A short flight away from Boston

A 6 hour and 45 minute flight and a 6-hour time difference are all that separate Boston from France.  A short trip well worth taking.

Upon arrival, instead of lying down, take advantage of the time difference to breathe in the Boston air and start to feel at home.  Quickly unpack at the Liberty Hotel, a modern and out of the ordinary establishment (Leading Hotels of the World), that was a prison up until 1990 and is remarkably located at the foot of Beacon Hill, Charles Street and the Charles River.  One of the hotel’s most interesting attributes: its décor.

Forget traditional, think modern.  Comfortable rooms, a modern décor and floor to ceiling windows that offer a plunging view of the city.

Beacon Hill

For romantics who wish to experience the city and all its history, the first destination is Beacon Hill.  This neighbourhood, originally founded by a family of ship-owners, was then taken over by a group of intellectuals called ‘Brahmins’.  Take a stroll down shaded and sloping lanes lined with Georgian-style houses of red brick hemmed with wrought-iron balconies and gas-lit lampposts.  This cosy little neighbourhood can also boast of being home to Charles Street, veritable gem lined with many antique shops with lovely window panes mounted with hammered metallic signs and other small traditional shops not yet weeded out by department stores.

Continue on to Boston’s historical district and the famous Faneuil Market Place Hall.

Faneuil Hall: The Cradle of Liberty

Faneuil Hall was built in 1742 by a French Huguenot, Peter Faneuil, and served as a market place and a meeting hall.  Also referred to as the ‘Cradle of Liberty’, Faneuil Hall was site of several speeches by colonists encouraging independence from Great Britain.  Entirely renovated in 1806, it is now home a meeting hall in which John Fitzgerald Kennedy made his last campaign speech. 

The new Faneuil Hall is now part of a larger market place that includes Quincy Market, an indoor shopping centre.

Back Bay

Before a well-deserved night’s rest, you can dine at the Hotel’s restaurant Clink that serves a very European cuisine in a refined décor and offers a breathtaking view of the Charles River.  After an early reveille, due to jet lag, make your way to Back Bay, a prosperous and well to do neighbourhood, as Henry James described it back in 1909.  Its avenues, designed in pure Haussmannian style, are a succession of upscale boutiques and international brands.  Newbury Street and Commonwealth Avenue are a tribute to the Victorian era and were designed by the architect Charles Bulfinch who was also responsible for the remodelling of Faneuil Hall. 

A little further, not far from Copley Square, you will find the Boston Public Library, another one of the city’s historic monuments that resembles, in style, the Sainte Genevieve library in the Latin Quarter neighbourhood in Paris.

North end: an Italian atmosphere

Different neighbourhood, different atmosphere.  During colonial times, the North End was known as the “Island of North Boston”.  But in 1815, brought on by the Potato Famine, the Irish started arriving to the New World and settling in this neighbourhood.  Today, the Italians have taken over the neighbourhood, now joyously echoing with the sound of Italian invective and on streets such as Hanover Street or Salem street, flourishing with Italian shops and restaurants attracting more and more tourists everyday.

Here, Italy is prevalent and some grocers have maintained a 50’s kind of atmosphere while displaying their local products. 

The Harbour and South End

Push on to the Battery Warf, near the docks, and try out Guy Martin’s new restaurant, Sensing, which has made its home in the new Fairmont hotel, a modern establishment overlooking the Charles River. Only a stone’s throw away, visit the Aquarium, home to over 20 000 different species.  A fun museum that will particularly appeal to children.  And only a little further, if your feet will let you, make your way to the Institute of Contemporary Art, (ICA) whose façade made entirely of glass offer a unobstructed view of the harbour.

Finally, your visit would not be complete without a visit to Berkshire County, Norman Rockwell’s America, less than two hours away from Boston.  Lose yourself in this paradise for strung-out Bostonians, its green landscapes, deep blue lakes and small villages (Stockbridge, Lenox, Great Barrington, Richmond, …)

The thought of moving there will cross your mind for a moment, but the prospect of 2 feet of snow in the winter will set you straight.

Katya PELLEGRINO, March 2010