Boston on a Budget

[JJ&JSMOM]

We just got back from boston and we stayed at the Doubletree Guest Suites on soldiers field road. Very close to cambridge but technically in boston. Not sure if this is the doubletree being mentioned or not. But we loved it! The staff here is top notch and couldn't have asked for better accomandations. We took Amtrak into the city so we didn't have to pay parking. Doubletree has a shuttle that takes you to Harvard Square, Boston Common, Aquarium, and Copley Place. This is free but you must make reservations. We never had a problem finding a spot but we went in May. I would think the summertime would be much busier.

There is a Whole Foods supermarket and a Rite Aid across River City bridge. We stocked up on breakfast foods and snacks. Doubletree has a kitchenette area with a dining table for 4 which came in very handy with 3 kids.

We went to Fenway to see the Yankees vs Red Sox on Mothers Day. Red Sox won!!!!! Yeah!!! The only down side of our vacay was after the game trying to find a cab which you would think the place would be crawling with cabs but it wasn't. The cabbies really don't want to get caught up in the traffic I was told. But we eventually found one and got back to Doubletree. The Doubletree is not near the "T" so keep this in mind if you're going to a game. If you have a vehicle, you could always drive to the T station and take the T in.

We went to the Museum of Science - it was ok nothing great. We did take a cab here as we couldn't figure out the T and it was pouring out. We did figure the T out on the way back to the shuttle pickup area. So with the combination of cabs, shuttle, and the "T", the Doubletree is a great place to stay.

When we went last summer, we stayed at the Boston Sheraton which was walkable to fenway and back - no problem at all. But we wanted to try something new this time. I guess it depends on what type of trip you're planning. We're going back in August when the Angels come to town, so I'm probably going to pick a hotel closer to Fenway as baseball will be the top of our to do list.

Have fun planning.

 

[3boymthr]

Relative to going from Waltham to Natick. While at 9 miles it sounds close, at rush-hour on a Friday the drive time is about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (4 PM to 7 PM) - there is extensive construction on Route 9 right now with multiple lane closures (just there yesterday) the traffic was horrendous at 3 in the afternoon it added 25 minutes to my drive. As PP noted I would definitely stay closer to Natick or in Boston. Keep in mind even on a Saturday your drive time from Waltham into Boston will be almost an hour - it's just the nature of the beast - from Natick the time would be about the same. It's kind of like disney, do you want to be close or do you want to spend more money. Since I live here I can't really recommend any hotels.

Parkingwise the cheapest I've found in almost in Boston is at the MOS. Don't park near the aquarium even on a sunday they run about $7/hr. I know you said you've had bad experiences with trains in the past but really the T is the best option around here for going into boston. It will cost about the same or less than parking if you get a charlie card it will give you a lot of ease of movement in the city if you don't want to drive everywhere you go - just navigating the city by car to go from say the MOS to Quincy Market - which are very near each other - will take quite some time.

I just checked DH's handy dandy magnetic schedule that he keeps right here. As far as Red Sox are concerned there are games almost every single Friday, Saturday & Sunday in June, July & August. Unlike most teams the Redsox are sold out for the season and have been since February. So if you want tickets start scouring e-bay and craigslist now otherwise forget it. Plan on about $100/ticket plus at least $100 for food in the park. If you don't want to spend that stay as far away from Fenway as you can. ETA - My bad, they are playing every F, S, S but half the games are away - I had a duh moment, sorry.

 

[jjj444]

Boston Go card has a tour of Fenway park that we really enjoyed if you can't get tickets for a game. Even just to walk around down there during a game would be fun. We did the duck tour which our kids liked. There are some great history walking tours and the aquarium was nice. Look at the Boston go card and see what they offer if you buy one. We olanned what we did around that.

 

[tres besitos]

I agree with PP that although Waltham and Natick may appear close on the map, be aware that with Friday afternoon traffic they are lightyears apart. I also agree that staying in Waltham taking public transportation would be the easiest/fastest option. From Waltham you could easily take the subway from Alewife station in Cambridge it is the redline in Boston's T system. This will take you through Cambridge into Boston, with a stunning view of the city as you cross the Charles River over a bridge.

