shore and that T stop was about a 30 minute ride from the Plymouth area.

Now if you do stay in Braintree, if its nice on Easter weekend...take a walk along the Cape Cod canal.

Heather

 

[TCARON]

I am from the area and grew up in Braintree. Too far from Boston to really enjoy the city. The expressway, Rt3, can be terrible to travel on. Stay within city iof you can!

 

[goofy4tink]

The Royal Sonesta is a great idea. Terrific area. Easy to get around in if you use the 'T'. Or even cabs.

 

[gmboy95]

Having spent the first 20 summers of my life living in braintree...I can tell you it is a perfect location for someone visiting boston.....It has its own train (MBTA) station on the Red Line. I would stay at the Sheraton Tara which is right of the highway, and next to the South Shore Plaza which has many nice places to eat and shop....the train ride is about 30 minutes to downtown boston, and braintree could not be any more safer.

 

[gmboy95]

Oh and if you are flying in....the Logan airport express shuttle service has a station right next to the Sheraton Tara

 

[Connears]

I live in Natick about 10 miles west of Boston. Braintree is not very convenient to the Boston attractions and you will have to drive on the Southeast Espressway which is packed during commuter hours. I would suggest some of the hotels around Copley area/Back Bay- Sheraton, Marriott, Westin(these are higher end, but are very kid friendly). I was at a conference and decided to stay in town for one night and got the Copley Plaza for $50/night on priceline. It is a high end hotel with great location. Try hotwire and look for waterfront area or BackBay/Copley area and see what you can get. It will be better to be in the city proper and use subway, etc instead of driving everywhere. boston is a wonderful walking city also.
Connears

 

[Cora]

Here is a link BostonUSA Hotel Discounts Some of the discounts end 3/31 but some are for the entire year or til mid-year. The hotels listed, for the most part, are great. In the Copley Sq area I would suggest the Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Colonnade and Lenox. Downtown the Doubletree, Park Plaza, Bostonian and Seaport Hotel are great. Most of these offer specials. Google the hotel names and go to their websites. You'll love the city. I would also suggest getting tickets for Old Town Trolley. You can get off and on all day. Freedom trail is a wonderful thing to do too. I would stay away from driving in the city...us Bahstonians are having trouble negotiating the Big Dig...I couldn't even imagine how someone from out of town would deal with it.
Cora

 

[MAC3]

Just wanted to say how great it is to hear people who don't live here say how nice it is...

I have to concur, although we seem "unapproachable" if you ask us for idea's /directions we are very helpful. We are more than happy to have people visit our fine city.

Just shoot from the hip, I don't live around here, Can you direct me to......

Glad to have you,
Lisa

 

[laughinplace199]

In my opinion, Braintree is too far away from Boston. If you're going to be doing the touristy things in the city, you'd be better off staying in the city. As others have mentioned, the Sonesta is a good choice. The Braintree/Boston commute is not fun! Have fun on your trip!

 

[Margie J]

Ok, here's my Boston background first of all: Lived in the City for 5 years and have commuted to/from Boston for work since 1983. I commute from the North but have been to locations South and West of Boston also.

Yes, Braintree has a T stop (red line) but it will be packed at commuter times and still quite a distance from the City.

Driving from either the South (Braintree) or North is NO FUN at commuter times. That's when you'd most likely be on the road. Even with the new roadways leading into the City it's still bad. Yes, it looks like a straight shot in .... bumper to bumper at various speeds though. Bad on the nerves. Then there is the issue of where to park the car in Boston. Meters are scarce and garages are expensive (average is about $20-$25 day without validation).

If you can't find a reasonable price in Boston try for Cambridge, Charlestown, Brookline or Allston/Brighton for closer and safe alternatives. All are close to T access that won't take lots of time. You can even grab a taxi into the City if you wish. Many places offer shuttles to and from Logan also.

As a further alternative there is Woburn. It's North of the City and has both T Commuter Rail and Logan Express Bus transportation with plenty of parking. The Commuter Rail train into North Station takes about 20 minutes. It drops you off at North Station/Fleet Center, within walking distance of the North End, Charlestown and Faneuil Hall areas.


Ok, I did a quick price search for you. I looked over the list of hotels and selected a few below.

Places to Stay - April 9 to 12


* Royal Sonesta Cambridge - right across the river from Boston, near MGH and Science Museum

* Hyatt Regency Cambridge - near river and Brighton

* Boston Omni Parker House - downtown near shopping, Boston Common, T and Faneuil Hall

* Copley Square Hotel - near Prudential Center, shopping, dining, tours and great T access

Crowne Plaza Woburn - near malls, movie theatres, Commuter Rail to Boston, Rts 93 and 128/95 and Logan Bus

AmeriSuites Medford (new)- right off Rt. 93, not much around the hotel though (residential)

 

[disneyberry]

<font face="times" size="+0">i grew up in the Greater Boston area, and agree that Braintree is a bit far from Boston if you were planning on sightseeing in Boston proper.

Priceline or Hotwire can get you some great hotel deals. take a look at http://www.betterbidding.com (very friendly newer board with Hotwire + Priceline info) and http://www.biddingfortravel.com (Priceline only info, and very extensive collection of data) for tips on booking via Priceline and Hotwire.

the 3 zones i would recommend are Back Bay/Copley, Theater District, or Cambridge.

Boston is a great walking city! once you are in the city, park your car, and leave it parked for the duration of your trip. the subway (a.k.a. "the T") will get you from one neighborhood to the next, and then you can walk around easily.

have fun!</font>

 

[twotoohappy]

Hi llane,
Sorry I can't give you much info about Braintree (I moved from there when I was a kid) , but if you're planning on going to Cape Cod I could give you some ideas!

Oh yeah,, Maybe we'll see you in Oct... we'll be at the VWL too!