{"id":1290,"date":"2018-12-09T07:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-12-09T12:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=1290"},"modified":"2018-12-08T11:51:37","modified_gmt":"2018-12-08T16:51:37","slug":"a-reader-asks-what-should-can-i-do-during-a-4-hour-layover-in-boston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/09\/a-reader-asks-what-should-can-i-do-during-a-4-hour-layover-in-boston\/","title":{"rendered":"A reader* asks: &#8220;What should\/can I do during a 4 hour layover in Boston?&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>That&#8217;s not much time, so I suggest this for a very quick taste-of-Boston trip:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take the T or Lyft\/Uber from the airport to <a aria-label=\"Take the T or Lyft\/Uber to Downtown Crossing\/Washington Street: a bustling, very walkable part of the old downtown with many shops and places to eat. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbta.com\/stops\/place-dwnxg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Downtown Crossing\/Washington Street<\/a>: a bustling, very walkable part of the old downtown with many shops and places to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From there, walk the block or two to <a aria-label=\"From there, walk the block or two to Boston Common (at the foot of the State House) and The Public Garden. From the Common, you can follow the Freedom Trail to many historic sites nearby. Wander in the direction of Quincy Market, with more historic buildings and lots of visitor-oriented activities (yes, it's touristy, but you only have 4 hours...). If there's time, Boston Harbor and Long Wharf are only a couple blocks east of Quincy Market. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Boston_Common\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Boston Common<\/a> at the foot of the State House. If the weather&#8217;s nice, detour across the street to enjoy the <a aria-label=\"From there, walk the block or two to Boston Common (at the foot of the State House) and The Public Garden. From the Common, you can follow the Freedom Trail to many historic sites nearby. Wander in the direction of Quincy Market, with more historic buildings and lots of visitor-oriented activities (yes, it's touristy, but you only have 4 hours...). If there's time, Boston Harbor and Long Wharf are only a couple blocks east of Quincy Market. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_Garden_(Boston)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Public Garden<\/a>. From the Common, you can follow the <a aria-label=\"From there, walk the block or two to Boston Common (at the foot of the State House) and The Public Garden. From the Common, you can follow the Freedom Trail to many historic sites nearby. Wander in the direction of Quincy Market, with more historic buildings and lots of visitor-oriented activities (yes, it's touristy, but you only have 4 hours...). If there's time, Boston Harbor and Long Wharf are only a couple blocks east of Quincy Market. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Freedom_Trail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Freedom Trail<\/a> to many historic sites nearby. Wander in the direction of <a aria-label=\"From there, walk the block or two to Boston Common (at the foot of the State House) and The Public Garden. From the Common, you can follow the Freedom Trail to many historic sites nearby. Wander in the direction of Quincy Market, with more historic buildings and lots of visitor-oriented activities (yes, it's touristy, but you only have 4 hours...). If there's time, Boston Harbor and Long Wharf are only a couple blocks east of Quincy Market. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quincy_Market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Quincy Market<\/a>, with more historic buildings and lots of visitor-oriented activities. If you prefer something less touristy, walk a couple blocks east of Quincy Market to <a aria-label=\"From there, walk the block or two to Boston Common (at the foot of the State House) and The Public Garden. From the Common, you can follow the Freedom Trail to many historic sites nearby. Wander in the direction of Quincy Market, with more historic buildings and lots of visitor-oriented activities (yes, it's touristy, but you only have 4 hours...). If there's time, Boston Harbor and Long Wharf are only a couple blocks east of Quincy Market. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Long_Wharf_(Boston)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Long Wharf<\/a>, the <a aria-label=\"From there, walk the block or two to Boston Common at the foot of the State House. If the weather's nice, detour across the street to enjoy the Public Garden. From the Common, you can follow the Freedom Trail to many historic sites nearby. Wander in the direction of Quincy Market, with more historic buildings and lots of visitor-oriented activities. If you prefer something less touristy, walk a couple blocks east of Quincy Market to Long Wharf for the Harborwalk and great views of Boston Harbor. If you're hungry, the North End --- an enclave of world-class Italian (and other) eateries --- is just a couple blocks north of Long Wharf. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bostonharbornow.org\/what-we-do\/explore\/harborwalk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Harborwalk<\/a>, and great views of Boston Harbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hungry or thirsty? There are pubs all over the Quincy Market\/Waterfront area &#8212; this is Boston, after all! And if you&#8217;re a gastronome,&nbsp;the North End &#8212; an enclave of world-class Italian (and other) eateries &#8212; is just a couple blocks north of Long Wharf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you end your walk in the area of Quincy Market or Long Wharf, you can hop on the <a aria-label=\"When your time is up, hop on the T at Aquarium Station (or take Lyft\/Uber) back to the airport.&nbsp; (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbta.com\/stops\/place-aqucl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">T at Aquarium Station<\/a> or take Lyft\/Uber or a <a aria-label=\"Alternatively, you can take a water taxi across the harbor back to the airport. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boston-discovery-guide.com\/boston-water-taxi.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">water taxi<\/a> back to the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a aria-label=\"Boston pedestrian maps for visitors (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boston-discovery-guide.com\/boston-map.