For some budget family friendly things to do- Friday nights 5-9pm at the Boston Childrens Museum admission is only $1 and you can have your garage parking validated at the front desk. The Harvard Museum of Natural History in Harvard Square has free admission Sunday mornings from 9-noon. In Charlestown, the USS constitution museum and guided tour of old ironsides are fee to the public - the museum only requests a donation be made. We spent several hours there last summer and my boys absolutely loved it! Also at the museum of science you can go see a show at the planetarium or the Omni Theater without having to pay admission to the museum, just the fees for the shows and you have access to the gift shop - which is fantastic and the cafe. If you can get a seat along the back wall of windows in the cafe you have a fantastic view if the Charles River both Boston and Cambridge and of the aforementioned train going by over the "salt and pepper" bridge- which is always a hit with my train loving 4 year old!

Don't forget the city playgrounds and parks. Depending on the ages of your kids the Make Way for Duckling statues in the Public Garden is a great photo op, and good reading to get ready for your trip. One last thing - if you do stay in Waltham there is a great playground with one of the best spray parks we've been to - Beaver Brook Reservation.

Have fun Boston is a great city to explore with kids!

 

[bigmama67]

In November of '08 we stayed at a Days Inn on Soldiers Field Road(?) near Cambridge. It was about 10 minutes to the conference DH was attending at UMass. I drove to the Boston Children's Museum in 20 minutes quite easily. (Well, actually, I drove back to the hotel easily; I got horribly lost on the way over but that was my fault, not the directions!) The parking at the hotel was free and there was an IHOP next door (as in, we walked over for breakfast). Under $100 a night.

In Waltham we once ate at a pretty decent brewpub called (I think) Watch City Brewery. That was years ago but if it is still there I would recommend it. Don't know much else about that area, sorry.

You've gotten some great recommendations for Boston. It's a wonderful walking city and the Freedom Trail is great because you can choose a section of it to do. Next time we go, whenever that is, I think we will do the Old Town Trolley. I've heard the aquarium is not as good as the one in Mystic but that was from a friend who has completely different taste than I do. I can also highly recommend Fanueil Hall just for walking around and soaking up the atmosphere; they have a fabulous indoor food court with unique choices so everyone can be happy! Also the wonderful "No Name Seafood Restaurant" in that area.

Ah, my college hangout days are coming back...lol...

 

[digitalsiren]

Make sure to take a stroll down to Fanuel Hall. Plan for delays too. When I lived in Boston sometimes traffic could be It's been a few years though so maybe they've finally sorted themselves out from the Big Dig.

 

[3boymthr]

Ooooh! Wait if you're going to be in Natick - if you are looking for something to do at night - You have to go to Jordan's Furniture.

I know you're think what! a furniture store.

Jordan's has an IMAX theatre there which is really really cool. (They're currently showing Iron Man and will be showing Shrek and TS3 - and they show some more scientific films as well - such as Tom Hanks' Walking on the Moon).

There is also a restaurant - Kelly's Roast Beef - it's QS but the food is really good.

It's a really unusual furniture store - the people who work there aren't on commission so you don't have to be worry about them trying to sell you furniture as you walk to the theatre - in fact, if I recall correctly you don't go thru the furniture parts of the store to get to the theatre.

ETA - Jordan's is pretty much, sort of across the street from the Natick Collection - their driveway is on the same road, but you have to make a few short turns to get there because the road is divided.

 

[D L and K's Mom]

Another suggestion would be the Sheraton Needham http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=15
Needham is about a 15 min drive to Natick so you can get to the American Girl Store pretty quick. If you drive into Needham Heights you can park and take the purple line train into Boston or drive to Newton Center (10 min drive)or Newton Highlands leave your car and take the Green line into Boston. I think the hotel might have a shuttle that will take you to the "T" station but Im not sure. Don't forget the Duck Tour. once you get to BOSTON..its a MUST!!!! If you do stay in Needham the Chestnut Hill Mall is pretty close. Great stores but $$$$ . Dont forget there is no clothing tax in MA. I know there is a hotel called the Hotel Indigo right near the big Riverside "T" station. It is pretty new and I dont know anything about it except that someone told me it was being built. I was born and raised in Needham...great town!!! Good luck!

Just re-read your post and saw that you said you didnt want to take the T. Sorry. The train from Needham is very nice. It is a commuter rail type train.