Something to do...

Hey all, I%26#39;m in a weird situation now where just about every week I arrive in Boston in the middle of the morning, and then have to wait until 4 or 5 to go back home again. I have no place to go in the meanwhile so I need some advice on a place to just chill out and relax or something interesting and cheap (or free!) to check out. I%26#39;d do something like the MFA but I can%26#39;t shell out $13 for a couple of hours%26#39; worth of browsing. I%26#39;m looking for anything interesting, particularly in the Kenmore Square area but basically anywhere within walking distance (like Copley or Downtown Crossing). Anything in the area of galleries, museums, cafes, bookstores, malls, nifty architecture, or what have you. ESPECIALLY appreciated would be someplace I could sit down indoors and not get harrassed. Thanks in advance for helping me out.

PS - Anybody know of some good clothing stores that are priced reasonably and offer clothes for men?

Something to do...

HI,

You%26#39;re in Boston for 4 to 5 hours a day every day? Yes I would say that would become a bit expensive if you didn%26#39;t know where to go!

One thing you could do is go to the Boston Copley Sq. Public Library and chill there for a few hours, it%26#39;s wonderful. I had to go there a lot of times for school when I had those famous college papers to write up! It%26#39;s probably the best place in that area to chill! You could browse so many areas in that building it%26#39;s not even funny. I was there in the middle of July a lot one summer; I%26#39;ll never forget it, meeting my study groups! It%26#39;s a wonderful big indoor place to chill, trust me!

You could walk this time of year it%26#39;s not too bad to walk; from the library right down Boylston St., through the Public Garden and the Boston Common and on Tremont St. there%26#39;s a Loew%26#39;s Theater now, you%26#39;ll see it on the corner of Tremont you can%26#39;t miss it. It%26#39;s actually a really cool theater, I was there last week seeing a movie myself. It%26#39;s got so many theaters in it it%26#39;s not even funny. You%26#39;ll love it when you see it, you have to take the escalator up to the next level and you%26#39;ll see what I mean. It%26#39;s set up so cool, when you see the stadium seating it%26#39;s great! You could check out a movie in the afternoon a few times? They have good times for showing Matinees and during the week it%26#39;s GREAT because it%26#39;s not crowded at ALL with teenagers and noise!

You could walk from there around the corner to Downtown Crossing and check out Filene%26#39;s Basement and Marshall%26#39;s and all along Washington St for men%26#39;s clothes, you%26#39;ll see the different shops in through there and along the side streets.

You could walk down to Faneuill Hall and browse all the shops and places down through there, they have tons of places to chill in through here, where you can be inside the rotunda and just hang out for a few hours.

If anyone else can think of anywhere...oh I just thought of a GREAT place for you to hang out and chill!!! Go over to South Station inside the building, you HAVE to see it now, it%26#39;s soooo cool; that%26#39;s one of the BEST places to go!!!! You could easily walk down through Chinatown and Kneeland to get over to South Station or take the ';T';....that%26#39;s where you should go! They have a lot of things going on in that place, you could read, people watch and have lunch here or something! Check it out....Good luck!

Something to do...

Sweet, thanks NoMo for the good advice. I usually love walking around but the weather has been pretty crazy here so I%26#39;m looking for indoor alternatives. I didn%26#39;t realize Boston Public Library was so close, but now that you mention it, it IS in Copley Square... I completely forgot! That sounds like a really good idea since I%26#39;ve been swamped with homework lately.

South Station is a cool idea too, I didn%26#39;t even think of that. Most of my contact with Boston has been sitting there waiting for busses and I%26#39;ve always wanted to explore.

Also thanks for the tip on Washington Street. Last time I was in that area I ended up getting a little lost cause I didn%26#39;t know which direction to go in - I ended up in the business district on a Sunday (not a happening place, by the way). This time I%26#39;ll just follow Washington Street.

You wouldn%26#39;t happen to know of any nifty little cafes, would you? I%26#39;ve mostly only seen Starbucks and expensive-looking bistros on the main streets. I%26#39;m looking for somewhere I could sit and read without getting rained on and sip a little white mocha while I%26#39;m at it.

Thanks again for all the great advice! I%26#39;m prepared for tomorrow now :)

In through the Financial District along Congress and Broad St and High St., there%26#39;s a ton of bistros and cafes, you%26#39;ll see them as you%26#39;re walking down Summer St. from Washington St.

There%26#39;s another area too where you could check out and explore, it%26#39;s the Seaport District down by the World Trade Center, it%26#39;s got so many areas and places now down through there to walk and see. It%26#39;s amazing through there now. They have Lucky%26#39;s which is where we like to go sometimes on a Sunday night to hear the Frank Sinatra impersonator but friends of mine said it%26#39;s really great for lunch during the day and you could hang out here for a few hours?? There%26#39;ll be a lot of bistros and cafes along Congress St., as you%26#39;re walking down through there from South Station or along by the Children%26#39;s Museum look for that. Which is a really cool place to go to, you know!

There%26#39;s a place that you would really like, check out the menu though, but the article and write up looks really good. It%26#39;s called the Channel Cafe. I think you%26#39;d really like it all in through the Seaport area; all down through there, it%26#39;s very artsy and retro now; it%26#39;s really built up and sheik I might add.

Look at this site....

http://www.hiddenboston.com/ChannelCafe.html

Or go to the other end of Boston by North Station area and all along Canal St., there%26#39;s quite a lot of bistros and cafes all in through there now, they%26#39;ve come a long way for that area too!

Near Kenmore, check out what B.U. has to offer. They have a new science center, and some libraries open to the public, free lectures, and if you%26#39;re a student, there%26#39;s some reciprocal (free) stuff. The Gardner Musuem on the Fenway has some reduced rate hours (so does the MFA). There%26#39;s a huge ';Landmark'; mall in the old Sears Bldg. (a block out Brookline Ave. fr. Kenmore), with a huge movie theatre -- Don%26#39;t know what else is in there, but could eat some time finding out. There%26#39;s the ICA (Institute of Comtemp Art) on the Kenmore end of Back Bay. And the Christian Science Center (religion totally aside) off Mass. Ave. has that amazing reflecting pool, awesome to sit by with a good book if it%26#39;s not too cold out or pouring :), and I%26#39;m sure they%26#39;d be happy to let people in their libraries, which include ';secular'; materials.

Good luck and happy trails.

I forgot this....you could always walk down or take the ';T'; if it%26#39;s too cold to the North End, they have a lot of Cafe%26#39;s on Hanover and Salem St. Look for Cafe Graffiti here%26#39;s the info on it...durng the day you%26#39;ll probably see only locals in there, but that%26#39;s okay they have plenty of tables and chairs....if it%26#39;s too crowded go across the street to Cafe Vittoria at 296 Hanover St. If these aren%26#39;t what you like then walk down to Mike%26#39;s Pastry on Hanover St., you%26#39;ll see the sign for it and they have tables and chairs inside as well....most of the restaurants in the North End don%26#39;t open until 5:00 but places like this will be open....

Caffè Graffiti

307 Hanover St. (Parmenter St.)

Boston, MA 02113

617-367-2494