Andrew and Tovah
Things To Do
The North End
The North End is Boston's oldest residential community made up of a beautiful maze of narrow streets. Sometimes referred to as our Little Italy, with many incredible cafes, pastry shops, bistros and other Italian restaurants to support that claim, the North End has also been home to countless other immigrant communities throughout the city's history. On the self-guided Freedom Trail, you can (supposedly) pass historic sites like the 1680 Paul Revere House (Tovah has yet to give tourists accurate directions there) and the Old North Church, which played a key role at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The North End is an easy walk from the MBTA Orange Line (North Station or Haymarket), Green Line (North Station or Government Center) and Blue Line (Aquarium).
Harvard Square
Harvard Square has been one of Tovah's happy places for quite some time but now even more so because in May of last year, Andy asked Tovah to marry him in a garden behind the Longfellow House on Brattle Street. In addition to many happy memories, Harvard Square is also home to fun restaurants and bars, boutiques and other beautiful gardens. If you're in the mood, you can also check out the Harvard University Art Museums and Museum of Natural History or take a walk along the Charles River. A few favorite restaurants/bars: Wusong Road ("tells the culinary love story about Asian American Cuisine and tropical Tiki escapism"), Shay's Wine Bar (a dive-y wine bar), Filipe's Taqueria (delicious burritos, quesadillas and margaritas) and Hourly Oyster Bar. It can be difficult to find parking in Harvard Square but the MBTA Red Line stops right in the middle of the Square.
Boston Duck Tours
While sometimes written off as a silly tourist attraction, the Duck Boat Tours can be a fun way to see Boston from the land and water and learn new tidbits even if you've lived here for years. You can pick one up at the New England Aquarium (while you're there, don't forget to say hi to the seals and sea lions in tanks that can be viewed from the outside for free), the Museum of Science or the Prudential building in downtown Boston.
Project: PUTT!
"Where mad science meets mini-golf!" This is a new experimental mini-golf in Malden (the town where we live). Full disclosure: we haven't been yet but it's on our list. While in Malden, check out the incredible diversity of food options. Two of our favorites: All Seasons Table ("Is it upscale? Is it casual? Is it family-friendly? Is it trendy? Is it a Japanese restaurant? Is it a Chinese restaurant? The answers to all of these questions are 'yes'") and Faces Brewing Co. (good food and beer). Parking shouldn't be too hard to find and you can also take the MBTA Orange Line to Malden Center.