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Boston pedestrian maps for visitors<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a aria-label=\"https:\/\/www.mbta.com\/schedules\/subway (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbta.com\/schedules\/subway\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Public Transit info (the &#8220;T&#8221;)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a aria-label=\"Water taxis (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boston-discovery-guide.com\/boston-water-taxi.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Water taxis<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\" class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong><em>Permalink:<\/em><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=1290\"><em> https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=1290<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>* Want to ask Fred a question? Have a comment? Click <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Want free notification of new content like this? Click <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/09\/get-free-automatic-notification-of-new-content\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A time-crunched visitor asks what to see in a quick tour of Boston.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-reader-asks","category-around-boston"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-kO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":835,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/28\/around-boston-is-it-easy-to-find-a-public-bathroom-in-downtown-boston\/","url_meta":{"origin":1290,"position":0},"title":"Around Boston: Is it easy to find a public bathroom in Downtown Boston?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-10-28","format":false,"excerpt":"Q. Is it easy to find a public bathroom in Downtown Boston? (via Quora) A. It's not hard, but they're not always obvious. For example, many Boston streets have large, circular kiosks with advertising on the outside. These are actually public restrooms, although they are not obviously so, until you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":920,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/03\/a-reader-asks-whats-your-experience-of-uber-in-boston-mass\/","url_meta":{"origin":1290,"position":1},"title":"A reader asks: What&#8217;s your experience of Uber in Boston, Mass?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-11-03","format":false,"excerpt":"Reader Ross asks: \"What's your experience of Uber in Boston, Mass?\" The Uber service and drivers here are OK; but (IMHO) Uber as a corporation sucks: known for bad business practices, criminal investigations, institutionalized misogyny, etc. Why give money to a company like that? I use Lyft instead. It has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":656,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/13\/a-reader-asks-is-boston-ma-a-terrible-place-to-live\/","url_meta":{"origin":1290,"position":2},"title":"A reader asks: &#8216;Is Boston, MA a terrible place to live?&#8217;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-10-13","format":false,"excerpt":"Q: A reader asks: 'Is Boston, MA a terrible place to live?' (via Quora) A: Questions like this, with a built-in bias, presuppose the answer, sort of like \u201cHave you stopped beating your wife?\u201d But the answer is clearly no. Here's proof: People don\u2019t choose to move to a place\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":762,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/20\/a-reader-asks-what-are-some-tips-and-tricks-for-getting-the-most-out-of-using-the-boston-t\/","url_meta":{"origin":1290,"position":3},"title":"A reader asks: What are some tips and tricks for getting the most out of the Boston T?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-10-20","format":false,"excerpt":"Q: What are some tips and tricks for getting the most out of using the Boston T? (via Quora) A: Here are three things I've learned. Manage The Costs: Use a CharlieCard instead of paper tickets. The NFC-based CharlieCards are free (ask at any Info kiosk), speed your entry to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":451,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/29\/a-boston-reader-asks-where-in-boston-can-you-meditate-away-from-car-noise-but-not-have-to-pay-for-this-quiet-space\/","url_meta":{"origin":1290,"position":4},"title":"A reader asks: Where in Boston can you meditate away from car noise but not have to pay for this quiet space?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-09-29","format":false,"excerpt":"Q. Where in Boston can you meditate away from car noise but not have to pay for this quiet space? (via Quora) A: Try the Boston Museum of Fine Arts\u2019 free Japanese Garden, \"Tenshin-en.\" Tenshin-en, or the \u201cGarden of the Heart of Heaven,\u201d is a contemplative Japanese garden designed so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mfas3.s3.amazonaws.com\/styles\/banner_grid-6_retina\/s3\/SC24483_4x3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mfas3.s3.amazonaws.com\/styles\/banner_grid-6_retina\/s3\/SC24483_4x3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mfas3.s3.amazonaws.com\/styles\/banner_grid-6_retina\/s3\/SC24483_4x3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mfas3.s3.amazonaws.com\/styles\/banner_grid-6_retina\/s3\/SC24483_4x3.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mfas3.s3.amazonaws.com\/styles\/banner_grid-6_retina\/s3\/SC24483_4x3.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1366,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/15\/a-reader-asks-have-you-heard-about-the-boston-molassacre\/","url_meta":{"origin":1290,"position":5},"title":"A reader* asks: &#8220;Have you heard about the Boston Molassacre?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-12-15","format":false,"excerpt":"I believe that's a phrase used jokingly by tour guides to refer to the very real \"Great Molasses Flood\" of 1919. On an unusually warm January day, a poorly-constructed industrial tank containing\u00a0 2,300,000 US gallons (8,706,447 liters) of hot, fermenting molasses burst, sending a wave of heavy liquid, initially 25ft\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BostonMolassesDisaster.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BostonMolassesDisaster.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BostonMolassesDisaster.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BostonMolassesDisaster.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BostonMolassesDisaster.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BostonMolassesDisaster.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1290"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1307,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1290\/revisions\/1307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}